VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

theavey — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:31:01 GMT

After DevSummit it sounds like ESRI is going to replace the VBA scripting environment with Python. The only problem with this is the inability to cut VBA code into VB6 solutions when you want to move a prototype to a more robust environment.

Will there be a scripting / prototpying environment that will be as seamless as the VBA/VB6 environments?

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

scott bridwell — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:25:16 GMT

What will happen with the vb script components embedded in various pieces of ArcGIS such as the field calculator and label rendering? Will these features exist for the foreseeable future or will a new scripting framework replace it?

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

Simon — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:02:38 GMT

I assume this has come around more because MS are discontinuing VBA & VB6? http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/isv/bb190538.aspx Its good that ESRI appear to be enhancing python support at 9.4 - However, I imagine a number of users are not keen on using Visual Studio, and prefer to customise the mxd's themselves as opposed to creating .DLL files.

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

alaframboise — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:04:13 GMT

Sorry for the delay folks.

Scott: As with all releases, we are working hard to maintain all aspects of backwards compatibility with the 9.4 release. Features such as VB scripting will still be supported but we will be considering alternative methods to scripting as we move forward.

Simon: As technology evolves, we evolve as well. When a development environment is no longer supported by a vendor, it makes it very difficult for us to build and design future versions of our software on those technologies.

And to your second point, there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to writing code in the application tier vs in DLLs. One thing to keep in mind however is that writing pure .NET DLLs is considerably easier than writing and deploying traditional COM DLLs. DLLs also make it easier to separate tiers of business logic so that code can be reused across many different applications. That said, we also recognize the benefits of writing code within the application framework itself, and are taking this into serious consideration for the future releases.

EDN Team

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

Randy — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:28:50 GMT

As someone who basically dabbles, but has benefitted enormously from AML, Avenue, VBA, Python , and ModelBuilder over the years, without ever really becoming a "developer," sentences like this: And to your second point, there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to writing code in the application tier vs in DLLs. One thing to keep in mind however is that writing pure .NET DLLs is considerably easier than writing and deploying traditional COM DLLs. DLLs also make it easier to separate tiers of business logic so that code can be reused across many different applications. Give me the heeby jeebies. I have no idea what that means. I just would like to know what programming language I need to learn now to keep providing useful customizations. Currently, Python seems to work with the geoprocessing tools, but ArcObjects is what I would use for non-geoprocessing tasks (i.e., rename everything in the table of contents...or, zoom to selected features, add a bookmark, update the layout, send to printer....) Will (does?) Python have the ability to go into that sort of area? Thank you

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

Hornbydd — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:57:41 GMT

I've been developing ArcObjects solutions for clients and projects since ArcGIS 8.1.

Usually this is in VB6/VBA and more recently I'm starting to get to grips with VB .Net. I personally find python too slow and does not offer the rich toolkit of objects that ArcObjects has.

You might as well put a gun to my head and pull the trigger if you remove the ability to write code within a MXD! I do most of my coding within the VBA editor because its fast prototyping environment. For example, if one of my colleagues needs a solution that the geo-processing tools are unable to achieve then I usually knock out some quick code in an MXD. Some of my biggest and most successful projects have all run within a single MXD!

As a developer I understand its considered more clever doing it in visual studio but as a consultant who has to deal with clients and colleagues with differing skill levels, resources, time and money the MXD is often the only way to deliver.

Consider this...

I had to work for a client to process a significant amount of data as well as providing a tool for them to use at the end of the project. Despite them calling the shots, their own IT department would not allow DLLs... So how can I do the "clever" thing and develop an extension, the answer was an mxd!

Please don't take away the ability to write custom code, forms and toolbars from a MXD.

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

FS — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:05:40 GMT

Change is always hard to handle. When Avenue was replaced with VB, I about had a heart attack. But now I see how much better it is. This will probably turn out the same. The initial shock is hard, but then you realize how much better things are after.

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

stevel — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:48:17 GMT

When you're looking at upgrading VB Script, could you please focus on building in some error checking? "User Interrupt" doesn't help when trying to debug a complex VB Script labelling expression.

Thanks.

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

nur — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:14:15 GMT

Where I can get arcgis scripting for beginner?

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

alaframboise — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:14:33 GMT

You may want to start with this.

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?TopicName=About_getting_started_with_writing_geoprocessing_scripts

or here:

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?TopicName=An_overview_of_writing_geoprocessing_scripts

Allan

EDN

re: VBA and VB6 with ArcGIS: What's the Story?

pierre.k — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:21:06 GMT

What about VSTA? Does ESRI plan to support this platform in the future?