What is the Difference Between Visual Basic and Visual Basic.Net (VB6 and VB.net)?

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Visual Basic and Visual Basic.NET (VB6 and VB.NET) are different programming languages developed by Microsoft. Here are the main differences between them:

  1. Programming Language Paradigm: VB.NET is an object-oriented programming language, while Visual Basic is an event-driven programming language.
  2. IntelliSense Compatibility: VB.NET supports IntelliSense compatibility, whereas Visual Basic does not.
  3. Data Handling: In VB.NET, data is handled using the ADO.NET data provider, while Visual Basic used DAO, RDO, and finally ADO for data handling.
  4. Background Compilation: In VB.NET, background compilation takes place continuously for every valid operation, while Visual Basic is an interpreted language, with each statement interpreted at a time and then converted into source code.
  5. Runtime Environment: VB.NET uses the Common Language Runtime environment, while Visual Basic uses the Visual Basic Runtime environment.
  6. Syntax: Visual Basic.NET has a more C-like syntax, allowing for compound operators like +=, -=, *=, /=, =, ^=, and &=.
  7. Managed Code: VB.NET is designed to work with the .NET platform, which allows for managed code, while Visual Basic is an older language that does not have this feature.
  8. Compatibility: VB.NET is designed to be more compatible with other .NET languages like C# and Java, while Visual Basic is less compatible.
  9. Performance and Reliability: VB.NET was designed to be an improvement over Visual Basic in terms of performance, reliability, and ease of building and debugging applications.

In summary, VB.NET is a more modern, object-oriented, and flexible programming language compared to Visual Basic, which is now considered outdated and less powerful.

Comparative Table: Visual Basic vs Visual Basic.Net (VB6 vs VB.net)

Here is a table comparing the differences between Visual Basic (VB6) and Visual Basic.NET (VB.NET):

Feature Visual Basic (VB6) Visual Basic.NET (VB.NET)
Programming Language Paradigm Event-Driven Object-Oriented
IntelliSense Compatibility No Yes
Data Handling DAO/RDO/ADO XML-based (DataSet)
Background Compilation Interpreted (no background compilation) Background compilation continuously during validation
Runtime Environment Visual Basic Runtime Common Language Runtime (CLR)
Versions Earlier versions (up to VB6) Modern version introduced in 2002, successor to VB6

Visual Basic (VB6) is an event-driven programming language, whereas VB.NET is an object-oriented programming language. VB.NET was introduced as a modern version of VB6, with improvements in performance, reliability, and working environment. VB.NET also uses the Common Language Runtime (CLR) environment, while VB6 uses the Visual Basic Runtime.