How to convert a Borland C++ App to Visual Studio App

[Nithin]

Hi all,

We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.

Help Please?

Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

[David Lowndes]

Post by Nithin
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.

Nithin,

You'd ideally need to find someone with past experience of already
having done so - which may be rare.

I'd recommend that rather than "convert", you start from a new
project. Pick the best type of Visual C++ project that matches your
requirements to start from. Then take the core parts of the C++ code
from your existing project and add them to the new VC++ one.

Dave

[Alex Blekhman]

Post by Nithin
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to
convert a Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual
Studio 6. We cannot find any resources on the net that can
explain how and if this can be done.

Well, "converting" is a broad term. If this application uses
Borland-specific technologies, then converting implies rewriting
of relevant parts of the program.

However, usually you just create new solution in VS, then add
existing files and settings and fix build error until it builds
cleanly. BTW, VS6 is really old. I suggest you to port your
application to newer version of VS. Latest version of Express
Edition of VS is free.

Alex

[tanix]

Post by Alex Blekhman

Post by Nithin
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to
convert a Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual
Studio 6. We cannot find any resources on the net that can
explain how and if this can be done.

Well, "converting" is a broad term. If this application uses
Borland-specific technologies, then converting implies rewriting
of relevant parts of the program.
However, usually you just create new solution in VS, then add
existing files and settings and fix build error until it builds
cleanly. BTW, VS6 is really old. I suggest you to port your
application to newer version of VS. Latest version of Express
Edition of VS is free.

What is missing in Express edition?
Is it something that actually does something useful?

Post by Alex Blekhman
Alex

--
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organized by major topics of language, tools, methods, techniques.

[Alex Blekhman]

What is missing in Express edition? Is it something that
actually does something useful?

You can find brief comparison of VS editions here:

[Alex Blekhman]

What is missing in Express edition? Is it something that
actually does something useful?

You can find brief comparison of VS editions here:

"Visual Studio Editions"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/zcbsd3cz(VS.80).aspx

Also, there is comprehensive detailed comparison here:

"Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison Guide"
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=727BCFB0-B575-47AB-9FD8-4EE067BB3A37&displaylang=en

HTH
Alex

[tanix]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Alex Blekhman]

Post by tanix
No source control kinda kills the whole thing.

You may use Perforce server for personal projects. Also, there is
SVN, which is free.

Alex

[tanix]

Post by Alex Blekhman

Post by tanix
No source control kinda kills the whole thing.

You may use Perforce server for personal projects. Also, there is
SVN, which is free.

Never tried that one. But it is probably not integratable into VS,
or is it?

Post by Alex Blekhman
Alex

--
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[Alex Blekhman]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Dave Cullen]

Post by tanix

Post by Alex Blekhman
You may use Perforce server for personal projects. Also, there is
SVN, which is free.

Never tried that one. But it is probably not integratable into VS,
or is it?

Post by Alex Blekhman
Alex

We're using Subversion (SVN) here and it integrates perfectly into Studio 5
or 8.

drc

[RFOG]

You cannot do it directly in any way, as David and Alex has told you, less
if you are using VCL stuff...

However, .NET is a copy of, or is based in, the same principles that VCL
and there are direct correspondences between VCL and .NET classes. A VCL
Form is a .NET Form and practically have the same methods, events and with
similar names. Then an option will be to use C++/CLI (VS 2005 or upper),
but you need to rewrite ALL (and learn a new lenguage -C++/CLI). Having a
direct "concept" correspondence does not mean direct compiling only
copying code. You need to "paraphrase" the VCL C++ code into C++/CLI
equivalent code. And you will have a lot of issues in the conversion.

Converting VCL to MFC has a lot more issues because VCL is event driven
and MFC is "Win32 driven". BTW you continue having some correspondences
because, for example, a MouseMove VCL event is a WM_MOUSEMOVE Windows
Message, and you can map it. However, if you are using more advanced VCL
stuff like non Win32 direct equivalent components, or component
subclassing "a la" VCL, you will have a nightmare in the conversion, more
difficult as more high level VCL use you are doing.

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.
Help Please?
Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

[Darko Miletic]

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.

However this application was developed there is no way to directly port
this to VS. Borland technologies (VCL or OWL) are just totaly different
from MFC or .NET.

I recommend you to not use MFC or .NET either. Instead try using
something portable like QT (http://qt.nokia.com/) or wxWidgets
(http://www.wxwidgets.org/) that way you will have much less problems if
you ever decide to switch to another compiler or even operating system.

[tanix]

Post by Darko Miletic

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.

Well, you are not saying enough about what you need.
Is there GUI stuff? What kind of app it is? Is it multithreaded?
How big it is? What kind of stuff it does?
What kind of specifically Borland stuff you do?
ALL sorts of things.

Or you are just looking for some magic tool that will allow you
to port it without moving a finger?

Post by Darko Miletic
However this application was developed there is no way to directly port
this to VS. Borland technologies (VCL or OWL) are just totaly different
from MFC or .NET.
I recommend you to not use MFC or .NET either. Instead try using
something portable like QT (http://qt.nokia.com/)

How good of a performance the QT has?
How easy does it map to an MFC app?

And lastly, some time ago I heard there was some copyright related
issues. Don't remember what exactly, but something to the extent
the closed at least some of their code. What kind of issues does
it raise.

I need to port my monitoring firewall app to Linux.
Two things I am concerned is GUI code. Has to be non modal,
property sheet/property page type of stuff with fully resizable
dialogs.

And there is an NDIS intermediate driver.
Other stuff does not look like a big deal. Pretty straigtforward.

I did not look at QT stuff yet. Just want to get a rough idea
if it something worth looking at.

Post by Darko Miletic
or wxWidgets
(http://www.wxwidgets.org/) that way you will have much less problems if
you ever decide to switch to another compiler or even operating system.

--
Programmer's Goldmine collections:

http://preciseinfo.org

Tens of thousands of code examples and expert discussions on
C++, MFC, VC, ATL, STL, templates, Java, Python, Javascript,
organized by major topics of language, tools, methods, techniques.

[i***@rayfract.com]

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.
Help Please?
Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

If your Borland C++ app is based on OWL Object Windows Library, you
may want
to consider OWLNext, which supports Visual C++ 6.0 and later. See

http://owlnext.sourceforge.net and

http://cc.embarcadero.com/Item/27219

HTH, Siegfried.

[Dave Cullen]

What version of Borland C++ was the program written for? If it's 3.1 and DOS
based or a later version and Windows based it makes a big difference.

drc

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.
Help Please?
Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.
Help Please?
Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

I'm doing exactly that right now. A few options:
-- Create a dll in Borland/Embarcadero C++ builder with all functionality that you need in Visual studio. Than import it into Visual studio and use all functionality without any code problems. You'll need to convert the .lib file created in C++ builder to a Visual studio compatible .lib file (there are tools for this).
-- Manually "translate" between Borland specific stuff and Visual studio specific stuff (VCL to .NET for example).

-- or. Hire me to do it :P

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by g***@gmail.com

Post by Nithin
Hi all,
We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.
Help Please?
Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

-- Create a dll in Borland/Embarcadero C++ builder with all functionality that you need in Visual studio. Than import it into Visual studio and use all functionality without any code problems. You'll need to convert the .lib file created in C++ builder to a Visual studio compatible .lib file (there are tools for this).
-- Manually "translate" between Borland specific stuff and Visual studio specific stuff (VCL to .NET for example).
-- or. Hire me to do it :P

Can you please let me know your email id. I have a same issue and need to work on it. We have to migrate Borland C++ code to Windows server 2012 64 bit. Need help on this... PLEASE...

SJ