What is the best method for converting a dekstop app to a web app in another language

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The company I am working for is trying to rebuild a simple program that views and/or modifies tables using sql. We want this to be a web app.

We already have a working desktop app built in Visual Basic 6. Now we are copying the code over to Xojo.

The head of the project, the person who originally built the VB6 program, wants to rebuild the desktop app in xojo. After building the desktop app, we would then convert it to a web app in xojo.

A new person coming into the project says that this will be wasteful and that we should just build the web app directly. The new guy thinks we should just use PHP and related languages to build the app.

Both sides think the other is wrong. Worse yet, both sides have something to gain by being right, so I don’t know who to trust.

We have already started coding with xojo, so that is more comfortable. However, I would rather choose the more efficient method.

I want to know if either of these methods would be overly costly or incredibly difficult.
What are the pros and cons of both of these methods and why?

Posted 19-Nov-13 14:49pm

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Abhinav S · Answer 1 · 2013-11-19T16:34:00

Solution 2

I guess rewriting a VB6 program in any web based language would take more or less the same time.
It depends on what the team is more conversant in.

One thing you could check is if the same SQL queries can be utilized in both cases.
It could reduce some amount of effort.

Posted 19-Nov-13 16:34pm

Abhinav S

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Nov-13 23:37pm

Good point. It is probably the only common denominator. My 5.
—SA

Abhinav S 20-Nov-13 0:59am

Thank you SA.

Garth J Lancaster · Answer 2 · 2013-11-19T17:25:00

I think they are both wrong

They need to understand the functionality of the program and all the use cases
They need to understand what architectural issues there may be, transaction rates and growth factors
Then they need to design test cases for the old vs the new
Then they need to work on a transition strategy (if the program is already in production)
Then they need to develop a support strategy and look at available skillsets
Then they need to ascertain 'the best' language for designing the core, api etc of the new system

that is all to say, a lot of homework and planning done now is better than charging headlong into any implementation !

Besides - some (?bigger companies/shops) have some idea or mandate on 'design philosphy' that might preclude the use of PHP vs ASP.NET

_Maxxx_ · Answer 3 · 2013-11-19T16:15:00

Solution 1

I don't know xojo.

However, if it is a simple app, you already have some xojo skills, and xojo seems that it will enable you to have both the desktop and web app with a common code base, then I would stick with that.

Developing in PHP or ASP.NET or whatever else would seem to me to require a steep learning curve, with the only advantage being in the larger support base.

But if it is a simple, single, internal app? Stick with what you know.

Posted 19-Nov-13 16:15pm

_Maxxx_

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 19-Nov-13 23:54pm

You really would need to look at Xojo, at least the feature list. Would it look just a bit suspicious to you?
It brings me to some idea: sometimes, pushing people to use something which they don't have skills at is not a problem, but a big benefit... :-)
—SA

_Maxxx_ 20-Nov-13 5:48am

The OP is talking about what sounds to be a very simple app. If they already are using xojo and this is the only app they are likely to develop then I believe better to stick with what they know rather than look elsewhere.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 20-Nov-13 11:14am

As I understand, they are not using Xojo yet. My answer is the warning against really dangerous vendor lock-in.
It does not matter how simple the application is, as soon as you get into the vendor lock-in, it becomes much harder to get back. Do you see the point?
—SA

_Maxxx_ 20-Nov-13 18:12pm

From the original post "We have already started coding with xojo, so that is more comfortable. " So they plainly are already using it. Hence my response.
If vendor lock in is your main issue, then what would you suggest to avoid it? Plainly you couldn't use .Net as that is tying you to MS. So what, entirely open source?
I think you need to look at things not just from a technical point of view, but with a sound business head; From what the OP describes, this is a very simple app, that they have already started coding in xojo, and someone is telling them they should do it in PHP - probably because they have PHP skills.
If the development tool of choice a) does the job and b) is maintainable / supportable and c) doesn't require significant cost (in retraining or tool purchase) then I think it will be fine as there is no overwhelming argument for changing.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 20-Nov-13 22:19pm

Ah, I see, thank you for the note. Vendor lock in is not my only issue, not sure it's main. Nothing related to Basic could be really good, I think, not even VB.NET, which I think is the best in those dialects. I never heard any serious developer who took VB seriously... And later on, even of someone crafts a perfect language from VB, by different social reasons, it won't attract those good developers; not because it's good a bad, but because of some laws of nature... And I would like good developers who do use VB not to get it as offense: some exclusions don't disprove the rule...
—SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 4 · 2013-11-19T17:49:00

Solution 4

I would say, Xojo looks just dangerous. I would never try anything like that for a Web project. The mere fact that the language is proprietary is already a prohibitively negative factor. And supported platforms… Only x86 Linux… What else? Cooperative threads. Aha. Not that you need them for a Web application, but looks so-ooo suspicious… :-)

Do be serious.

You are trying to from one unacceptable solution, VB6 (yes, everyone except VB6 developers understood that it was unacceptable), to another one, just because it looks familiar to you. Yes, it is wasteful. This looks like infinite fallacy. If you are going to use VB only because you have people who used to develop only in VB, you are at the dead end.

PHP is also not great, by far, but it has a great benefit: it is publicly available on all platforms and even the cheapest Web hosting plans have it.

—SA

Posted 19-Nov-13 17:49pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

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_Maxxx_ 20-Nov-13 5:51am

While, as a professional developer, I would steer clear of something like Xojo, it has been around since 1998 in one form or anther, so probably isn't quite as awful as you fear!
Also, what's wrong with a proprietary language?
Supported platforms? From Wikipedia:
"The Xojo IDE is currently available for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, 32-bit x86 Linux,[11] and can compile applications for Windows (Windows XP and higher), Mac OS X (running on Intel-based Macs using the Cocoa frameworks), 32-bit x86 Linux, and the web, with support for iOS coming in December 2013. Xojo is self-hosted: the Xojo IDE is built with the current release of Xojo.[12]"

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 20-Nov-13 11:19am

Don't it all looks suspicious for you? To me, it does, very much. If it is not "quite as awful", in practice it only makes more dangerous. Your argument not quite valid. Look at VB6 they are using. Also 1998. I hope you are not going to convince me that VB6 "is not quite as awful" — apparently it is. What danger do you think I mean. Certainly, vendor lock-in.
—SA

_Maxxx_ 20-Nov-13 18:07pm

Suspicious? I don't understand what you mean.
I wouldn't develop in VB6 now - but these folk already have a VB6 application and (presumably) some expertise.
As for vendor lock in - unless you are looking at wholly open source you are going to get vendor lock in.
From your link:
"Microsoft software carries a high level of vendor lock-in, based on its extensive set of proprietary APIs. "
for example

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 20-Nov-13 22:16pm

I never ever heard of anything expertise in VB6, but afraid of being wrong here. I think I explained. As to vendor lock-in, there can be different degree of it. You can get strong lock-in, but inside a wider set of options; and Microsoft gets more open. I don't say the situation is perfect though. (I would say, current situation in Web development is impossibly bad, but it's getting better, slowly.)
—SA

What is the best method for converting a dekstop app to a web app in another language

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