Final Lesson: VB6 Wrap-Up & Transition
Congratulations on completing the VB6 tutorial! Your journey continues with modern VB development
Congratulations!
You've completed all 40 lessons of our comprehensive Visual Basic 6 tutorial! You've gained valuable skills in Windows application development that form a strong foundation for your programming journey.
Your VB6 Journey Recap
Let's review what you've accomplished throughout this tutorial:
Core Programming
Variables, data types, control structures, functions, and arrays
GUI Development
Forms, controls, menus, and event-driven programming
Database Applications
ADO controls, SQL queries, and report generation
Multimedia & Graphics
Animation, image processing, and media players
Lesson 1-10
Language fundamentals
Lesson 11-20
GUI and controls
Lesson 21-30
Advanced applications
Lesson 31-40
Professional development
Transitioning to VB.NET
While VB6 remains useful for maintaining legacy systems, modern development has moved to VB.NET. Here's what you need to know:
1 Why Move to VB.NET?
- Modern Framework: Access to .NET's extensive libraries
- Object-Oriented: Full support for OOP principles
- Web Development: Create ASP.NET web applications
- Mobile Development: Build apps with Xamarin
- Security: Enhanced security features
- Long-Term Support: Microsoft continues to update .NET
2 Key Differences
Feature | VB6 | VB.NET |
---|---|---|
Platform | Native Windows | .NET Framework |
OOP Support | Limited | Full Support |
Memory Management | Manual | Garbage Collection |
Error Handling | On Error Goto | Try...Catch Blocks |
Multithreading | Limited | Full Support |
Web Development | Not Supported | ASP.NET |
3 Migration Strategies
- Rewrite: Start fresh with VB.NET for new projects
- Gradual Migration: Move components incrementally
- Interoperability: Use COM to communicate between VB6 and .NET
- Wrapper Approach: Wrap VB6 components for .NET use
Pro Tip
Focus on learning VB.NET concepts rather than trying to automatically convert VB6 code. The paradigms are different enough that direct conversion often creates suboptimal solutions.
4 Essential VB.NET Concepts
- Namespaces: Organize code logically
- Classes & Objects: Full OOP implementation
- Inheritance: Create class hierarchies
- Interfaces: Define contracts for classes
- Delegates & Events: Advanced event handling
- LINQ: Language Integrated Query
- Async/Await: Asynchronous programming
Imports System
Module Program
Sub Main(args As String())
Console.WriteLine("Hello VB.NET World!")
Dim today As Date = DateTime.Today
Console.WriteLine($"Today is {today:D}")
End Sub
End Module
VB.NET Learning Path
Start with VB.NET fundamentals, then progress to Windows Forms, ASP.NET Web Applications, ADO.NET for databases, and finally advanced topics like LINQ and asynchronous programming.
Continuing Your Learning Journey
Here are recommended paths to continue developing your programming skills:
VB.NET Path
Modern VB development with Visual Studio
Excel VBA
Automate Excel and create powerful spreadsheets
Web Development
Learn ASP.NET for web applications
Mobile Development
Create apps with Xamarin and .NET MAUI
Recommended Learning Resources
Your Achievement
By completing all 40 lessons, you've demonstrated commitment and skill in mastering Visual Basic 6. Here's what you've accomplished:
Core Programming Skills
Mastered VB6 syntax, data structures, and control flow
Application Development
Built desktop applications with professional UIs
Database Expertise
Created data-driven applications with SQL integration
Multimedia Applications
Developed media players and animation systems
Next Steps
Build a portfolio of projects to showcase your skills. Consider contributing to open-source VB projects or modernizing legacy VB6 applications as a professional service.
Recommended Books
Continue your learning journey with these excellent resources:

Visual Basic 6 Made Easy
The comprehensive reference guide for all VB6 concepts covered in this tutorial.
Book Features:
- Complete VB6 reference
- Practical examples
- Project walkthroughs
- Troubleshooting guide

Visual Basic 2022 Made Easy
The perfect next step to transition from VB6 to modern VB.NET development.
Book Features:
- VB.NET fundamentals
- Windows Forms development
- Database programming
- Web application development
Final Words
Your journey with Visual Basic doesn't end here—it's just beginning! The programming skills you've developed are transferable to many other languages and technologies. Continue building projects, exploring new concepts, and challenging yourself. The world needs developers like you who understand both classic and modern approaches to software development.