Converting from VC++ 6.0 to 9.0 (2008)

[dasdaf]

Hi there,

There is a system that am just inserted the role to update and maintain in a certain office, I am not able to continue with quickly until I am able to fully convert it into VC++ 9.0 (of 2008) from version 6.0. I am just asking as a favor if there is a third-party software or tool or an ability with the Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition to convert an error-free software that could build and release successfully from that old version into the newer one (as specified in the previous sentence).

Even if the newer version has more strict rules than the previous could tolerate, but I am thinking that if the compiler could detect an error then a tool can correct them automatically or even when on confusion gives better ways to correct rather than always looking up from the Internet trying to fix one then some many more others to come. It's better that a tool will fix all codes and give you a log of changes that if they are not desired automatically then you can change them manually thereafter.

I am sure there should be a tool or mechanism than messing up days (and even not hours), trying to convert from version-to-version, Microsoft should have thought about this for the sake of his programmers in the development time, that we as programmers should not be blamed for the weakness of the IDE or language, that perhaps is not happening (if so really) for other languages, so the more people will shift to another serious and convenient programming language.

Kind Regards,

David Fares Maro.

[MagicAndre1981]

you need the Team Edition of 2008. This Edition allows you to detect Null Pointer dereference and other things which may cause trouble.

[dasdaf]

you need the Team Edition of 2008. This Edition allows you to detect Null Pointer de-reference and other things which may cause trouble.

I am sorry Mr. Magic Andre (I hope it's your preferred name), whenever I Google for the Team Edition of 2008; the result ambiguously takes me to other names which after I download them, the packages are incompatible before starting the installation process on the setup programs; the names include: Microsoft® Visual Studio®: 2005 Team Suite Service Pack 1, Team System 2008 Team Foundation Server SP1, Team System 2008 Database Edition GDR R2, Team System 2008 Team Explorer, Team System 2008 Database Edition Power Tools and such so others.

If you don't mind may you please send to me the URL address of the link to download the specific (the one you referring to that can help to perfect the conversion process) Team Edition of 2008. Just in case: I am actually looking for a software that can convert codes as well and not just version of; as in the codes can compile, build and release with no errors nor warning with the VC++ 6.0 version at all as well as running; but "taking" (even converting with the IDE) the same source code to VC++ 9.0 (VS 2008 Pro) it wont compile and gives more than 400 errors and more than 600 warnings. So I was thinking that _and as many forums comment_ the newer version has strict rules or new syntax or anything new but debugging these errors seems like starting from scratch a software that you have dedicated your energy for so many years then you require months to convert a perfect working source code into the newer version seems really odd to me and thought that Microsoft should have thought about this.

Does it mean that if there will come another version (say VC++ 11 @~2012) if I successfully had convert to VC++ 9.0 again I will require the same amount of months to convert to that newest version; so it will slow my development time. Some programs are built for years and sometimes a newer version of the development tool is necessary to use to continue with the process of developing it (for market speed or when required (like of my case)). I don't think I make sense right?, but this is logical thinking!

Edited June 30, 2010 by dasdaf

[MagicAndre1981]

No, with VC++ 2008 the compiler was not so fault tolerant like the old 6.0 compiler. You should be able to migrate from 2008 to the next VS version.

You need the Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition to get the Code Analysis features.

[CoffeeFiend]

Does it mean that if there will come another version (say VC++ 11 @~2012) if I successfully had convert to VC++ 9.0 again I will require the same amount of months to convert to that newest version

You're currently converting from a compiler/IDE that's over a decade old. You're going from something right out of the early Win98 era, to something from the Win7 era where pretty much everyone runs a NT-based OS and even 64 bit versions of it. Things not going very smoothly is somewhat expected as a LOT of stuff has changed since. Going from 2008 to 2010 or such usually won't cause any problems.

[cluberti]

In fact I've migrated all of my projects from previous versions to 2010, and only one of them (C++ 6.0 app) required any tweaking (needed to review some code and follow this). My .NET apps came over without any problems at all.

The thing to watch for when coming from VC++ 6.0 to 2008 or 2010 is that there were pretty big breaking changes in 2005 (I think mostly for ISO compliance). Once your code is in 2008, you should be able to migrate to 2010 without issues, although I can't guarantee that v.Next won't have issues if there are breaking changes. This would really not matter much for migrating forward from any version though, for what it's worth.