Visual Basic 6 IDE recreated in C#

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Nostalgia and Historical Context

  • Many commenters learned programming with VB3–VB6 and recall it as empowering, fast, and fun.
  • VB’s drag‑and‑drop GUI designer and instant feedback made “real” Windows apps accessible to hobbyists and small businesses.
  • Several compare it favorably to more complex or verbose contemporaries (MFC, Motif, raw Win32) and to today’s web stacks.

GUI Layout, Responsiveness, and Modern Toolkits

  • Strong sentiment that VB6’s visual layout felt intuitive and efficient.
  • Debate on why modern toolkits feel harder:
    • One view: absolute positioning was simpler; mobile and responsive layouts made GUI builders inherently more complex.
    • Counterpoint: VB6 and other 90s toolkits could handle resizing and relative layouts via resize events or layout managers; complexity is not only about responsiveness.
    • Some argue layout managers, constraints, and declarative UI (XAML, CSS) reduce “math” for complex UIs, but have steeper learning curves.

Native Apps vs Web Apps

  • Several lament the shift to web UIs:
    • Native apps allowed multiple windows/forms, more fluid workflows, and better keyboard/accessibility support.
    • Web apps often force wizard‑style, single‑form flows and feel less efficient for heavy CRUD work.
  • Others note today’s expectations (animations, branding, dark mode, high DPI, touch) push toolkits toward complexity and custom styling.

Avalonia, Web Version, and Implementation Details

  • Avalonia’s cross‑platform and WebAssembly support impresses people; web demo feels fast in most browsers.
  • Edge’s “enhanced security” (disabling JIT) can make the demo slow.
  • Current IDE clone is a proof‑of‑concept:
    • Limited VB runtime (e.g., only MsgBox/InputBox initially), partial language support.
    • Syntax highlighting exists; autocomplete and debugger are missing.
    • Desktop build can save projects in a format compatible with VB6 and can “build” runnable executables; web build is more limited.

Language/Tooling Choices and Dependencies

  • Discussion about using ANTLR for grammar parsing:
    • Some dislike pulling in Java to build a .NET project due to complexity/size.
    • Others see no better alternative; dependency is build‑time only.
  • Multiple VB‑style or Delphi‑style successors are mentioned (e.g., Lazarus, Gambas, other RAD tools) as partial spiritual heirs.

Design Trends, Theming, and Accessibility

  • Strong preference from some for classic Windows 95/2000‑era UI: crisp, fast, standardized widgets, easy color customization.
  • Debate over dark mode:
    • Older systems allowed global palette changes that most apps respected.
    • Others argue robust dark mode still needs per‑app care (icons, custom text colors, avoiding low contrast).
  • Loss of components like framed “GroupBox” and clear tab views is seen as a regression in modern flat design.