1.

This file is primarily for reference when converting Visual Basic 6

source code to B4A.
2.

VB6

B4A

3.

===

===

4. controls

Views

(button, edittext, label, etc.)

5. In the VB6 code window, the top left drop-down list contains all
6. the controls you have placed in the current form and the right list
7. contains all the events for each control.
can

The equivalent in B4A

8. be found by clicking on Designer - Tools - Generate Members. Once

9. you have created Subs in the program coding window, the tab
"Modules"
10.

on the right side will list each of the Subs.

11.

In B4A, you start by typing "Sub [viewName]" followed by a

space and

12.

follow the prompts, pressing Enter after each selection until

B4A

13.

ends with "EventName" highlighted. This is where you would

type in

14.

the name of the Sub.

15.

editBox = string

editBox.Text = string

16.

In VB6, you can leave ".Text" off the names of controls when
assigning

17.

text to them, but this is not allowed in B4A.

18.
19.

Dim/ReDim:

20.

---------

21.

Dim Array(n)

Dim Array(n+1)

22.

While "n" is the last index number in VB6, it indicates the

number

23.

of array elements when used in B4A. For example, to Dim an

array

24.

with 0-32 elements in VB6, you would say Dim A(32), while to
convert

25.

this to B4A, you need to change it to Dim A(33), yet index

#33 is

26.

never used (doing so would cause an out-of-range error).

27.

ReDim Preserve

28.

ReDim Array()
Dim it again.

Use a List.
Dim Array(n+1) -- to clear an array, just

29.

[Dim a Int: Dim b as Boolean]

30.

If Not b Then...

If Not(b) Then...

31.

If b Then...

same

32.

If b = True Then

same

33.

If a Then...

If a > 0 Then...

34.

B4A does not treat any non-zero value

as True like VB6.

35.

a = a + b

36.

If b = True Then a = a - 1
Boolean's value cannot be used in a

math function in B4A.

37.

Global Const x=1

function.

B4A does not have a Global Const

38.

In Sub Globals, you can say

Dim x as

Int: x = 1
39.

but x is not a constant (it's value

can be changed).

40.
41.

Loops, If-Then, Select Case:

42.

---------------------------

43.

Do [Until/While]

same

44.

Loop [Until/While]

Loop

45.

For - Next

same

46.

For i... - Next i

The loop variable (i) is not allowed with

Exit Do/For

Exit

[Until/While not allowed.]

Next.
47.
48.

If - Then - Else
B4A; ditto EndIf

49.
50.

--For i = 1 to 6

51.

If i <> 4 Then

52.

...code...

53.

End If

54.

Next

55.

Select Case [expr]

56.
57.

Colors:

58.

------

same, except VB's ElseIf is "Else If" in

Continue [Skips to Next in For-Next loop]

For i = 1 to 6
If i = 4 Then Continue
...code...
...
Next
Select [value]

59.

L1.BackColor =

60.

vbRed

61.

L1.ForeColor =

62.

vbBlack

L1.Color = Colors.Red

L1.TextColor = Colors.Black

63.
64.

Calling a sub:

65.

-------------

66.

SubName x, y

SubName(x, y)

67.

Sub SubName()
Sub SubName() As Int/String/etc. -- a
Global variable cannot be

68.

a parameter, so say that "player" is a

Global variable, you

69.

cannot say: PlayCard(player). Instead

you have to say:

70.
71.

i=player: PlayCard(i)
Function FName()
As [var.type]
Function by adding a

Sub FName() As [var.type]

72.

In B4A, any Sub can be used like a

73.

variable type such as

74.

Sub CheckX(x As Int) As Boolean

75.

...optional code...

76.

If x = [desired value] Then

Return True

77.
78.

...optional code...
End Sub

79.

If no Return is given, then

zero/False/"" is returned.

80.

The calling code does not have to

reference the returned

81.

value, so that while "If CheckX(x) =

True..." is valid,

82.

so is just "CheckX(x)"

83.

Exit Sub

Return

84.

Exit Function

Return [value]

85.
86.

General:

87.

-------

88.

CInt

89.

DoEvents

90.

same, except that Erel says:

"Calling DoEvents in a loop consumes a

lot of resources and

91.

it doesn't allow the system to process all

waiting messages

92.

properly." This was in response to my

pointing out that while

93.

in a Do Loop with DoEvents in it, WebView

could not be loaded

94.

or if loaded, would not process a

hyperlink click. And Agraham

95.

says: "Looping is bad practice on mobile

devices. The CPU will

96.

be constantly executing code and using

battery power as the

97.

code will never get back to the OS idle

loop where the hardware

98.

power saving measures are invoked."

99.

NumberFormat & NumberFormat2 [see

Format()
documentation]

100.
InputBox($)
InputList(Items as List, Title,
CheckedItem as Int) as Int
101.
can list multiple
buttons. Returns index.

Shows list of choices with radio

102.

choices for which

CheckedItem is the default.

103.
List

the user enters a

InputMultiList(Items as List, Title) As

104.
number to choose.
checkboxes.

User can select multiple items via

105.
boxes checked.

Returns list with the indexes of

106.

MsgBox "text"

107.
i=MsgBox()
Negative, Icon) as Int
108.
display for buttons
109.

MsgBox("text", "title")
MsgBox2(Message, Title, Positive, Cancel,

Displays three buttons with text to

(Positive, Cancel, Negative)

110.
is specified like:

Icon is displayed near the title and

111.
"[filename].gif")

LoadBitmap(File.DirAssets,

112.
--for long duration]

ToastMessageShow(text, b) [where b=True

113.

Following is a Sub from Pfriemler which acts like InputBox:

114.
Sub InputBox(Prompt As String, Title As String, Default As
String, Hint As String) As String
115.

Dim Id As InputDialog

116.

Id.Hint = Hint

117.

Id.Input = Default

118.

ret = Id.Show(Prompt, Title, "OK", "","Abbrechen", Null)

119.

If ret = -1 Then Return Id.Input Else Return ""

120.

End Sub

121.
122.

Rnd is < 1

Rnd(min, max) is integer >= min to < max

123.
Rnd(-#)
RndSeed(#) - causes Rnd to generate the
same random number series
124.
125.

for the same # entered.

Randomize

126.
Round(n)
decimal places

Not needed in B4A to randomize Rnd.

same, or Round2(n, x) where x=number of

127.
128.
i = Val(string)
i = 0 --

If IsNumber(string) Then i = string Else

129.
An attempt to use i=string "throws an
exception" if the string is
130.
not numbers, even if the string starts
with numbers. For example,
131.

t = "10:45"

132.
in B4A.

i = Val(t) sets i=10 but causes an error

133.

Instead,

134.

i = t.SubString2(0, 2) = 10

135.

control.SetFocus

136.
n / 0 : error
an exception" for

view.RequestFocus
n / 0 = 2147483647 -- B4A does not "throw

137.
2147483647 no matter

division by 0, but it does return

138.

what the value of "n" is.

139.
x = Shell("...")
replacement, but allows
140.
B4A forum (by Erel):
141.

See "Intent". This is not a complete

code such as the following from the

Dim pi As PhoneIntents

142.
StartActivity
(pi.OpenBrowser("file:///sdcard/yourfile.html"))
143.
t = Timer
t = DateTime.Now ' Ticks are number of
milliseconds since 1-1-70
144.
145.

TabIndex:

146.

--------

147.
In VB6, TabIndex can be set to control the order in which
controls get focus
148.

when Tab is pressed. According to Erel, in B4A:

149.
"Android handles the sequence according to their position.
You can set
150.
EditText.ForceDone = True in all your EditTexts. Then
catch the

151.
EditText_EnterPressed event and explicitly set the focus
to the next
152.

view (with EditText.RequestFocus)."

153.
154.

Setting Label Transparency:

155.

--------------------------

156.

Properties - Back Style

Designer - Drawable - Alpha

157.
158.

Constants:

159.

---------

160.

""

Quote = Chr$(34)

161.

vbCr

CRLF = Chr$(10)

162.

vbCrLf

none

163.
164.

String "Members":

165.

----------------

166.

VB6 uses a character position pointer starting with 1.

167.

B4A uses a character Index pointer starting with 0.

168.

VB6

B4A

169.
Mid$("abcde", 1, 1) = "a" = letter array index 0 -- "a" =
"abcde".CharAt(0)
170.

Mid$("abcde", 2, 1) = "b" = letter array index 1

171.

Mid$("abcde", 3, 1) = "c" = letter array index 2

172.

Mid$("abcde", 4, 1) = "d" = letter array index 3

173.

Mid$("abcde", 5, 1) = "e" = letter array index 4

174.

VB6

B4A

175.

===

===

176.

Mid$(text, n, 1)

text.CharAt(n-1)

177.

Mid$(text, n)

text.SubString(n-1)

178.
Mid$(text, n, x) [x=length wanted]
1) [n+x-1=end position]

text.SubString2(n-1, n+x-

179.
Mid$(text, n, x) = text2
n-2) & _

text = text.SubString2(0,

180.
text2.SubString2(0, x-1) & _
181.
+ z)

text.SubString(n-1
where...

182.
text2.length)
183.

Left$(text, n)

z = Min(x,

[n=num.of chars.]

text.SubString2(0, n)

184.
Right$(text, n)
text.SubString(text.Length - n + 1)
185.

If a$ = b$...

If a.CompareTo(b)...

186.
If Right$(text, n) = text2...
text.EndsWith(text2)...

If

187.
If Left$(text, n) = text2...
text.StartsWith(text2)...

If

188.
If Lcase$(text) = Lcase$(text2)...
text.EqualsIgnoreCase(text2)...

If

189.
Following are some subs from NeoTechni which take the place
of VB6
190.

string functions:

191.

Sub Left(Text As String, Length As Long)As String

192.

If length>text.Length Then length=text.Length

193.

Return text.SubString2(0, length)

194.

End Sub

195.

Sub Right(Text As String, Length As Long) As String

196.

If length>text.Length Then length=text.Length

197.

Return text.SubString(text.Length-length)

198.

End Sub

199.
Sub Mid(Text As String, Start As Int, Length As Int) As
String
200.

Return text.SubString2(start-1,start+length-1)

201.

End Sub

202.

Sub Split(Text As String, Delimiter As String) As String()

203.
204.

Return Regex.Split(delimter,text)
End Sub

205.
206.

x = Len(text)

x = text.Length

207.

text = Replace(text, str, str2)

text.Replace(str, str2)

208.

Lcase(text)

text.ToLowerCase

209.

Ucase(text)

text.ToUpperCase

210.

Trim(text)

text.Trim

211.
212.

(no LTrim or RTrim in B4A)

Instr(text, string)

text.IndexOf(string)

213.
int)

Instr(int, text, string)

text.IndexOf2(string,

214.
found.

Returns -1 if not

215.
not position.

Returns char. index,

216.
"int".

Starts search at

217.

InStrRev(text, str, start, case)

218.
start)

Searches from end of string,

text.LastIndexOf(string)
text.LastIndexOf(string,

219.
optionally from "start".
sensitivity.
220.

case = 0 = case-sensitive

221.

case = 0 = case-insensitive

Cannot specify case

222.
is -

A boolean form of IndexOf

223.
= True Then...

If text.Contains(string)

224.
If Lcase$(x) = Lcase$(y)...
x.EqualsIgnoreCase(y)...

If

225.

text.Insert(n, s)

226.
227.

text = Left$(text, n) & s &

Right$(Text, y)
Asc(s) [where s = a character]

228.
229.

Error Trapping:

230.

--------------

same

231.

VB6:

232.

===

233.

Sub SomeSub

234.

On [Local] Error GoTo ErrorTrap

235.

...some code...

236.

On Error GoTo 0 [optional end to error trapping]

237.

...optional additional code...

238.

Exit Sub [to avoid executing ErrorTrap code]

239.

ErrorTrap:

240.

...optional code for error correction...

241.

Resume [optional: "Resume Next" or "Resume [line label]".

242.

End Sub

243.

B4A:

244.

===

245.

Sub SomeSub

246.
247.

Try
...some code...

248.

Catch [only executes if error above]

249.

Log(LastException) [optional]

250.

...optional code for error correction...

251.

End Try

252.

...optional additional code...

253.

End Sub

254.
WIth B4A, if you get an error caught in the middle of a large
subroutine, you can
255.
NOT make a correction and resume within the code you were
executing. Only the code
256.

in "Catch" gets executed, plus any code following "End Try".

257.

Try-Catch in place of GoTo:

258.

--------------------------

259.
Try-Catch can be used as a substitute for GoTo [line label]
for forward, but not
260.
backward, jumps. It cannot be used to replace GoSub, for
which B4A has no equivalent.
261.
Start the code with "Try" and replace the [line label] with
"Catch".
262.
Replace "GoTo [line label]" with code which will create an
exception, which causes
263.
a jump to "Catch", such as OpenInput("bad path", "bad
filename").
264.
265.

"Immediate Window" vs "Logs" Tab

266.

--------------------------------

267.
Comments, variable values, etc., can be displayed in VB6's
Immediate
268.

Window by entering into the code "Debug.Print ...".

269.
In the B4A environment, the Logs tab on the right side of the
IDE is a
270.
way to show the values of variables, etc., while the code is
running.

271.
Both VB6 and (now) B4A allow single-stepping through the code
while it
272.
is running and viewing the values of variables. VB6 also
allows changing
273.
the value of variables, changing the code, jumping to other
lines from
274.
the current line, etc. Because B4A runs on a PC while the app
runs on
275.
a separate device, B4A is currently unable to duplicate all
of these
276.

VB6 debug features.

http://leandroascierto.com/foro/index.php?topic=1350.0