Blog | Great Migrations

gmStudio Release News: Tuesday, 8-April-2025

Apr 7, 2025

gmBasic: Upgrade Engine

gmBasic is a computer language processor that reads, interprets, and rewrites VB6/ASP/COM systems for the .NET platform (using C# or VB.NET ). Based on feedback from our clients and real-world modernization projects, we continuously improve gmBasic so it will help developers more easily produce cleaner, more correct upgrade results. Most recently, this work includes general improvements that produce more functionally correct translations of a Voter Roll Management System. This three-tier enterprise application is comprised of 101 inter-related VBP files referencing 1.4M total LOC in 1,566 code files and using 29 third-party COM libraries. In addition, important improvements were made in the ASP translation capability. The distribution,Version 50.14, has several important enhancements.

Improves translation of complex ASP tags having embedded conditional logic
Improves translation of statements that invoke event handlers
Improves string array declarations and initializations
Improves translation of OptionButton.Checked = true
Improves translation of OptionButton.Click event
Improves translation of CheckBox.Click event
Improves diagnostic messages when a ByRef parameter of a user-defined event migrates to ByVal
Improves diagnostic messages when an explicit Optional ByRef parameter migrates to ByVal
Improves consistency of UPGRADE_INFO messages
Improves consistency of using Status=“NotImplemented” rather than Status=“delete” for incompatible VB6 Control properties
Improves Refactor/Remove to allow also removing orphaned comments when removing a subprogram
Corrects system hang when an empty OldBlock is used in a Replace command

gmStudio: Upgrade Solution Development Environment

Powered by gmBasic, gmStudio is a platform for analyzing code and developing custom VB6/ASP/COM to .NET upgrade solutions. We are continuously adding functionality to gmStudio and making it easier to use. This distribution includes several enhancements:

Corrects Location Name in XML Search results
Improves handling of Search Peek Window size
Add Task Comment and Description to Project Metrics report

gmAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

gmAPI is a .NET API for automating our upgrade engine and accessing the semantic models produced by our unique linguistic compilation technology. gmAPI also includes classes for managing complex upgrade rules and integrating external migration tools with gmStudio. We maintain and improve gmAPI and related components to keep them in sync with the platform and add new features.

Improves implementation of custom CodeStyle extension

Advanced Metrics Reporting

The gmStudio platform includes advanced reporting services that allow you to gather extremely detailed information about your legacy system. The advance reports include Symbol Tables, Symbol References, Symbol Definitions, Model Audits, and more. We maintain and enhance these advanced reporting services to keep them in sync with the model schema and add new features. See Semantic Reports for more information.

gmStudio Extensions

gmStudio ships with a collection of sample upgrade rules that can be used to add custom features to your upgrade solution. These XML documents and gmSL scripts are distributed as source that you may modify to fit your unique requirements. The sample rules were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. See also additions and changes in gmStudio Extensions Repository.

Improves the migration of Common Dialog to WinForms (comdlg32.ocx.Wrapper.Refactor.xml)
Improves migration of COM+ to System.EnterpriseServices (Comsvcs.dll.Refactor.xml)
Improves rules for setting the default parent class for stub controls authored in the support framework (Environment.std.xml)
Improves examples directing custom migration of VB6 language operations (mig.vb7lang.xml)
Improves migration of Windows Common Control 2 to WinForms (mscomct2.ocx.WinForms.gmsl/xml)
Improves migration of Windows Common Control to WinForms (mscomctl.ocx.WinForms.gmsl/xml)
Improves migration of MSXML2 to System.Xml (msxml6.dll.Refactor.xml)
Improves migration of RichTextBox to WinForms (richtx32.ocx.WinForms.Refactor.xml)
Improves migration of Scripting to http://System.IO (Scrrun.dll.SystemIO.Refactor.xml)
Improves the migration of TabDialog to WinForms (TABCTL32.OCX.Wrapper.Refactor.xml)

gmRTL: Great Migrations Runtime Library

gmRTL is a sample runtime library that contains classes allowing for more readable translations. We continuously improve this framework in real-world project work. Learn more about gmRTLhere.

Improves gmRTL.Core.OrderedDictionary
Adds gmRTL.Core.COMPlus mock classes for running COM+ components outside of MTS
Adds gmRTL.Core.ErrorHandling.SimpleResumeNext
Adds gmRTL.Core.GLog classes for process logging
Adds gmRTL.Core.ArrayHelper services to allow deep initialization of stucts containing strings
Adds gmRTL.Core.ConversionHelper.ToVal to more closely emulate the Val function
Improves gmRTL.Core.InteractionHelper.Shell function
Adds gmRT.GUI.CheckedListBox control
Adds gmRT.GUI.ComboBoxEx control
Adds gmRT.GUI.OleControl control

Sample Upgrade Solutions

Great Migrations publishes several sample VB6/ASP upgrade solutions that illustrate the various upgrade features. The samples upgrade solutions and results were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. Learn about the Samples here.

gmStudio FAQs

Great Migrations publishes FAQ articles and other information to help teams learn and use gmStudio. You can find all of the gmStudio FAQs on the Great Migrations portal. The following “Support Statement” articles were added or updated since the last product update:

By Tool or By Hand: Comparing Upgrade Methodologies
Custom COM Replacement
Setting Modernization Project Scope and Budget
Support Statement: Overcome the Limits of AI for Large Scale Software Modernization
Support Statement: Surface Pattern Syntax
Translation Myth Busters
gmStudio Command Line
gmStudio User Guide
gmplRegistryStatement
gmplRemoveStatement

Modernization Podcast Video Series Episode 1: Using AI in software modernization

Apr 7, 2025

Announcing a series of PODCast Videos covering the software modernization topics. This first episode discusses how to get more migration for your money by using AI tools in your software modernization projects.

gmStudio Release News: January 2025 Updates

Jan 7, 2025

gmBasic: Upgrade Engine

gmBasic is a computer language processor that reads, interprets, and rewrites VB6/ASP/COM systems for the .NET platform (using C# or http://VB.NET ). Based on feedback from our clients and real-world modernization projects, we continuously improve gmBasic so it will help developers more easily produce cleaner, more correct upgrade results. Most recently, this work includes general improvements needed to automatically produce a build-complete C# version of an enterprise-level financial management system for security and alarm companies. This large desktop application is comprised of 185 inter-related VBP files referencing 1.2M total LOC in 2,696 code files (including 682 ActiveReports Designers) and using 72 third-party COM libraries. The distribution,Version 50.10, has several important enhancements.

Adds Registry type=BaseType to alter how VB6 intrinsic types are recognized
Adds Registry type=LibType to facilitate migrating a COM API types are recognized
Improves migration of custom designer files (*.dsr) such as ActiveReports
Improves recognizing the type of ControlArray elements
Improves indenting of translations modified by Fix@FileFilter
Improves the migration of App object operations and the App type
Improved consistency of the inferred array parameters and corresponding arguments
Improves handling string literals containing control characters
Improves resolution of late-bound object/default property references
Improves relational operations between Twips and strings
Improves handling ListBox.Item and ComboBox.ItemData
Improves migrating vbEmpty to null
Improves migrating assignments of a class instance to an implemented interface
Improves Refactor/Rename to allow renaming a VBP’s internal name
Improves recognition of classes requiring IEnumerable support
Improves logic to provide an enum entry from a quantity that may be null
Improves Generic Collections to make adjustment for zero-based indexing when index quantity is a enum
Improves behavior of Fix/Replace with MatchBlock=on
Improves conventions for Array initialization and assignments
Improves OutputPath conventions in .NET project template
Improves DefineConstants conventions in .NET project template
Improves ByRef optimizations for array parameters
Improves migration of foreach with ControlArrays
Improves type inference to retain weak typing when variable is used with an IsNull operation
Improves handling of status=“delete” to suppress unwanted operations from the translations.

gmStudio: Upgrade Solution Development Environment

Powered by gmBasic, gmStudio is a platform for analyzing code and developing custom VB6/ASP/COM to .NET upgrade solutions. We are continuously adding functionality to gmStudio and making it easier to use. This distribution includes several enhancements:

Adds FinalEdit element to ScriptRules to be inserted after the Output@Status=Close element. Typically this is used for top-level Fix@FileFilter operations to make changes to the translation outputs after they are written to disk.
Adds LogTranTime setting to application configuration to suppress or allow logging the total elapsed translation time in translation logs
Improves user experience for running and viewing Metalang Audit Report
Improves Task Filter Dialog resize behavior
Improves Translation Status checking to report WARN when there is a ScriptRule warning

gmAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

gmAPI is a .NET API for automating our upgrade engine and accessing the semantic models produced by our unique linguistic compilation technology. gmAPI also includes classes for managing complex upgrade rules and integrating external migration tools with gmStudio. We maintain and improve gmAPI and related components to keep them in sync with the platform and add new features.

Improves the CodeStyle Namespaces commands to allow specifying an alias for “using-qualified” naming

Advanced Metrics Reporting

The gmStudio platform includes advanced reporting services that allow you to gather extremely detailed information about your legacy system. The advance reports include Symbol Tables, Symbol References, Symbol Definitions, Model Audits, and more. We maintain and enhance these advanced reporting services to keep them in sync with the model schema and add new features. SeeSemantic Reportsfor more information.

gmStudio Extensions

gmStudio ships with a collection of sample upgrade rules that can be used to add custom features to your upgrade solution. These XML documents and gmSL scripts are distributed as source that you may modify to fit your unique requirements. The sample rules were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. See also additions and changes ingmStudio Extensions Repository.

Improves rules to set the default parent class for stub controls authored in the support framework
Improves the analytics reporting script template
Improves the Common Dialog migration rules
Improves the MS Word to Interop rules
Improves the Tab Dialog (TabCtl32.ocx) rules

gmRTL: Great Migrations Runtime Library

gmRTL is a sample runtime library that contains classes allowing for more readable translations. We continuously improve this framework in during project work. Learn more about gmRTLhere.

Improved Generic Collections OrderedDictionary.InsertBefore method
Improves App Class Implementation to be instance based
Improves Error Handling to Exception Handling compatibility support
Improves String to Date Conversion
Improves CreateObject logic to get along with System Enterprise Services
Adds ControlHelper.KeyOfValue to assist with migrating Control.Index
Removes unnecessary using statements

Sample Upgrade Solutions

Great Migrations publishes several sample VB6/ASP upgrade solutions that illustrate the various upgrade features. The samples upgrade solutions and results were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. Learn about the Sampleshere.

gmStudio FAQs

Great Migrations publishes FAQ articles and other information to help teams learn and use gmStudio. You can findall of the gmStudio FAQs on the Great Migrations portal.The following “Support Statement” articles were added or updated since the last product update:

Updates Support Statement: Steps for Developing an ASP Site Upgrade
Adds Support Statement: Building gmStudio Extensions using gmAPI and .NET

gmStudio Release News: Tuesday, 17-Sept-2024

Sep 16, 2024

gmBasic: Upgrade Engine

gmBasic is a computer language processor that reads, interprets, and rewrites VB6/ASP/COM systems for the .NET platform (using C# or VB .NET ). Based on feedback from our clients and real-world modernization projects, we continuously improve gmBasic so it will help developers more easily produce cleaner, more correct upgrade results. This distribution,Version 50.05, has several important enhancements.

Improves the Translator as a Service (TaaS) capabilities enabling developers to build and integrate their own custom upgrade features
Adds MoveToTop migration for moving nested local variable declarations to the top of enclosing method
Improves logic that infers array order (i.e., 1D, 2D, etc)
Improves handling optional arguments for all methods in libraries having ImplicitByref=on
Improves SharedFiles consolidation for Forms other complex scenarios
Improves type inference for ControlArray elements
Improves FixType for variants containing ControlArrays
Improves support for conditional compilation
Improves support for GoSub
Improves support for Enum entries initialized with VB6 functions
Improves support for array declarations dimensioned with enum entries
Improves support for constants initialized by other constants
Improves support for VB6’s archaic file IO formatting
Improves translating Redim Preserve for 2D arrays
Improves translating code using variables and arrays of type Byte

gmStudio: Upgrade Solution Development Environment

Powered by gmBasic, gmStudio is a platform for analyzing code and developing custom VB6/ASP/COM to .NET upgrade solutions. We are continuously adding functionality to gmStudio and making it easier to use. This distribution includes several enhancements:

Adds option to use Standard Search terms for Source Scan on the Reporting control panel
Adds Semantic Declarations Report to the Reports menu
Adds option to use a user-defined VS Solution File Generator
Improves VS Solution File Generator to allow more flexible format and structure of GenerateSolution.txt files
Improves transition to Reporting-Only mode when Trial license is not valid
Improves updating .NET Build status for custom tasks
Improves ScriptRules error reporting

gmAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

gmAPI is a .NET API for automating our upgrade engine and accessing the semantic models produced by our unique linguistic compilation technology. gmAPI also includes classes for managing complex upgrade rules and integrating external migration tools with gmStudio. We maintain and improve gmAPI and related components to keep them in sync with the platform and add new features.

In this release we introduce an innovative approach for gmAPI integration. The new approach allows .NET developers to define custom features and activate them with user-defined statements in translation scripts. When detecting a user-defined statement, gmBasic will delegate processing to the designated extension DLL. Extension DLLs may use .NET code and gmAPI to automate services that access information in the semantic translation model. The user code may inspect and alter the information model, edit source and generated code, and integrate external information and processes. The new approach seamlessly extends gmBasic making it easier to use custom processing with gmStudio and it also allows much easier debugging extension code in Visual Studio.

We updated many of gmStudio’s advanced features to use the new approach.

Shared Files Reporting and Consolidation (gmPL_gmSharedFiles.dll)
Custom Coding Style Transformations (gmPL_gmCodeStyle.dll).
VB6 to WPF Migration (gmPL_WpfSubSystem.dll)
Global Support Framework Generation (gmPL_gmGlobalStubs.dll).
Global Analysis and Reporting (gmPL_gmGlobal.dll)
Advanced Metrics Reporting (gmPL_Search.dll)

Advanced Metrics Reporting

The gmStudio platform includes advanced reporting services that allow you to gather extremely detailed information about your legacy system. The advance reports include Symbol Tables, Symbol References, Symbol Definitions, Model Audits, and more. We maintain and enhance these advanced reporting services to keep them in sync with the model schema and add new features. See Semantic Reports for more information.
In this release, gmMetrics.exe has been replaced by gmPL_Search.dll. gmBasic.exe automatically engages the services of gmPL_Search.dll to handle advanced reporting commands in gmPL scripts.

Adds the Semantic Declarations Report; currently this report provides details on Implements statements in the source code

gmStudio Extensions

gmStudio ships with a collection of sample upgrade rules that can be used to add custom features to your upgrade solution. These XML documents and gmSL scripts are distributed as source that you may modify to fit your unique requirements. The sample rules were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. See also additions and changes in gmStudio Extensions Repository.

Improves rules to migrate the Windows Common Controls to WinForms controls

gmRTL: Great Migrations Runtime Library

gmRTL is a sample runtime library that contains classes allowing for more readable translations. We continuously improve this framework in during project work. Learn more about gmRTL here.

Sample Upgrade Solutions

Great Migrations publishes several sample VB6/ASP upgrade solutions that illustrate the various upgrade features. The samples upgrade solutions and results were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. Learn about the Samples here.

Updates all Samples to target VS2022 and Framework V4.8.1
Updates WPF Samples to use gmPL_WpfSubSystem.dll rather than gmPL_WpfSubSystem.exe
Updates FileExplorer sample to demonstrate additional upgrade requirements and use the latest API mapping rules

gmStudio FAQs

Great Migrations publishes FAQ articles and other information to help teams learn and use gmStudio. You can find all of the gmStudio FAQs on the Great Migrations portal. The following “Support Statement” articles were added or updated since the last product update:

Adds Support Statement: Overcome the Limits of AI for Large Scale Software Modernization
Adds Support Statement: Partial Translations
Updates Support Statement: gmSL to move a variable declaration
Updates Support Statement: Override a routine in authortext.gmsl
Updates Support Statement: Stub Replacement

gmStudio Release News: Monday, 22-April-2024

Apr 21, 2024

gmBasic: Upgrade Engine

gmBasic is a computer language processor that reads, interprets, and rewrites VB6/ASP/COM systems for the .NET platform (using C# or http://VB.NET ). Based on feedback from our clients and real-world modernization projects, we continuously improve gmBasic so it will help developers more easily produce cleaner, more correct upgrade results. This distribution, Version 40.68, focused on enhancing some of the gmAPI-powered utilities that ship with gmStudio:

Improves Shared Files Consolidation utility to handle forms, and more complex code file consolidation requirements
Improves Generic Collections migration utility
Improves Custom CodeStyle utility to support using-qualified naming conventions rather than fully-qualified naming conventions
Improves Custom CodeStyle utility to support more intelligent reformatting of long-lines

In addition, it includes many enhancements in general translation cabapilities; for example:

Improves Ole Control layout properties to use Twips to Pixels adjustments
Improves handling DefLng and related DefType statements
Improves migrating of PropertyBag Color Properties
Improves the Support Framework generation feature
Improves ArrayToValue.csh code should use index 0
Improves Control.CausesValidation property and Validate Event
Improves SavePicture migration
Improves Reauthoring overloaded methods
Improves record of edits, errors, and warnings in translation log
Improves migration of COM controls
Improves migration of array assignments
Improves default framework to be v4.8.1 for VS2022

gmStudio: Upgrade Solution Development Environment

Powered by gmBasic, gmStudio is a platform for analyzing code and developing custom VB6/ASP/COM to .NET upgrade solutions. We are continuously adding functionality to gmStudio and making it easier to use. This distribution includes several enhancements:

Adds Edit ScriptRules File operation to References context menu
Adds Compare Files operation to Search Results context menu
Adds support for matching and reporting XPath locations when searching XML files
Improves batch processing to rebuild the VB6 project associated with an upgrade task
Improves All Logs Report to restrict results to selected project task(s)
Improves file filter behavior on Configuration form
Improves .NET Build report operation to also update NetBlds and NetSize fields in the task list
Improves global support framework generation script template
Improves default User Commands Batch processing script template
Improves the set of default scan patterns used for language compatibility reporting
Changes the default VS Version for new projects to VS2022

gmAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

Powered by gmBasic, gmAPI is a .NET API for automating our upgrade engine and accessing the semantic models produced by our unique linguistic compilation technology. gmAPI also includes classes for managing complex upgrade rules and integrating with gmStudio. gmAPI is used to implement special purpose utilities in the gmStudio distribution and is updated to improve these utilities and to follow the latest conventions of the gmBasic platform.

Improves Shared Files Consolidation utility to handle forms, and more complex code file consolidation requirements
Improves Generic Collections migration utility
Improves Custom CodeStyle utility to support using-qualified naming conventions rather than fully-qualified naming conventions
Improves Custom CodeStyle utility to support more intelligent reformatting of long-lines

gmMetrics: Advanced Metrics Reporting tool

gmMetrics is a tool for reporting the content of system models generated by gmBasic. This includes Symbol Tables, References Reports, Definitions Reports, and Model Audits. gmMetrics is a console application written in C# using gmAPI. We maintain and enhance gmMetrics to keep it in sync with the model schema and to improve the reports.

gmStudio Extensions

gmStudio ships with a collection of sample upgrade rules that can be used to add custom features to your upgrade solution. These XML documents and gmSL scripts are distributed as source that you may modify to fit your unique requirements. The sample rules were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. See also additions and changes ingmStudio Extensions Repository.

Adds example metalang rules to migrate PictureBox to gmRTL.GUI.PictureBox
Improves StubBaseClass rules in Environment.std.xml
Improves rules to migrate MSGrid.Grid to WinForms
Improves rules to migrate various Windows Common Controls to WinForms controls
Improves rules to migrate Scripting Runtime to http://System.IO
Improves rules to migrate TabDlg.SSTab runtime to WinForms.TabControl
Improves rules to migrate various Threed Controls to WinForms controls

gmRTL: Great Migrations Runtime Library

gmRTL is a sample runtime library that contains classes allowing for more readable translations. We continuously improve this framework in the course of project work. Learn more about gmRTLhere.

Improves support for ComboBox.Clear
Improves support for Array.Copy
Improves File System List Controls
Adds Ole Control

Sample Upgrade Solutions

Great Migrations publishes several sample VB6/ASP upgrade solutions that illustrate the various upgrade features. The samples upgrade solutions and results were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions. Learn about the Sampleshere.

Updates all Samples to target VS2022 and Framework V4.8.1

gmStudio FAQs

Great Migrations publishes FAQ articles and other information to help teams learning and using gmStudio. You can findall of the gmStudio FAQs on the Great Migrations portal.The following “Support Statement” articles were added or updated since the last product update:

Adds Support Statement: How many programmers?
Updates Support Statement: Consolidating Shared Code Files
Updates Support Statement: gmStudio Licenses