How to convert a Borland C++ App to Visual Studio App

Nithin

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Dec 21, 2009, 1:55:58 AM12/21/09

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Hi all,

We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
Borland
C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
We
cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
can be
done.

Help Please?

Thanks In Advance,
Nithin

David Lowndes

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Dec 21, 2009, 4:55:03 AM12/21/09

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>We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
>Borland
>C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
>We
>cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
>can be
>done.

Nithin,

You'd ideally need to find someone with past experience of already
having done so - which may be rare.

I'd recommend that rather than "convert", you start from a new
project. Pick the best type of Visual C++ project that matches your
requirements to start from. Then take the core parts of the C++ code
from your existing project and add them to the new VC++ one.

Dave

Alex Blekhman

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Dec 21, 2009, 5:01:16 AM12/21/09

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"Nithin" wrote:
> We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to
> convert a Borland
> C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual
> Studio 6. We cannot find any resources on the net that can
> explain how and if this can be done.

Well, "converting" is a broad term. If this application uses
Borland-specific technologies, then converting implies rewriting
of relevant parts of the program.

However, usually you just create new solution in VS, then add
existing files and settings and fix build error until it builds
cleanly. BTW, VS6 is really old. I suggest you to port your
application to newer version of VS. Latest version of Express
Edition of VS is free.

Alex

RFOG

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Dec 21, 2009, 5:48:34 AM12/21/09

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You cannot do it directly in any way, as David and Alex has told you, less
if you are using VCL stuff...

However, .NET is a copy of, or is based in, the same principles that VCL
and there are direct correspondences between VCL and .NET classes. A VCL
Form is a .NET Form and practically have the same methods, events and with
similar names. Then an option will be to use C++/CLI (VS 2005 or upper),
but you need to rewrite ALL (and learn a new lenguage -C++/CLI). Having a
direct "concept" correspondence does not mean direct compiling only
copying code. You need to "paraphrase" the VCL C++ code into C++/CLI
equivalent code. And you will have a lot of issues in the conversion.

Converting VCL to MFC has a lot more issues because VCL is event driven
and MFC is "Win32 driven". BTW you continue having some correspondences
because, for example, a MouseMove VCL event is a WM_MOUSEMOVE Windows
Message, and you can map it. However, if you are using more advanced VCL
stuff like non Win32 direct equivalent components, or component
subclassing "a la" VCL, you will have a nightmare in the conversion, more
difficult as more high level VCL use you are doing.

On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:55:58 +0100, Nithin <nithin....@gmail.com>
wrote:

--
Microsoft Visual C++ MVP => http://geeks.ms/blogs/rfog
========================================
Si Dios me hubiera consultado sobre el sistema del universo, le habria
dado unas cuantas ideas.
-- Alfonso X El Sabio. (1221-1284) Papa.

Darko Miletic

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Dec 21, 2009, 2:04:22 PM12/21/09

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Nithin wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
> Borland
> C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
> We
> cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
> can be
> done.
>

However this application was developed there is no way to directly port
this to VS. Borland technologies (VCL or OWL) are just totaly different
from MFC or .NET.

I recommend you to not use MFC or .NET either. Instead try using
something portable like QT (http://qt.nokia.com/) or wxWidgets
(http://www.wxwidgets.org/) that way you will have much less problems if
you ever decide to switch to another compiler or even operating system.

in...@rayfract.com

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Dec 23, 2009, 7:11:19 PM12/23/09

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If your Borland C++ app is based on OWL Object Windows Library, you
may want
to consider OWLNext, which supports Visual C++ 6.0 and later. See

http://owlnext.sourceforge.net and

http://cc.embarcadero.com/Item/27219

HTH, Siegfried.

tanix

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Dec 28, 2009, 3:29:15 AM12/28/09

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What is missing in Express edition?
Is it something that actually does something useful?

>Alex

--
Programmer's Goldmine collections:

http://preciseinfo.org

Tens of thousands of code examples and expert discussions on
C++, MFC, VC, ATL, STL, templates, Java, Python, Javascript,
organized by major topics of language, tools, methods, techniques.

tanix

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Dec 28, 2009, 3:43:38 AM12/28/09

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In article <ekWgpBng...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>, Darko Miletic <da...@uvcms.com> wrote:
>Nithin wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> We are sitting with a bit of a challenge. We are trying to convert a
>> Borland
>> C++ App to either Microsoft Visual Studio C++.net or Visual Studio 6.
>> We
>> cannot find any resources on the net that can explain how and if this
>> can be
>> done.

Well, you are not saying enough about what you need.
Is there GUI stuff? What kind of app it is? Is it multithreaded?
How big it is? What kind of stuff it does?
What kind of specifically Borland stuff you do?
ALL sorts of things.

Or you are just looking for some magic tool that will allow you
to port it without moving a finger?

>However this application was developed there is no way to directly port
>this to VS. Borland technologies (VCL or OWL) are just totaly different
>from MFC or .NET.
>
>I recommend you to not use MFC or .NET either. Instead try using
>something portable like QT (http://qt.nokia.com/)

How good of a performance the QT has?
How easy does it map to an MFC app?

And lastly, some time ago I heard there was some copyright related
issues. Don't remember what exactly, but something to the extent
the closed at least some of their code. What kind of issues does
it raise.

I need to port my monitoring firewall app to Linux.
Two things I am concerned is GUI code. Has to be non modal,
property sheet/property page type of stuff with fully resizable
dialogs.

And there is an NDIS intermediate driver.
Other stuff does not look like a big deal. Pretty straigtforward.

I did not look at QT stuff yet. Just want to get a rough idea
if it something worth looking at.

> or wxWidgets
>(http://www.wxwidgets.org/) that way you will have much less problems if
>you ever decide to switch to another compiler or even operating system.

--

Alex Blekhman

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Dec 28, 2009, 4:30:34 AM12/28/09

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"tanix" wrote:
> What is missing in Express edition? Is it something that
> actually does something useful?

You can find brief comparison of VS editions here:

Alex Blekhman

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Dec 28, 2009, 4:33:41 AM12/28/09

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"tanix" wrote:
> What is missing in Express edition? Is it something that
> actually does something useful?

You can find brief comparison of VS editions here:

"Visual Studio Editions"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/zcbsd3cz(VS.80).aspx

Also, there is comprehensive detailed comparison here:

"Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison Guide"
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=727BCFB0-B575-47AB-9FD8-4EE067BB3A37&displaylang=en

HTH
Alex

tanix

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Dec 28, 2009, 5:18:16 AM12/28/09

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No source control kinda kills the whole thing.

Btw, I have heard somewhere a while back there is a way to get
J# with VS 2008 and later. Anybody knows anything about it?

>HTH
>Alex

Thanx.

Alex Blekhman

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Dec 28, 2009, 5:55:36 AM12/28/09

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"tanix" wrote:
> No source control kinda kills the whole thing.

You may use Perforce server for personal projects. Also, there is
SVN, which is free.

Alex

tanix

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Dec 28, 2009, 6:26:10 AM12/28/09

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Never tried that one. But it is probably not integratable into VS,
or is it?

>Alex

Alex Blekhman

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Dec 28, 2009, 8:01:57 AM12/28/09

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"tanix" wrote:
>>You may use Perforce server for personal projects. Also, there
>>is SVN, which is free.
>
> Never tried that one. But it is probably not integratable into
> VS, or is it?

Perforce is one of the best source control systems on the market.
It is fully integrable with VS and has stand alone client, as
well. See more details at their web site.

Alex

Dave Cullen

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Dec 31, 2009, 9:27:03 AM12/31/09

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>>You may use Perforce server for personal projects. Also, there is
>>SVN, which is free.
>
> Never tried that one. But it is probably not integratable into VS,
> or is it?
>
>>Alex
>

We're using Subversion (SVN) here and it integrates perfectly into Studio 5
or 8.

drc

Dave Cullen

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Dec 31, 2009, 9:30:05 AM12/31/09

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What version of Borland C++ was the program written for? If it's 3.1 and DOS
based or a later version and Windows based it makes a big difference.

drc

"Nithin" <nithin....@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a0b558f4-09ea-414b...@v30g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...

georges...@gmail.com

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Aug 28, 2014, 7:19:07 AM8/28/14

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I'm doing exactly that right now. A few options:
-- Create a dll in Borland/Embarcadero C++ builder with all functionality that you need in Visual studio. Than import it into Visual studio and use all functionality without any code problems. You'll need to convert the .lib file created in C++ builder to a Visual studio compatible .lib file (there are tools for this).
-- Manually "translate" between Borland specific stuff and Visual studio specific stuff (VCL to .NET for example).

-- or. Hire me to do it :P

sanjay.san...@gmail.com

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Nov 18, 2015, 12:01:58 PM11/18/15

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Can you please let me know your email id. I have a same issue and need to work on it. We have to migrate Borland C++ code to Windows server 2012 64 bit. Need help on this... PLEASE...

SJ