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Tool Ports VB.NET to Java
New tool assists in Visual Basic-to-Java translation.
A new tool from Beelucid Software LLC is aimed at dev shops working with both Visual Basic.NET 2003 and Java. VBeeJava is a source language translator that developers can use to port VB.NET syntax and features into a Java environment.
The tool outputs Java 1.4.2-based files for each class in the input source, preserving the original name of each file as well as any comments. It also creates "bridge" classes, which act as a link between similar classes on VB.NET and Java.
VBeeJava also caters to users that wish to port a VB.NET file, but would rather not translate its associated dependencies, by means of a type inference engine that can deal with missing classes and interfaces in a source file.
VBeeJava works with Windows XP, Vista and Unix and can be executed through a GUI, from the command line or as an external tool with the Eclipse IDE.
Despite this integration with Eclipse, VBeeJava is compatible with any type of Java-based environment, according to Beelucid.
The tool does not work with Visual Basic 6 (VB6), however. VB6 assets must first be translated by other means into VB.NET. The company says it is working now to introduce compatibility with VB.NET 2005.
VBeeJava costs $299 for a single license.
About the Author
Chris Kanaracus is the news editor for Redmond Developer News.