Separate Visual Basic into VB.NET, VBA/VB6 and VBScript

[zspitz]

Description

See #2418 .

Checklist:

• I am adding a new language. -- VBA/VB6

  • The extension of the new language is used in hundreds of repositories on github.com.
    • Search results for each extension:
      • https://github.com/search?q=extension%3Abas+%28%22End+Function%22+OR+%22End+Sub%22%29+NOT+nothack&type=Code
      • https://github.com/search?q=extension%3Acls+%28%22End+Function%22+OR+%22End+Sub%22%29+NOT+nothack&type=Code
      • https://github.com/search?q=extension%3Afrm+%28%22End+Function%22+OR+%22End+Sub%22%29+NOT+nothack&type=Code
      • https://github.com/search?q=extension%3Afrx+%28%22End+Function%22+OR+%22End+Sub%22%29+NOT+nothack&type=Code
      • https://github.com/search?q=extension%3Avba+%28%22End+Function%22+OR+%22End+Sub%22%29+NOT+nothack&type=Code
  • I have included a real-world usage sample for all extensions added in this PR:
    • Sample source(s):
      • https://github.com/VBA-tools/VBA-Dictionary/blob/master/dictionary.cls
      • https://github.com/VBA-tools/VBA-Dictionary/blob/master/specs/specs.bas
      • https://github.com/github/linguist/blob/master/samples/Visual%20Basic/cApplication.cls
      • https://github.com/github/linguist/blob/master/samples/Visual%20Basic/procedures.vba
    • Sample license(s): mit
  • I have included a syntax highlighting grammar: https://github-lightshow.herokuapp.com/
  • I have updated the heuristics to distinguish my language from others using the same extension.

• I am adding a new language. -- VBScript

  • The extension of the new language is used in hundreds of repositories on github.com.
    • Search results for each extension:
      • https://github.com/search?p=3&q=extension%3Avbs+%28%22End+Function%22+OR+%22End+Sub%22%29+NOT+nothack&type=Code
  • I have included a real-world usage sample for all extensions added in this PR:
    • Sample source(s):
      • https://github.com/smjburton/vbase/blob/master/v_Data_ArrayList.vbs
    • Sample license(s): mit
  • I have included a syntax highlighting grammar: https://github-lightshow.herokuapp.com/
  • I have updated the heuristics to distinguish my language from others using the same extension.

[zspitz]

Per this suggestion I am attempting to create a PR. However, I am running into the following issues:

1. I can't get a working Ruby install on my Windows box. This means I can't update the language ids, and update the grammar.yml file. It also means I have no way of confirming that tests actually succeed, short of committing and waiting for the GitHub actions to complete. (NB. I have no experience with Ruby, but if I had a working install I would manage somehow.) My next step is a Linux VM on a different Windows machine, but it would be helpful if there is some way to bypass this.

2. The languages.yml file is supposed to allow an entry as follows:

# fs_name               - Optional field. Only necessary as a replacement for the sample directory name if the
#                         language name is not a valid filename under the Windows filesystem (e.g., if it
#                         contains an asterisk).

In this case, it would be useful for the VBA/VB6 language entry, containing a /, which is an invalid Windows path character; so I've specified fs_name: VBA_VB6. But the test run still expects the samples to be in a folder called VBA/VB6, and fails on this.

[lildude]

I can't really comment on installing Ruby on Windows, but I can if you encounter problems with your Linux VM approach.

I've made a few suggestions that will help things along.

[cbeauchesne]

@zspitz actually, VBA is VB6, it's the VB6 runtime used in dev mode (binary include debugger symbols, that allow the famous yellow line). It's exactly the mode used in the VB6 editor when you develop.

MS simply included the VB6 IDE inside Office Apps. For instance, you can see in VBA a legacy compile method on VBProject object, but calling it will raise an exception : "not supported for this project".

So, you will never find something in VBA that does not exists in VB6, and IMO, you should use VB6 for fs_name.

[zspitz]

@cbeauchesne

@zspitz actually, VBA is VB6, it's the VB6 runtime used in dev mode (binary include debugger symbols, that allow the famous yellow line). It's exactly the mode used in the VB6 editor when you develop.

MS simply included the VB6 IDE inside Office Apps. For instance, you can see in VBA a legacy compile method on VBProject object, but calling it will raise an exception : "not supported for this project".

Not disagreeing, but I think that (as I said) VBA is far more commonly used than VB6, so it makes more sense that the language name should be VBA (or Visual Basic for Applications), rather than VB6.

So, you will never find something in VBA that does not exists in VB6, and IMO, you should use VB6 for fs_name.

The reverse is also true to my knowledge -- in terms of the source of the language itself (not the global objects, or the runtime environment), you won't find anything in VB6 not in VBA

[zspitz]

@lildude

RE VBA vs Visual Basic for Applications -- The formal name isn't always used, or even preferred: e.g. HTML, CSS, XML, CSV; even when the acronym is not universally known to people unfamiliar with the language (such as GAMS, HLSL, VHDL). Therefore, can we keep the name as VBA?

I've updated the ids, but other tests are still failing.

[cbeauchesne]

The reverse is also true to my knowledge -- in terms of the source of the language itself (not the global objects, or the runtime environment), you won't find anything in VB6 not in VBA

Partially true :) It's the same runtime, but you'll find several things not possible, or hardly doable in VBA. I've in mind options for default immutable value for objects (x = range.value is equivalent to x = range for excel range, you can do the same for your objects), and object iterators (for each item in myObject). On VB6, it's a options in the IDE, and it's saved as a header of your .cls file. In VBA, the option is missing in the IDE, and if you export the file, you'll never find the header. But, if you import a cls file with the good header, you can add this behavior (and if you modify your file in VBA IDE, you loose your hack :( ).

I used to build my own build tooling for VBA for this use-case.

That said, I agree that's very small differences, and as VBA usage is far more common than VB6, the less common surprise effect is probably a better argument.

[lildude]

Therefore, can we keep the name as VBA?

Yeah, you can keep VBA. I was more trying to draw things away from the previous attempt of VBA/VB6 whilst keeping things unambiguous. I think it's commonly known that VBA is referring to Visual Basic for Applications as opposed to any other language.

[zspitz]

@lildude Is there anything I can add/change to move this forward? Thanks.

Changes implemented.

[lildude]

@lildude Is there anything I can add/change to move this forward? Thanks.

Not from what I can see. Just waiting on a review from one of the other maintainers before I make my final review and merge.

[Alhadis]

Looks okay to me. I'm not familiar with Visual Basic, so I'll take @zspitz's word that the split is justified.

[zspitz]

Out of curiosity, at what point will this be visible in existing repos? I understand from the Linguist README that GitHub only performs this analysis when code is pushed to a repo. Is there ever another time when this happens?

[lildude]

Out of curiosity, at what point will this be visible in existing repos? I understand from the Linguist README that GitHub only performs this analysis when code is pushed to a repo. Is there ever another time when this happens?

The rename should take effect in some places when I make the next release, but only for "Visual Basic" -> "Visual Basic .NET" rename as the language ID is the same. Everything else will only take affect on those repos on the next push. The reason I say "some places" is because different parts of the site are cached differently and I have no idea how they all tie in.

[lildude]

These changes are now live:

Anything not correctly reflected will need a push, and if that doesn't work, contact GitHub support as something else will be caching the old name.