Visual Basic "7"- Visual Basic 6 IDE Clone
Budget: €1,000 – €5,000 EUR
I need a full-source-code recreation of the classic Visual Basic 6 development environment, internally referred to as “Visual Basic 7.” My main goal is to open and run existing VB6 projects with zero functional loss, while adding modern support for .png images in both the Image and PictureBox controls.
Core requirements
• Replicate all standard VB6 user-interface components, complete with property windows, toolbox, code editor, and form designer.
• Preserve the original event-driven programming model so legacy code behaves exactly as it does in VB6.
• Ensure ActiveX controls register and load seamlessly.
• Add built-in .png file selection and rendering for Image and PictureBox controls (no external converters—the controls must handle transparency natively).
Deliverables
1. Full Visual Studio–compatible solution (source only, no binaries) that compiles and runs without third-party installers.
2. Clear build/readme instructions so I can compile and extend the environment later.
3. A sample migrated VB6 project demonstrating functional parity and the new .png capability.
Tech notes
• Windows-only target is fine.
• You may use .NET (WinForms or WPF) as the underlying framework provided the IDE surface and runtime behaviour remain faithful to VB6.
• Clean, well-documented code is essential; future features will be layered on top.
Acceptance criteria
– Existing VB6 forms load without manual edits.
– Event wiring (e.g., Command1_Click) triggers correctly.
– ActiveX controls register automatically on first load.
– .png images display with full alpha transparency in Image/PictureBox.
If you have prior experience reverse-engineering or emulating legacy IDEs, let me know in your proposal along with a brief outline of your planned architecture.
Core requirements
• Replicate all standard VB6 user-interface components, complete with property windows, toolbox, code editor, and form designer.
• Preserve the original event-driven programming model so legacy code behaves exactly as it does in VB6.
• Ensure ActiveX controls register and load seamlessly.
• Add built-in .png file selection and rendering for Image and PictureBox controls (no external converters—the controls must handle transparency natively).
Deliverables
1. Full Visual Studio–compatible solution (source only, no binaries) that compiles and runs without third-party installers.
2. Clear build/readme instructions so I can compile and extend the environment later.
3. A sample migrated VB6 project demonstrating functional parity and the new .png capability.
Tech notes
• Windows-only target is fine.
• You may use .NET (WinForms or WPF) as the underlying framework provided the IDE surface and runtime behaviour remain faithful to VB6.
• Clean, well-documented code is essential; future features will be layered on top.
Acceptance criteria
– Existing VB6 forms load without manual edits.
– Event wiring (e.g., Command1_Click) triggers correctly.
– ActiveX controls register automatically on first load.
– .png images display with full alpha transparency in Image/PictureBox.
If you have prior experience reverse-engineering or emulating legacy IDEs, let me know in your proposal along with a brief outline of your planned architecture.