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Re: GCC and the Visual Basic programmer....
- From: Richard M Stallman <rms at gnu dot org>
- To: osmfeed at gfarlie dot demon dot co dot uk
- Cc: gcc at gnu dot org
- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:04:32 -0500
- Subject: Re: GCC and the Visual Basic programmer....
- References: <4999DCE5.9010609@gfarlie.demon.co.uk>
- Reply-to: rms at gnu dot org
However, a proportion of code written for Visual C++
makes use of
propriatery runtimes such as MFC, the runtime EULA of which 'currently'
prevents the use of MFC
based applications with a 'free' OS like ReactOS or GNU based toolchains...
And even if it were permitted, it would be a bad thing to use it,
since it is non-free (user-subjugating) software.
Should there be an alternate but compatible implementation of MFC?
It would be very useful to implement compatible interfaces
but make it run on GNU and Unix systems.
Should there be a way of using Visual Basic style code without using the
vendors runtime?
Yes. It would be good to add to GCC a front end for Visual Basic.
Technically speaking, I've been told VB used a p-code form rather than
direct compliation
to native code, so ..
Is there a way to automate the conversion/loading of this p-code into
form that would compile with
with a GNU derived toolchain?
Since that would still mean using non-free software, it isn't a
solution. It's just a different form of the same ethical problem.
A solution means doing it without proprietary software.