Technical Manifesto for the Continuity and Revaluation of Visual Basic .NET
1. Introduction
Visual Basic .NET remains a critical language for thousands of companies, internal tools, legacy systems, and long‑standing applications that rely on its stability, clarity, and productivity. Although VB.NET is currently in “maintenance mode,” it continues to be a silent pillar of the .NET ecosystem — and it deserves attention proportional to its real‑world impact.
This issue presents technical, historical, and strategic reasons for Microsoft to maintain and value VB.NET as a first‑class language within the .NET platform.
2. Why VB.NET Still Matters
2.1 A massive installed base
- Millions of lines of VB.NET code remain active in enterprise systems.
- Full migrations to C# are often impractical, extremely expensive, or high‑risk.
- Many organizations rely on VB.NET for internal applications that have run reliably for decades.
2.2 Unmatched productivity
VB.NET offers:
- Clear, readable syntax
- Low learning curve
- Minimal syntactic noise
- High legibility for non‑specialized teams
Ideal for:
- Multidisciplinary teams
- Internal business tools
- Rapid prototyping
- Enterprise automation
2.3 Accessibility
VB has always been Microsoft’s most accessible language.
It is the entry point for:
- Beginners
- Power users of Office
- Technicians who are not full‑time developers
- People who struggle with complex syntax
Abandoning VB.NET means abandoning accessibility.
2.4 Stability and compatibility
VB.NET is one of the most stable languages in the .NET ecosystem:
- No disruptive syntax changes
- No breaking language shifts
- No experimental features
- No complexity creep
For mission‑critical systems, stability is more valuable than innovation.
3. Real Enterprise Impact
Organizations depending on VB.NET face serious risks if the language is discontinued:
- Extremely high migration costs
- Operational risk during rewrites
- Loss of productivity
- Need to rebuild entire systems from scratch
Maintaining VB.NET aligns with Microsoft’s long‑standing philosophy of backward compatibility.
4. Concrete Proposals for Microsoft
4.1 Keep VB.NET fully supported on .NET Core
No need for major new features — only:
- Bug fixes
- Runtime compatibility
- Access to modern APIs
- Long‑term stability
4.2 Update documentation and samples
We propose:
- Modern examples
- Migration guides
- Updated tutorials
- Official Visual Studio templates
4.3 Ensure continued support in Visual Studio
- Full IntelliSense
- Basic refactoring tools
- Editor improvements
- Updated project templates
4.4 Provide a clear roadmap
The community needs:
- Transparency
- Continuity guarantees
- Realistic expectations
- A minimum long‑term commitment
5. Conclusion
VB.NET does not need to compete with C#.
It does not need cutting‑edge features.
It does not need marketing.
It only needs:
- Continuous support
- Compatibility
- Updated documentation
- Recognition of its role in .NET
Keeping VB.NET alive honors decades of trust with the Visual Basic community and protects countless systems that still power businesses every single day.
Short Version
VB.NET remains essential for many companies and mission‑critical systems.
We request continued support, updated documentation, and compatibility with modern .NET APIs.
We are not asking for new language features — only stability, maintenance, and a clear roadmap.
Technical Manifesto for the Continuity and Revaluation of Visual Basic .NET
1. Introduction
Visual Basic .NET remains a critical language for thousands of companies, internal tools, legacy systems, and long‑standing applications that rely on its stability, clarity, and productivity. Although VB.NET is currently in “maintenance mode,” it continues to be a silent pillar of the .NET ecosystem — and it deserves attention proportional to its real‑world impact.
This issue presents technical, historical, and strategic reasons for Microsoft to maintain and value VB.NET as a first‑class language within the .NET platform.
2. Why VB.NET Still Matters
2.1 A massive installed base
2.2 Unmatched productivity
VB.NET offers:
Ideal for:
2.3 Accessibility
VB has always been Microsoft’s most accessible language.
It is the entry point for:
Abandoning VB.NET means abandoning accessibility.
2.4 Stability and compatibility
VB.NET is one of the most stable languages in the .NET ecosystem:
For mission‑critical systems, stability is more valuable than innovation.
3. Real Enterprise Impact
Organizations depending on VB.NET face serious risks if the language is discontinued:
Maintaining VB.NET aligns with Microsoft’s long‑standing philosophy of backward compatibility.
4. Concrete Proposals for Microsoft
4.1 Keep VB.NET fully supported on .NET Core
No need for major new features — only:
4.2 Update documentation and samples
We propose:
4.3 Ensure continued support in Visual Studio
4.4 Provide a clear roadmap
The community needs:
5. Conclusion
VB.NET does not need to compete with C#.
It does not need cutting‑edge features.
It does not need marketing.
It only needs:
Keeping VB.NET alive honors decades of trust with the Visual Basic community and protects countless systems that still power businesses every single day.
Short Version
VB.NET remains essential for many companies and mission‑critical systems.
We request continued support, updated documentation, and compatibility with modern .NET APIs.
We are not asking for new language features — only stability, maintenance, and a clear roadmap.