Share
 
 

VBA/VB to C# or VB.NET Comparison (.NET)

While most programming languages differ from each other in their syntax and capabilities, there still some fundamental concepts and logic that they share.

The following table compares VBA functions with the similar C# and VB.NET functions and operators. The ActiveX library is indicated by “AutoCAD.Application” and the .NET Managed library equivalents are indicated by “Autodesk.AutoCAD” and the C# or VB.NET equivalents are listed as a function or operator.

Math Functions

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

+ (addition operator)

+ (addition operator)

- (subtraction operator)

- (subtraction operator)

* (multiplication operator)

* (multiplication operator)

/ (division operator)

/ (division operator)

^ (exponentiation operator)

^ (exponentiation operator)

Abs function

System.Math.Abs function

Atn function

System.Math.Atan function

Cos function

System.Math.Cos function

Exp function

System.Math.Exp function

Log function

System.Math.Log function

Max function

System.Math.Max function

Min function

System.Math.Min function

Mod function

.NET

System.Math.DivRem function

C#

% (operator)

VB.NET

Mod function

Sin function

System.Math.Sin function

Sqr function

System.Math.Sqrt function

Conditional and Loop Statements

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

Do Until… Loop statement

C#

Use do... while statement

VB.NET

Do Until... Loop statement

Do While… Loop statement

C#

do... while statement

VB.NET

Do While... Loop statement

For Each...Next statement

C#

Foreach and For statements

VB.NET

For Each...Next statement

If… Then… Else...End If statement

C#

if... else... statement

VB.NET

If… Then… Else...End If statement

Select Case statement

C#

Switch statement

VB.NET

Select Case statement

While… Wend statement

C#

while... statement

VB.NET

While... Wend statement

Logic Statements

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

= (equal to comparison operator)

C#

== (equal to comparison operator)

VB.NET

= (equal to comparison operator)

<> (not equal to comparison operator)

C#

!= (not equal to comparison operator)

VB.NET

<> (not equal to comparison operator)

< (less than comparison operator)

< (less than comparison operator)

<= (less than or equal to comparison operator)

<= (less than or equal to comparison operator)

> (greater than comparison operator)

> (greater than comparison operator)

>= (greater than or equal to comparison operator)

>= (greater than or equal to comparison operator)

And function

C#

&& operator

VB.NET

And operator

Eqv operator

Not provided, use other bitwise comparison methods instead

Imp operator

Not provided, use = comparison instead

Is operator

C#

object is object

VB.NET

object Is object

IsArray function

.NET

varName.GetType().IsArray

C#

typeof(arrayName) == Array comparison

VB.NET

IsArray function

or

TypeOf arrayName Is Array comparison

IsNull function

C#

Use == null comparison

VB.NET

IsDBNull function

Like operator

.NET

stringVariable.Contains function

VB.NET

Like operator

Not operator

C#

!= (not equal to comparison operator)

VB.NET

Not operator

Or function

C#

|| operator

VB.NET

Or function

Data Conversion Functions

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

Asc function

C#

(int)’letter’

VB.NET

Asc function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

Utility.AngleToReal method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Converter.

StringToAngle method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

Utility.AngleToString method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Converter.

AngleToString method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

Utility.RealToString method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Converter.

DistanceToString function

CDbl Function

.NET

System.Convert.ToDouble function

VB.NET

CDbl function

Chr function

.NET

System.Convert.ToChar

VB.NET

Chr function

CInt Function

.NET

System.Convert.ToInt16, System.Convert.ToInt32, or System.Convert.ToInt64 function

VB.NET

CInt function

Fix function

.NET

System.Convert.ToInt16, System.Convert.ToInt32, or System.Convert.ToInt64 function

VB.NET

Fix function

Int function

.NET

System.Convert.ToInt16, System.Convert.ToInt32, or System.Convert.ToInt64 function

VB.NET

Int function

Str function

.NET

System.Convert.ToString function

VB.NET

Str function

StrConv function

.NET

System.Text.Encoding.Convert function

VB.NET

StrConv function

Basic String Manipulation Functions

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

& operator (concatenate string)

C#

+ operator

VB.NET

& or + operator

Len function

.NET

stringVariable.Length property

VB.NET

Len function

Mid function

.NET

stringVariable.Substring function

VB.NET

Mid function

Get Input from the AutoCAD Command Prompt Functions

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetAngle method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetAngle function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetCorner method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetCorner function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetDistance method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetDistance function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetEntity method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetEntity function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetInteger method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetInteger function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetKeyword method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetKeyword function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetOrientation method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetAngle function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetPoint method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetPoint function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetReal method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetDouble function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.GetString method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetString function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.InitializeUserInput method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput.PromptKeywordOptions function

Basic AutoCAD Application and Drawing Functions

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.AngleFromXAxis method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry.Point2d(point1).GetVectorTo(point2).Angle property

AutoCAD.Application.ListARX method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.SystemObjects.DynamicLinker.GetLoadedModules function

AutoCAD.Application.LoadARX method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.SystemObjects.DynamicLinker.LoadModule function

AutoCAD.Application.UnloadARX method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.SystemObjects.DynamicLinker.UnloadModule function

AutoCAD.Application.Documents.Close method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.CloseAndDiscard function

or

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.CloseAndSave function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.SendCommand method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.SendStringToExecute function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Dictionaries.Add method

C#

dictionaryObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.NamedObjectsDictionaryId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.DBDictionary;

dictionaryObj.SetAt function

VB.NET

dictionaryObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.NamedObjectsDictionaryId, openMode)

dictionaryObj.SetAt function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Dictionaries.Item method

C#

dictionaryObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj. NamedObjectsDictionaryId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.DBDictionary;

dictionaryObj.GetAt function

VB.NET

dictionaryObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.NamedObjectsDictionaryId, openMode)

dictionaryObj.GetAt function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.ModelSpace property

C#

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTable;

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj[BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace], openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

VB.NET

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode)

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj(BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace), openMode)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.ModelSpace.Item method

C#

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTable;

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj[BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace], openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

foreach(objecId in blockTableRecordObj)

{

objObject = transactionObj.GetObject(objecId);

}

VB.NET

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode)

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj(BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace), openMode)

dbObj = blockTableRecordObj(index)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.ModelSpace.Count property

C#

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTable;

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj[BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace], openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

int cnt = 0;

foreach(objectId in blockTableRecordObj)

{

cnt = cnt + 1;

}

VB.NET

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode)

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj(BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace), openMode)

Dim nCount As Integer = 0

For Each objectId In blockTableRecordObj

nCount = nCount + 1

Next

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

ModelSpace.Add<entityname> method

C#

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTable;

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj[BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace], openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

blockTableRecordObj.AppendEntity(someEntity);

transactionObj.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(someEntity, true);

VB.NET

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode)

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj(BlockTableRecord. ModelSpace), openMode)

blockTableRecordObj.AppendEntity(someEntity)

transactionObj.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(someEntity, True)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.ActiveSpace property

C#

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.CurrentSpaceId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

VB.NET

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.CurrentSpaceId, openMode)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.PaperSpace property

C#

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.

BlockTableId, openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTable;

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(blockTableObj[BlockTableRecord. PaperSpace], openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

VB.NET

blockTableObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(workingDatabaseObj.BlockTableId, openMode)

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.GetObject(blockTableObj

(BlockTableRecord. PaperSpace), openMode)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.ActiveLayout property

C#

layoutObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(layoutManagerObj.GetLayoutId(layoutManagerObj.CurrentLayout), openMode) as Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.Layout;

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(layoutObj.BlockTableRecordId,openMode) as Autodesk. AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.BlockTableRecord;

VB.NET

layoutObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(layoutManagerObj.GetLayoutId(layoutManagerObj.CurrentLayout), openMode)

blockTableRecordObj = transactionObj.

GetObject(layoutObj.BlockTableRecordId, openMode)

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.PurgeAll method

HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase.Purge method

AutoCAD.Application.GetVariable method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

GetSystemVariable function

AutoCAD.Application.MenuBar property

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

MenuBar property

AutoCAD.Application.MenuGroup property

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

MenuGroups property

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.PickfirstSelectionSet property

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.SelectImplied function

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.Utility.PolarPoint method

Not provided, use the Point2d and Point3d classes from the Geometry namespace to calculate a new point

AutoCAD.Application.Preferences property

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.Preferences property

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

Utility.Prompt method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.WriteMessage method

AutoCAD.Application.Quit method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.Quit method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

SelectionSets.Add method

Not needed/provided

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

SelectionSets.SelectionSet.Item method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput.SelectionSet.

selectionSet.Item(object) method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

SelectionSets.SelectionSet.Delete method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput.SelectionSet.

selectionSet.Item(object).Delete method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

SelectionSets.SelectionSet.SelectOnScreen method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.GetSelection method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

SelectionSets.SelectionSet.Count property

Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput.SelectionSet.

selectionSet.Count property

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

SelectionSets.SelectionSet.SelectAtPoint method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument.Editor.SelectCrossingWindow method

AutoCAD.Application.SetVariable method

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.

SetSystemVariable method

AutoCAD.Application.ActiveDocument.

Utility.TranslateCoordinates method

Not provided, use the Matrix3d class from the Geometry namespace to translate points between different coordinate systems

AutoCAD.Application.Version property

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.Version property

ThisDrawing

Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.

MdiActiveDocument property

and

HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase property

Basic VBA and Visual Basic 6 Functions and Statements

ActiveX, VBA, or Visual Basic 6

.NET equivalent (same unless noted)

AppActivate AutoCAD.Application.Caption function

.NET

Use the Win32 Calls ShowWindow and SetWindowPos

VB.NET

AppActivate Autodesk.AutoCAD.

ApplicationServices.Application.

MainWindow.Text

Dir function

System.IO.Directory.Exists function

Error object/method/properties

.NET

Try Catch statement with exception handling

VB.NET

Error object/method/properties

Function and End Function keywords

C#

Define a procedure and use return to return a value

VB.NET

Function and End Function keywords and use Return to return a value

Input function

.NET

fileStream.Read method

VB.NET

Input method

LBound(arrayName) function

.NET

arrayName.GetLowerBound function

VB.NET

LBound(arrayName) function

Line Input function

.NET

fileStream.Read method

VB.NET

LineInput method

MsgBox function

MessageBox.Show method

object(n) syntax

C#

object[n] syntax

VB.NET

object(n) syntax

Open function

System.IO.File.Open function

ReDim statement

.NET

arrayName.Resize

VB.NET

ReDim arrayName(newSize)

Set statement

Not needed/provided

Shell function

.NET

System.Diagnostics.Process.Start function

VB.NET

Shell function

Sub and End Sub keywords

C#

Define a procedure

VB.NET

Sub and End Sub keywords

TypeName function

.NET

varName.GetType().Name or

varName.GetType().FullName functions

VB.NET

TypeName function

UBound(arrayName) function

.NET

arrayName.GetUpperBound function

VB.NET

UBound(arrayName) function

Was this information helpful?