5 ms·

VBScript is in a .vbs file and run from the command line. There are still lots of tools in office and windows that use this like the command line licensing tool

VBScript is in a .vbs file and run from the command line. There are still lots of tools in office and windows that use this like the command line licensing tools olk.vbs and slmgr.vbs so this is an odd security over functionality decision. Excel macros are written in this by fortunate decisions in the article below, not sure if the windows cscript and wscript tools that execute vbs have dependency ties to excel https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2006/06/16/my-first-billg-review/ https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2006/06/16/my-first-billg-rev... like outlook does to the word editor dlls.

freedomben 3y ago
I'd be fascinated to learn what a previous employer will do with all the vbscripts I wrote on Windows XP to drive various things of theirs. They have to maintain things for 20 to 30 years and they are basically snapshots in time. When I was there in the mid 00s they still had a Windows 95 test bench that ran software that only worked there. So I guess there's my answer: they'll keep the Win XP boxes around as long as they need to.
- Aeolun 3y ago
  It’s weird to think that be best versions of windows are older than my entire professional career by this point.
- mschuster91 3y ago
  > So I guess there's my answer: they'll keep the Win XP boxes around as long as they need to. Anything that can be virtualized should be virtualized.
  - nxobject 3y ago
    And airgapped from as many things as possible in existence, I hope.
    - htag 3y ago
      You either have an airgap or you don't.
      - mschuster91 3y ago
        I think they mean firewalls and network segmentation.
    - freedomben 3y ago
      Yep, fortunately they are airgapped (though they do have USB ports)
kevingadd 3y ago
Aren't excel macros VBA, not VBScript? Different language and a different execution engine.
- Turing_Machine 3y ago
  Yes, they are. Similar in some ways, but different. I doubt if they'll ever be able to remove VBA. Way too much legacy code... the customers would mutiny.
deafpolygon 3y ago
Since Python is being added to Excel... I wouldn't be surprised if they phase that out (excel macros) in favor of it (Python).

freedomben 3y ago

I'd be fascinated to learn what a previous employer will do with all the vbscripts I wrote on Windows XP to drive various things of theirs. They have to maintain things for 20 to 30 years and they are basically snapshots in time. When I was there in the mid 00s they still had a Windows 95 test bench that ran software that only worked there. So I guess there's my answer: they'll keep the Win XP boxes around as long as they need to.

Aeolun 3y ago
It’s weird to think that be best versions of windows are older than my entire professional career by this point.
mschuster91 3y ago
> So I guess there's my answer: they'll keep the Win XP boxes around as long as they need to. Anything that can be virtualized should be virtualized.
- nxobject 3y ago
  And airgapped from as many things as possible in existence, I hope.
  - htag 3y ago
    You either have an airgap or you don't.
    - mschuster91 3y ago
      I think they mean firewalls and network segmentation.
  - freedomben 3y ago
    Yep, fortunately they are airgapped (though they do have USB ports)

kevingadd 3y ago

Aren't excel macros VBA, not VBScript? Different language and a different execution engine.

Turing_Machine 3y ago
Yes, they are. Similar in some ways, but different. I doubt if they'll ever be able to remove VBA. Way too much legacy code... the customers would mutiny.

deafpolygon 3y ago

Since Python is being added to Excel... I wouldn't be surprised if they phase that out (excel macros) in favor of it (Python).