VBScript Deprecation Plan

[IntendingTotalFreedom]

Hello Everyone,

Obviously Microsoft is deprecating VBScript from Windows OS'es over the next few (10?) years, eventually to make it so no Windows OS ships with the needed components: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/vbscript-deprecation-timelines-and-next-...

Will this matter for Geo SCADA Expert?

If so, is there a plan for migrating everyone's VBScript code to perhaps JavaScript or carrying support forward despite Microsoft deprecating VBScript?

On a related note, can anyone provide JavaScript example code similar to the provided VBScript examples of the function calls for built-in Geo SCADA system features, like findObject and, etc. Do such examples already exist, but are buried? JavaScript has been a supported option as long as I can recall, but no information has been provided on how to use the same functions and features as the numerous VBScript examples in the Help articles that I've been able to scrape together, which means basically no one uses it. Is there perhaps some performance reason to discourage users from using JavaScript instead of VBScript? Even aside from the impending deprecation, there is a much larger talent pool familiar with JavaScript than VBScript, so it would be lovely to have the same level of support to enable JavaScript adoption in Geo SADA Expert and I would really appreciate any relevant JavaScript examples for using the standard Geo SCADA features we already have VBScript examples for.

Edit: Interesting - Geo SCADA does not seem to support the JavaScript popup boxes (alert, confirm, prompt) ... just says "Object Expected" when the interpreter gets to that line and errors out, lol.

Code:
function myRandomTest() {
  alert("What is Geo SCADA JavaScript support like?");
}

The code editor also does not recognize the "let" keyword for declaring variables in JavaScript since 2015 ...

Again - any assistance would be much appreciated.

Looking forward to hearing from you all,

Thanks!

[BevanWeiss · Accepted solution]

ViewX does already support JScript... as part of the Windows Scripting Engine currently in use within ViewX.

But JScript isn't quite JavaScript... and both JScript and VBScript will be deprecated by Microsoft.

GeoSCADA 2025 is intending on supporting JavaScript, and from the 'brochure' it looks like it will have a nice little AutoComplete engine and everything for it.  Which will be a great improvement.

You could migrate your existing VBscript to JScript, to get things closer to JavaScript right now (I 'think' JScript is forward compatible with JavaScript, i.e. all valid JScript is valid JavaScript.. although the reverse is not true).

Your issue with JScript will still be that as something of a 'pure' language, it doesn't support nice alert(..) or MsgBox(..) constructs for platform specific actions, so you need to jump through more hoops for those things.  Things like Dialogs supported by ViewX should be 'fine'.. but once you leave the ViewX platform functionality and 'pure' language functionality things will get tricky... 

For your 'alert' equivalent...  the below might work (untested)

var shell = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
shell.Popup("text");

Which is what VBscript is pretty much doing behind the scenes...

[sbeadle]

I don't think migrating now via JScript is necessary! VBScript will likely be around for a long time. (ActiveX is still with us!) There are indications that when when Microsoft remove it from a default install of Windows, it will be an add-on option.

The new Javascript V8 script engine (same as used by Chrome, Edge etc) will be available next year (Beta soon), so it won't be long before you can get your hands on it. You'll be able to run VBScript and Javascript side-by-side (e.g. VBScript on parent mimic, Javascript on embedded mimic), giving you time to update scripts to Javascript.

I used an online tool to convert VBScript to Javascript (many available) and for the script I tried it worked first time. (YMMV).

[IntendingTotalFreedom]

Lol. I misread JScript as JavaScript. Apparently they are different dialects of the ECMAScript standard. Interesting point about the dialogs, thank you. I appreciate you for clarifying and giving some direction @BevanWeiss! 

Thank you for the reassurance @sbeadle! Interestingly, I see that the VBScript features aren't installed on MS Windows on several Geo SCADA servers I use, so does Geo SCADA depend on what MS does with VBScript features? Or is it simply the case that I can't find reliable information on how to check for that in Windows Server 2019 unlike Windows 10/11?

Thanks to you both!

[sbeadle]

Currently Geo SCADA doesn't require any additional installation for its VBScript to work.

(Though you do have to install the Script Debugger separately if you want to debug - see: https://community.se.com/t5/Geo-SCADA-Knowledge-Base/Script-Debugger/ba-p/279039)

[BevanWeiss]

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@sbeadle wrote:

...

The new Javascript V8 script engine (same as used by Chrome, Edge etc) will be available next year (Beta soon), so it won't be long before you can get your hands on it. You'll be able to run VBScript and Javascript side-by-side (e.g. VBScript on parent mimic, Javascript on embedded mimic), giving you time to update scripts to Javascript.

...

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Will there be a new Script library option to bring in JavaScript libraries (not 3rd party.. just a collection of JavaScript functions, as we can do for JScript/VBScript currently), and an ability to call from JavaScript functions to JScript/VBScript?

[sbeadle]

The same script library feature will be in the JavaScript version. You can't mix VBScript and Javascript, e.g. you can't call a VBScript library from within a Javascript function on a mimic.