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The newer Surfer automation model, introduced in Surfer 7, is different than Surfer 6.  Your Surfer 6 scripts may require considerable revision to work with newer versions of Surfer. Unfortunately, there is not an automatic way to convert scripts from the Surfer 6 automation model.  To help learn the newer automation model, I suggest starting from the Object Hierarchy graphics in the Help file. 

Several changes were required that may break old script files.  Most of these are a result of moving to a VBA-compatible scripting language:

• When a wireframe plot is selected the default name is "Wireframe" rather than "Surface". 
• "Surfer.App" is the Application object for the old Surfer 6 interface.  "Surfer.Application" is the new Surfer 7 Automation model.
• The commands Surfer.FileNew(int iDoc) and Surfer.FileOpen(FileName,iDoc) no longer support iDoc==2.  This created an editor document which is no longer supported.  This will silently fail to minimize the effect on existing scripts.
• The new Scripter requires named arguments to be specified with := whereas the old Scripter required the single =.
• Scripter statements must be contained within a Sub block.  The main program should be within a "Sub Main", "End Sub" block.  Surfer 6 Scripter allowed stand-alone statements outside blocks.  The old "End" statement should be changed to "End Sub"
• Subroutines used to be specified by labels.  They now must be specified with "Sub XXX" and "End Sub" statements where XXX is the old subroutine label.
• The old "gosub" statement is no longer allowed.  Delete it and call the subroutine directly.  For example "gosub DoWork" should now just be "DoWork".
• The old Print statement is not supported.  Use Debug.Print or MsgBox.
• Arrays must be dimensioned with the dim statement.
• Global variables must be declared outside the body of sub blocks.
• It is not possible to jump to labels in other subroutines.
• The \ line continuation character is not allowed.  You need to use the underscore character _ for the equivalent functionality.
• Comments are not allowed after the line continuation character _.
• The Surfer 6 macro command FileNewWindow() always returns true (success).
• If Surfer 7 is started via Automation, the default directory is set to the applications startup directory.  It used to be set to the Windows System directory.
• Surfer 7 Scripter uses End If (space between end and if) and Surfer 6 Scripter uses Endif (no space).
• Surfer 7 Scripter requires Option Explicit to be declared prior to the Sub .. End Sub.  Surfer 6 Scripter does not support Sub .. End Sub, so Option Explicit can be declared anywhere.
• Surfer 7 Scripter does not allow the variable type suffix characters (%$#?&@!) in the DIM statement with the As Type syntax and Surfer 6  Scripter does allow it, e.g.

Some additional differences between Surfer 6 automation and the Surfer 7 automation model (used in all subsequent versions) are:

• The Surfer 6 Scripter time$() and date$() functions display an error message in Surfer 7 Scripter: "Function is defined with a different value type."  Use the Surfer 7 Scripter functions time() and date(), or time and date with no parentheses (no $). 
• The Surfer 6 Scripter sleep() function is not supported in Surfer 7 Scripter, which displays the message "Expecting an existing scalar var".  Use the Surfer 7 Scripter wait() function, or wait without parentheses.
• The Surfer 6 Scripter function cls() to clear the output window is not supported in Surfer 7 Scripter.
• Surfer 7 Scripter uses If .. End If (note space in End If).  Surfer 6 Scripter uses If .. Endif (no spaces in Endif).  Attempting to run a script in Surfer 7 Scripter with Endif displays the error message "Expecting an existing scalar var". 
• Surfer 7 Scripter does not permit the use of variable type suffixes (%, $, #, ?, &, @, !) in the DIM declaration in combination with the text As Type, but Surfer 6 Scripter does permit it.

Surfer 7 Scripter:
   'Declare a As String
   DIM a As String
   'Declare b$ As String
    DIM b$
   '"ERROR Unexpected Text" in next statement.
    DIM c$ as String

Surfer 6 Scripter:
    'Declare a As String
    DIM a As String
    'Anything without "As" is declared as Double  
     DIM b$
    'Declare c$ as String
   DIM c$ As String 

• Surfer 7 Scripter treats a variable with a suffix as the same variable without the suffix, and Surfer 6 treats them as different variables.

Surfer 7 Scripter
    DIM a As String
    a = "Text1"
    a$ = "Text2"
    Debug.Print a$;" ";a 
   'Prints "Text2 Text2", a$ = a

Surfer 6 Scripter
    DIM a As String
    DIM a$ As String
    a = "Text1"
    a$ = "Text2" 
    print a;" ";a$ 
   'Prints "Text1 Text2", a$ <> a