Republished Articles

Tapping the Internet Database

We have the tools to tap the internet like a vast database. This article explains how to use the Microsoft Internet Transfer Control to query Internet database engines and parse the returned information for use in any application. The source includes applications that query the US Postal Service database to check for valid ZIP codes and the US Government Weather database for current weather conditions across the country. Download non-subscriber sample executables - ZIPCheck or Weather (both require VB5 run-time, SP3 Professional or Enterprise controls). View ZIPCheck screenshot.

Expanding Your View

Most computer users have come to realize bigger monitors mean higher resolutions mean smaller text and objects. The trend toward tiny icons in the toolbars of most applications exacerbates the problem. Add to that a pair of bifocals, a couple of Tall Grande Lattes, and a due date of last Thursday, and you’ll probably start experiencing Jeff Dunteman’s Quantum Cursor Effect – your ability to accurately click on small objects becomes unpredictable except by a chaos theory mathematician.

This article shows you how to write a Visual Basic application that can dynamically magnify the screen beneath the cursor. It will also explain how to monitor the keyboard, run a program in the system tray, and setup your application to run when Windows starts. You will better understand graphics and monitoring the keyboard as well as some basic Registry functions. Download non-subscriber sample executable (requires VB5 run-time). View screenshot.

Windows Sights and Sounds

The Windows Media Control Interface, or MCI, is often the first thing a new programmer attempts to use. Playing a sound, recording a CD track, or showing a video clip isn’t quite as easy as drawing a control on a form and setting a few properties, but it isn’t as difficult as it seems at first glance. This article will teach you the basics of MCI and other Windows audio interfaces via a Visual Basic sample project that records audio clips and plays CDs, audio clips, and video clips. Download non-subscriber sample executable (requires VB5 run-time, SP2 Professional or Enterprise controls). View screenshot.

Retrieving Printer Information

Visual Basic programmers usually find one of the more obscure bunch of API functions to be the Printer APIs. When the Printer object or a report writer like Crystal Reports won't do the job, you might need to delve into the API. This article explains how to use the GetPrinter/SetPrinter API functions as well as providing the basic information on handling API functions that return string and structure data. Download non-subscriber sample executable (requires VB5 run-time). View screenshot.

Build Snappy Tools

When Jeff asked me if Visual Basic could create a form that could snap to the edge of its parent, also known as docking, I suspected it would be more than a simple HAX. Although easy to force a form to dock, it’s difficult to monitor a form while it’s moving and cause the drag rectangle to snap to the edges of its parent. Jeff’s article idea sounded right up my alley – subclassing. Subclassing, in Windows terms, is the process of creating a procedure to intercept any messages sent to a window and either modifying those messages or passing them on to the original procedure. VB 5 added the AddressOf keyword, enabling programmers to subclass any VB object that has an hWnd (handle) property. This article will show you how to subclass the parent form of a control and snap that form to its parent’s edges. The sample code and executable for this article has been replaced by the MHDock UserControl. View screenshot.

Toggle ListView Selection Bar and Headers
Enumerate TreeView Nodes with a Recursive Procedure
Specify a Path with Standard Folder Browsing
Support OLE Drag and Drop

Component Toolbox from dbi technologies inc.
FXTools from Pegasus Software
MailBuilder 1.0 from Dartcom Incorporated
Total VB SourceBook from FMS, Inc.
VSFlexGrid Pro 6.0 from VideoSoft

DAO to ADO Migration Tips