API Finder
API Finder©
For Visual Basic 4 programmers.

Contents

What is API Finder© ?

Search Options

Found Items

Copied Items

Menu Options

Importing Text Files

Managing Libraries

About

Register! (Please...)

Contact The Author


Manage Libraries
Managing Libraries

To manage libraries, from the File Menu, choose Manage Libraries.(Ctrl+L)

Available Libraries List: This is a list of the available libraries in the API Finder database.

Remove: Removes the currently selected Library from the database.  Be careful!  This will delete all Declares, Types and Constants associated with this library.  Delete of items will not take place until you click the Save button. You can re-import this library if you have it as a text file on your hard drive.  See Importing of VB Text Files for more info.

Export: Exports the currently selected Library to a text file.

Edit Selected Library Name: You can change the name for the currently selected Library here.

Cancel: Cancels all your changes.

Save: Saves all your changes.


File
File Menu Options

      Import Library Text File: Imports a VB Text File.

      Manage Libraries: Brings up the Manage Libraries Dialog Box.

      Repair Database: Repair the API Finder Database

      Compact Database	: Compact the API Finder Database

      Exit: Exits API Finder


Search Options

Library: Each Declaration Text File that is imported to API Finder is called a Library.  For example, say you imported "API32.txt", and you named it "32 bit API".  This will be a Library available for searches.

For more information , see Importing Text Files topic.

Match:	Select  "Any Part of Word" to find items that contain the search text in the "Find This" text box.  Select "Start of Word", to find all items that start with the text in the Search Box.

For example, say "window" is typed in the Search Box.  If  "Any Part of Word"  is selected, then search will find items like "GetActiveWindow", "WindowWord", etc.  If "Start of Word" is selected, only "WindowWord" will be found.

API Type: Select from Declares, Constants, and Types.

DLL: This option is available only for API Type "Declares" searches.  It enables you to find declares within a DLL file. For example, for "Win 32 API" library, select "Kernel32" DLL to search all Declares in Kernel32.dll.

Find In: Choose where to look for the search text: In the declarations'  names or their declare statements.

Search Button: Click here to start the search.

Search cannot start unless something is typed in the Search Text box, unless you are searching Declare API Types. For Declare searches, you can start a search as soon as you select a DLL file.


Found Items

After click of Search Button, found items are displayed in the Found Items List.

Clear : deletes all items in the list.

Add: adds all currently highlighted Item(s) to the Copied Items list.

Add All: Adds All found Items to the Copied Items list.


Copied Items List

Remove	Remove the currently selected item in Copy List.  Available only in List View option.

Clear	Clear all copied items.

Copy	Place copied Items to the Clipboard.

Export	Export all copied items to a text file, which you can the add to a VB project.

View 	"As List" option shows copied items as list. See above.

"As Text" option shows copied items as text, full declare format.  You can then edit the text before you paste it to VB. See below.


About API Finder...
About API Finder©...

API Finder© version 1.0

Copyright 1996 Christopher Lambrou.

This is an API Search utility program for Visual Basic programmers.


Importing VB Text Files

This is the heart of the system, importing text files that are formatted as VB BAS modules and saving them to the database.

Each text file is given a name, the Library Name.  These libraries are available from the Library drop down in the Search Options.

API Finder© can recognize Constants, Declares and Type statements within a BAS or FRM file.  It will ignore everything else, including comment, "'" or "REM" lines.

To import a Text File:

1. From File Menu, select Import Text File (Ctrl+I).

Select the name and path of the text file you want to import.

The selected file will become a Library in the database.

2. Type the Library name you want to give this file and click OK.

You may change the name at a later time by choosing Manage Libraries from the File Menu.

3. Wait for the file to be imported and stored in the database.  You may monitor the progress by looking at the progress bar.

Type F6 at any time during the import process to cancel it.

4. After the import is complete, you may start searching on it by selecting it from the Library search option.


What is API Finder?
What is API Finder©?

 API Finder© is a Search utility For Visual Basic Programmers that use the Windows API.  It can search VB Text declaration files for API declares, constants and Types.

Why not use the API Search Utility that ships with VB4? Because:

1. API Finder® can load multiple text files in its database. Each file is called a Library and is given its own unique library name by you. (See Importing Text Files). Once a file is in the database, you can use it any time you want, and you can even delete the text file from your hard drive, since you can export it back to a VB BAS module any time you want.  You can do searches on many files without loading and unloading them.

2. Unlike the utility that ships with VB4, there are many Search options, as opposed to searching by directly typing into a list box.  You can search declares within a specific DLL file, search by just the function name or its arguments, and by partly typing the name or some text of the API declaration or constant.

3. This is faster: Nothing is loaded into the Found Items List unless you do a search with your criteria and the search button.

4. You can edit any selected items before copying them to the Clipboard.


Register!
How to R e g i s t e r.

You can register API Finder©  through CompuServe or the Public Software Library (PSL).

The cost is $12.95 for a single user license, $100 for a 10 user license.  This will entitle you to free upgrades for a period of one year, plus a version of the program without the annoying "Please Register" messages.

Compuserve

Registering by Compuserve is fast and easy!  No credit cards, no checks.  Just GO SWREG and look  for

Registration ID: 13942.  The cost of the software will be applied to your Compuserve account.

The Public Software Library (PSL)

You' ll need a Visa, MaterCard, American Express or Discover Card.

Contact PSL and ask for API Finder, product ID 15020.  You can contact PSL by:

1. Phone: Call'em  at (800) 242-4775, or (713) 524-6394 7am - 6pm CST, Mon. - Thus, 7am - 12:30pm CST, Friday. PSL operators  can only take your order, they can  NOT answer questions about the software.

2. WWW: Visit PSL's home page at http://206.109.101.6/  Select Register/Order shareware and follow the instructions.

3. EMail: Email PSL at 71355.470@compuserve.com.

Please provide the following information:

Name

Email Address

Daytime Phone

Mailing Address

Credit Card Company (Visa/MasterCard/American Express/Discover.)

Credit Card #

Credit Card Expiration Date

PSL Product ID

PSL Product Name

Number of Licenses.

AFTER YOU REGISTER:

A registration key will be sent to you by Email.  You can enter the registration code by selecting Register! from the menus.


Contact The Author

Compuserve:	105460.2721@compuserve.com

Internet: 	chrislambrou@internetmci.com

AOL: 	akis1@aol.com

No Hate mail, please!