WELCOME TO THE VB Software Sampler '96! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEED HELP? Send e-mail to Karen Koenen at 74651.1217@compuserve.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Here is what you will find on the VB Software Sampler '96: Demos: DESAWARE: Spyworks Storage Tools Version Stamper FARPOINT: Button Maker Spread Designer Tab Pro FAWCETTE TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS: VB-CD Monthly Get every issue of VBPJ complete with source code on CD. MICROHELP: Faxplus VBViewer Comm Lib 3 Compression Plus SHERIDAN: Calendar STYLUS: Visual Voice VIDEOSOFT: VSView VS-OCX VSFlex VISION SOFTWARE: StoryBoard Book Chapters: VB 4.0 Handbook: by Gary Cornel Revolutionary Guide to VB 4.0 Professional: by Larry Roof The Official VBPJ Guide To VB 4.0: written by Contributing VBPJ authors. VBPJ Back Issues in Adobe Acrobat format. We have included the Adobe Acrobat reader. To install the reader, run Acroread.exe in the root directory of the CD-Rom. The best way to view back issues, is to open the Tocindex.pdf. This is the table to contents for each issue. You can then select an article for viewing. Back issues include: March '96 April '96 May '96 99 Tech Tips All back issues include both sample apps, and source code. These can be found in the code directory for each month. Sample Application: HR App Wincim: Customized VBPJ version of CompuServes WinCim software. This read me file includes a description of all the shareware. Web: Top 100 Developer Sites Our resident Web surfer has been busy searching the Internet for the best sites for Visual Basic developers and has compiled a list of the top 100 sites. Visual Basic Third-Party Vendor Sites on the Web If you're looking for a product to help you with your Visual Basic work, here's a list of all the Visual Basic third-party vendors we know about. Only vendors that are selling products for Visual Basic developers will be listed here. More general vendors will be listed on the Software Vendor page. Don't forget to visit our web page at http://www.windx.com for the most comprehensive source of information and tools available for Microsoft Windows developers. Company name (directory location) Bokai Corp: (Bokai) EasyBar/VBX is a Visual Basic Custom Control for creating barcodes. It allows using various drawing attributes including rotation, text position, font, etc. The barcode parameters (bar/space widths, margins, etc.) are fine-tunable. 20 barcode types are supported, of which 12 are basic types and 10 with add-ons. Catalyst Software: (Catalyst) Catalyst SocketTools is collection of custom controls designed to allow you, the developer, to quickly and easily build network-aware applications using the standard Windows Sockets interface and TCP/IP vendor stack of your choice. The controls provide client interfaces for the major application protocols, such as FTP, TELNET, SMTP, POP3, HTTP and others. By simply selecting the control into your application and setting a few properties, you're on your way to an Internet-aware application. Capital D Computer Consulting: (Capital) IconExtractor allows you to extract icons out of various files and save them on your system as ".ico" or ".bmp" files. It also will allow you to save a ".bmp" file as an ".ico". Castalia Tech: (Castalia) Code Stylist/VB is a programmers tool designed to assist in the formatting of Visual Basic Source Code. By setting up a style sheet, Code Stylist/VB can process an entire VB project and reformat all of the source code to conform to any standard. This is especially useful in multi-developer environments and for using whenever inheriting someone else's source code. Along with the Code Artist, are intended to provide Visual Basic users with a complete suite of source code level tools. Crazy Rides Software: (Luncal) This generic Popup Lunar-Calendar has evolved from an unique input device for some inhouse products into a completely self contained module. Cutting Edge Consulting: (Cutedge) Setup Manager is a tool that you can use to quickly create professional setup routines for your applications. You can use Setup Manager regardless of which tools or languages you have used to develop your application. The RASVBX control allows you to programmatically dial a Remote Access Server. You set the user name, password, and phone number, and RASVBX establishes the network connection for you. An information dialog automatically appears keeping the user notified of the connection status. Data Preference: (HyperVB) HyperVB v1.3, developed by Data Preference, will enable you to create multi-font formatted text boxes and hypertext links within your own Visual Basic applications. HyperVB is an ideal choice for multimedia, kiosk, and database applications that require formatted text and/or hypertext. HyperVB is built from standard Visual Basic controls and code modules - no 3rd-party VBXs or DLLs are needed. Don Dickinson: (Dickinson) The Print Preview program was originally written to replace the printer object in Visual Basic v3.0. It allows for a single set of code to output information to the screen and/or the printer. It consists of two parts - ddrv.dll and ddrvexe.exe. Through VB (or any other language that allows calls to DLLs) the programmer makes printing calls to ddrv.dll - see the Delphi examples. The information sent will then either be displayed on the screen or sent to the printer. Your app does not actually interact with ddrvexe.exe, ddrv.dll uses the exe to create the display screen. Doug Ansuini: (Sprinter) SourcePrinter is a utility for printing Visual Basic code in a more usable, professional looking format. Fenestra Software: (Fenestra) FSSocket is a Visual Basic Custom Control that provides communications for your application by allowing the transmission and reception of data through the winsock dynamic link library. Focus Systems: (Focus) EasyReg is an OLE in-process server dll designed for use in Visual Basic 4.0 32-bit applications. Easy Tip is an OLE in-process server dll designed for use in Visual Basic 4.0 32-bit applications. UnOmissions is an OLE in-process server dll designed for use in Visual Basic 4.0 32-bit applications. Gamesman Inc: (Gamesman) The Component Toolbox is a series of 31 general purpose VBX controls. Global Majic Software: (Global) Aircraft: This control displays a variety of small aircraft flight instruments for use in Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Delphi. Instruments include compass, heading indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, airspeed indicator, HSI, artificial horizon, turn coordinator, RMI, ADF, and OBI. Angular: A highly customizable angular gauge or meter VBX for use in Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Delphi. Properties are included to modify the gauge's scales, tics, needles, angulars, captions, fonts, border, background, bevels, frame, and hubs. Allows multiple needles and scales. Car: The CarGauge Control is a suite of automobile dash instruments for use in Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Delphi. Instruments include a speedometer, tachometer, water temperature, fuel gauge, oil pressure, and voltmeter. Properties are provided to modify gauge scales, tics, danger and warning areas, border and background. This control provides the ability to create realistic dashboard simulations. Knob: The Knob Control is a highly customizable knob or dial control for use in Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Delphi. Properties are provided to modify knob style, mark, scale, tics, annulars, captions, border and background. The mouse may optionally be used to change knob values. Additionally, there are snap and multiturn functions. LED: This is a versatile (generic) Linear Gauge custom control which may be used as a slider or meter indicator for use in Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi. The pointer can be configured to display a value or a range. Multiple scales and pointers can be incorporated in a single instrument to indicate multiple values or max/min values. The mouse works as an optional input device. Linear: This is a versatile (generic) Linear Gauge custom control which may be used as a slider or meter indicator for use in Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi. The pointer can be configured to display a value or a range. Multiple scales and pointers can be incorporated in a single instrument to indicate multiple values or max/min values. The mouse works as an optional input device. Odometer: This control is a numeric display similar to an automobile's odometer or tripometer for use with Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi. The font, number of digits, colors, number of decimals and reset button are user-definable. The control includes bevels for a 3D appearance. Percent: This is a versatile percentage bar custom control used to indicate a level or progress meter for use with Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi. Properties are provided to select orientation, direction, style (linear or pie), shape, colors, bitmaps, fonts, and bevels. The percent level can be set directly by the percent property or indirectly by allowing the control to calculate the percent by setting a range and current value (ie, 5 in a range of 0-20 would be calculated as 25%). Selector: The Selector Control is a knob style control that can be used to choose between discrete options for use with Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi. It can be used as a replacement for option buttons and provides the user with an easy-to-use and intuitive mouse input. Slider: The Slider Custom Control is a versatile input/output control designed to allow the user to create sliders, gauges, meters, etc. that incorporate a sliding mechanism (for use with Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi). The control includes properties to change the On/Off characteristics of the sliding bar, the background, the tic marks, and the knob handle. Properties have been included to control both direction (forward or backward) and orientation (vertical or horizontal). Toggle: The Toggle Switch Control is a TRUE/FALSE, YES/NO, or ON/OFF indicator for use with Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Delphi. The control displays captions or pictures to represent the toggle state depending on the control's value. The control is capable of playing wave files to indicate the switch turning on or off. It includes bevels for a 3D appearance and blinking capability to draw attention to the control. It also has a built in timed shut-off capability. Hexanet: (Hexanet) Toolkit to create prof. setup programs for Windows 3.x. Intelligence Mfg Co (Butnmstr) Butt(n)Meister is a buttonbar compiler for programmers. It allows you to easily Create & Maintain efficient rectangular (Vertical/Horizontal) Button-Bars, Floating and Dockable Tool Pallettes, ect, and doesn't require a VBX; just a few lines of VB Code (Sample Projects Included). Drag your buttonbitmaps from the button palette and drop them on the spreadsheet. Move them around and then compile them into a single bitmap. IntuiTech: (Intutech) IntuiTech's VB TrueCal (c) is a sizeable, 3-D calendar that registered owners can plug into their VB applications royalty free. TrueCal (c) v2.5 is not a VBX it is native VB 3.0 code that gives programmers total control over customization and the calendar's look and feel. ISES Incorporation: (Isesinc) SCOPER: analyzes VB3 project source modules and identifies variables, constants, function - subroutine declarations and code that are never used. All project source modules must be saved as text. Querymaster is designed to increase the productivity of VB4 developers who are using Jet 3.0 to process Access .MDB databases. Joseph Lee: (Metadoc) MetaDoc puts the power of document and report development in your hands, without being limited by the VB Printer object. MetaDoc is a very fast utility which requires little memory overhead and disk space. Jouni Tiainen: (Tiainen) HTML Form Wizard uses Visual Basic form as a template and creates a HTML form. Supported controls: Label, TextBox, ListBox, ComboBox, CommandButton. OptionButton, CheckBox) Learning Freedom: (Freedom) VB Servants Takes the tedium out of VB programming. Consists of over 100 assistants to automate VB code creation. Mabry Software: (Mabry) Alarm: This control fires an event at various times of the day (under your control). You can specify times such as 9:12am, 10:45pm, every hour on the hour, every ten minutes, once per minute, etc. BarCod displays bar codes for you. It supports Code 3 of 9, Code 2 of 5, UPC, Codebar, Code 93 and more. BarCod is very simple. Place it on your form. Size it to your liking. Set the bar code style. Then, just sent the Caption property. BmpLst This control is a list box with bitmaps. The bitmaps can be placed on any side of the text (top, bottom, right, left). DFInfo This control gives you disk and file information that VB doesn't provide. It also allows you to change some aspects of a file (attributes, size, date, time, etc.). FLabel This is a label control that lets you format the text within it. You can have different fonts, different colors, multiple paragraphs, paragraph formatting, etc. All this and it's bound, too. FMDrop This custom control notifies you when a file has been dragged and dropped from the Windows File Manager (FILEMAN). HiTime This is a high resolution timer custom control for Visual Basic. It allows you to have timer events come in nearly every millisecond, as opposed to every 55 milliseconds with the normal Visual Basic Timer control. IniCon This VB custom control makes INI file access simple. WIN.INI and private INI file access are both supported. No API calls required. JoyStk gives your program information and events about the joystick's movement and buttons. One or two normal joysticks, or on 3-D joystick are supported. LED This is a custom control for Visual Basic that behaves like an LED. 3-D effects and colors are all user-definable. MenuEv MenuEv provides menu selection notification. In other words, it tells you when the user has selected a menu item. This is really useful for status bar-style help. MenuEv is really easy to use. All you need to do is place it on your form. There's nothing to set. Events start coming in automatically. The events give you the text of the menu item selected. MSlot Visual Basic custom control that makes mailslot use simple. No Windows API calls required. Requires Windows for Workgroups. MS Mega Pack One dozen of Mabry Software's most popular custom controls for Visual Basic. Alarm, BarCod, BmpLst, DFInfo, FMDrop, IniCon, JoyStk, MenuEv, PerCnt, RoText, SoundX, and ZipInf. MSStat Status bar VBX for Visual Basic. This control displays a multi-element status bar on the bottom of your form. It automatically handles the NumLock, CapsLock, ScrollLock, and Insert key indicators. It also displays times/dates in International and programmer defined formats. PerCnt PerCnt displays a percentage bar on your form. This makes status reporting very easy. 3-D effects, fonts, and colors are all at your control. PicBtn This custom control for Visual Basic is a command button that has both text and a picture on it. The picture can be scaled and placed above, below, to the right, or to the left of the text. The text may be multi-line. Probe This VBX lets you examine and modify other controls' properties at run-time. After telling Probe the name of another control, Probe will give you a list of the properties in that control. Probe can also display a dialog box that will let you modify other controls' properties (at run-time). Probe's dialog box makes it the properties of other controls at run-time. Common dialog boxes are used for fonts and colors to make selection easier. RoText This control lets you place a label on your forms at any angle or degree of rotation. This control can be bound to a data control. SoundX This control provides Soundex and Metaphone algorithms. Soundex and Metaphone convert words or names to codes that represent how they "sound". This can be really useful in a database application where users need to find names they may not know how to spell exactly. Use this control to make it easier for them. Just put the word or name you want converted in, and the appropriate codes come out. Tips Tips provides Microsoft(r) style tool tips. Small windows pop-up with bits of info when the user pauses the mouse over your controls. No code required, just set the Tag properties. Ver Ver lets you use the functionality of VER.DLL through properties. It makes getting version information from a file (EXE, DLL, VBX, etc.) very easy. Ver also gives you file installation functionality. Included with the control is a sample installation/setup utility. This makes it easier for you to write your own installation utilities without the bulk of the Setup Wizard. Wave This control makes it easy for you to play and get information about WAV files. Play WAV files in the background as your program performs other tasks; add recorded speech to your applications; put beeps, whistles, and laser sounds into your games. Wave VBX makes all of this very straight-forward. Set the Filename property and tell it to go. That's it. ZipInf This control gives you information about the content (directory) of a ZIP file. Many, many useful uses (File Manager replacement, drive searching, etc.) Marc Staley Software: (Staley) This is a demo of the "T4 DIB Library", a new method for loading images into any control that supports either the VB "LoadPicture" function, or can accept an "hDib" as image input. Megabyte: (Megabyte) The best status bar loaded with over 150 events. Mitromar Inc: (Midat5) This custom control allows a programmer in the Visual Programming environment to obtain current date and time properties without using functions or formatting statements, or to use the custom control as a Timer. Nicheware: (Nichewar) VB Tips and Tricks newsletter. Northeast Data Corp: (Nedata) The NED Image OCX Control is a 32-bit Microsoft Windows OLE custom control that displays and prints various types of image files. It works with TIFF, BMP, DIB, GIF, JPEG and Kodak Photo CD files. Opaque Software: (Input3) This control emulates the standard Visual Basic Text Box control which allows the user to enter text. 3D-VB Input can give the text and the control a 3D look. It also allows for different alignment of the text. Patrick Lassalle: (Lassalle) EasyNet is a Custom Control for Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows (*). It helps you quickly draw and manage network diagrams. Pride Software Works!: (Pridesof) File Find: The File Find program helps you find files on your hard drive (or network volume) by searching for all files that match the specification(s) you enter. Font Off: The Font Off program helps you maintain your Windows TrueType fonts. Font Print: The Font Print program will print font books of all installed fonts on your computer. You can choose the fonts size, fonts to print, whether you want the full ANSI set and if you want each font sample on a separate page. You can optionally specify the characters which should be printed for each font sample. Note It: The Note It program helps you maintain a list of notes. Print Label: The Print Label program helps you print simple labels on your printer (dot matrix recommended). VBSNR: VB SNR helps you make global changes to files which make up a Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows project. Work Status: The Work Status program facilitates interoffice communications and optimizes everyone's time by eliminating needless walking about the office in an attempt to contact an associate, deliver phone messages (or picking them up), and using sticky notes for messages. Status Administrator: The administrator is responsible for maintaining an up-to-date list of all network users and groups who can access Work Status. Retsik Software: (Retsik) Accuset 3.5B - System Clock Enhancement Utility Synchronizes your PC clock with free atomic services; Features a world time clock, title bar clock; Computes accuracy; Corrects drift without a call and much more. SkiSoft: (Skisoft) Graphics VP Deluxe (GVPD) is an application designed to help you view, print, acquire, convert, and resize picture files. Supports class conversion to Gray Scale, Palette, and True Color. You can reduce image file size using different file compression formats such as LZW, RLE, CCITT, and JPEG. There are built in links to other graphics programs such as image editors. It includes a Graphics Gallery program which is designed to help you find, organize, display, and print your picture files. Multiple picture files are displayed in an re-sizeable gallery which you can organize, sort, delete, and save to a file as thumbnails so you can quickly view them again. You can run a slide show from the gallery or a list of picture files. GVPD works with many different kinds of picture file formats such as BMP, PCX, TIF, GIF, JPG, PIC, PCD, FLT, RAS, TGA, CUT and more. Silent O Software: (Silent_o) Graphics Developer With Slide Show (GDWSS) is an application designed to help you browse, search, find, create, view, enhance, convert, and print your picture files. You can crop it, adjust the shading, size, orientation, placement on the page, aspect ratio, and save an ordered list of files to display again or as a screen saver. You can even reduce the color content and convert color images to gray scale images for laser printing. GDWSS works with many different kinds of picture file types such as TIFF, GIF, JPEG, PICT, Raster, Targa, Bitmap, Kodak Photo CD and more. Softwise: (Softwise) Tracks problem reports, bugs, and defects in a network database. Includes queries, and configurable data entry and workflow for each project - VB3. Stingsoft Sweden: (Stingsft) Library of 26 VBX components including data grid, tool bar, Tabs etc. Designed for all environments that support VBX level 1 or 3. The Bridge: (Bridge) The Visual Basic MsgBox does not have alternate command captions, alternate icons, alternate fonts, or a Help button. TBMsgBox provides all those objects and more. Features: 1. Exactly duplicates the VB MsgBox functions. 2. Allows for additional, more meaningful user response by allowing the command captions to be more descriptive. 3. Can be used to provide bilingual messages, with corresponding captions. 4. Can display alternate icons. 5. Can display a 3D title [or no title]. 6. Can be used to create "Splash Screens" 7. A MsgBox Wizard generates MsgBox Visual Basic code. Thus simplifying the creation of messages. 8. Can include a Help button or No buttons. Wessex Systems: (Wessex) VBCalendar 3 supports 'Drag & Drop' allowing you to Drag dates from the calendar and Drop them into any control supporting Drag & Drop. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR VB Software Sampler '96 READ THIS AGREEMENT BEFORE USING THIS VB Software Sampler '96 (CD-ROM). The articles and other textual materials from Visual Basic Programmer's Journal, utilities and other software and associated documentation, and other materials included on this VB Software Sampler '96 are licensed to you subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement by Fawcette Technical Publications, 209 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301-2500. By using the VB Software Sampler '96, in whole or in part, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Fawcette Technical Publications owns the title to the VB Software Sampler '96 and to all intellectual property rights there, except insofar as it contains materials that are proprietary to third-party suppliers. All rights in the VB Software Sampler '96 except those expressly granted to you in this Agreement are reserved to Fawcette Technical Publications and such suppliers, as their respective interests may appear. You are licensed to: Use the VB Software Sampler '96 on any computer which you personally own or use within your organization, provided that the VB Software Sampler '96 is not used in any network, file server, virtual disk, timesharing, multiple CPU, other multi-user, bulletin board or remotely accessible arrangement. Additional Restrictions A. You shall not (and shall not permit other persons or entities to) directly or indirectly, by electronic or other means, reproduce (except for archival purposes as permitted by law), publish, distribute, rent, lease, sell, sublicense, assign, or otherwise transfer the VB Software Sampler '96 or any part therein or this agreement. Any attempt to do so shall be void and of no effect. B. You shall not (and shall not permit other persons or entities to) reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, merge, modify, create derivative works of, or translate the VB Software Sampler '96 for any commercial purpose. C. You shall not (and shall not permit other persons or entities to) remove or obscure Fawcette Technical Publications or it's suppliers copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices or legends from any portion of the VB Software Sampler '96 or any related materials. Nothing in this Agreement constitutes a waiver of Fawcette Technical Publications' or its supplier's rights under US copyright laws or any other federal, state, local or foreign law. You are responsible for installation, management and operation of the VB Software Sampler '96. This Agreement shall be construed, interpreted and governed under California law. ALL CONTENTS (C)1996, FAWCETTE TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++