• 1. Does VB/Win make standalone .EXE files?
• 2. What is the current version of Visual Basic for Windows? [++]
• 3. Where can I get updated VB and other Microsoft files?
• 4. Help! I am lost on ftp.microsoft.com.
• 5. Where can I get good up-to-date information about VB? [++]
• 6. WWW pages for VB! [**]
• 7. Are there any examples of commercial applications built using Visual Basic?
• 8. Limits of VB?

• 1. What's the difference between MODAL and MODELESS forms? [++]
• 2. When/Why should I use Option Explicit?
• 3. Why does everybody say I should save in TEXT not BINARY?
• 4. Is the Variant type slower than using other variable types?
• 5. How do I make a text box not beep but do something else when I hit the Enter key?
• 6. How do I implement an incremental search in list/dir/combo/fileboxes?
• 7. How do I get the Tab key to be treated like a normal character?
• 8. How do I make an animated icon for my program?
• 9. What is passing by reference?
• 10. I get a "file not found" error on the IIF function when I distribute by program. Uh?
• 11. Is there any way to pass a variable to a form apart from using global variables?
• 12. How should dates be implemented so they work with other language and country formats?
• 13. Can a VB application be an OLE server?
• 14. How do I dial a phone number without using the MSCOMM VBX?
• 15. I have [several] megabytes of memory. Why do I get an "out of memory" error? [++]
• 16. How do I mimic a toggle button? [++]
• 17. How do I get my application on top?
• 18. Is there a way to break long lines in VB code?
• 19. How do I remove/change the picture property of a control at design time?
• 20. Is a [foo] availaVBX/DLL ble as shareware/freeware?
• 21. How do I make my applications screen-resolution independent?
• 22. How do I do Peek and Poke and other low-level stuff? [++]
• 23. Why doesn't "my string" & Chr$(13) do what I want?
• 24. How do I prevent multiple instances of my program?
• 25. How do I implement an accelerator key for a text box?
• 26. How do I force a file dialogue box to reread the currect disk?
• 27. How do I get the number of free bytes on a disk? [++]
• 28. Data Control missing from toolbox when I use VB under NT 3.5. Huh?

• 1. How do I tell when an application executed using the SHELL command is finished?
• 2. How do I access C style strings?
• 3. How can I change the printer Windows uses in code without using the print common dialog? How can I change orientation?
• 4. Any tips for speeding up VB?
• 5. How do I speed up control property access?
• 6. How much gain in performance will I get if I write my number crunching routines in C instead of Visual Basic?
• 7. How do you make a TEXTBOX read only? Or, how do I prevent the user from changing the text in a TEXTBOX?
• 8. How can I create a VBX?
• 9. How do you change the system menu (on the Control-Menu Box)?
• 10. How do I play MID, WAV or other multimedia files?
• 11. How can I call a 'hidden' DOS program from VB?
• 12. How do I do drag & drop between applications?
• 13. How do I use GetPrivateProfileString to read from INI files?
• 14. How do I implement Undo?
• 15. How do I create a window with a small title bar as in a floating toolbar?
• 16. What is Pseudocode?
• 17. Does VB support pointers to functions?
• 18. How do I program the Novell NetWare API from VB?
• 19. Visual Basic 4 news [**]
• 20. How do you change the icon and otherwise manipulate the DOS box?
• 21. How do I make the mouse cursor invisible/visible?
• 22. How do I create controls dynamically (at run-time)?
• 23. How do I set the Windows wallpaper at runtime?
• 24. How do I call help files from a VB program? [**]

• 1. What is the Windows API?
• 2. How do I call a DLL?
• 3. What about DLL calls that require callbacks?
• 4. Tips for calling DLLs (such as the Windows API)

• 1. Why can't I use an index with my VB accessed database?
• 2. "Can't find installable ISAM" or Why does my compiled VB database app generate an error when it ran just fine in the design environment?
• 3. Is the Access Engine and Visual Basic Pro good enough for database work?
• 4. How do you avoid the "Invalid use of null" error when reading null values from a database?
• 5. What is "NULL"?
• 6. How can I access a record by record number?
• 7. How about Access 2.0 compatibility?
• 8. Tips for VB database programming:
• 9. How come I get a "No Current Record" error when I use a a Data Control on an empty table?
• 10. How can I speed up my VB database application?
• 11. How do I get a bitmap picture in a field in an Access database?
• 12. What is "Reserved Error -1209"?
• 13. "Cannot perform operation. illegal.." with Paradox 3.5 table(s)
• 14. I'm getting error message "Reserved Error [-nnnn] ("There is no message for this error")" from Jet Engine 2.0. Huh?
• 15. Why do I get "object not an array" when I try reference the fields of a global object variable which I have set to a table?
• 16. Steps for securing an Access 2.0 database [**]

• 1. What are some tips for using Setup Wizard?
• 2. Are there restrictions on what I can distribute with my VB program?
• 3. What alternatives to setup wizard do I have?

• 1. Multiple identifiers after the DIM statement can be confusing
• 2. "Clean up" your project before final EXE compilation.
• 3. Multiple END statements can be dangerous; or, The program thatrefused to terminate.
• 4. What are the latest versions of the various files used by VB?

• 1. Any tips for VB/Win 3 programmers moving to VBA?
• 2. Does VBA support VBXs?
• 3. How do I access properties on my dialog boxes in VBA?
• 4. How do I use database routines from Excel VBA?

A. PREFACE

1. About this document

This document is a compilation of frequently asked questions and their answers about Visual Basic for Windows and Visual Basic for Applications which have been gathered from posts to the comp.lang.basic.visual.* newsgroups. Although efforts have been made to find obvious errors, there is no guarantee that the information in this document is error-free. Neither the FAQ maintainer nor anyone else associated with this document assume ANY liability for the content or use of this document. If you find any errors, please report them to the address given below.

[ HTML Editor: The HTML versions have been created for your convience from the raw FAQ files. Some conversion errrors may have been incurred. Please report any non-functioning links, or changes of email address to me ( millard@buffnet.net). Please direct any comments, flames, etc... concerning this version (not the content :) to this same address. Thanx. ]

This FAQ document is protected by international copyright regulations. Permission is granted to distribute it freely, both in electronic and written format, provided no charge is made. Also, do not make changes to this document without the consent of the maintainer. Usenet netiquette applies.

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2. Where to get the VB/Win FAQ [++]

Most FAQs (including this one) are available at the anonymous ftp archive site "rtfm.mit.edu". All parts of the VB FAQ may be found here:

ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.lang.basic.visual.misc/
The following are alternative sites to rtfm:

• North America:
  • ftp.uu.net/usenet/news.answers
• Europe:
  • ftp.uni-paderborn.de/pub/FAQ
  • ftp.Germany.EU.net/pub/newsarchive/news.answers
  • grasp1.univ-lyon1.fr/pub/faq
  • ftp.win.tue.nl/pub/usenet/news.answers
  • ftp.sunet.se/pub/usenet
• Asia:
  • nctuccca.edu.tw/USENET/FAQ
  • hwarang.postech.ac.kr/pub/usenet/news.answers

(FYI: "rtfm" stands for "Read The ******* Manual". I kid you not!)

[Andre van Meulebrouck (vanmeule@ils.nwu.edu)]

You can also have the VB FAQs e-mailed to you by sending a message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with ONLY the text: 'send usenet/comp.lang.basic.visual.misc/*' in the BODY of the message.

Alternative mailservers for those who have no ftp access

• ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com
• ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.au
• bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu
• ftpmail@lth.se
• bitftp@vm.gmd.de (Europe only)
• ftpmail@ftp.uni-stuttgart.de
• ftpmail@grasp.insa-lyon.fr
• ftpmail@ieunet.ie
• bitftp@plearn.edu.pl (Europe)
• bitftp@plearn (Europe)
• ftpmail@doc.ic.ac.uk
• ftpmail@sunsite.unc.edu

[thanks to Jakob Faarvang (jakobf@apexsc.com)]

For all mailservers:

• Use the 'index' command to get a list of files available at the site.
• Use the 'help' command to get more detailed instructions.

(NOTE: commands are in BODY of mail message!)

Note that a Web-browser like Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer easily can access an ftp site, view and download files. The ftp address on the top of this point (ftp://...) is formatted for these browsers; just copy and paste the text directly into the "URL" line.

There is currently work going on to make these available in HTML format (for Web-browsers). This work is done by Peter Millard Look at: http://www.buffnet.net/~millard/vblinks.htm or go directly to the copies of his HTML FAQ's (when finished!):

• http://www.buffnet.net/~millard/vbgenfaq.htm
• http://www.buffnet.net/~millard/vbdosfaq.htm
• http://www.buffnet.net/~millard/vbwinfaq.htm

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3. Kudos & comments

In this document, whenever a long line of code must be split into two or more lines of text in the code examples, a | symbol will precede each line which should be appended to the line above it.

As the FAQ maintainer, I don't have time to explore all of the aspects of Visual Basic. Neither have I time or knowhow to personally answer direct technical questions thoroughly. I rely on your submissions to improve the quality and inclusiveness of this document. If you have found a VB hint, tip, trick, work-around, etc., please write it up and send it to me! Jan Steinar Haugland (jansh@telepost.no), VB/Win FAQ maintainer.

Please note that my first language is not English. You can safely ignore all typos, but if you find an error that is so embarrassing you can't help pulling your hair and screaming loud, just send me a note and I'll correct it quietly. OK?

This document is a collective effort! I would like to thank all contributers, and also all those who have given constructive feedback. This FAQ is now widely distributed in the net community. Special thanks to the following people who have made many and invaluable contributions to the VB/Win FAQ:

• Kris Nosack (the previous maintainer),
• Peter Millard (millard@buffnet.net)
• Nic Gibson(nic@skin.demon.co.uk)
• Mr. "D" (the anonymous contributor),
• George Tatge (gat@csn.org),
• Andy Dingley (dingbat@codesmth.demon.co.uk),
• Ayn Shipley (ashipley@hookup.net)
• and those I may have forgotten (sorry).

John McGuire (jmcguire@jax.jaxnet.com), a longtime VB user, recently went through the FAQ and found lots of things worth his comments. Many of his corrections and suggestions are implemented throughout.

Thanks! Everybody: Your help is GREATLY appreciated!

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