Contents. Introduction. Chapter 1 Some Hot Tips to Get You Started. Chapter 2 Tips on Working with Strings and Arrays..

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1 Contents Introduction How to Use This Book How to Use the Tips in This Book Code Naming Conventions Getting the Example Source Code Getting Updates to the Example Code Contacting the Author Chapter 1 Some Hot Tips to Get You Started Setting Up the Visual Basic Design Environment Deleting Multiple Items in a ComboBox and ListBox Adding Cut, Copy, Paste, and Undo Features Quickly Moving Files without All the Work Chapter 2 Tips on Working with Strings and Arrays.. Returning an Array of Fixed Length Strings Avoiding Array Locked Errors New Visual Basic 6 String/Array Features Chapter 3 Tips on Working with Controls Using the Validate Event instead of LostFocus Verifying that TextBox Entries Are All Nonempty Automatic Selection of Text Keeping Text Highlighted When the Focus Moves Away from a Control Ignoring Keyboard Characters in a TextBox Control Using a TextBox Control to Get the Effect of a Scrolling Form Turning Off Word Wrap in a RichTextBox Control Adding the Default Context Menu to a RichTextBox Using a RichTextBox to Add a Quick Save/Load File Capability Toggling ListView Sorting Order Like You Can with Explorer Removing Selected Items from a ListView Control Getting the Number of Items Selected in a ListView Control Grid Printing Made Easy Clicking an Object Using the Windows API Viewing an Oversized Picture Using Scroll Bars Extending the Timer Control to Intervals beyond the 65.5-Second Range Using the Syslnfo Control to Determine When the Hardware Environment Changes Using Windowless Controls to Make Properties Read/Write at Runtime Taking Advantage of Adding Controls Dynamically at Runtime

2 Chapter 4 Disk and File Tips and Tricks Getting a File Name from a Path (Before Visual Basic 6) Getting a File Name from a Path (After Visual Basic 6) Creating a Full Directory Path An Optional Way to Create a Full Directory Path Finding a File in Drives or Folders Copying Files by Using Version Checking Copying Files with a Progress Indicator Finding the Path of a Loaded File Finding the Total Space Available on a Drive The New File System Objects Retrieving Drive Information using File System Objects Using the Scripting Engine to Work Recursively on the Directory Structure Chapter 5 Tips and Tricks to Use with Forms Adding a Form to the Add Form Dialog Box Making a Form Elastic Making a Form Stay on Top of All Other Windows Adding Items to a ControlBox Menu Tileing a Bitmap across a Form Displaying Forms within a Form Bringing MDI Forms to the Top Making MDI Child Forms Act Modally Automating an Options Dialog Form Creating Non-Rectangular Forms Chapter 6 Tips from the World of WindoL4s API Detecting a Sound Card or Speaker Driver Launching Programs or Files from Your Application Rolling Your Own GUIDs Verifying a User s Log-in Password Getting the Current User s Name Getting a Machine Name Opening or Closing the CD-ROM Door Getting a List Separator Based on Geographic Locale Creating Improved DoEvents for NT Users Adding Pop-Up Help to Your Program Adding Quick Search to ListBoxes and ComboBoxes

3 Chapter 7 Tips on Visual Basic and the Internet Using the WebBrowser Control to Build a Customized Browser Using the Application Wizard to Build Your Special-Purpose Browser Watching for Backslashes in Web Addresses Printing HTML Documents with the WebBrowser Control Using the Internet Transfer Control to Smart Mine the Web Using the Internet Transfer Control to Get Stock Prices (And Other Kinds of Data Mining) Avoiding the OpenURL Method for Time-Consuming Data Transfers Accessing IIS Objects from a Visual Basic ActiveX DLL Determining whether RAS Is Connected Chapter 8 Database Tips for Visual Basic and Microsoft Access Getting Up to Speed on Access Versions Three Secret Techniques to Document Your Code in Microsoft Access Unloading Your Database Workspace Dealing with Enter Keystrokes When Exporting Databases to Text Files Avoiding SQL Query Problems from Erroneous Single Quotes Dealing with Null Database Fields Filling a ComboBox with Data Quickly and Easily Adding Security to Access Database Diagrams Opening a Secured Access (Jet) Database with ADO Determining Which Version of the Microsoft Data Access Component You re Running Using the New Commands that Bring Access Closer to ANSI SQL Working with ActiveX Data Objects Investing in Microsoft Office Developer Getting a Handle on Data Source Names Becoming Familiar with Access 2000 Data Access Pages Enabling Row-Level Locking Creating Crosstab Queries Emulating Access Forms in Visual Basic Giving the Right Password Finding Important New Information on Integrating Access and SQL Server Discovering Resources for Migrating from Access to SQL Server Chapter 9 Tips and Tricks on Some Advanced Stuff An Introduction to the AddressOf Operator Detecting whether Your Program Is Running in the Integrated Development Environment Using the SHFormatDrive Function to Format Drives Visual Basic Runtime Files ActiveX Components and Long File Names Registering and Unregistering COM Objects Easily

4 Chapter 10 Miscellaneous but Nevertheless Super-Useful Tips Changing the MousePointer with Class Converting Hours to Minutes Displaying 3D Text without a Control Fixing the License Information for This Component Not Found Error. Disabling Dr. Watson on Windows NT Running Programs at Startup Discovering the COMCTL32.OCX, COMCT232.OCX, MSChart.OCX Controls Upgrades Getting the Screen Resolution Determining Who s Logged onto the Computer Invoking the Windows Shortcut Wizard Fixing the Could not be Loaded Error Fixing the Can t find project or library Compile Error Restoring the Visual Basic IDE Back to Its Original State Appendix A Touring the VS Tips & Tricks Web Site VB Tips & Tricks Newsletter Programming Tips Advanced Programming Techniques Software Development Component Products and Reviews VB Dave s Corner VB Tips & Tricks Report Cards Free Software Contest, Downloads, and More Appendix B Visual Basic Information Resources Web Sites Publications User Groups Newsgroups Visual Basic Insiders Technical Summit Microsoft Developers Network Appendix C The APIGID32.DLL Library Numeric Functions Pointer and Buffer Routines FileTime Functions Miscellaneous Index

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