Waite Group's Visual Basic Source Code Library

(Paperback)-Written by a team of authors, Visual Basic Source Code Library presents dozens of useful tips and plenty of sample code for novice and expert Visual Basic developers alike. Samples here range from just a few lines to several pages of code, grouped by topic. Early examples extend the functionality of simple Visual Basic controls such as list boxes and combo boxes. The beginning of the book also includes tips for getting better control of Visual Basic forms and for better process control, including starting and stopping applications and parsing program arguments. Additional topics include working with serial ports and fonts. Later the book explains functions for retrieving error information and converting back and forth between hex, decimal, and binary numbers. This section features an excellent and extensive sample that simplifies the Remote Data Objects (RDO) object model for easier programming with SQL Server. Graphics examples include a variety of techniques for using bitmaps and animations. When it comes to files, there are superb samples for reading and writing INI file entries and working with ZIP files. There are relatively few Internet examples here, but there are several useful techniques provided for sorting arrays and playing WAV, AVI, and MPEG files for better multimedia applications. Final sections provide a variety of useful miscellaneous tips, such as how to reboot Windows and work with the taskbar. The very last chapter provides a library of Windows NT network administration functions in Visual Basic (with support for such features as adding and deleting users and changing passwords). Throughout Visual Basic Source Code Library , the authors provide access to many useful Win32 functions through Visual Basic and provide a grab bag of tips and tricks that can speed the development of your next Visual Basic project. --Richard Dragan