'in the module's General Declarations
Private Declare Function GetUserNameA Lib "advapi32" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, nSize As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetComputerNameA Lib "kernel32" (ByVal sBuffer As String, lSize As Long) As Long
Public Function GetUserName() As String
Dim lpBuf As String
Dim ret As Long
lpBuf = String(255, 0)
ret = GetUserNameA(lpBuf, Len(lpBuf))
GetUserName = UCase(Left(lpBuf, InStr(lpBuf, Chr(0)) - 1))
End Function
Public Function GetComputerName() As String
Dim sBuf As String
sBuf = String(255, 0)
GetComputerNameA sBuf, Len(sBuf)
GetComputerName = UCase(Left(sBuf, InStr(sBuf, Chr(0)) - 1))
End Function
These functions will give you the information you need, without forcing the user to login again and again.
Posted 2/27/2000
Shell=Myprog.exe
For Windows NT/2000, enter the same shell command in the Registry, under
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Exercise caution when exercising these options, however, as modifications may prevent Windows from displaying properly.
From ZD Tips, 12/8/99
Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim fsoFile As File, fso As FileSystemObject
Set fso = New FileSystemObject
Set fsoFile = fso.GetFile("C:\MyReallyLongName.txt")
MsgBox fsoFile.ShortPath
Set fsoFile = Nothing
Set fso = Nothing
End Sub
From ZD Tips, 12/15/99
Public Declare Function GetTempFileName Lib "kernel32" _
Alias "GetTempFileNameA" (ByVal lpszPath As String, _
ByVal lpPrefixString As String, ByVal wUnique As Long, _
ByVal lpTempFileName As String) As LongPass the full path name in the lpszPath argument. The lpPrefixString lets you add a three letter prefix to the beginning of the filename, and wUnique tells Windows to either create a random file name (0 setting) or use the number you supply. The lpTempFileName, of course, contains the new temporary filename. As an example, place the API declaration above in a standard module, then add the following function:
Private Function GenTempName(sPath As String)
Dim sPrefix As String
Dim lUnique As Long
Dim sTempFileName As String
If IsEmpty(sPath) Then sPath = "D:\Articles\IVB"
sPrefix = "fVB"
lUnique = 0
sTempFileName = Space$(100)
GetTempFileName sPath, sPrefix, lUnique, sTempFileName
sTempFileName = Mid$(sTempFileName, 1, InStr(sTempFileName, Chr$(0)) - 1)
GenTempName = sTempFileName
End Function
Now, open a new form and add the following code to its Click() event: (Replace D:\Articles\IVB with any valid path)
MsgBox GenTempName("D:\Articles\IVB")The directory in question should now contain the temporary file indicated in the message box.
Note that in order for this function to work properly, you must pass it a valid path. Otherwise, the GetTempFileName function returns a 0 and a null parameter as the filename in Windows NT. In Windows 95 or Windows 98, incorrect paths also return a 0, and lpTempFileName will not contain the temporary filename.
From ZD Tips, 12/29/99
Sub FooList (MyArrayList as Variant)
instead of
Sub FooList (MyArrayList() as Variant)
Why? Well, both the Split() and Array() functions create variant arrays - that is, a variant variable filled with an array subtype. And even though you manipulate them the same way, Visual Basic doesn't consider an array of variants and a variant array the same thing. So, if your procedure expects a regular array and you pass it a variant array created from the Split() or Array() function, you'll get a type mismatch error. On the other hand, Visual Basic does let you pass a regular array into a variant parameter, which makes sense when you consider a variant's universal nature.
From ZD Tips, 1/12/2000
Dim FSO As FileSystemObject
Dim CDDrive As Drive
Set FSO = New FileSystemObject
Set CDDrive = FSO.GetDrive("E:")
If CDDrive.IsReady Then
MsgBox CDDrive.VolumeName
Else
MsgBox "Please enter a CD."
End If
Set CDDrive = Nothing
Set FSO = Nothing
From ZD Tips, 10/26/99
Sub DBGridLayout(Operation As String)
'save width of columns
Dim lWidth As Long
Dim clm As Column
Dim lDefWidth As Long
lDefWidth = DBGrid1.DefColWidth
For Each clm In DBGrid1.Columns
With clm
Select Case LCase(Operation)
Case "save"
lWidth = .Width
SaveSetting App.Title, "Cols", CStr(.ColIndex), lWidth
Case "load"
lWidth = GetSetting(App.Title, "Cols", CStr(.ColIndex), lDefWidth)
.Width = lWidth
End Select
End With
Next
End Sub
As you can see, this procedure uses the SaveSetting and GetSetting functions to store the current width values in VB's portion of the registry. To use the procedure, call it from the parent form's Load and Unload events. Then, indicate which operation you want the procedure to perform, as in:
Private Sub Form_Load() DBGridLayout "Load" End Sub Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer) DBGridLayout "Save" End Sub
From ZD Tips, 8/24/99
Submitted by Rolf Brandt
Private Type BrowseInfo
hWndOwner As Long
pIDLRoot As Long
pszDisplayName As Long
lpszTitle As Long
ulFlags As Long
lpfnCallback As Long
lParam As Long
iImage As Long
End Type
'Browsing for directory.
Private Const BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS = &H1 'For finding a folder to start document searching
Private Const BIF_DONTGOBELOWDOMAIN = &H2 'For starting the Find Computer
Private Const BIF_STATUSTEXT = &H4
Private Const BIF_RETURNFSANCESTORS = &H8
Private Const BIF_BROWSEFORCOMPUTER = &H1000 'Browsing for Computers.
Private Const BIF_BROWSEFORPRINTER = &H2000 'Browsing for Printers
Private Const BIF_BROWSEINCLUDEFILES = &H4000 'Browsing for Everything
Private Const MAX_PATH = 260
Private Declare Sub CoTaskMemFree Lib "ole32.dll" (ByVal hMem As Long)
Private Declare Function lstrcat Lib "kernel32" Alias "lstrcatA" (ByVal _
lpString1 As String, ByVal lpString2 As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SHBrowseForFolder Lib "shell32" (lpbi As BrowseInfo) As Long
Private Declare Function SHGetPathFromIDList Lib "shell32" (ByVal pidList As Long, ByVal lpBuffer As String) As Long
Public Function BrowseForFolder(hWndOwner As Long, sPrompt As String) As String
'=================================================
'Opens the system dialog for browsing for a folder
'=================================================
Dim iNull As Integer
Dim lpIDList As Long
Dim lResult As Long
Dim sPath As String
Dim udtBI As BrowseInfo
With udtBI
.hWndOwner = hWndOwner
.lpszTitle = lstrcat(sPrompt, "")
.ulFlags = BIF_RETURNONLYFSDIRS
End With
lpIDList = SHBrowseForFolder(udtBI)
If lpIDList Then
sPath = String$(MAX_PATH, 0)
lResult = SHGetPathFromIDList(lpIDList, sPath)
Call CoTaskMemFree(lpIDList)
iNull = InStr(sPath, vbNullChar)
If iNull Then
sPath = Left$(sPath, iNull - 1)
End If
End If
BrowseForFolder = sPath
End Function
Private Sub Form_Click()
Dim MyStr As String
MyStr = BrowseForFolder(hWnd, "Hello")
MsgBox MyStr
End Sub
From ZD Tips, 5/19/99
Submitted by Scott Lewis
Add the following API Declares and Constants to a BAS Module:
Declare Function ExitWindowsEx& Lib "user32" (ByVal uFlags&, ByValwReserved&) 'constants needed for exiting Windows Global Const EWX_FORCE = 4 Global Const EWX_LOGOFF = 0 Global Const EWX_REBOOT = 2 Global Const EWX_SHUTDOWN = 1
Then you Shutdown/reboot/logoff windows with the following call:
lresult = ExitWindowsEx(EWX_SHUTDOWN, 0&) 'shut down the computer
Note: Replace the first parameter of the ExitWindowsEx function call with the appropriate CONSTANT.
From ZD Tips, 5/12/99
Submitted by Stacey Lewis
The function is very easy to use and, with only 1 line of code, you can parse any string using a specific delimiter.
The code looks like this:
Dim strAnimals As String Dim iCounter As Integer Dim arrAnimals() As String strAnimals = "Cats,Dogs,Horses,Birds" '-- Parse String arrAnimals = Split(strAnimals, ",") '-- Loop through array For iCounter = LBound(arrAnimals) To UBound(arrAnimals) MsgBox arrAnimals(iCounter) Next
From ZD Tips, 4/21/99
Submitted by Scott Lewis