Finding Methods and Functions for DLL files 1

[CaffeineAddiciton]

I have taught myself everything I know about Programing and yet, I do not have a very good understanding of DLL files at all. I know how to use them, and what they are used for ... but never found a way to make them or find a list of methods for a specific DLL file ... I always have to rely on looking at someone elses code or finding documentation

Q: Can you use a program or tool to find Methods, Functions, and or Variables for a DLL file.

Q: Is there a way to use a DLL's Info without having the documentation on it?

Q: Does anyone have some good links that might point me in the right direction?

 

[strongm]

Since we are talking about VB ActiveX DLL's:

Q1. Yes; the VB IDE will show you the methods etc of a referenced ActiveX DLL via the object browser

Q2. Yes, but it very much depends on how much help the devloper has included in the DLL - each method etc can have help text associated with it (e.g. open the object browser, make sure <all libraries> is slected, highlight AlignConstants and vbAlignBottom and you'll see

Const vbAlignBottom = 2
Member of VBRUN.AlignConstants
Control at bottom of form (Align)

in the bottom pane. The highlighted text is the help text that the developer thoughtfully included. Note that even without the help text it might still be possible to use the control, as the method (and any parameters) etc might have been meaningfully named (as is the case in the example I've given above)

Finally, if the help text isn't there and there are no meaningful names you can always guess ...

... or, as you have discovered, you can look for examples of usage on the internet.

 

[CaffeineAddiciton]

Thank you very much ... that more info than I could get out of any of the professional programers at work. They all said that the only way to do it was to have the Documentation.

One more question

VB IDE ... if im using VB script ... and thus dont have VB studio, where would I go to download/run this tool?

 

[johnwm]

VB IDE is the development environment for VB6 - you'll need to buy VB6 to get it. However you can also use the Object Browser from the VBA environment in any of the MSOffice products (Tools|Macros|Visual Basic Editor) . The usual shortcut is Alt - F11

Don't forget that VBScript is rather different to VB! There is a specific VBScript forum available - forum329

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[CaffeineAddiciton]

What are the Diffrences between the Object browser in VB6 /.net and the one in Office?

 

[strongm]

>They all said that the only way to do it was to have the Documentation

They may have been confusing 'classic' DLLs and COM (ActiveX) DLLs

>What are the Diffrences between the Object browser in VB6 ... [] ... and the one in Office?

Practically none. However, the default ActiveX controls and libraries loaded in an Office application will differ from those loaded by VB - so if you are trying to follow my earlier example you'll have a problem since Office doesn't have the VB6 form constants available ...