peter aitken

Articles

Build complex reports with VB6's Data Report Designer

July 27, 2005 7:00am PDT

A database tool that VB programmers have at their disposal is the Data Report Designer, which lets you create complex reports from almost any data source. Find out how you can take advantage of...

11 Latest comment by dvillarjr@...

Articles

Swap your mouse's right and left buttons in VB6

July 27, 2005 7:00am PDT

On the Windows OS, the mouse usually has a right and a left button. See how easy it is to swap the buttons so that pressing the left button triggers a right-button event and vice versa.

Articles

Display the Windows Search dialog box from a VB program

July 21, 2005 3:25pm PDT

The Windows Search dialog box is great for finding a variety of items including files, computers, and documents. Learn how you can display this dialog box while running a VB program.

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Articles

Implement a MouseExit event for VB6 controls

July 14, 2005 4:06pm PDT

The MouseMove event lets you detect when a mouse enters a VB6 control; however, Visual Basic doesn't have a built-in event that allows you to determine when a mouse exits a control. This tip...

3 Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson

Articles

Make the most of your graphics with VB6's PictureClip control

July 7, 2005 6:54pm PDT

If you have a lot of graphical resources—particularly small ones such as icons and toolbar buttons—you should look into using VB's PictureClip Control. See how this handy control can help you...

3 Latest comment by kuddlykeef@...

Articles

Save time with VB6's Definition command

June 30, 2005 3:19pm PDT

When you're working on a big project, it's easy to get bogged down and spend a lot of time looking at code. Check out how you can use VB6's Definition command to minimize how much time you have to...

2 Latest comment by Realvdude

Articles

Utilize VB6's screen Resolution Guides

June 23, 2005 3:29pm PDT

VB6 contains a slew of commands that make programmers' lives easier. Unfortunately, most programmers are unaware that some of these great commands even exist. Peter Aitken fills you in on two...

2 Latest comment by Tank252ca

Articles

Prevent bugs by filtering input in VB6

June 16, 2005 7:00am PDT

Once you discover a program contains a bug, it can take up hours, or even days, of your valuable time to determine what's causing the problem. Take preventive measures by filtering input, such as...

12 Latest comment by Tony Hopkinson

Articles

Understand the life cycle of VB6 forms

June 9, 2005 7:00am PDT

It's important for VB6 programmers to understand forms' well-defined life cycle. Although the life cycle only consists of three stages, you need to comprehend the complex process in which forms...

3 Latest comment by jdimairho@...

Articles

Signal errors in VB6 using CVErr and IsError

June 1, 2005 2:01pm PDT

It can be extremely useful to signal an error in VB6 with a function's return value. Learn how to use the CVErr and IsError functions to track down errors.

Articles

Utilize VB6's PaintPicture method to create special effects

May 26, 2005 7:00am PDT

If your development work could use a creative flair, you should consider utilizing VB6's PaintPicture method to create special effects with bitmap images. Peter Aitken offers pointers on using...

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Articles

Track mouse events in your VB6 programs by capturing the mouse

May 19, 2005 7:00am PDT

The way Visual Basic 6 handles mouse events is called capturing the mouse. Find out what happens when a user captures the mouse, and then learn how you can verify this behavior yourself.

3 Latest comment by ecmcredit@...

Articles

Speed things up by minimizing calls to DoEvents

May 12, 2005 5:02am PDT

It might enter your mind to use the DoEvents function to permit a VB6 program to remain responsive to user input while executing long calculations. However, check out how using the API function...

11 Latest comment by techrepublic@...

Articles

Defining custom screen coordinates in VB6

May 5, 2005 12:00am PDT

Visual Basic 6 has several objects that contain a coordinate system, which you can use for positioning other objects within them. Find out why you may want to make changes to specific coordinates,...

Articles

Making the case for continued support of Visual Basic 6.0

April 28, 2005 7:46pm PDT

Microsoft's decision to end mainstream support for Visual Basic 6.0 spurred a group of developers to create an online petition that urges Microsoft to continue developing older versions of VB....

69 Latest comment by ron_raines399@...

Articles

Quickly change colors with VB6's Color Palette

April 21, 2005 7:00am PDT

Developers grow accustomed to using certain tools in their toolbox, often forgetting about other useful features that at their disposal. See what you can do with one of these little-used tools:...

2 Latest comment by JohnOfStony

Articles

Use VB6's bookmarks to make code navigation easier

April 14, 2005 4:42pm PDT

Wading through source code of can be extremely time consuming. If you want to reduce your code navigation time, then see how you can set up bookmarks in VB6 that will allow you to move quickly...

5 Latest comment by ChuckSomerville

Articles

Gain data storage flexibility in VB6 with dynamic arrays

April 7, 2005 3:39pm PDT

Dynamic arrays make it easy to change the size of arrays in a VB6 program while it's running. See how useful this can be when you don't know ahead of time how much data the array will store.

4 Latest comment by zhuan_ckc@...

Articles

Implementing mouse-over effects on VB6 forms

March 31, 2005 5:32pm PST

Mouse-over effects can be an effective way to improve the visual appearance of your VB programs. Learn how to create mouse-over effects on your forms.

6 Latest comment by emralddenin

Articles

Creating graphical command buttons in VB6

March 24, 2005 2:31pm PST

If you're looking for a way to use graphical buttons that use images instead of text to indicate their function, check out some of the Command Button control's built-in capabilities. This control...

9 Latest comment by abellakenny2010