hi all computer programming is one of those areas that i know absolutly zero about, how dialogue boxes/buttons and toolbars are created.

so went to local library and got claton walnums vb6 for dummies, this comes with a learning edition of vb6.

installed vb6 in vb6 there are toolbars/blank buttons /text boxes etc.

what i am not to sure of are all these dialogue boxes part of visual basic or any other programming language. or does vb6 take a "blank dialogue box or toolbar from say windows 98se in the same way as opening wordpad enables you to write a letter,

is it possible to create a dialogue box/toolbar with just windows on its own,even if you could not (programe that box)


thank you

I guess you can "create" a message box just in windows, without any control over it. Just open the "Run" prompt, and there's your first window. You did not program it, but did call it. Secondly, type any letter and press enter. Windows will pop up an error dialog box. there's your second box. So technically, you cannot create message boxes in windows. Although the dialog boxes you create in VB6 inherit the GUI from windows, you need some sort of developing language to create customized dialog boxes. What's more, you can create dialog boxes in windows using a web browser, by typing the following address:

javascript:alert("My Message");

But then again, you're using another language. Namely, javascript.

thanks lalo thats a bit of the mystery clearedup
thank you

You can not create a dialog box or toolbar in the same way. Let there be no mistake about it, the forms, messagebox's, dialogue boxes and all buttons are created by windows, even when you use VB. You have to have a program to actually make windows create one, and you can not do so just as a "user" of the system. Certainly, they will pop up when windows demands the need for one, but it's not going to be designable, like in VB.

While Comotose is absolutely correct, there is also vbscript for those without VB.

Put this code into a text file and rename to message.vbs.
make sure it is all on one line. double click it. You should get a message box.

thanks all can someone point me in the direction of a tutoril for novices for download, and ifpossible a referance for the common commands dim etc,

the working vertion i have has no helpfile trying to find info on msdn is a nightmare .

or recommend a good book for novices please

thank you

vb in 24 hours is a good start.vb database is good.
There are so many that it gets hard to list wich ones are better.

When I am first starting a project / program. The first place I look is www.planet-source-code.com and see if there is framework I can start with or working examples if I need an re-intro to something i may have forgotton long ago.

most of the commands in vb have help with them .

create a new project. drag a button on the form. Double click the button it will create the subroutine for you, you just tell it what to do. Type 'end ' without quotes. run it .

it does abosolutely nothing until the btton is pressed which ends the program. Have fun . Post again if you still need help.

I personally find end to be ungraceful and tacky. If you do anything with hooks (especially system-wide hooks), or subclassing, and even with the use of many objects (using createobject), using "end" is an awful idea. While it's purpose was meant for good, in programming practice, is just awful. I have a made a sub I call die, which is part of my standard module (one I add to every project) and it works like this:

The "end" keyword will never be reached, but it's a catch in case something doesn't unload properly... however, unloading all the forms in the project (instead of using the violent and ungraceful "end") is the best way to go.

Agreed comatose, I use something similar. Just trying to get him started with the IDE.

*Nods and mumbles something about 10 character minimum post*