PC Forms: Using Visual Basic OLE 2.0 Control

• Microsoft Electronic Forms Designer, version 1.0, running with Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.0 and 3.2

Microsoft Electronic Forms Designer was designed to be used with version 2.0 or later of Microsoft Visual Basic Professional edition. An OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) 1.0 control that allows applications to exchange data is included with Visual Basic 2.0. The E-Forms Designer was developed to interface with version 1.0 of the OLE control.

However, version 3.0 of Microsoft Visual Basic includes support for OLE 2.0 with a new OLE control (MSOLE2.VBX). This new implementation of OLE is not supported by the Electronic Forms Designer unless the following modifications are made to the EFORM.BAS and CONSTANT.BAS files.

Modify Functions in EFORM.BAS

The OLE 1.0 control type is defined as "OleClient." With OLE 2.0, the control type is "OLE." Perform the following steps to update the code in the ReadTaggedControls and WriteTaggedControls functions defined in EFORM.BAS:

1. Open your E-Form project in Visual Basic.

2. From the Project window, select EFORM.BAS. Click the View Code button to display the code.

3. From the Procedures drop-down list box, select the ReadTaggedControls function.

4. Scroll to the code that enumerates the OLE control. In the following line of code

         ElseIf TypeOf ctrl Is OleClient Then
   

   change "OleClient" to "OLE".

5. From the Procedures drop-down list box, select the WriteTaggedControls function.

6. Repeat step 4 to modify the type declaration.

7. From the File menu, choose Save Project.

Modify Definitions in CONSTANT.BAS

In addition to a change to the type definition, OLE 2.0 changed a number of settings for the Action and OLEType properties, as well as the Updated Event. These settings are defined in the CONSTANT.BAS file. To update the settings, do the following:

1. Open your E-Form project in Visual Basic.

2. From the Project window, select CONSTANT.BAS. Click the View Code button to display the code.

3. Scroll to the section commented "'OLE Client Control."

4. Modify the section titled "'Action" as listed below:

         'Action
         Global Const OLE_CREATE_NEW = 0
         Global Const OLE_CREATE_FROM_FILE = 1
         Global Const OLE_COPY = 4
         Global Const OLE_PASTE = 5
         Global Const OLE_UPDATE = 6
         Global Const OLE_ACTIVATE = 7
         Global Const OLE_CLOSE = 9
         Global Const OLE_DELETE = 10
         Global Const OLE_SAVE_TO_FILE = 11
         Global Const OLE_READ_FROM_FILE = 12
         Global Const OLE_INSERT_OBJ_DLG = 14
         Global Const OLE_PASTE_SPECIAL_DLG = 15
         Global Const OLE_FETCH_VERBS = 17
         Global Const OLE_SAVE_OLE1 = 18
   

5. Update the section titled "'ServerType" to "'OLEType" and make the following changes:

         'OLEType
         Global Const OLE_LINKED = 0
         Global Const OLE_EMBEDDED = 1
         Global Const OLE_NONE = 2
   

6. Change "'Update Event Constants" to "'Updated Event Constants" and make the following change:

         'Updated Event Constants
         Global Const OLE_CHANGED = 0
         Global Const OLE_SAVED = 1
         Global Const OLE_CLOSED = 2
         Global Const OLE_RENAMED = 3
   

7. From the File menu, choose Save Project.