INFO: VB5 FAQ: Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition

Last reviewed: October 10, 1997
Article ID: Q165524

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual Basic Control Creation Edition for Windows, version 5.0

SUMMARY

The following is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning the Visual Basic Control Creation Edition.

MORE INFORMATION

The article covers the following questions:

What is the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows, version 5.0, Control Creation Edition?
What is an ActiveX Control?
What is ActiveX?
What features will the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition offer?
Where and how can these ActiveX Controls be used?
How does the Control Creation Edition relate to the other versions of Visual Basic 5.0?
How do controls used within a custom ActiveX control get downloaded to a Web user's computer?
How does the release of the Control Creation Edition affect Visual Basic for Applications?
How does the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition relate to Visual C++ and the Visual J++ development tool?
How large are controls produced by the Visual Basic 5.0 Control
```
    Creation Edition?
```
Do ActiveX controls created with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation
```
    Edition share the same limitations as Java Applets?
```
Are the controls produced with Visual Basic Control Creation 5.0
```
    Edition compiled to native code or to pCode?
```
Can I distribute the controls that I create, royalty-free?
What is the Visual Basic Virtual Machine and how does it get to the Web
```
    user's computer?
```
How many ActiveX Controls are currently available? How will Visual
```
    Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition affect this market?
```
Where can I get more information on creating controls?

Questions and Answers

1. Q. What is the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows,
   version 5.0, Control Creation Edition?

   A. The Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition is the a member of the
   Visual Basic programming system for Windows, a rapid application
   development (RAD) tool that allows developers to build ActiveX controls
   quickly and easily, opening up Web development to the over three million
   Visual Basic developers in the industry today. The Control Creation
   Edition joins the Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions of
   Visual Basic version 5.0.

2. Q. What is an ActiveX Control?

   A. ActiveX technologies make it easy to create, integrate and reuse
   software components (controls) over the Internet or intranets. An
   ActiveX Control is a software component that can be integrated into Web
   pages, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access and Visual Basic or any host
   that supports ActiveX Controls.

   With ActiveX, developers can create components in any programming
   language, integrate them with any scripting language, and run those
   components from any type of application, including Web browsers business
   applications. Assembling Web sites from a wide variety of existing
   software components speeds time to market, allows Web site producers to
   build more engaging and effective sites, and results in a more
   intriguing and productive experience for Web surfers.

3. Q. What is ActiveX?

   A. ActiveX is a set of technologies that integrate software components
   in a networked environment, regardless of the language in which they
   were created. This integration of components enables content and
   software developers to create interactive applications and Web sites
   easily.

4. Q. What features will the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition
   offer?

   A. Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition allows developers to build
   ActiveX Controls using any of the following scenarios:

   - Data aware controls
   - Custom property pages
   - Multiple controls per OCX file
   - Multiple Container controls
   - Multiple Irregularly-shaped controls
   - Multiple Properties that download asynchronously
   - Multiple Self-describing controls with type libraries

5. Q. Where and how can these ActiveX Controls be used?

   Controls created with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition can be
   included in any application that supports ActiveX Controls, including
   Microsoft Internet Explorer, Visual Basic 4.0, the Visual C ++
   development system, the Visual FoxPro database system, Microsoft
   Office 97, Delphi, Netscape Navigator, etc., via plug-ins and more, as
   well as the application of any vendor that has licensed Visual Basic 5.0
   Applications Edition.

6. Q. How does the Control Creation Edition relate to the other versions
   of Visual Basic 5.0?

   A. Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition includes the new
   Intellisense technology, forms engine, and interactive debugger of
   Visual Basic 5.0, but it does not include some of the functionality
   found in the retail editions of Visual Basic, such as the Jet database
   engine, report writing, integration with the Visual SourceSafe version
   control system and other features not required for control creation. As
   a result, the version available for downloading from the Web is 5.5 MB.
   While the Control Creation Edition will provide support for building
   ActiveX Controls, it cannot be used to develop stand-alone applications.

   Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition will be available as a stand-
   alone product as well as integrated into the Professional and Enterprise
   editions of Visual Basic 5.0.

7. Q. How do controls used within a custom ActiveX control get downloaded
   to a Web user's computer?

   A. The Visual Basic 5.0 Setup Wizard analyzes all dependencies and
   creates everything necessary for Web applications. It creates a
   compressed file containing all files needed for control, an
   informational file that the browser uses to install and register the
   components, and a working HTM page that contains everything an HTM page
   needs for downloading, including the codebase reference.

8. Q. How does the release of the Control Creation Edition affect Visual
   Basic for Applications?

   A. All licenses of Visual Basic for Applications will become ActiveX
   Control hosts. Visual Basic for Applications 5.0 is an ActiveX Control
   container and the language engine at the heart of Visual Basic 5.0,
   Control Creation Edition, Office 97 and a growing number of third-party
   licensees. For more information on Visual Basic for Applications, please
   visit http://www.microsoft.com/vba/.

9. Q. How does the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition relate to
   Visual C++ and the Visual J++ development tool?

   A. Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition, Visual J++ and Visual C++
   can all create ActiveX components. However, Visual Basic 5.0 Control
   Creation Edition is the only one of the three tools that applies RAD
   techniques to creating controls. Visual J++, Visual C++, and
   Visual Basic are programming languages that are component producers.

10. Q. How large are controls produced by the Visual Basic 5.0 Control
    Creation Edition?

    A. The average control will be about 20k, but actual size varies
    according to complexity.

11. Q. Do ActiveX controls created with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation
    Edition share the same limitations as Java Applets?

    A. No. Unlike Java applets, ActiveX controls created in Visual Basic
    5.0 Control Creation Edition can take full advantage of Windows 95 and
    NT operating systems. ActiveX controls produced with Visual Basic 5.0
    Control Creation Edition are pre-built for digital signatures, giving
    the Web user the option to accept or deny the downloading of ActiveX
    components.

12. Q. Are the controls produced with Visual Basic Control Creation 5.0
    Edition compiled to native code or to pCode?

    A. Controls produced by Visual Basic Control Creation Edition are
    compiled to pCode, producing very small but very powerful controls.

13. Q. Can I distribute the controls that I create, royalty-free?

    A. Yes. Any controls that you create from scratch or any of the
    intrinsic controls included with the Visual Basic 5 Control Creation
    Edition may be distributed royalty-free. You may be able to distribute
    other ActiveX controls, .exe files, and .DLLs that you have purchased,
    either through Microsoft products or though a third party vendor.
    Please consult the manufacturer's license agreement for each of
    files you plan to distribute to determine whether you have the right to
    distribute the file with your application.

14. Q. What is the Visual Basic Virtual Machine and how does it get to the
    Web user's computer?

    A. Visual Basic controls are interpreted by the virtual machine on the
    Web user’s computer in much the same manner as a Java applet. The
    virtual machine (MSVBVM5.DLL) also provides high-performance services
    common to all Visual Basic authored ActiveX controls. The virtual
    machine is automatically downloaded and installed:

     - the first time a person navigates to a Web page containing any
       Visual Basic authored control.

     -and-

     - when any control built using a newer version of the virtual
       machine is accessed.

15. Q. How many ActiveX Controls are currently available? How will Visual
    Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition affect this market?

    A. More than 2,000 ActiveX components are available today from hundreds
    of developers for use both over the Internet and in line-of-business
    applications. The number of ActiveX Control ISVs has grown by over 400
    percent since the beginning of the year. With the release of Visual
    Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition and its ease of use, there should be
    a significant increase in the number and types of controls available,
    providing substantial benefits to developers and customers.

16. Q. Where can I get more information on creating controls?

    A. For the most up-to-date information on controls and other related
    topics, be sure to visit the Visual Basic Product Page at
    http://www.microsoft.com/vbasic/controls.

Keywords          : GnrlVb kbprg kbtool kbfaq
Technology        : kbole kbvba
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbinfo

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Last reviewed: October 10, 1997
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