Differences Between VB 3.0 Standard & Professional Editions

- Standard and Professional Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic

  Programming System for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

Microsoft Visual Basic version 3.0 for Windows is available in Standard and Professional Editions. This article summarizes the new features for Version 3.0 and the additional features available in the Professional Version.

MORE INFORMATION

The Visual Basic Programming System version 3.0 for the Microsoft Windows operating system provides easy access to a wide variety of data sources by integrating the Microsoft Access version 1.1 database engine and the ability to leverage investments in commercial applications through Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). Visual Basic version 3.0 also adds new tools, new controls, greater ease of use, and an enhanced custom control standard. The development power and extensibility of Visual Basic version 3.0 coupled with the strengths of Microsoft Access as an interactive application make the two a great combination that can be used together on many projects, including line-of-business, decision-support, and client-server solutions.

Both the Professional and Standard Editions of Visual Basic include the features that have come to characterize Visual Basic as a powerful, easy to use development environment. Pre-defined list boxes, text boxes, file/directory/drive controls and drop down menus make the user interface very easy to design. The following additions from version 2.0 apply to both the Standard and Professional Editions of Visual Basic version 3.0.

New Features in Both the Standard and Professional Editions

• Microsoft Access version 1.1 Database Engine. The database engine provides direct access to Microsoft Access, Microsoft FoxPro, Borland dBASE, Borland Paradox, and Novell Btrieve databases.
• Data control. The Data control provides a visual way for a programmer to issue a query and navigate through the results. Many other controls are now data-aware. User-interface controls can be bound to any one of several Data controls on a form without the programmer having to write any code.
• Data-aware Controls (the Visual Layer). Data-aware controls, such as the text box, picture, image, label, check box, masked edit field, and 3-D check box, can be linked directly to a query, providing an easy-to-use way to create the data-access portion of custom solutions without writing code. Visual Basic extensibility has been improved so that now third parties can also create data-aware controls.
• The Data Manager. This tool provides a straightforward way to create and manipulate databases, tables, fields, indexes, and data, no matter what the format. The tool itself was written in Visual Basic 3.0. See article Q99643 for the current location of the file.
• The Setup Wizard. This new tool automates the process of distributing applications. It scans the programmers project and determines which custom controls (.VBX files) and dynamic link libraries (DLLs) are required. Then it builds a custom set-up program complete with version checking, compresses all the files, and copies the compressed files to floppy disks.

Features Available Only in the Professional Edition

The following features are available ONLY in the Professional version of Visual Basic 3.0:

• Crystal Reports for Visual Basic. Crystal Reports version 2.0 for Visual Basic uses the Microsoft Access version 1.1 database engine for data access and includes a custom control to make embedding reports in applications easy. Programmers can design reports using the graphical WYSIWYG, banded report designer.
• Data Access Objects (Programmatic Layer). A complete suite of objects gives programmers a versatile, easy-to-use programmatic layer that can drive the Microsoft Access Engine across a full range of functionality, including database definition as well as database manipulation.
• Full Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Support. Visual Basic 3.0 Professional Edition provides access to client-server, host-based, and local databases and includes drivers for Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase SQL Server and ORACLE. ODBC drivers for Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase* SQL Server and ORACLE* are included with the Professional version.
• The Outline control. This control makes it easy for programmers to use Visual Basic to create hierarchical list boxes like the controls found in Microsoft Windows File Manager or Microsoft Mail.
• The OLE 2.0 control and OLE Automation. Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) makes it easy for developers to use commercial applications as a source of world-class, reusable objects.
• Pop-up menus. Developers can easily create pop-up menus with just one line of code.
• Language Improvements. The Visual Basic language is enhanced to support the new data-access capabilities and OLE 2.0 features.

Custom Controls (.VBX files) Avaialble Only in the Professional Edition

Animated Button: Displays a series of bitmaps that can create an animation

                  effect when the user clicks the control.

                  applications, allowing the transmission and reception of
                  data through a serial port.

Gauge          :  Creates a user-defined gauge. The gauge indicator can be
                  displayed in linear of needle style.

Graph          :  Lets you design and display many different types and
                  styles of graphs.

Key Status     :  Displays and/or modifies the state of the CAPS LOCK, NUM
                  LOCK, INS and SCROLL LOCK keys.

                  the Messaging Application Program Interface (MAPI). The
                  MAPI Session control begins and ends a messaging session.
                  The MAPI Messages control allows you to handle messages
                  as well as manipulate attachments and addresses.

Masked Edit    :  Restricts data input and displays formatted output.
                  Similar to the standard text box.

                  Media Control Interface (MCI) devices.

Outline        :  Similar to the standard list box. Allows you to display
                  items in a list hierarchically. Subordinate items can be
                  expanded and collapsed.

Pen controls   :  Lets you develop Windows for Pen Computing applications.
                  Pen Bedit provides combo or box style guides that accept
                  pen input. Pen HEditis a pen-enhanced version of the
                  standard text box. Pen Ink on Bitmap accepts and save pen
                  input over an existing bitmap. Pen On-screen Keyboard
                  enables the use of the Windows for Pen Computing
                  synthetic keyboard for input to the active control.

Picture Clip   :  Displays a portion of a source bitmap in a form or
                  picture box.

Spin Button    :  Increments or decrements numbers displayed in a text box
                  or other control.

3D Controls    :  Replace standard controls with flexible three-dimensional
                  controls. The 3D Check Box, 3D Command Button, 3D Frame,
                  and 3D Option Button work like the standard controls but
                  allow you to display three-dimensional captions and text.
                  The 3D Command Button also lets you show an icon or
                  bitmap on the button face. The 3D Panel lets you group
                  controls on a raised or inset panel. With the 3D Group
                  Push Button you can emulate the Ribbon in Microsoft Excel
                  or the Toolbar in Microsoft Word for Windows.

Additional Documentation that Comes Only with the Professional Edition

PROFESSIONAL FEATURES BOOK 1

This book is composed of the following three sections.

THE CUSTOM CONTROL REFERENCE

This provides an alphabetic reference for each of the custom control included with the Professional Edition of Microsoft Visual Basic.

THE CONTROL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

This reference provides information on creating your own custom control (VBX) for Visual Basic or Visual C++. Note: You will have to have a copy the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) and Microsoft C 6.0 or later or another language capable of creating Windows DLLs.

THE HELP COMPILER GUIDE

This provides documentation on how to build your own Windows Help File. However, note that you will need a copy of Word for Windows or other word processor capable of creating a file in Rich Text Format (RTF).

PROFESSIONAL FEATURES BOOK 2

This book is composed of the following two sections.

DATA ACCESS GUIDE

While the Standard Edition of Visual Basic version 3.0 supports access to a variety of databases via the Data Control, the Professional Edition allows increased flexibility by introducing Table, Dynaset and Snapshot objects as well as enhancing the available functionality of the Data Control. These added features are documented in the Data Access Guide.

CRYSTAL REPORTS FOR VISUAL BASIC USERS MANUAL

Crystal Reports is a powerful report generation tool that may be run from Visual Basic or independently. It allows the generation of customized reports quickly and easily from a variety of database under Microsoft Windows. This document explains the procedure for using this tool.

On-line Documentation Included Only with the Professional Edition

Custom Control Help:

All of the custom controls included with the Professional Edition and their usage are documented in this context sensitive help file.

Windows SDK Help:

This help file provides documentation on a subset of the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK). The functions described in this file can be used gain control of the Windows environment from Visual Basic.

Windows 3.1 API Help:

This file includes the declarations of SDK functions as well as constants and types required to make these calls.

Visual Basic API Help:

This file includes function calls into the Visual Basic DLLs.

System Requirements

Visual Basic version 3.0 requires the Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.0 or higher running in standard or enhanced mode; a 286 or higher microprocessor; a hard disk; an EGA, 8514 or Hercules display; 2MB of RAM for design environment (4MB RAM recommended with the Professional Edition); 1MB RAM for target systems; and a Microsoft Mouse or other compatible pointing device.

Trademarks

Microsoft, Microsoft Access, Visual Basic, and FoxPro are registered trademarks and Windows and Visual C++ are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Borland and dBASE are registered trademarks of Borland International, Inc. Paradox is a registered trademark of Ansa Software, Borland Company. Novell and Btrieve are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. Sybase is a registered trademark of Sybase, Inc. ORACLE is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. Crystal Reports is a trademark of Crystal Computer Services, Inc. Avery is a registered trademark of Avery International Corporation.