FAQ: Non-technical Questions About Visual Basic 3.0

Last reviewed: September 25, 1997
Article ID: Q126733
The information in this article applies to:
  • Standard and Professional Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows, version 3.0

This article covers some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about non-technical issues for Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows. You can find this and other FAQ articles by querying on the keyword "FAQ." You can find additional general references in the Microsoft Knowledge Base by searching on "article list."

1. Q. What is Visual Basic?

   A. Visual Basic is a programming language developed by Microsoft to be
      the fastest way to create Windows applications. It provides a point-
      and-click integrated development environment that allows users to
      create a custom user interface without a single line of code. Code
      can be added to the forms and controls to cause them to respond to
      the user's actions. Visual Basic (VB) was designed from the start to
      be extensible and there are currently hundreds of VBXs (Visual Basic
      eXtensions) on the market (commercial, shareware and free) to
      implement new features.

      Visual Basic include the Access 1.1 Jet engine, which allows VB to
      connect to Access, FoxPro, Paradox, BTrieve, and dBASE databases. The
      data control and data-aware controls allow you to access your
      database via controls with little or no code. The Data Manager is a
      utility that can help you design your databases. The Setup Wizard
      helps you create distribution disks for your applications.

2. Q. Where do I get Visual Basic?

   A. Visual Basic for Windows should be available through your local
      software vendor. If you can't find a copy in your area, contact
      Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400 and they can
      connect you with a vendor.

3. Q. Where can I place an order or get upgrade and pricing information
      about Microsoft Visual Basic version 3.0 for Windows?

   A. For information regarding product updates, prices, and sales, please
      call the Microsoft Sales Information Center (MSIC) at the following
      number. Note that no technical support is provided on this line.

       - In the United States, call (800) 426-9400.
       - In the United Kingdom, call 0734-270000.

4. Q. What is the current version of Visual Basic for Windows?

   A. Visual Basic for Windows is currently at version 3.0. There has been
      no upgrade to this version although there have been some updated
      files posted (listed elsewhere in this document). Visual Basic for
      Windows ships in a Standard and Professional Edition.

5. Q. What are the differences between the Standard and Professional
      Editions?

   A. The core features of the Professional and Standard Editions are the
      same. Programs written in either will be identical. Differences
      consist entirely of additional features available in the Professional
      Edition.

      For additional information, please see the following article in
      the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      ARTICLE-ID: Q113334
      TITLE     : Differences Between VB 3.0 Standard & Professional
                  Editions

6. Q. Where can I get the latest updates for Visual Basic files?

   A. You can identify available updates by searching for the pointer
      article in the Knowledge Base (described elsewhere in this document).
      Search on the keyword UPD or SOFTLIB. To get the latest release of
      Visual Basic updated files, download the appropriate file (the
      updates are all stored as self-extracting *.EXE files) from the
      Microsoft Software Library (MSL) on the following services:

      - Microsoft's World Wide Web site on the Internet
            On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon
            Click Knowledge Base, and select the product
            Enter kbfile <FILENAME>.EXE, and click GO!
            Open the article, and click the button to download the file

      - Internet (anonymous FTP)
            ftp ftp.microsoft.com
            Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder
            Get <FILENAME>.EXE

      - Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
            Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
            Download <FILENAME>.EXE

      For additional information about downloading, please see the
      following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
         TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online
                     Services

7. Q. What is the Knowledge Base? What are the Qxxxxx numbers that people
      refer to and where can I find Microsoft article?

   A. The Knowledge Base is a collection of articles written by
      Microsoft Support Engineers (and others) on a wide range of product-
      specific issues. It is designed to attempt to put all of the "known"
      issue information at your fingertips. The Qxxxxx numbers are the ID
      numbers of the articles. You use this number when searching the
      Knowledge Base.

      You can find the Knowledge Base on the following services:

       - Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
            On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon.
            Click Knowledge Base and follow the instructions on that page.

       - The Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
            For additional information about downloading, please see the
            following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

            ARTICLE-ID: Q115780
            TITLE     : VB3: VB Articles on ftp.microsoft.com on the
                        Internet

8. Q. How do I find a summary of Knowledge Base articles by topic?

   A. Search for the text "Article List" in the title text, and you will
      retrieve a group of articles that list other Knowledge Base articles
      grouped by topic.

9. Q. What can you tell me about the next version of ...

   A. Stop! The answer is, we can tell you nothing. We cannot discuss
      unannounced products. That is standard Microsoft policy. Individuals
      involved in Beta testing our products our bound by a similar non-
      disclosure agreement, which REQUIRES that they not discuss the
      product.

10. Q. What is Visual Basic for Applications?

    A. Visual Basic Programming System, Applications Edition is not a
       stand-alone product, but a built-in programming language for
       Microsoft applications. It is currently available in Microsoft Excel
       5.0 and Project 4.0. It replaces the older macro languages of these
       products and provides a uniform programming interface to the outside
       world. Visual Basic 3.0 can completely control the operation of
       Microsoft Excel and/or Project via OLE Automation command using the
       Visual for Applications commands.

11. Q. What do I do if I have a problem with Visual Basic?

    A. You have a number of options for assistance from Microsoft as well
       as other developers. They include: telephone support, the Internet,
       and Microsoft Solution Providers.
       Telephone Support
       -----------------

       Standard support for Visual Basic is now 2 no-charge incidents.

       Call Microsoft Technical Support for support. This line is available
       from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M., Pacific time, Monday through Friday,
       excluding holidays. The number is (425) 646-5105

       Our Fee-Based support lines offer the same level of support as our
       Standard lines; however, they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
       and can be accessed toll-free via an 800 or a 900 number. Flat fee
       is $95 on 800 or 900#.

        - Pay-As-You-Go (credit card) calls: 800-936-5800.
        - Pay-As-You-Go (by minute) calls: 900-555-2300.

       There are a number of additional support options and packages that
       individuals and companies can purchase that may better fit your
       specific support needs. For more information please contact the
       Microsoft Sales group at (800) 936-3500.

       In the United Kingdom, the developer support line is available from
       9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The
       number is 0734-271414

       The Internet
       ------------

       You can reach Microsoft Technical Support on the Internet at:

       http://www.microsoft.com/support

       Microsoft Solution Providers
       ----------------------------

       Microsoft Solution Providers are independent organizations that
       provide consulting, integrations, customization, development,
       technical support and training, or other services with Microsoft
       products. For more information, please call (800) 426-9400.

12. Q. What should I do before I ask for help?

    A. Read the manuals. The Visual Basic manuals cover every keyword and
       most common programming situations. This information is also
       available in the online Help files.

       Look in the Knowledge Base. The Microsoft Developer Knowledge Base
       is a tremendous resource for dealing with Microsoft products.
       Developer Support Engineers at Microsoft create solutions and
       explain problems or techniques that come up in the course of using
       Microsoft products. These discussions are written up into articles
       and placed into the Knowledge Base which is periodically
       updated.

       Look at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list. This file is one
       of several FAQs made available to the public by Microsoft Technical
       Support. Its goal is to answer only the MOST commonly asked
       questions as succinctly as possible. These FAQs are divided by
       technical areas in Visual Basic. Even if you're a long-time MSBasic
       native, these FAQs will be useful if only to steer beginners to the
       quick answers.

       Isolate the problem. Isolating the problem often leads to the
       solution.

13. Q. Where else can I get information about Visual Basic?

    A. Download files are available from the Microsoft Software Library
       (MSL) on the following services:

       - Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
            Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL.
            Download <filename>.

       - Internet (anonymous FTP)
            ftp ftp.microsoft.com.
            Change to the \softlib\mslfiles directory.
            Get <filename>.

Other potential sources of Visual Basic information include:

       - ftp.microsoft.com:
         /softlib/mslfiles
         /msdn
         /msdn/vbtech
         /devtools/lang/vb/public

       Microsoft has two services for customers on the Internet:

       www.microsoft.com     (World Wide Web Server)
       ftp.microsoft.com     (FTP server)

       Both servers are registered in the Internet's Domain Name
       Service (DNS), so customers merely have to reference any of the
       servers by name:

       ftp ftp.microsoft.com
       In mosaic, connect to:  http://www.microsoft.com

       For additional information, please see the following article in
       the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

          ARTICLE-ID: Q120734
          TITLE     : Microsoft Windows NT Internet Servers

14. Q. What are some books that might be of use to a Visual Basic
       user/developer?

    A. There are hundreds of relevant books for Visual Basic and
       programming in general, but, to name a few:

       Title:       Programming Windows
       Author:      Charles Petzold
       ISBN:        1-55615-264-7
       Publisher:   Microsoft Press

       Title:       PC Magazine Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the
                    Windows API
       Author:      Daniel Appleman
       ISBN:        1-56276-073-4
       Publisher:   Ziff Davis Press

       Title:       Database Developer's Guide Using Visual Basic 3.0
       Author:      Roger Jennings
       ISBN:        0-672-30440-6
       Publisher:   Sams Publishing

       For additional information, please see the following article in
       the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

          ARTICLE-ID: Q118782
          TITLE     : LONG: Visual Basic and Related Topics Reading List
                      (Complete)

15. Q. How do I apply for the beta program?

    A. You can request to become a beta site by writing to:

       Microsoft Corporation
       Attn: XXXX Beta Test Administrator
       One Microsoft Way
       Redmond, WA 98052-6399

       where XXXX is the product you want to apply for. Various products
       within Microsoft have varying capacity to respond to those who are
       not elected. Unfortunately, due to the volume of requests, the
       Visual Basic group is not able to inform those who were not selected
       for the beta.

16. Q. Where can I find out more about Visual Basic certification?

    A. For information regarding the Microsoft Certified Professional
       program, the developer certification, or the Visual Basic or Access
       exams, please refer to the Microsoft Education & Certification
       Roadmap. Order the file name E&CMAP.ZIP direct from Microsoft by
       calling (800) 636-7544.

17. Q. How do I send suggestions for product features/improvements to
       Microsoft?

    A. Contact the Microsoft Wish Line at (425) 936-WISH [936-9474].

       If it takes more than two minutes to describe, you can:

          a.  Fax it to us at 425-936-7329

          b.  Write to us at:

              Attn: Microsoft Wish
              One Microsoft Way
              Redmond WA, 98052

          c.  On the World Wide Web at:

              http://WWW.MICROSOFT.COM/VFOXPRO/vinfo/vffeed.htm

18. Q. If I register, will I be notified of fixes, workarounds, and bugs?

    A. Microsoft's policy is to notify customers when a new version of the
       product is released, such as from Word 6.0 to Word 6.0a. This has
       not occurred with Visual Basic for Windows 3.0. When a small
       component of the product is modified to address specific problems,
       we have found it more efficient for all concerned to release that
       information as a Knowledge Base articles. The Knowledge Base article
       Q104863 lists all of the updates to Visual Basic for Windows, and
       how to obtain them. You can also search the Knowledge Base using the
       keyword UPD to obtain a list of articles describing updates.

       The essence is that we send out notices of product UPGRADES
       (for example, 3.0 to 3.0a, or 3.0 to 3.1) but not fixes (the mail
       traffic would be prohibitive). However, one can search on the
       keyword BUGLIST and FIXLIST in the Microsoft Knowledge Base and pull
       up articles for any particular product which tell about all the bugs
       we know of and what the fixes or workarounds are.


Additional query words: FAQ
Keywords : vb3only kbfaq
Version : 3.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Solution Type : kbfile


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: September 25, 1997
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.