FAQ: CDK

• Professional and Enterprise Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic, 16-bit only, for Windows, version 4.0

This article covers some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about 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."

The Visual Basic 3.0 FAQ covering the CDK may contain additional information regarding a portion of these questions. This FAQ is in the process of being completed. More frequently asked questions will be added to this article by the end of January 1996.

1. Q. How do I create an OLE control?

   A. Visual C++ 4.0 comes with the OLE CDK, which will allow you to create
      an OLE control. It also comes with the Control Migration Pack, which
      will help in transforming a VBX control written in C into an OLE
      control.

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

      ARTICLE-ID: Q113895
      TITLE     : Intro to Microsoft OLE Custom Control Architecture &
                  Tools

      This article discusses OLE controls and their future within Visual
      Basic and Windows.

2. Q. How do I create a 16-bit OCX? VC++ 4.0 is 32-bit only, right?

   A. Yes, Visual C++ 4.0 is 32-bit only. But it also ships with Visual C++
      1.52, which includes some bug fixes to 1.5 (our 16-bit compiler), and
      support for the OLE Control Development Kit. It also has a mechanism
      (the Control Migration Pack) for migrating the source code to a VBX
      you've created into an OCX via the AppWizard with relatively little
      effort.

3. Q. How do I create a 32-bit VBX?

   A. You can't. Ever. You can, however, create both 16-bit and 32-bit
      versions of OLE controls (OCXs). Visual C++ 4.0 supports this with
      the OLE Control Development Kit.

4. Q. How do I create my own custom controls?

   A. Visual Basic 3.0 Professional Edition ships with the Control
      Development Kit (CDK), which allows you to create a custom control,
      that is, a VBX. The VBX Control Development Kit does not ship with
      Visual Basic 4.0. However, to use the CDK you also need a C compiler
      that can create Windows DLLs. Visual C++ comes with a project option
      for building a VBX. You might find the following references useful
      when creating a Custom Control (VBX):

      Programming Windows 3.1
      by Charles Petzold
      ISBN 1-55615-395-3

      Windows Programming Power with Custom Controls
      by Paul Cilwa & Jeff Duntemann
      ISBN:  1-088357-00-4