FAQ: Non-Technical Questions About Visual Basic 5.0

ID: Q142250

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Control Creation, Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, version 5.0

SUMMARY

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


MORE INFORMATION

Questions

The following questions are answered in this document:
  1. What is Visual Basic?


  2. Where do I get Visual Basic?


  3. Where can I place an order or get upgrade and pricing information about Microsoft Visual Basic version 5.0 for Windows?


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


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


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


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


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


  9. What can you tell me about the next version of Visual Basic?


  10. What is Visual Basic for Applications?


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


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


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


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


  15. How do I apply for the beta program?


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


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


Answers

  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 ActiveX controls on the market (commercial, shareware, and freeware) to implement new features.

    Visual Basic includes advanced features such as native code compilation, high-speed database access, and an improved development environment. In addition, the component creation capabilities of the ActiveX technologies in Visual Basic 5.0 allow the more than three million developers using Visual Basic to quickly create component-based applications targeting the Internet, intranet, and traditional client/server environments.


  2. Q. Where do I get Visual Basic?

    A. To order Microsoft Visual Basic or other Microsoft Visual Tools, or to receive a reseller referral, in the United States or Canada, call (800) 621-7930, Dept. A334WB. Outside the United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary.


  3. Q. Where can I place an order or get upgrade and pricing information about Microsoft Visual Basic version 5.0 for Windows?

    A. A list of estimated retail prices for Visual Basic 5.0 products is available at http://www.microsoft.com/visualtools/uspricing.htm. Contact your local Microsoft reseller for exact pricing and availability. For the name of a local Microsoft reseller, in the United States and Canada, call (800) 621-7930.


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

    A. Visual Basic for Windows 6.0 is the latest version of Visual Basic. This version comes in Learning, Professional, and Enterprise editions. For more information about Visual Basic 6.0, please see the Visual Basic site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic.


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

    A. The core features of the Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions are the same. The Learning Edition is the latest edition of the version 5.0 product line and is designed for people who have never programmed before. This edition comes complete with Visual Basic 5.0, as well as a self-paced, interactive CD-ROM tutorial.

    The Professional Edition contains all the features of the Learning Edition with advanced features such as native code compilation, high- speed database access, and an improved development environment. In addition, the component creation capabilities of the ActiveX technologies in Visual Basic 5.0 will allow the more than three million developers using Visual Basic to quickly create component-based applications targeting the Internet, intranet, and traditional client/server environments.

    The Enterprise Edition is specifically designed to address these unique requirements by integrating all of the tools and support systems needed for successful enterprise application development, deployment, debugging, tuning, and support. This edition also ships with Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, a project-oriented version control system.

    For more information about Visual Basic, see the Visual Basic Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/vbasic


  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).


    7. For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q119591 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 a Microsoft Knowledge Base article?

    A. The Knowledge Base is a collection of articles written by Microsoft Support professionals (and others) on a wide range of product-specific issues. The Knowledge Base 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 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.


  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 a group of articles is retrieved that lists other Knowledge Base articles grouped by topic.


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

    A. The answer is, we can tell you nothing. We cannot discuss unannounced products: That is the 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 for Applications is the edition of the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system that is designed to provide rich development capability from within an application environment. Originally released as part of Microsoft Excel, Visual Basic for Applications was added to Microsoft Project in 1994 and to Microsoft Access in 1995. With this integration, these applications became full-fledged development platforms that more than three million Visual Basic developers worldwide could immediately access and use. Visual Basic for Applications made it easier and faster for developers to customize these applications and to write extensions and add-ons for their customers. Because these custom solutions were built with Visual Basic (and not a proprietary macro language), they could integrate easily with other desktop applications.

    For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, go to http://www.microsoft.com/vba/about/solutions.htm


  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: 
    
    - Standard No-Charge Support by telephone
    - Standard No-Charge Support via the Internet
    - Pay-Per-Incident Support
    - Priority Annual Support
    - Priority Plus
    - Consult Line
    - Premier Support
    - Microsoft Certified Support Centers
    - Microsoft Solution Providers
    For more information about these different support options, see http://www.microsoft.com/supportnet


  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 professionals at Microsoft create solutions and explain problems or techniques that come up in the course of using Microsoft products. You can access the Knowledge Base through the Visual Basic Support Home Page at http://www.microsoft.com/vbasicsupport.

    Look at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list. This file is one of several FAQs made available to the public by Microsoft Developer 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 direct beginners to the quick answers. These FAQs are available at the Visual Basic Support Home Page at http://www.microsoft.com/vbasicsupport

    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).


    14. For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
    Other potential sources of Visual Basic information include: 
    
   - ftp.microsoft.com:
   /softlib/mslfiles
   /msdn
   /msdn/vbtech
   /devtools/lang/vb/public
    Microsoft has three services for customers on the Internet: 
    
   www.microsoft.com     World-Wide-Web Server
   gopher.microsoft.com  Gopher Server
   ftp.microsoft.com     FTP server
    All three 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:  <LINK TYPE="GENERIC" VALUE="http://www.microsoft.com">http://www.microsoft.com</LINK>
   In gopher connect to:  gopher.microsoft.com, port 70, type 1
    For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
    Q120734 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:


    15. 
   Title:       Visual Basic 5.0 Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API
   Author:      Daniel Appleman
   ISBN:        1-56276-446-2
   Publisher:   Ziff Davis Press

   Title:       Microsoft[ASCII 174] Visual Basic[ASCII 174] 5.0                           Programmer's Guide
   Author:      Microsoft Corporation
   ISBN:        1-57231-604-7
   Publisher:   Microsoft Press

   Title:       Visual Basic 5 Step by Step
   Author:      Michael Halvorson
   ISBN:        1-57231-435-4
   Publisher:   Microsoft Press

   Title:       Active Visual Basic[ASCII 174] 5.0
   Author:      Guy Eddon, Henry Eddon
   ISBN:        1-57231-512-1
   Publisher:   Microsoft Press
  15. Q. How do I apply for the beta program?

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


    16. 
    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 Training and Certification Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/train_cert.


  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:


    18. 
    a. Fax it to us at 425-936-7329
    b. Write to us at:

      Attn: Microsoft Wish
      One Microsoft Way
      Redmond WA, 98052

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbprg kbVBp400 VB4WIN vbwin
Version : WINDOWS:5.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: June 21, 1999
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