| Platform SDK: Management Console |
Formats raw data in a Byte array into Visual Basic data types.
FormatData(Data, StartingIndex As Long, Format As SnapInFormatConstants, [BytesUsed])
The FormatData method syntax has these parts:
| Part | Description |
|---|---|
| Data | A Variant containing a Byte array that holds the raw data received from a call to MMCDataObject.GetData. |
| StartingIndex | The one-based index of the element in the Byte array from which to begin interpreting the data. |
| Format | Determines the data type to which the raw data should be converted. |
| BytesUsed | Optional. Returns the number of bytes read and converted into the requested data type. |
The Format argument settings are:
| Constant | Description |
| siBoolean | Read 4 bytes and return them as a Boolean. |
| siCBoolean | Read 2 bytes, convert them from a C/C++ language BOOL and return them as a Boolean. |
| siCurrency | Read 8 bytes and return them as a Currency. |
| siDate | Read 8 bytes and return them as a Date. |
| siDouble | Read 8 bytes and return them as a Double. |
| siGUID | Read 16 bytes as a binary GUID and return them as string in string format {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}. |
| siInteger | Read 2 bytes and return them as an Integer. |
| siLong | Read 4 bytes and return them as a Long. |
| siMultiString | Read bytes as concatenated null-terminated Unicode strings terminated by a double Unicode null character. Return as an array of String. |
| siObject | Read CLSID from start of bytes and remainder of bytes as the contents of a stream. Create an instance of the object and load it from the stream. Visual Basic classes that are marked Persistable can be exported by the primary snap-in for this type. |
| siObjectInstance | Read the data as a reference to an instance of an object and return it as an Object. |
| siSingle | Read 4 bytes and return them as a Single. |
| siString | Read bytes as a null-terminated Unicode string. Return as a String. Visual Basic String variables exported by the primary snap-in are read using this type. |
The FormatData method returns a Variant containing the data type requested in the Format argument.
This method is used in ExtensionSnapIn events to interpret the imported data. For more information see "MMCDataObject," "Importing Data from C++ Snap-ins," and "Publishing and Interpreting Data Formats from a Visual Basic Snap-in."