Visual Basic offers a host of features to help you write code faster. These features include wizards, ActiveX® controls, and automatic code completion. Wizards create Visual Basic projects for you that you can customize to your needs. ActiveX controls offer a way to reuse already-tested and working functionality that someone else programmed in your applications. Automatic code completion eliminates the need to memorize language syntax, parameters, properties, and methods.
Visual Basic offers a full gallery of wizards that simplify many formerly complex tasks. These wizards are summarized in the following table.
| Wizard | Description |
| ActiveX Control Interface Wizard | Helps you create the public interface for a Visual Basic-generated ActiveX control after you have created the user interface. For more information, see ActiveX Control Interface Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| ActiveX Document Migration Wizard | Helps you change existing forms into ActiveX documents, which are special ActiveX components. ActiveX documents can be placed and activated within ActiveX document containers, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer. For more information, see ActiveX Document Migration Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Add-in Designer (new for version 6.0) | Helps you start development by specifying your add-in's default load behavior, name, target application and version, and other properties. For more information, see Using Add-In Designer online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Application Wizard (enhanced for version 6.0) | Generates a new, fully functional application from which you can build a more complex application. For more information, see Application Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Class Builder Utility (enhanced for version 6.0) | Helps you build a class and collection hierarchy for a Visual Basic project. For more information, see Class Builder Utility online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Data Form Wizard (enhanced for version 6.0) | Generates Visual Basic forms that contain individual bound controls and procedures used to manage information derived from database tables and queries. For more information, see Data Form Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Data Object Wizard | Helps you generate code for COM data objects and user controls that display and manipulate data. For more information, see Data Object Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Package and Deployment Wizard (new for version 6.0) | Helps you create application setup and distribution media. For more information, see Package and Deployment Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Property Page Wizard | Helps you build property pages for user controls. For more information, see Property Page Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
| Toolbar Wizard (new for version 6.0) | Automatically opens when you add a toolbar to a form so that you can create customized toolbars. For more information, see Toolbar Wizard online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0. |
Visual Basic, Professional Edition contains more than 60 ActiveX controls that you can use to create your applications. An ActiveX control is an extension to the Visual Basic Toolbox. You can use ActiveX controls just as you would use any of the standard built-in controls, such as the CheckBox control. When you add an ActiveX control to your program, the control becomes part of the development and run-time environment and provides new functionality for your application.
ActiveX controls leverage your skills as a Visual Basic programmer by retaining some familiar methods, events, and properties (such as the Name property), which behave as you would expect. But ActiveX controls also include methods and properties that greatly increase your flexibility and capability as a Visual Basic programmer. There are hundreds of ActiveX controls available for you to use in your applications.
New ActiveX controls for this version include the Internet Explorer 4 controls, the ADO Data control, the CoolBar control, and the DataRepeater control.
For More Information See the following topics online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0.
Visual Basic makes writing code much easier with features that can automatically fill in statements, properties, and arguments for you. As you enter code, the Visual Basic Code Editor displays lists of appropriate choices, statement or function prototypes, or values.
For More Information See the following topics online in MSDN Library Visual Studio 6.0.