Copyright: VBxtras Summer Catalog


Welcome screen

The Ultimate Visual Basic Tools Catalog

Welcome to the Summer, 1994 edition of VBxtras, a catalog designed to help you find exactly the Visual Basic tool you are searching for. This help file contains reviews and recommendations of over 25 products and services related to Visual Basic. Feel free to distribute this help file to friends and colleagues. If you would like more information on VBxtras or any of the products, just give us a call. Enjoy this premiere issue!

Click here for Table of Contents


Table of Contents

Welcome to VBxtras!

Welcome Screen

A message from the President

VBxtras Customer Survey

In this issue...

Product Listing

The Bookshelf

Visual Basic Training

VBxtras Registry

Reference

VBxtras Advisory Board

Visual Basic User Groups

Vendors

Xtras

How to order

Order Information


Product Listing

Compression Plus	NetWare Client SDK	VB Magic Controls
Controls for Btrieve	PinPoint	VB Power Guides
Crystal Reports Pro	Pretty Printer	VBasic Library
Doc-To-Help	Quick App	VBAssist
Fax Plus	SixBase/VB	VBTools 4
High Edit	SpyWorks	Version Stamper VB
Image Knife VBX	True Grid	Visual Voice
M.4	VB Compress Pro	VSVBX
Muscle


A Message From the President

Announcing VBxtras...The Ultimate Visual Basic Tools Catalog

Have you ever spent hours searching for a specific Visual Basic tool in one of those huge catalogs that stock every piece of computer software known to mankind?  It's a pain right?  Well you can stop searching...VBxtras is here!

My Dad Called me "Eternally Lazy!"

And in a way he was right!  I was always trying to get out of doing the chores.  Now you say: "every kid dislikes doing the chores", and I must agree.  It wasn't so much that I was lazy, it was just that I hated doing repetitive work.  Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, washing dishes, you name it, I avoided it.  On the other hand, my dad discovered, as I grew older, that I would work for hours and even days trying to automate some 15 minute task.  I guess the programmer in me was always fascinated by automation.

No, I was not Lazy

My father now tells me that I have worked harder than anyone he knows!  I love creating something that will save me or others time in the future.  Actually, I think that any good application developer is exactly the same way.  Whether it be to automate the task for our end-users, or to automate our own tasks, we developers are always looking for a better way.  I'll bet you as a developer are much the same way.  You love to develop an application, but you don't want to spend your whole life doing it.  That's one of the many reasons why I love Visual Basic!

Why Visual Basic?

Writing WindowsTM applications used to be just too much trouble for me. Because you had to develop in C, it just took too long, and it was soooo tedious. Then came Visual Basic. Point, Click, Drag, Drop, and Presto, you're done; instant Windows application! To be honest, I didn't switch automatically. Although I have been developing client applications for over ten years, the earlier versions of Visual Basic were not robust enough for me to develop real applications. Instead, I continued to develop my DOS applications, content simply to be a Windows-wannabe. Then came Version 3.0 Professional. Man, what a powerhouse! No longer did I have to write DOS apps; Windows was here for me. Or so I thought.

The Brick Wall

I soon realized that while I could create a user-interface quickly and easily, I got bogged down in the nuts-and-bolts of my application. It seemed that I spent all my time writing code to attach controls to my databases, or my Basic-coded routines were too slow, or the included controls didn't do quite what I needed, or Visual Basic simply did not provide the necessary functionality. I was discouraged to say the least.

Overwhelmed!

But then I realized what incredible add-on products were available for Visual Basic. You see, Visual Basic is a good tool but add-on products make it great. What's more, because of VB's architecture, almost all of these add-on tools integrated flawlessly into my development environment.  That was the good news, but the tough part was that there were sooo many tools available for Visual Basic. Whenever I tried to find a VB product that I needed, I had to leaf through hype-filled magazine ads and two-line descriptions in programmer's catalogs. I spent more time just deciding which products to use and never got any real work done; fun but not very productive.

Isn't There a Better Way!

Wouldn't it be great to have an experienced developer personally recommend some of the BEST Visual Basic tools designed for your needs? So would I! That is why I decided to create VBxtras. I wanted to create the type of software catalog that I've always wanted, but could never find. Ever notice that most catalogs have everything under the programming sun and provide just a two line description for each product?!?  Ever wonder "Where's the Beef?"

VBxtras is a catalog designed specifically for you, the developer.  Full-page descriptions provide explanations of Visual Basic add-on products and how each can benefit you. My goal in creating this catalog is to help you take the guess work out of buying VB tools. What a concept!

Also, the catalog is Visual Basic-specific. No, you won't have to wade through products that are not beneficial to you. No C++, no FoxPro, no anything else, just Visual Basic.  My dream catalog!

Great Prices, of Course!

In addition, the catalog provides great prices on the products; after all, without great prices, what good is the catalog to you? The bottom line is, I wanted to create a catalog to help you determine which products you need and provide a way for you to get them quickly and inexpensively.

What a Journey

So about six months ago I began researching the Visual Basic add-on market to determine what products were the best. I read every review and every ad in every copy of Visual Basic Programmer's Journal that I could get my hands on. I spent hours upon hours on the CompuServe MSBASIC forum asking questions and watching to see what products people recommended.  I spoke to users groups and I spoke to vendors to ask what products (besides their own) they believed in. And I spent countless days actually using products, all in an effort to determine which ones I could wholeheartedly recommend.

The Next Step

After I had compiled a list of products that I wanted to include, I was far from finished. You see, I simply did not have the money or the mailing list to pull this thing off in its entirety.  So, I approached the vendors of the products I was interested in and asked them to help me by either paying a fee for their product's spot in the catalog, providing a mailing list, or a combination of both. This was obviously the critical step.

I was on pins and needles. But to my surprise, almost everyone who I approached said YES. I actually got more vendors to say yes than we had space to include, but I did get every single must-have product included in the catalog. Then we (Traci, the catalog manager and I) negotiated some really killer deals on the products to make it as easy as possible for you to use them. And with that, VBxtras was born!

You'll Want to Read This

So this is the first issue of VBxtras. We plan to do this 3-4 times a year, and we also plan special mailings of hot new products, special purchases, and "insider trading" deals as soon as they happen. But catalog mailings are expensive; we won't be able to send the special mailings to everyone. So, who will we send those special mailings to? To you, if you sign up for our VBxtra-Special Customer list. Just fill out and fax us the survey located in the center of the catalog and we'll be sure you get a copy of every catalog and every special offer that we ever send out!  We'll even give you a certificate worth $5 off your next purchase of $100 or more.

I Still Need Your Help

So how can you help? Well to start, you can buy your Visual Basic products from us! No, seriously. We are committed to providing a value-added service to the Visual Basic community.  If you will buy your products from us, we will in turn continue to add benefit to the Visual Basic community by providing you with future editions of the Ultimate Visual Basic tools catalog - Vbxtras! How else can you help? If you know of any other Visual Basic developers who would like to get a copy of VBxtras, let us know. Just include their name on the survey you fax back to us. Most importantly, let me know what you think!  I want you to use and enjoy this catalog. I am open to your suggestions. Just call or fax me your comments. So, I hope you like VBxtras and find it useful. Better yet, I hope you find something you can't live without. Enjoy the premiere issue!

Mike Schinkel

President, VBxtras, Inc.


VSVBX
VSVBX	VBxtras Price	$45

From VideoSoft

Must-Have Custom Controls for Visual Basic	Product VS01 	3 lbs.

 Feature-rich tab control

 Container control automatically resizes contents

 Super-powerful AWK text file processing control

Visualizing the Tabbed Metaphor

"Have you seen the new tabs in the Excel and Word dialogs?"  "Yeah - and that cool notebook look in Excel?" "There's gotta be a way for us to do that in VB!"

Each time a vendor, particularly a major one, implements a new look or feature, we want to mimic them.  Why not?  Cool is cool, right?  VideoSoft of Berkeley, California knows this.  They definitely know cool.  Not just when they see it, but when they sell it!  How do I know?  Just look at The VideoSoft Custom Control Library (VSVBX).  It includes two truly unique controls, VS/Awk and Elastic, and one that is the leader in its category, IndexTab.

You Want Them Where?

Tab controls have been around for a while, and the market is starting to fill.  Tabs are happenin', they're now, and people want them.  What sets VSVBX's IndexTab apart?  For one thing, they've been on the market longer than anyone else.  They're mature.  Okay - in come contexts we might consider that an insult or a put-down, but not here!  Their control has been in use, shaken down, and it's had the kinks worked out.  They've led the way in features and functions, and with their latest release, continue to set the standard.

You can Call me Tab...

Some people want the tabs on the top, some on the side, some on the bottom.  Okay - have it your way.  Not only that, with the tabs on the side, you can put them on the right or on the left; go right ahead!  How about the stuff that's inside the tabbed "pages?"  No problem,  just right double-click on a tab and you're working in that tab.  Wanna see all of your tabs at once?  Also no problem.  There are a variety of different tab styles, each of which can be 2D or 3D.  You can set the foreground color, the background color, the colors for the tabs that are inactive versus the one that's active.  And, not to be overlooked, you can set this little beauty to have one row or multiple rows of tabs.

Waddayamean Elastic?

While I think that VideoSoft's IndexTab is excellent, I'd feel that I was doing us both an injustice if I didn't tell you about Elastic.  So what is it?  Elastic is that control that you've been looking for but didn't know it.  It allows you to place a bunch of controls inside and then automatically resize them at runtime!  Yup, you put this baby on a form or inside a container control, set its properties, and it stretches and shrinks stuff.  The combinations are, at least at first, mind-boggling.  But then you get to know them and you'll realize that you have just the right choices!

Fr'instance

Let's say that you'd like to have a toolbar, but you'd like all the tools (buttons) to remain visible all the time, even when the user resizes the form. You can have all the children inside the Elastic be contiguous, or resize them proportionally, or resize only Elastics within the Elastic or...

I must confess I'm in love with Elastic.  I have placed it in my AUTOLOAD.MAK since I couldn't imagine a project that I wouldn't want it in.

What's all this Squawk about AWK?

Okay - AWK is a string processing utility.  The VideoSoft version provides many of the features that its sister the UNIX AWK utility is famous for: splitting lines into fields based on user-defined separators, manipulating those lines and fields, creating and maintaining arrays of information, and more.  VideoSoft's AWK control also does nifty things like stripping quotes from fields (can you say CSV?), and contains a sophisticated expression evaluator that'll let you build things like an interactive scientific calculator with only a few lines of code!

What do I Really Think?

VSVBX is way cool!  You can't do better for functionality, features, or price in a single package.  Once you have this product, you'll wonder how you ever survived without it.


SpyWorks
SpyWorks	VBxtras Price	$115

From Desaware	Retail Price	$129

Harness the Full Power of Windows Using Visual Basic	Product DW01 	3 lbs.

 Custom controls give almost complete control of Windows

 Overcome almost every limitation VB ever had

 Subclasses any VB form or control

 Implements call-back routines from within VB

You Can't Do that with Visual Basic

Ever been told that? I have, and it really made me mad. Why? Because they were right! Dan Appleman, author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API (also available from VBxtras) and a true Windows wizard in his own right felt the same way. But instead of just steaming, he did something about it; he created SpyWorks-VB!  So now when someone tells you "You can't do that in Visual Basic", just tell them "Oh yes you can!"

Watch out for That Foot!

Spyworks-VB may well be the ultimate extension for Visual Basic programmers because it gives you the same power over Windows as a C programmer (including generating GPF's if you aren't careful!)

But SpyWorks-VB was designed for the experienced programmer that does not want to accept the limitations of native Visual Basic. With SpyWorks-VB you decide what Windows functionality you want to deal with.

So how's it Work?

SpyWorks-VB gives you five custom controls for doing Windows-ey things like subclassing, callbacks, and hooks for intercepting messages. When I started with Visual Basic, I didn't even know that this functionality was missing!

Check Under the Hood!

Ever noticed that sometimes debugging VB apps is next to impossible? You can never be quite sure what is going on under the hood, like what events are firing and in which order.

But not with SpyWorks-VB. SpyWorks provides SpyMem to monitor memory (and clean up after a GPF), SpyMsg to detect Windows and VB events for pre and post event processing, and SpyParam for checking API parameters. Other tools included are SpyWin, SpyMenu, and SpyVBX.  Finally, there is the DWSPYDLL.DLL that provides many of the Windows-related functions that are missing from Visual Basic.

Create your own Offspring!

Everything in VB is a window: forms, command buttons, text boxes, labels, checkboxes, scroll bars, etc. Since every type of window has an unique class and each class has a default function, you can modify the Window's behavior by creating a replacement function for supplemental processing. This is called subclassing. SpyWorks-VB lets you do this in Visual Basic.

Just Call Me...

Many Windows API functions require a function address as a parameter to execute when something has occurred; this is known as a callback. VB does not directly support callbacks, but with CBK.VBX, you can do that in Visual Basic too.

Grab that Tab!

Have you ever wanted to catch a Tab key? KeyDown and KeyPress won't let you. With SBCKBD.VBX, you can hook into a keyboard process to detect any key before it gets to an app and do with it what you want. You can even ignore it!

Easy as 1, 2, 3!

With all this functionality, SpyWorks-VB still has more: display messages on a status bar as a result of mouse position, create a tiny caption area on a form, or attach commands to a system menu. SBCEASY.VBX makes all these things and others (shall I say?) easy!

The Bottom Line!

SpyWorks-VB benefits both the beginning and experienced Windows/VB application developer, by providing an understanding of what happens in the Windows environment and by allowing you to take complete control of it if you want to!  Clearly, no professional Visual Basic developer should be without SpyWorks-VB, so call VBxtras for your copy today!


VBTools 4
VBTools 4 	VBxtras Price	$110

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Retail Price	$129

The Ultimate Custom Control Add-On for Visual Basic	Product # MH03 	5 lbs.

 54 custom controls and utility functions

 Leading-edge user-interface controls

 Enhanced data validation controls

Go Figure...

I love Visual Basic and the opportunities it has given me. I am amazed at the ease in which a powerful Windows application can be created, especially with the database capability provided with VB 3.0. However, I often wonder what those at Microsoft  who designed Visual Basic were thinking when so much standard Windows functionality was not provided.

Enter the .VBX

Thank heaven for the .VBX hooks that Microsoft left in Visual Basic. Third party vendors rapidly filled in the feature's gap with an assortment of custom controls and MicroHelp, Inc. has been at the forefront of vendors providing tools for Visual Basic development.  Many of us have used MicroHelp products since 1985 with Peeks & Pokes, and VBTools since the days of Thunder.

Where do I Begin?

VBTools 4 is bursting with tools for Visual Basic: 54 custom controls and utility functions in all! The newest version, 4.0, contains several new controls including FPGrid10, MhTAB, and MhTip.

Grid/VBX from Farpoint Technologies is a database grid that is really fast when it comes to database data. I like the ability to directly type in a grid cell and have the tab key wrap to the next line. You can use Check Boxes for Yes/No for logical data, and Combo Boxes for cell selections.   The MhTAB control allows the creation of a "tabbed" set of windows similar to those presented in Word 6.0 and Excel 5.0. Since MhTAB is a container control with an alignment property, it can be used on MDI forms to create an interface consisting of "folders." Other controls can then be placed on the individual folders.

MhTip creates those neat little popup help windows for icons that are so popular today. All you do is set the interval property to the delay time for displaying the tip, and set the tip caption in the SetCaption event which is the only event MhTip has.

Bind that Control!

VBTools 4 contains 22 controls that can be bound to a Visual Basic data control. Also, if you want to use a control that does not have binding capabilities, VBTools has MhOutOfBounds, which  can bind any control.  Many controls in VBTools 4 are enhancements for standard VB controls. Mh3dCombo and Mh3dList are bound listbox controls with multicolumn capabilities. VB does not provide list box controls that are data aware nor have multicolumn capability.

Darn those #$%& Users

You know those users of your application. They type in stuff that you have to validate. Where should you put your validation? Not in the LostFocus event. For this, VBTools provides six custom edit controls for handling specific data types: integers, dates, real numbers, and an enhanced textbox control with any number of customized input/output properties and special masks. I find MhInput more flexible than MSMasked in VB Pro because it can be used more like a standard text control for output with edit masks as needed.

A Day to Play!

One very interesting control is the Mh3dCalendar control (similar to the popup calendar in Quicken), which displays a calendar with buttons for changing year and month.

Mh3dCalendar can be bound to a date field in your database. Other unique controls are MhCard for displaying cards and MhDice which creates dice images. These "game" controls are unique VB add-ons.

What Else?

Obviously, one page alone does not provide enough room to describe all the controls.  Extensive examples are provided, and the on-line help is so good that you might not even need the manual!

The Leader of the Pack

MicroHelp stated "VBTools 4 is meant to be the ultimate custom control add-on product, with more controls for a lot less money than anyone else." I think they more than accomplished their goal - so buy yours today!


Upgrade to Crystal Reports

If you own Visual Basic Professional version 3.0, you can upgrade to Crystal Reports Pro for less than you think!!!

VBxtras Price 	$189

Retail Price	$199

 Product# CS02	5 lbs.


Crystal Reports Pro
Crystal Reports Pro	VBxtras Price	$345

From Crystal Services	Retail Price	$395

Enhance Reports with Graphics, Drawings and Charts	Product # CS02	5 lbs.

Want to upgrade Crystal Reports?

 Plenty of new features beyond the VB version

 Extensible through user-defined DLLs

 SQL Data and ODBC Support

Sure you're Familiar with the VB Version

And it worked great. But now you can take it to the professional level. The Crystal Reports 3.0 Pro version is not only more powerful than the Crystal Reports that came with Visual Basic 3.0 but it's easier to use too!

But I Wanna...

The standard Crystal Reports for VB was a great way to look at developing a reporting system to work with my VB applications. But then came the customers! "I'll need my logo placed in there." "I want it to become a WordPerfect file." "Stick one of these cross-tab reports in the back." "Your field names are too confusing for my ad-hoc reports." Thank goodness Crystal Reports Pro is here to help me handle all these crazy customer demands!

Report-O-Mania!

Let me tell you about some of the great new features in this package. There's a finetuner to adjust your report while showing live data. No more lining up your fields by guessing what it will look like when the data is merged. Here you run the report with the actual database data into a window and then drag and drop the columns where you want em -  this is cool! With Crystal Report Pro's OLE client capabilities, I'm now able to incorporate graphics, drawing, and charts all over my reports. It's also got a whole cornucopia of additional data analysis functions. It's even got a useful Report Gallery where you click icons to select the type of report you want.  In addition, it's got complete capability for creating cross-tab reports. Best of all, you get the complete manuals to read about all these features.

Should've Called it "Support Pro"

Access, Excel, ASCII, Btrieve, Clipper, dBase, FoxPro, Paradox, OLE. That's not enough for you? How about also being able to support IBM DB2/2, Gupta SQLBase, Microsoft SQL Server, NetWare SQL, Oracle, Sybase SQL, or any other source that supports ODBC. And coming out the other end, you can have your reports exported in RTF, Word, DIF, WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, and a zillion strands of ASCII. Heck, you can even send out the reports as MAPI mail messages.

Get TrueGrid Too!

That's right, buy Crystal Reports Pro 3.0 and get the standard edition of TrueGrid at no extra charge (a $69 value). Of course it doesn't have all the features and capabilities of TrueGrid Pro that we're selling in VBxtras, but this is definitely a great bonus - at no extra charge.

What about the Serious Developer?

Crystal Services certainly had us in mind when designing Crystal Report Pro! Just check out these rich professional Windows development features. First of all, you get to access the Crystal Reports Report Engine DLL API through an expanded set of Print Engine calls. And Crystal Reports Pro 3.0 is extensible - can't find a feature you want, it allows you to write DLLs and UFLs for it.

What's in a Name?

And here's something that's really comes through for me, Crystal's Data Dictionary Builder. With it, you can define intuitive field names and create hidden links and formulas to the actual database tables. Then even the least technically oriented business managers can create their own reports without having to figure out my complicated database architecture.

Time to Buy!

This is a must have reporting tool for Visual Basic. And if you own VB3 Pro, you can even upgrade your copy to Crystal Reports Pro 3.0.


VBAssist
VBAssist	VBxtras Price	$149

From Sheridan Software Systems	Retail Price	$179

Supercharged Development Environment for Visual Basic	Product # SS01 	4 lbs.

 Power tools fro power development

 Seemlessly integrates into the Visual Baisc environment

 Improves ease-of-use and greatly enhances developer productivity

Rub the Lamp and Make a Wish!

VBAssist, by Sheridan Software Systems, is a different sort of Visual Basic enhancement tool. Rather than being just another set of VBXs, this product is for the developer who wants to make his or her time spent in Visual Basic more efficient.  If you find yourself repeating the same steps over and over, moving controls back into place after accidentally moving them, trying to set the tab order for controls and so forth, then this is definitely the Visual Basic add-on for you.

VB is Already Easy...

Easy yes, but VB is extremely repetitive, and inefficient too! VBAssist loads with Visual Basic and attaches itself to your Visual Basic main window, giving you seamless access to a supercharged development environment!

VB Power Tools

VBAssist provides a variety of powerful tools for working with controls, properties, databases, and source code. Several are enhancements to Visual Basic's own abilities, but many of the tools give you features and power that you've been dying to have in Visual Basic, even if you never knew you needed them! It's just amazing to have this much power from just a click on a toolbar or a right click on a form or code window!

What Happened to my $%@^# Controls!

One problem I've always had is trying to align and size controls consistently. Sure, I could highlight a group of  command buttons and fudge around in the properties window. But imagine having the ability to align and size command buttons with just a few mouse clicks! VBAssist's control alignment tool takes care of it easily. You can also synchronize controls, colors, or create templates for adding, say, a Combo box with preset properties. There are also tools for managing the index property of control arrays, which we all know can be a huge headache. You can even lock the controls in place so that its not possible to accidentally move them (right, like you never do that!)

Warp Speed, Mr. Data [Control]!

So, you've got a data control and some text boxes. So, you want to bind them together. So, you can't remember which field should go where. Enter the Data Assistant. This little ditty lets you do everything from drag and drop fields to modify and print table structures. Why, its Form Wizard will even generate a rather attractive form for you automatically! Bye-bye, Visual Basic Data Manager!

Get the Picture?

Not only can you preview pictures with VBAssist before you load and paste pictures from the clipboard, you can capture screen shots directly into a control! Cool!

Fun for all Ages!

You advanced programmers will find some really standout tools in VBAssist. As a big user of the Windows API, I hate locating syntax and copying Declare statements from the VB Help system.  Through code assistant, you can find exactly the function you're looking for.  Enter "System" and "Menu" as keywords and Code Librarian jumps to GetSystemMenu ready for you to copy! By using the Visual Clipboard, you can collect numerous code snippets and paste them all at once. No more copy and paste repeated ad nauseum!

The Little Stuff is Cool!

Sheridan even thought of the little things that can make life with Visual Basic sweeter. Like giving you cut, copy and paste toolbar buttons. Like automatically opening the last project you worked on. Like letting you tile and cascade your code windows with a single click. VBAssist even provides a useful little VBX for adding scrollbars to forms and picture boxes.

Productivity Enhancer

VBAssist is truly a must-have product. I could go on and on about it, but to paraphrase a comment often repeated about VBAssist on the CompuServe MSBASIC forum: just buy it, and then you can find out what your favorite feature is!


PinPoint
PinPoint	VBxtras Price	$179

From Avanti Software	Regular Price	$199

The Indispensable Tool for Visual Basic Debugging	Product # AV01 	4 lbs.

 Execution tracer provides detailed information on the order of execution

 Application profiler determines and graphs buttlenecks

 Utility automatically inserts or removes debugging hooks

Picking up Where the VB Debugger Leaves Off

Debugging?  Sigh. We all have to do it, and the tools are never quite good enough for us to do the things we want to do. We all know that the Visual Basic debugger doesn't give us many of the features we need during debugging.  What's worse, it even changes the way our programs behave at times. Sadly, there isn't a better alternative. Or is there? PinPoint from Avanti Software is that tool!

So, What's Happen'n?

One of the toughest parts of learning VB is understanding the event-driven model.  It's different from a sequential model where things happen one after another.  It's different from the underlying Windows model, which is based on messages. Instead, Visual Basic deals with events.

Sure you can figure out the order of events (does LostFocus occur on one control before GotFocus on the next?) if you're patient and willing to single step through your application and take careful notes.  Not fun.  So why do all that work?

Do you Know Where you're Go[sub]ing To...

With PinPoint's Visual TracerTM you can determine the event order as it happens, and with minimal impact on your program. It includes a utility that lets you select which source files to add trace statements, and then does so automatically. Wanna remove them when you're done? No problem!  Done automatically.

By the way, you don't need to remove the calls unless you want to. The tracer code is smart enough to do nothing if the tracer server isn't present!

See the Forest Among all the Trees

Events, Methods, Subs, and Functions, boy-oh-boy can it  get confusing.  With Visual Basic, you will no doubt wonder what is happening and in what order, and what values are stored in arguments and variables.  You could single step (ugh) or embed Debug.Print calls throughout your source code.  But if you're going to go that far, why not take the easier route and use Visual Tracer? You'll find the trace file has all the information you need to unravel the complex interrelationships of code and objects. You'll find that with PinPoint, you can understand what's happening when and what the data values are.

Optimize your Optimizations

Haven't discussed Visual ProfilerTM yet, have we? If Visual Tracer is the bagel, Visual Profiler is the cream cheese! Visual Profiler takes the trace output and uses it to analyze the performance of your application with one millisecond resolution!  The Visual Profiler tells you how many times each event or Sub or Function was called, what the Gross and Net times were (total and average), and even shows you a pretty graph!  With this info, you can intelligently identify (I might say "PinPoint," but I won't) what aspects of your application to optimize! You can optimize by improving your Visual Basic code, by writing it in C or C++, or by using another third party tool like MicroHelp's Muscle (also available in VBxtras!)

By the way, PinPoint works with C and C++ too.

So, Give me the Bottom Line Already!

The bottom line is that Visual Tracer and Visual Profiler are indispensable!  You won't use them every day; I'd be lying to you if I said you would.  But  and this is the real bottom line  when you need the information you can get from PinPoint, there's no other tool that can do the job!  None, nada, zilch, bupkis.

Fortunately for all us Visual Basic developers, PinPoint not only does the job, but does it quite nicely, too!


Compression Plus
Compression Plus 	VBxtras Price	$229

from EllTech Development, Inc.	Regular Price	$249

The Ultimate Data Compression Tool for Visual Basic	PRODUCT #   ET01 	4lbs.

 Fast creation of PKZIP compatible .ZIP files

 Store compressed graphics and documents in database memo fields

 Powerful and flexible file handling routines

 Full Basic source code

Where Did Our Storage Space Go?

Ten years ago when I added a 10Mb hard disk to my Compaq Portable, I asked myself: "How will I ever use all this space?" The other day I installed a 1Gb drive and said to myself: "This should to hold me for about 6 months." With graphical environments, CD-ROM devices, huge databases, and multimedia applications, storage space is at a premium. Programs routinely ship on ten or more high-density diskettes. Hard disks are forever filling up. When will it all end?

EllTech To The Rescue

Well, you might not be able to solve the entire computer industry's lust for storage space, but you can make a dent for your users with a wonderful tool from EllTech Development, Compression Plus.

Designed by Tony Elliot, a long-time BASIC guru, Compression Plus is a data compression toolkit developed specifically for Visual Basic. It creates industry standard .ZIP files that are almost completely compatible with Phil Katz's PKZIP (compatible except for the multi-disk option; EllTech's solution is much better than PKZIP's).

Zippity-DoDah...

Just imagine the things that you could do with such a toolkit! Got a VB app that uses a ton of .BMP files and eats disk space for lunch? Store em in a .ZIP file until you are ready to use them, then UnZip. Want to write a database backup routine?  Backup to a multi-disk .ZIP file. Can't find a .ZIP file manager that does just exactly what you want it to do?  Write your own! Compression Plus even allows you to store arrays to .ZIP files.  What an easy way to save data in memory from one execution to the next! Besides all that, Compression Plus is fast!

It Must Be Difficult...

At first glance, you might think it hard to use, but that would be far from the truth. Just look how easy it is to create a .ZIP file of the files in your root directory.  Add COMPRESS.BAS to your project, make three function calls, and you then have the ability to create a .ZIP file directly from within your application!

Dim Handle%, Mode%, Stat%

Dim Opts$, File$

Opts$ = ""

Mode% = 16

File$= "C:\ROOT.ZIP"

ReDim Spec$(1 To 1)

Stat% = EtZipOpen%(File$, Mode%, Handle%)

Spec$(1) = "C:\*.*"

Stat% = EtZip%(Handle%, Spec$(), Opts$)

EtZipClose(Handle%)

Sure you could use shell to DOS and run PKZIP, but who wants a DOS window showing up in their app? Also, Compression Plus is completely royalty free, so you won't have to license PKZIP.

Shrink Those MDBs

Even if you don't have a need for .ZIP files, you can still benefit greatly from Compression Plus. Included are compression routines to compress anything in memory and store it anywhere you like: store compressed data into an Access Jet memo field; pictures of houses for a real-estate broker; gemstone images for a jeweler; or compressed Word documents for a lawyer; the list goes on...

Better File Handling than VB Itself

An added bonus is the general purpose file-handling and manipulation routines.  They are clearly more powerful and flexible than those that come with VB Pro. I ought to know; I wrote the "File Handling" chapter of QUE's Crash Course in Visual Basic!

Did I Mention Full Source?

Compression Plus is composed primarily of a .DLL and a .BAS file of subroutines and functions. Compression Plus comes with complete BASIC source code. If you need to modify it, it's there. If you want to learn from it, it is well designed, readable, and contains just the right number of comments. What else would you expect from EllTech?


SIxBase/VB
SIxBase/VB	VBxtras Price	$129

From SuccessWare	Retail Price	$149

Fastest xBase Data Access Available for Visual Basic	PROD# SW01 	5lbs.

 Blisteringly fast xBase data file and index support

 Feature-packed with funcitons similar to xBase commands

 Supports Clipper and FoxPro indexes and file-locking

 Query optimizer porvides up to 1000-fold speed increase

More than Even COBOL...

How many xBase applications under DOS do you think are out there today? Better yet how many of those applications do you think will need to be converted to Windows? Let me tell you, TONS!  I had a project to convert parts of an existing Clipper application to Windows. The powers that be did not want to convert the whole application at once because they felt it to be too big of a project. But Visual Basic 3.0 supports xBase file formats, right? NOT!

A Tower of Babel

The problem is that VB supports xBase data file formats, but not Clipper index files. Worse yet Visual Basic does not support Clipper's record locking on a Network. This is not good! Similar problems exist for people porting dBase III, IV and FoxPro applications. So I did some research and found a product called SIxBase/VB by SuccessWare.

It Was Love at First Byte

 I knew SuccessWare has been very successful (no pun intended..., well maybe) in the Clipper Replaceable Database Driver market. The forums on CompuServe are full of praise for SuccessWare, so I thought I would give it a try. My reason to try it was solely for the Clipper and Foxpro compatible file locks.

Turbo xBase!

I thought I was only getting a database control in SIxBASE/VB. I was wrong. I also got a high performance turbo charged database engine, a huge selection of add-on functions, and a browse control.

The Grid Control... a Browse for you xBasers

The grid control in VB is nice. But you have not seen anything like the browse in SIxBase/VB. It allows you to select the column contents, the number of columns to be displayed, select the record you want to view, the index to use, and also allows editing of the data in the browse window with both pre- and post- validation of data. Freeze columns, choose different colors, adjust columns size with the mouse during run-time etc.. I think you get the idea, this is way powerful!

The Ties that Bind

Just by specifying field name and dbf property you can bind to a database. This is a masked control. You can specify the fields being entered to be numeric or letter. Pre and Post validation is also included.

GO TOP, SKIP, COMMIT!

Besides the obvious benefits of the controls and the xBase compatibility, it gets better because of the 97 functions included. These functions mimic many of the commands and functions in xBase languages which make sense and are very easy to use. Functions like sx_AppendBlank() to add a blank record, sx_DBfEncrypt() to protect sensitive databases, sx_CloseAll() to close all open databases, sx_GoBottom ... I think you get the idea. If you know xBase you know SIxBase/VB. If you don't know xBase then no problem;  the functions are simple and easy to use.

The Real Prize... the Engine Under the Hood

The thing that I was not expecting was the blinding speed of SIxBASE/VB. Not only does the engine give you Clipper and FoxPro index compatibility (NTX and IDX), it also gives you the performance you want and need in a Windows product.

Rushmore, Smushmore

Heard of Rushmore? With the  Mach Six query optimizer, which is up to 1,000 times faster than raw xBase, you will care less about any other data access method! ODBC is great for developing an application that needs access different types of data, but when was the last time you really needed that?

With the standard xBase file format you can bring the data into Word or Excel and many other programs. So why trade the snail's pace of ODBC for the pure blinding speed of SIxBase/VB?

Who Needs SIxBase/VB? You Do!!

If you want to develop database apps with industry standard xBase files, you do! Call to order yours today!


TrueGrid
TrueGrid	VBxtras Price	$89

from Apex Software Corporation	Retail Price	$149

The Hottest Data-Bound Grid Control Available	Product # AX01	4 lbs.

 Super fast data-bound grid custom control

 Automatically creates columns with headers for your tables

 Supports many standard Windows controls in a grid cell

So you Wanna Browse your Data, eh Pilgrim?

If you are looking for a bound data grid then look no further than TrueGrid Professional! Unless you're from the old West, you know that the grid supplied with VB is a joke. In comparison, TrueGrid allows drop down list boxes, option buttons, and combo boxes, all in an easy to use control.  All of this functionality, and more, can be done with absolutely no programming on your part!

Procrastinator's Dream

One of TrueGrid's greatest features is its ability to set up almost any aspect of the grid at design time, or you can wait until runtime. For flexible, data-driven applications, these capabilities are a must!

Nothing to It...

Installing and using TrueGrid is a breeze.  Simply add TRUEGRID.VBX and you are ready to go. If you want it to, TrueGrid can automatically create columns with headers for all the fields in your table.

Have it your Way!

Colors and fonts, of course you want control of them in your grids. But TrueGrid gives you this control on a cell-by-cell basis! With this feature you can highlight negative amounts and make past due balances stand out!

What's more, you can even display icons or bitmaps in a cell!

More Powerful than a Six Shooter!

Want to see different parts of a grid side-by-side? Use TrueGrid's unique feature called column splits! You can synchronize the rows, or scroll the rows independently! You can even let your users create their own splits!

Want to edit cells right in the grid? TrueGrid supports  in-place editing and validation. TrueGrid will even drop down a multi-line text control when editing large data!

You can use standard VB Format() strings for data display in a column, and you can even base a column on a VB expression like so:

TrueGrid also supports automatic column sums for columns of numeric data!

Hey Duke, Look at This

Check boxes, Option buttons, Dropdown list boxes, Combo boxes and Radio buttons; any of these can be placed in a TrueGrid cell; these sure make in-place editing easier for users. Specify a list of valid values for a column and the user will get a drop down list box of these values when they edit. This list can also be loaded at runtime via another table in your database.

Fastest Grid this Side of the Rio Grande!

TrueGrid has a extremely fast engine for retrieving data. Use TrueGrid with a dynaset, or use a snapshot and program it yourself. With a dynaset, you can even specify the number of records to read at a time!

Fetch that Data, Waa-Ha!

Can't get what you need when bound to a data control? Use TrueGrid in "callback" mode and it will trigger a Fetch event when it needs new data, and an Update event when the user has changed data. So with TrueGrid you can say bye-bye to .AddItem and RowColChange!

I Wannit on Paper...

So your user says: "I want to print this data that I'm browsing." No problem, TrueGrid can generate reports directly using the VB Pro version of Crystal Reports. And with the Crystal Reports Pro upgrade available from VBxtras, you can also create a "bound report file (.RPT)" and customize the output!

That'll be the day...

You can search all over, even west of the great divide, and you'll not find a better, faster, more feature rich grid control for Visual Basic than TrueGrid.  For the money, it is the best deal around!


NetWare Client SDK
NetWare Client SDK	VBxtras Price	$349

from Aplary	Retail Price	$395

The Visual Basic Developer's Gateway to the NetWare API	Product # AP01 	5 lbs.

 Structures, constants and 800+ functions to support NetWare API

 Complete Windows Help file for all NetWare API functions

 Example projects demonstrate using entire NetWare API

King of the Hill?

So what network software do you think is the most widely used for IBM-PC compatible computers today? IBM-PC Lan Program? NOT! How about MS-Lan Manger? Sorry. Banyan? Yeah, right. Lantastic? Uh-uh. Windows NT?  It may be feature rich, but it ain't got a big installed base.

Come on, you know which one is used more than any other... Novell NetWare. We're not talking which one is the best; I'll stay out of that one. We're talking the one with the most users.

If I had to venture a guess, I would say that around 70% of PC networks currently in use are Novell. And it doesn't look like that is about to change anytime soon.

They want it All!

It's not like it used to be. These days users expect compatibility. And they expect support. They won't stand for printers that are not supported. They don't want to have to switch to another program to change printers. They don't want to have to type in a user ID for every application they run.

Users want their network programs to recognize who they are and remember their individual and station configurations. They don't want to have to deal with mapping drives and setting paths. They want their programs to be able to communicate with other users on the network.

Quite frankly, today's users want it all. And more and more often, they are getting it.

Are you Gonna be
an Ostrich and Bury your Head in the Sand?

So, are you going to stick your head in the sand and ignore the rising tide of user wants and needs? Or are you going to write your programs to support the environment that your users operate in?

If you choose the latter (for your sake you'd better!), then there is no better way with Visual Basic to support Novell than with the NetWare Client SDK from APIary!

The NetWare Client SDK is a collection of .BAS files declaring all structures, constants, and functions needed to support the Novell API, a Windows help file documenting and cross-referencing every function, and numerous examples of Visual Basic projects.

Overwhelming?
Not at All!

Anyone familiar with Novell programming knows that the API has over 800 functions which can be inundating at best. But, APIary has somehow managed to make the API conceptually manageable.

When you install the NetWare Client SDK, it creates a program manager group with an icon for 20 categories of NetWare services. Click on any icon and you load Visual Basic and an example project that demonstrates the use of the selected group of NetWare API functions.

Love that Clipboard

Want to add support for, say, capturing local print ports to NetWare print queues? Just click on "Print Capture," run the example program to get a feel for it, study the code for the program, then cut and paste the code you need into your application. That's all there is too it! No lengthy time spent pouring over manuals or scrolling through a Windows Help file (although the included help file is excellent).

What Else?

NetWare Client SDK provides support for all your NetWare servers 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x. It works with NETX and the VLM requester. The Help file even provides syntax for C and C++ programmers making this the only on-line NetWare reference for C and C++ programmers.

To Net or Not to Net... That is the Question

So are you gonna Net or not? Me thinks you should build NetWare support into your Visual Basic applications before your users demand it. And, as I've said before, there is no better way to do this than with the NetWare Client SDK!


Pretty Printer
Pretty Printer	VBxtras Price	$59

from Aardvark Software, Inc.	Retail Price	$79.99

The Source Code Print and Debug Utility for Visual Basic	Product # AA01 	4 lbs.

 Statement connectors make source code clearly readable

 Prints individual functions, forms, and subroutines

 Excellent as a source code browser and debugging aid

The Paperless Office...

Remember that myth?  Computers were supposed to eliminate paper. Hah!  They simply make it possible to generate reams and reams of nicely formatted printed output so that we can get just exactly the right look.

The Paper Trail

Why is it then that we print so much?  Because paper is still a much better medium for many purposes than a computer screen. Need to transmit information to a colleague? Paper is easier by far than diskettes.  Need to edit a document? It's much easier to scribble notes on a printout. You don't have to have a battery or an AC outlet to read papyrus.

Print that Source

Programmers need to print out source code just like everyone else. How else will you ever understand that 1000 line routine the last guy wrote, or you wrote and forgot? Hit Page Down  until you find it??? What about tracking down a logic bug? And providing your client with hard copy source code documentation?  (you don't always do this?!?  You should!  It will increase their perception of your value!) Face it, sooner or later, you're going to have to print out your souce code.

It's an Ugly Job...

Yes, when you print your source code from within Visual Basic, the output is just plain ugly. With all its visual orientation, VB doesn't provide any print formatting control at all. Certainly not useful for understanding and debugging, and it is definitely not the type of thing you want to present to a client at the end of a project! What's more, Visual Basic won't print individual routines or forms; it will only print .FRM and .BAS files in their entirety. Well, so much for the Rain Forests! :-(

Give VB a  Makeover

Aardvark Software felt the same way about Visual Basic's printed output as I do, and that's why they created Pretty Printer,  a professional tool for serious programmers.  Pretty Printer is a  standalone program that was actually written in Visual Basic;  you don't even have to have Visual Basic loaded to print! The Aardvark programmers must have been mainframe developers in their  former lives, and I think that they wrote Pretty Printer just to make their old mainframe buddies jealous!

Oooh!  Aaah!

Pretty Printer can really wow your clients with its syntax highlighting (in color if you have a color printer), and its different fonts for different syntax components such as identifiers, keywords, literals, and comments.  When did I print this module? Oh, there's the date and time right on Pretty Printer's output!

Let's Connect

Pretty Printer also uses statement connectors to help you "see" the logic within your routines.  When you can trace the ENDIF that goes with the IF, errors really pop off the page at you!

Trying to be Green?

So you don't like to generate printouts that often anyway? Pretty Printer is much more than a print utility; it is an excellent source code browser as well. Load your source file into Pretty Printer and you get to see your source exactly the way it would otherwise be printed.

My Next Project

I found Pretty Printer while researching the market for add-ons to include in VBxtras. I really wish I had found it from day one. Now I can turn over the source documentation for my next VB project to my client looking much prettier than ever before. Don't you think you should do the same?  :-)


VB Compress Pro
VB Compress Pro	VBxtras Price	$95

from Whippleware	Retail Price	$99.95

The Absolutely Essential Optimization Utility for Visual Basic	Product # WW01 	3 lbs.

 Remove unreferenced and unused constants, declarations, variables, and procedures from your application

 Provides complete cross-reference of constants, controls, functions, fors, etc.

 Assumption checking capabilility for pro-active debugging

Because I Said So...

All good developers know that you shouldn't refer to "magic" numbers in your source code. For instance you shouldn't use "3" when you could use FIXED_DOUBLE, "11" when you can use HOURGLASS, or "6" when you can use V_CURRENCY. Doing so makes apps more readable and maintainable, and is why so many of us include a copy of CONSTANT.TXT and other declaration files in our projects.

The Enlarging App

But try this: open a new project and create an .EXE. 5K right? Then add WIN30API.TXT to your project and recreate the .EXE. A whopping 65K!!! And it can only get worse! Can you spell B.L.O.A.T.?

What to Do?

So what are your choices? Should you use "11" instead of HOURGLASS? You shouldn't do that. Live with the bloat?  Many people do, much to the chagrin of their users. Cut and Paste each declaration as you use it? Can you say "slow and inefficient?"

Just Say NO to Bloat!

So none of those prior options appeal to you? I don't blame you. You do however have another, much better option; use VB Compress Pro from Whippleware.

This wonderful utility takes the source code for your application and comments out any and all unreferenced declarations and constants from its source files! After VB Compress Pro, we're back to 5K and we didn't have to cut and paste a single line!

With VB Compress Pro, you can return to coding your application and forget the irrelevant concerns of application bloat.

This is truly an aspect of Visual Basic that Microsoft should have taken care of, but didn't.

Better than a Bean Counter

Want to know how many referenced and unreferenced constants and variables you have? Not just Global, but Module and Form-level as well? How about all unreferenced API and DLL function declarations? How about detailed line counts, as well as cross references for procedures and controls? It's all possible with VB Compress Pro.

Don't Just Assume

If these savings already are not enough to justify adding it to your programming arsenal, the professional version doesn't stop there. It adds features that turn it into a powerful programming tool.

VB Compress Pro provides an assertion checker like the C language ASSERT macro. The assertion checker lets you include debugging statements that will tell you, during program execution, that you have done something wrong! No more tracking down errors only to find out that you made an invalid assumption in your code!

Afterwards, VB Compress Pro will also remove or comment out your assertions automatically!

Check it Out!

VB Compress Pro also allows you to package and maintain your Visual Basic code in libraries, the way you can in other development environments. This can help simplify maintaining your own collection of reusable routines!

Don't Ship Code Without It!

Although VB Compress Pro is a relatively simple product, what it does is a must for any really serious Visual Basic application developer. I cannot imagine delivering a Visual Basic application without first running it through VB Compress Pro.

Why inflict all that overhead on your users when you can avoid it for so little money? For me, its a no-brainer. VB Compress Pro is your only viable option!


ImageKnife/VBX
ImageKnife/VBX	VBxtras Price	$279

from Media Architects, Inc.	Retail Price	$299

The Ultimate Image Processing .VBX	Product # MA01 	5 lbs.

 Simple and comprehensive image handling custom control

 Extensive image file support

 Strong multiple image support

 Supports bound and unbound database access

 Industry-standard scanner support (TWAIN)

Picture This!

Imagine a VB Tool that can easily display all kinds of graphic formats on your Visual Basic forms. Now imagine also having the ability to process these images both individually and through multiple image processes. Throw in the capability to read, write, and convert to all the popular modern graphics formats. All this, and more, is what you get with the ImageKnife/VBX data-aware custom control.

Simply Powerful

Isn't it nice that the most comprehensive toolkit available for Visual Basic image processing is also incredibly easy to use? All you need to do to start is place a PicBuf control on your form, set a few properties, and you'll have graphic images popping right up. You can also link a PicBuf's property to the filename property of a File Common Dialog Box and presto, a complete image browser.

As your graphic demands increase, you will find that ImageKnife/VBX has the advanced features to support your most sophisticated applications.

What Kind of Images?

All kinds - big ones, small ones, family pictures, pictures of trees, even ... oh, you mean you want to know the graphic image formats right? Well ImageKnife/VBX can read, write, and convert between TIFF, BMP, DIB, PCX, GIF, Targa, and yes, even JPEG.

You can display them in true color, Super-VGA, VGA, and for your not-so-colorful users, there's monochrome. If you need to process these images, you can rotate, mirror, negate, sharpen, and matrix filter to your heart's content. There is also open access via DIB handles and an extensive set of color palette tools.

Could They be Using Mirrors?

ImageKnife/VBX has some real unmatched power in its multiple image operations. I'm talking about such tasks as composition, masking for cropping, and combining images. Start playing around with ImageKnife/VBX, and I promise that you'll find yourself able to perform some real image magic.

Bound or Unbound?

Use ImageKnife/VBX with the Access Jet engine and bind a PicBuf to a VB3 Data Control. Then, as you would expect, the image data contained in the current record's field automatically loads into the PicBuf.

The PicBuf can also read, add, or edit images to the database, and even store the image as a Paintbrush OLE object in your .MDB file - try that with a picture box or an image control!  Simple enough for any VB rookie. Yet those of us who have more elaborate databases may wish to reduce the overhead and limitations of using the data control for the large blocks of data that make up images. Media Architects has designed ImageKnife/VBX to have the ability to read and write images in a field using the PicBuf as an unbound control. You can then use Visual Basic's GetChunk or AppendChunk methods instead.

The TWAIN Option

Aside from being the name of a distinguished author, TWAIN is the standard protocol and API for communication between software applications and image acquisition devices (I like to call them scanners).  The ImageKnife/VBX TWAIN option allows you to acquire their image data from TWAIN devices - no more having to switch out to another application for scanner support!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

Break the communications gap with your users. Order ImageKnife/VBX today and incorporate image processing in your VB apps tomorrow!


QuickApp
QuickApp	VBxtras Price	$895

from Digital Communications Associates, Inc.	Retail Price	$995

Painless Creation of Host Front Ends in Visual Basic	Product # DC01 	9 lbs.

 Custom control that greatly simplifies host-front end development

 Does not require EHLLAPI programming

 Host sessions are recorded for use during development

Driving with your Eyes Closed...

Visual Basic is a great tool for building user-interfaces. We all know that Visual Basic is great for prototyping and great for writing front-ends. In this Windows world of complexity, VB is an awesome tool.

Unfortunately integrating VB with host applications (IBM mainframe, ASI400, DEC VAX, UNISYS, HP or UNIX)  means using EHLLAPI, which interfaces with terminal emulation screens.

In case you weren't aware, EHLLAPI programming is akin to driving a car blindfolded, it's not fun and you must trust a friend!

Look out for the Natives

Using native EHLLAPI can be boring at best and at worst, it is close to your scariest nightmare. Native EHLLAPI is like assembler, every operation is atomic and you must check each error condition carefully. What's more, you have to worry needlessly about screen navigation and cursor position.

Give it a Facelift

Sure it'd be nice to build new client/server apps from scratch, but it just ain't gonna happen in all cases. There are too many mainframe systems currently in use, and they are not going away anytime soon; doing so would just be too costly.

If you can make'em prettier, you can have your cake and eat it too. Windows apps that don't require a rewrite of the mainframe application logic.

QuickApp to the Rescue

Digital Communications Associates, the leader in PC-to-Mainframe connectivity tools, recognized the need to extend the life of these mainframe apps and provided a solution called QuickApp.

QuickApp does not eliminate the need for EHLLAPI, but it shields you from the pain associated with its clumsy interface. It enables you to be significantly more productive when developing Windows front-ends for mainframe software.

Mind if I Record This?

QuickApp provides several development tools, the first of which is the QuickApp Session Recorder.  The recorder captures all host screens, as well as the keystrokes used to navigate between screens.

This data is  stored in a file which identifies each host screen, its navigation information, and its field information so that screens can be recognized by QuickApp.

In 5, 4, 3, 2...

To use QuickApp you must first record your host screen. This recording file must be present when you build your VB app. QuickApp provides three controls that use the recording: Navigation, Label, and Text.

Let Your Recording be Your Guide

The DCA Navigate control links your VB application to the recorded host session. It handles navigation between host screens by using the keystrokes captured in the recording file. You specify which screen to navigate to and this control will interact with the emulator and get you there.

In, or Just Out?

The DCA Label control allows a protected host field to be displayed as a VB Label. The DCA Text control allows you to read and update a normal (unprotected) host field like a VB text control. Pairing each of these controls is easily done at either design time or run-time using drop-down list boxes.

No More Ugly Ducklings

QuickApp enables you to get past the ugliness associated with using EHLLAPI for mainframe integration.  Although it does not eliminate the need to understand the host application, using QuickApp does allow you to focus on building your application by solving the EHLLAPI problems for you.

Do Yourself a Favor...

So, if you have host applications that you are even considering giving a facelift, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of QuickApp today!


Doc-to-Help
Doc-to-Help	VBxtras Price	$249

from WexTech Systems, Inc.	Retail Price	$295

The Single-Source Help File and User Documentation Tool	Product # WT01 	4 lbs.

 Drag and drop context-sensitive Help creation for VB-no programming required

 Develop printed manuals and help files with the same source document

 Utilize hypertext jumps, pop-ups, and graphics

It Ain't Over Yet

You've just finished writing the killer VB app that's going to fund your retirement in Barbados, and all of a sudden it hits you…you still have to create an on-line Help file. Yuck! You dread the hours (or days) of work that lie ahead of you: defining topic hierarchies and hypertext links, creating arcane RTF files, editing, compiling, testing, editing…

But, wait! You're forgetting the First Rule of  Successful Programming: "Never Do Any Work You Don't Have To Do." With Doc-To-Help from WexTech Systems, the Old Days of tedious, labor-intensive Help file creation are over!

Point-and-Click Help

Doc-To-Help's templates and macros turn Word for Windows into a full-featured hypertext development system. Simply choose one of the professionally-designed page layouts and create your user manual by typing or importing text into its pre-defined sections. When you're happy with it, click on "Make Into Help", and Doc-To-Help does the rest: the Table of Contents becomes the Help file's Contents screen, subheads are used to create a topic hierarchy, and margin notes become pop-up definitions. Doc-To-Help's powerful indexing utility can create an index for your manual that provides keyword searches in your Help file.  You can also build a glossary of terms which automatically seeds popup definitions in the Help file.

A Dewey-Decimal System for your Apps

If your documentation contains cross-references within the text ("…see Redundancy' on page 33…"), the program turns them into hypertext jumps automatically. Doc-To-Help adds nearly 40 menu items to Word for Windows. So, adding tables, graphics, even sound becomes a simple point-and-click operation. In minutes, you can create a printed manual and on-line help from the same source file!

Good News!

Doc-To-Help is completely customizable, so you have full control over the appearance and layout of your documents and Help files. With the "Format Help Window" dialog, you can interactively set the colors, sizes and positions of your Help file's main and secondary windows. It's easy to include features like Hypergraphics (bitmaps with "hot spots" that respond to mouse clicks), Help Watermarks (subtle backgrounds behind Help topics) and the Help Navigator (a collapsible outline view of your Help file's contents).  Doc-To-Help's interactive Help macro editor lets you change the Help user interface and execute commands in response to a mouse click, or automatically upon entering the Help topic.

You can Have your Cake and Eat it Too!

But what if you don't want your manual and Help file to contain identical information? No problem! Doc-To-Help adds an option to Word's Format menu, so you can easily mark text as "Help only" or "Manual only". There's no need to maintain separate versions of your documentationyou can update both your manual and your on-line help simply by editing the Word document and clicking on "Make Into Help"!

When your Help file is complete, the Doc-To-Help Navigator lets you instantly locate the Help topic for every form and control in your application - simply drag and drop!  Linking context sensitive Help into VB has never been this easy!

Barbados, Here I Come!

Doc-To-Help's excellent 300-page manual includes a step-by-step tutorial that will have you producing sophisticated Help files in minutes.  So, now there's no need to dread the chore of creating high-quality Help files and documentation. Doc-To-Help gives you everything you need to crank out state-of-the-art Help in record time!

Retire Early...

Listen, if you develop in VB, then you simply must develop help files for your apps; anything less is simply not a true Windows app! Doc-To-Help is the easiest route to help system development, and you get printed documentation without any additional effort.


Muscle
Muscle	VBxtras Price	$110

from MicroHelp, Inc.	Retail Price	$129

Super Fast and Powerful Library for Visual  Basic	Product # MH02 	7 lbs.

 Contains over 600 functions

 Written in fast assembly language

 Routines for optimization, data manipulation, and accessing operating system features

It just Runs too Slow...

How many times have you heard that in reference to your Visual Basic application. Unfortunately, I bet more often than once. And you can optimize until you are blue in the face, and you still won't be able to speed up many operations. You see, Visual Basic is an excellent tool for creating applications quickly, but it is not exactly excellent for creating quick applications!

...So Optimize!

Enter MicroHelp, Inc. These guys really know how to help the VB programmer - they must have more useful Visual Basic add-on tools that any other vendor.

MicroHelp decided to provide Muscle, a toolkit of over 600 functions and subprograms to help you optimize your apps. Muscle's forte is the "under-the-hood" power that it provides via tight, hand-coded assembly routines complete with source code!

Not your Every Day
Add-on

Visual Basic programmers tend to think of third-party add-ons as being little (or in some cases, massive) VBX's. Muscle is definitely not in that category; this relatively tiny (140 K) .DLL file extends the Visual Basic language well beyond its native capabilities.

Where do I Start?

There are so many features in this product you might think it overwhelming! So, let's begin with the thirteen different categories of routines in Muscle. The categories include: Strings, Arrays, MicroHelp (super) arrays, DOS/Windows memory, Keyboard, Files & Devices, Disks & Directories, System, Dates & Times, Bit manipulation, "High-level" routines (mostly written in BASIC), Error handling routines, and Miscellaneous routines.

Whew!

A Complete Detailed Description of Each Routine...

Yeah,...Right! I could go on and on and tell you about all of the routines contained in Muscle, but that would take the entire catalog; this is one big puppy!

Let me put it to you this way, if you are writing a Visual Basic application, I can guarantee you that you need at least one percent of the routines in Muscle. You could really use ten percent  and you might be able to use half of them. Let's see, that'd be about 6, 60, and 300 respectively. Do you know how long it would take to write these on your own? I thought so.

Just Benefits, OK?

OK, just benefits. Aside from providing practically every routine that you will likely ever need, Muscle's primary benefit to you is performance. Use Muscle when you want to optimize your application. Secondarily, Muscle has power. When you need to access memory, file, directory, or operating services, Muscle gets you just what you need. Thirdly there is flexibility. Muscle provides routines that greatly simplify the things that you will need to do on a day-to-day basis.

Docs Gotta be Good

With over 600 routines, Muscle needs some really hefty documentation and MicroHelp delivers the quality here as well. An excellent Programmer's Guide is included and then two, count em, two reference manuals. So you don't like carrying around a whole set of printed docs? All of the reference material is contained online in a Window's help file; just press Shift-F1.

Get yourself a little Elbow Grease

Since you will be sure to use it from the first day forward, why not get a little Muscle yourself? After all, no one likes atrophy!


Version Stamper VB
Version Stamper VB	VBxtras Price	$109

From Desaware	Retail Price	$129

The Ultimate Visual Basic Distribution Toolkit	Product # DW02 	3 lbs.

 Detects missing and obsolete .VBX and .DLL files

 Analyzes .VBX and .DLL version information

 Excellent tutorial on Windows operations

 Add true version resource to VB executables

Remember the Good Old Days?

This is not a story about your Grandpa who had to walk 3 miles to school. (Up hill both ways!) But, I remember the days when I would upgrade my customer's programs by sending them a single .EXE That was it! Those were the days...

More Files than you can Shake a Stick At!

Things have sure changed a lot since then, with the component method of software development that Windows supports. Add a .VBX here, call some .DLL's there and... SHAZAM! You have got a full featured application. Certainly I wouldn't trade it for the simplicity of yesterday, but it does introduce a whole new set of challenges.

Has this Ever Happened to You?

How many of us have had an application that has worked fine for several months out in the field. Then one day your customer calls and tells you that your applications are causing .GPF's on his machine. If your users are like mine, they say, "Nothing" when you ask them what they've changed.  After hours of trying things, you realize they installed some software which used older versions of files that your application depends upon and the other guys' install overwrote your version! So just exactly how do you stop this from happening?

Raise the Shields Scotty

Unfortunately, you can't keep another program from overwriting your needed files. But with VersionStamper-VB from Desaware, you can detect the problem and notify the user as to why.

By adding a control to a form and a little bit of code (taken from the example) your application can verify every version of a .DLL and .VBX used. If a problem exists, your user is notified as to why. No more multi-hour support calls for overwritten .VBX and .DLL files! VersionStamper-VB puts you back in control!

Whose .DLL is that Anyway?

VersionStamper-VB also includes an application called Version Spy that will report the version information of any executable (.EXE, .DLL, .VBX) that contains a version resource.

For example, when I was installing a Microsoft software product, the install program told me that some software has installed a .DLL with the same name as Microsoft's.  They said I should contact the vendor to have them change their name. What vendor?  I had no way of knowing who the vendor was.  Or, so I thought; VersionStamper-VB solved the problem for me.

Beyond the Software...

I keep trying to decide if the product ships with a manual or a text book. It is a manual because it tells you how to use the product, a textbook because it tells how Windows does things and refers you to other books and manuals if you want to know more information.  It tutors you on install strategies, and how to overcome the most common install problems.  All in all, one of the best manuals I've ever used!

Of course one should expect the manual to be really good; after all, it came from Dan Appleman, President of Desaware and the author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API (also available from VBxtras).

While you're at It...

Did you know that there is a  bug in Visual Basic's Setup kit? I didn't but the VersionStamper-VB manual not only points it out and shows you how to fix it, it also shows you how to enhance it as well!

But I Really Like to Get Support Calls

Yeah right. I might be wrong, but my guess is that no one reading this really likes to get support calls (except maybe the MayTag repairman).

So if you don't like to get support calls either, I suggest that you have at least one option that can reduce your support load significantly. Buy a copy of VersionStamper-VB from VBxtras Today!


Fax Plus
Fax Plus 	VBxtras Price	$229

from EllTech Development, Inc.	Retail Price	$249

The Seamless Faxing Solution for Visual Basic	Product # ET02 	4 lbs.

 Easy-to-implement fax support in a custom control

 Supports numerous graphic file formats

 Captures any application's printed output to the fax

Just Say "No"...

to any fax driver that your users must purchase and install. Imagine having to buy a fax driver for every user that needs to fax! Not with Fax Plus from EllTech Development.

Keep on Top of that Fax Modem!

With Fax Plus, your VB app will have direct control over your fax modem for sending and receiving faxes.  Fax Plus has a slew of properties for detecting the capabilities of your fax modem so you can correctly configure your application, as well as a useful set of error codes to check.

Fast, Easy, and Nutritious, Too!

Faxing using this VBX couldn't be easier. Simply set the PhoneNumber, FaxFileName, and Action properties, and away it goes! You can monitor the error and status codes to provide on-screen information.

To receive, just use the Rings, FaxFileName, and Action properties, and you're all set.

This Fax is Not Lax!

Faxes are sent using a .FAX file format. You combine supported graphic files to build a .FAX file, and can also break an existing .FAX file down into individual graphic files, all by using the VBX.

A .Picture Property is Worth a Thousand .Text Properties

Fax Plus can import .BMP, .PCX or .DCX files, and can create .BMP, .DCX, .PCX, or .TIF images from a received fax.

Advanced Properties Available Too!

The properties for the Fax Plus control let you create basic programs as described previously, but for you power peripheral types, you can get to properties that control the RTS signal, the Carrier Detect timeout, and the COMM speed.  If you're interested, you can even use these advanced properties of the Fax Plus control to handle communications directly through the modem! Not only that, the fax control has a built-in timer that can be used to poll the status of the fax modem periodically, rather than tying up resources with a DO loop.

All this and a Printer Driver, Too!

The printer driver works just like a standard Windows driver for printing from any Windows application. You can easily create an application that will be awakened by another Windows application starting a print job. When the app prints to the driver, the driver notifies the VBX sitting in your application. Your Fax Plus app then takes over and sets all sorts of properties about the print job. Essentially, you wind up with .BMP files created merely by printing from any application.

Use your Imagination!

There are a lot of possibilities here, from providing basic faxing ability to utilizing multiple fax boards! Fax invoices and confirmation notices upon entry. Design and build your own specialized fax server. Fax exception reports to operators at remote locations. Fax Plus supports Class 1, Class 2, and Class 2.0 fax modems.

Don't Fall Through the Cracks; Just Get the  Fax Plus!

So, if you have the need, or merely the curiosity, to build faxing ability into your Visual Basic application, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out Fax Plus.  It is the royalty-free solution for faxing from within a Visual Basic application.  Order yours today!


Visual Voice
Visual Voice	VBxtras Price	$449

from Stylus Innovation, Inc.	Retail Price	$495

True Telephony Control for Visual Basic	Product # SI01 	5 lbs.

 Utilizes up to 24 phone lines

 Records and manipulates voice objects and queries

 Handles voice prompts and touch-tone commands

You've Never Heard Anything Like This!

Visual Voice is like nothing you've ever seen (heard?) before in the Visual Basic environment! Via a custom control, a utility workbench, and a voice processing board, you can bring the full power of telephony to your own Visual Basic applications! The possibilities of this combination are nothing short of phenomenal!

For example, you can build an interactive voice response system (like Touch Tone Banking), a Fax-on-demand system, or a custom voice mail application all using Visual Basic!

Speak your Mind

You begin with voice files, which contain voice clips like "Press 1 to leave a message", or numbers like "eleven" or dates, or even sounds such as a bell or a siren.

So What's the Object?

The Voice Workbench allows you to easily manipulate voice "objects." These objects have sound associated with them, but unlike wave files, they store a lot more information including:  the text, who recorded, the date, and other useful information.  With the Voice Workbench you can manipulate existing voice objects, or you can easily create your own.

Once you have all of your voice objects recorded and the layout of your system is determined (i.e. "Press one for Main Menu,"), then you just knit them all together to create a working telephony application!

Hello, Operator...

On an incoming call your application will answer and process the call through the custom control so Visual Voice is completely programmable like any other custom control!

Press 1 if you are on a Touch Tone Phone...

The Voice Workbench also allows you to design voice queries.  These queries allow you to accept, let's say, an account number the caller keys in on their phone, look up their account, or even speak their name and pass it on to another extension before transferring the call.

Don't Know what to Say?

Well, just read the cue cards. Actually, Visual Voice excels at retrieving records from a database and then "speaking" the field values across the phone line, like account balances or order ship dates. It can also play voice messages triggered by the keys pressed by the user on their telephone. Best of all, Visual Voice comes with common telephony phrases already recorded which is great if you're like me and hate the way you sound...

What about Hardware?

Well, I'm glad you asked. Visual Voice will work with Dialogic-type voice boards. And, get this, a system can be built around these boards that can handle up to 24 phone lines at once! Don't think you'd need to worry about Call Waiting then! You can even run different applications on the same PC that handle different lines!  Just ask us for more info on the voice boards you need.

Just the Fax [Back]!

By integrating Visual Voice with Delrina's WinFax Pro, you can implement a complete document fax-back system. Visual Voice can first accept the call, then prompt the caller for a phone number and the documents to send. Next, you can trigger WinFax Pro to dial that number and fax the requested documents. What a concept!

Great Samples

The Visual Voice sample applications are a terrific learning tool for all you would-be telephony developers. They utilize the sample voice files I mentioned earlier, and are a great way to learn the logic of this package.

True Telephony It's Not Phony!

Visual Voice is not a cute multimedia VBX. It is a powerful system that can be used to design turnkey solutions with ease, yet handle true telephony and voice processing in a professional manner. So, look no farther that Visual Voice!

Standard (2 Line Edition)

 Call for pricing on the Voice Card.


VB/Magic Controls
VB/Magic Controls	VBxtras Price	$129

from AJS Publishing, Inc.	Retail Price	$149

Design Your Own Controls for Visual Basic	Product # AJ01 	4 lbs.

 Create command buttons, sliders, tool bars and floating tool palets for Visual Basic

 Customize button and toolbar appearance at runtime

 Embed control within .EXE files

 Control editor allows visual creation of controls

The Cream of the Crop!

What is it that distinguishes a  great Windows app from a run-of-the-mill program? Speed is important, sure. Features are important too. But quite often it is a well crafted user interface, right?

Be Inspired by the Best!

For instance, think about some of the more recent applications on the market today: WinWord, Corel Draw, or Quicken to name a few. These are excellent programs primarily because of their user interface. But where do you get the tools you need to do the job?

Look to the Third Party

To create world-class applications, you have to go beyond Visual Basic itself. The tools you need can only be found in the third party and most of the third party tools are supplied as .VBX custom controls. What a wonderful idea Microsoft had when they added .VBX support!

Beyond the Limitations of the .VBX

Realize that I love .VBXs. .VBXs comprise the first truly reusable set of software components in widespread use today! Still, you can't modify a .VBX with Visual Basic so, if you cannot find one that meets your needs exactly, then you're out of luck.

A Better Way?

AJS Publishing created VB/Magic because of these .VBX limitations. VB/Magic allows you to design your own controls in VB! No, it doesn't create .VBX files; instead, it records control definitions using a control editor.

After all, .VBX files have their downsides: they take system resources, must be distributed with your .EXE, and can be overwritten by not-so-nice install utilities.

The Magician

VB/Magic provides you with the ultimate in flexibility when it comes to creating button controls. It lets you create command buttons limited only by your imagination, and with practically any shape, font, color, or graphic you could imagine. VB/Magic performs its feats of wonder by making clever behind- the-scenes use of the Windows' API.

Options Galore!

VB/Magic creates buttons in numerous styles: command, no-wait, toggle, spin, option, and delay. In toolbars and palettes, these buttons can create an impressive user interface. Implementing text formatting buttons? You can create toggle buttons for selecting text justification and option buttons for selecting text attributes. I could go on and on!

The Golden Goose

How about flyout toolbars attached to a button (looking like Corel Draw's toolbars) that minimize screen usage until needed. Also like Corel, you can use rollup dialogs and rollup palettes as well.

How about sliders? Just look at how WinWord itself uses sliders to let you adjust column indentation to see how useful sliders can be!

Point and Click

VB/Magic's Control Editor makes creating custom controls easy. Simply dimension your control, specify its type, add graphics or text, save your control, add VBM.BAS into your project, and you are done! It even comes with over 100 graphic images for use on your buttons and toolbars. The only other way to get this kind of flexibility in a control for VB would be to write a VBX in C!

Need a Little Magic?

If you want analog input controls, customized button images, controls whose behavior can be changed dynamically at runtime, 3D effects, floating and persistent tool palettes, variable text on controls, or controls which embed in an .EXE file, (all with little or no programming), you need VB/Magic now!


HighEdit
HighEdit	VBxtras Price	$399

from MicroHelp, Inc.	Retail Price	$495

Full-Feature Word Processor in a Custom Control	Product # MH01 	5 lbs.

 Complete WYSIWYG Word Processing

 Supports fonts, colors, graphics, headers and footers

 Very simple to implement yet extremely powerful

Well, it Sounded Great...

If you are like me, you were excited to get OLE 2.0 for Visual Basic. The thought of using Word for Windows as a  seamless word-processor in my VB application sounded great!

Then I Met Sam

Sam owns his own company. Sam wanted a Windows based customer tracking system. So, we met to talk about the program. I thought Sam's jaw was going to hit the floor when we did the specs for his application and I mentioned the idea of using WinWord for the letter writing functions. You see Sam is pretty good when it comes to identifying unneccessary expenses (he needs to be to run his own company!) Word at $199 dollars for 100 hundred people equals  $19,900. Gee, no wonder Microsoft created OLE. Well I can identify unnecessary expense too, and I realized that I would might end up eating some of that $19,900.  I knew that there had to be a better way.

MicroHelp, Inc. to the Rescue!

The better way was HighEdit from MicroHelp. For a one time fee, I was able to give my customer a complete WYSIWYG word processor. Fonts, Color, Graphics, Headers, Footers, the whole nine yards. The system I created now pulls up the standard form letter with the user's information already merged into the letter;. All they have to do now is add a few lines to customize the letter and then print it. Sam and I were both happy! Our wallets were even happier!

A Full-Blown Word Processor Control

HighEdit is the type of control you can use in any application. Be creative! Imagine adding user-defined help to your applications. Your application's administrator could type in custom help in a true WYSIWYG style. Your application could then display it in read-only form for the user. No more text boxes! Imagine how good it could look with graphics and color!  You can even scan or draw your company logo and eliminate buying stationary!

The Extra Mile

MicroHelp has even created custom dialogs for the many functions that we need. It has dialogs for the standard type stuff like color selection and fonts. Here is a example of how easy it is:

Declare the Dialog in General

Declare function HEFormatDocDlg Lib _ "HEVB.VBX" (ByVAl hWnd%) As Integer

Bring up the Dialog

Sub Command1_Click()

RtVal = HEFormatDocDlg(HighEdit1.hWnd)

EndSub

These two lines of code (not counting comments) give us a powerful dialog box with the ability to set Width, Height, Tabs and Margins. There are dialogs for things like Font Selection, Document Information, and Picture Dialog. Over 14 dialogs to take care of the dirty work for us. I wish all tools took such good care of us!

Where the Action Is

With over 35 events, HighEdit gives you the flexibility to tailor how the product responds to your needs. But HighEdit doesn't stop there!

The Workhorses

HighEdit has over 180 functions. Functions for Data Fields, Cursor, BitMaps , Printing, Tabs, Copy/Paste, Formatting, Search & Replace, and many others.

The Power of Simplicity

The beauty of HighEdit is that it can easily  be a simple to use product. You place a HighEdit control on your form and you have WYSIWYG text editing! While simple, it is not like most easy-to-use products.  HighEdit has depth. As your needs and skill increase, the functions and events are there for you to use and exploit.

The Power/Price Ratio

No where else can you find a product that can give you so much word-processing power for so little cost. Don't be the last developer on the block without HighEdit!


M.4
M.4	VBxtras Price	$495

from Cimflex Teknowledge Corporation	Retail Price	$995

The Embedded Expert System for Visual Basic	Product # CT01 	9 lbs.

 Fully embeddable expert system in a custom control with .VBX source code

 Object-oriented development language

 Supports advanced knowledge system capabilities

Hey, it's Already Intelligent

Sure your program is, but we're talking expert systems here. You know, Artificial Intelligence and all. M.4 is the expert system custom control for VB to turn your applications into something really brilliant. You build your expert system within the M.4 environment and stick it in your VB application.

It Doesn't Take an Expert...

Hey, I oughtta know! For a long time I've been looking for a way to put a knowledge base into my applications without having to be an expert systems expert.

Then I found M.4! M.4 was designed to be used quickly and effectively by someone with no prior experience in knowledge system technology.

So, What is It?

An Expert System uses the knowledge that an expert  uses to analyze, plan, design, select or diagnose. This knowledge is quantified as a set of  rules and conditions that make up an M.4 knowledge base. Your application can then solve problems for your users when the expert is not around.

Fer'instance:

I chose M.4 because I wanted to use a knowledge base to help pick winning stocks in the stock market.  Cimflex makes it easy by providing a complete Visual Basic application, including all source code, for an expert system application interface. I've been using it as a starting point and plan to rework the knowledge base and create customized forms for my application.

An Abundance of  Capabilities

M.4 gives you all the different types of knowledge representation you could ask for:  backward chaining, forward chaining, pattern matching variables, and symbolic list processing.

You also get recursion, iteration, certainty factors, facts & rules, value checking and explanation. Hey, if you've got the knowledge, this system will get it into the PC for you!

Want to Roll your own VBX?

That's what M.4 allows and even encourages you to do. You see, M.4 comes with the complete C source code for the M.4 Custom Control which interfaces to the M.4 engine.

This means that you can add properties and events to the VBX and recompile it into your own custom control. Let's face it, not all custom controls vendors allow you to do that!

Embeddable and Versatile

That's right, here's where the M.4 system really shines! You see, the secret to M.4's design is in its Kernel Library whose architecture contains separate modules making it easy to modify or replace just the components you need for your program. Those of us in VB can really get into this highly modular package. DLLs, VBXs and EXEs provide a great way to use and modify the over 110 routines for everything from running a system, to dynamic modification of the knowledge base itself.

OOP's, I Almost Forgot

No description would be complete without describing the advanced features of M.4's development language. For you forward looking developers, the M.4  language supports true Object Oriented Programming.

That's right, we're talking about creating classes, multiple inheritance methods, and message-passing.  M.4's language has a syntax that is easy to use and understand.  Also, those of you who've used Prolog will certainly feel at home with the way M.4 handles variables, anonymous variables, and list structures.

Have Expertise, Will Travel!

Need your PC to attack complex problems that require significant expertise to solve? Then this is the tool for you (note that M.4 requires runtime fees for application distribution).


VB Power Guides
VB Power Guides	VBxtras Price	$129

from Building Blocks Publishing, Inc.	Retail Price	$169

The Essential Reference for the Visual Basic Developer	Product # BB04	6 lbs.

Individual guides:	VBxtras Special Price 	$69
Product # BB01, 02, 03	3 lbs.

 Easy to follow learning tools

 Field-proven code samples

 Visual Basic application templates

 Plug-in components

Add it to my Project?

Don't try to use File, Add File... to bring in this hot product. It's not a VBX, a DLL, or even an .EXE. It's not a replacement for the Visual Basic manuals, or another off-the-shelf voluminous book. So, what are VB Power Guides? Well, they're a set of well written, robust guide books for Visual Basic, and they're an indispensable tool for all developers. You've got to get these on your shelf!

VBxtra! VBxtra! Read all About it!

What first impressed me about these guides was that they are big enough for me to work with comfortably! The Guides are 8-1/2" by 11", with nice wide margins for notes. Now this might sound trivial, but just reach over, pull your Visual Basic manual off the shelf, and try to lay it open while you code! There you go.

What you Need, When you Need It.

The three guides in the series cover an incredible range of topics. They are organized as easy-to-follow lessons, loaded with tips from the authors, who themselves are seasoned developers. The tips and techniques they lay out for you are fantastic!  The VB Power Guides essentially help you create a template for a Visual Basic application that you can use again and again.

Start Me Up

Power Start, the first of the three Guides, is geared towards the developer who knows where he wants to be, but needs to be pointed in the right direction. It jumps right into topics like MDI forms, using the Windows API, and Dynasets. How do you trap when an MDI parent form is closing, so you can save all the information on the MDI child forms? It's questions like this that are answered clearly for you in this text.

Ever try to design an About box for your application (you know, with System Resources, Memory and Window Mode displayed)? Power Start comes with several forms like this already created - just plug them right into your project.

Develop a Sense of Accomplishment

Power Development expands on the template application created in Power Start. It focuses on data-driven techniques, again with the goal being reuseable code. Validation, security, reporting and other elements that are de facto in an application are modeled for you. Plus everything you ever wanted to know about Drag and Drop. Power Development also includes a Code Generator for automatically generating your table access routines; just paint your form and Code Generator does the rest along with other valuable Visual Basic optimization techniques. Think of the time this and all the other Visual Basic optimization tools will save you!

These are the Voyages...

The sequel to these two books (sorry) is Enterprise Development Using SQL Server. It is a thorough discussion of this hot new buzzword, Client/Server. If I didn't have a clear understanding of the concepts involved in Client/Server before reading this Guide, I sure do now! The discussions of the differences between the JET engine and ODBC, and about Business Rules, will really get you chomping at the bit (byte?) to implement them. And, once again, templates are established to keep your code flexible and modular.

Enterprise Development Using SQL Server includes an in-depth discussion of Structured Query Language, covering SELECT statements and stored procedures.

It's Like Having a Coding Coach

Lest you be worried about where to begin, rest assured that all of the VB Power Guides come with sample applications, specifically a customer/contact tracking system and a membership tracking application. Each are well commented and really illustrate the concepts of successful coding in Visual Basic. You can order any of the individual guides, or save money by ordering the whole set! With your set you get a handy binder.


VBASIC Library
VBASIC Library	VBxtras Price:	$55

from EMS Professional Shareware	Retail Price:	$59.50

The Largest VB Utility Collection Available	Product # EM01(disks)	5 lbs.
Product # EM02 (CD)	7 lbs.

 Over 770 Shareware and freeware tools for Visual Basic

 Contains a comprehensive search utility

 Included on two durable CD-ROM disks

773 in One ? ! ?

That's right, 773 Visual Basic shareware and freeware add-on products - and still growing! The VBASIC Library is hands down the most extensive collection of  VB products I've ever seen, or even imagined!

Picture a BBS chock full of the most popular files for Visual Basic complete with an  excellent search utility that have been screened, tested, and organized, and you've got the VBASIC Library. Unlike a BBS, however, there is no download time required; you get everything included on two CD-ROM disks (or on a bjillion floppies).

A Trip thru the Library

The library is full of Visual Basic tools, tips, tricks, programs, code, articles, wizards, utilities, demos - you name it, it's in there.

Ever wanted to make changes to the Data Manager? The source is in there. Ever needed a spell-checker to attach to a textbox? It's in there. Ever need bar-code reader support or wanted to see how to call a certain API? It's in there, it's in there.

Ever wanted a wife who could cook, clean and do laundry? Well - uh, ... me too, and that's probably the only thing that's not in there!

How about...

Programming, for example? Well, the programming category of the library's directory has 119 products listed. This includes all kinds of code samples and routines to add to your VB programs; all kinds of  tips, tricks, and techniques.

In the Custom Control group there are - let me count - 1,2,3..., 85 files ready to fill your Visual Basic toolbox. The Program Utilities group boasts 68 entries to help you maintain, generate and debug your code. The Database group has 42 items for database applications and various databases such as a complete set of US zipcodes, cities, and states.

Some of the other category groups include: Language Extension, Games, Graphics, Help, Reference, and System Utilities group. Not to mention the Data Access, Text, Program Control, Form, Communications, Business, Sound, oh how the list goes on and on!

Try to find them Elsewhere

Going through my printout of the file descriptions of this library (27 pages), I found some very interesting descriptions. I can't honestly say I've tried them all but here are some of the more unusual descriptions:

A reverse-Polish notation calculator; a .DLL to dial the phone; a .DLL used to simplify programming other .DLLs; source code for joystick support; a database of CompuServe nodes; a complete shareware videotape program; a program of pop-up inspirational messages; a set of samples files and source code that were supposedly intended to be shipped with VB but weren't. Whew!

Now what do I do with all This ?

The obvious answer is "Everything!" Cancel your appointments, put out the dog, and get ready to spend hours exploring all the VB world has to offer. Sure you'll have to put up with "nagware" with a lot of  em but think of all the fun you'll have going through them all.

Find that "if I only had the time to create a ... routine" . Use the "I'm sure someone's already written a ... tool". Play with the "let me impress the guys at the office with ... utility". Or my favorite, the "let em think I wrote all the code for it" add-on!

So do you need them?

Look at it this way; if you need anything unusual for Visual Basic, chances are its in the VBASIC library.

If for no other reason, why not simply buy it as insurance for the next time you are behind schedule and need something special?  With this great VBxtras price, you really can't go wrong!


Controls for Btrieve
Controls for Btrieve	VBxtras Price	$199

from SmithWare, Inc.	Retail Price	$249

The Btrieve Access Method for Visual Basic	Product # SM01 	6 lbs.

Also available: Btrieve Client Engine for Windows

 Easy-to-use bound controls for Btrieve database access

 Functions to directly access the Btrieve API for blinding performance

 Utility to create and maintain database dictionary files

What's Btrieve?

Btrieve is the indexed record manager at  the heart of Novell's client/server database solution; the Netware SQL. Among serious developers, Btrieve has been the database manager for over ten years.

I've Already Got Jet...

Has Jet's integrity been tested for more than a decade?

How about that multi-megabyte Access Jet engine? It's something to consider if you distribute applications on diskette.

Want to create an app that can run either client/server or standalone? Use Btrieve alone or in conjunction with the Btrieve NLM to create true client/server applications; without changing a line of code.

How About Speed and Data Integrity?

Consider that 7 of 11 LAN-based accounting packages reviewed in the Oct. 26th, 1993 issue of PC Magazine, and all 3 of the editor's choices use Btrieve. Performance is certainly an issue with accounting systems, and I can't think of anything that requires data integrity more than enterprise-wide accounting, can you?

Enter SMITHWARE

SMITHWARE, INC., a company built on providing Btrieve solutions, introduced Controls for Btrieve (or Controls for short), a Btrieve support for Visual Basic developers.

Why Not ODBC ?

Sure you can access Btrieve files using ODBC, but everyone knows that ODBC is as slow as molasses on a January morning. And if you want real-time access to Btrieve-based accounting or software databases, chances are ODBC simply won't support their proprietary data formats. Controls will.

Worse yet, try to move to the end of a Btrieve file with ODBC.  This is not for the faint of heart! Go bottom requires you to skip through every remaining record in the file. Yeech!

No-Code Apps

With the ten custom controls provided, you can create true no-code applications. SMITHWARE'S excellent tutorial shows you just how easy it is. The controls include standard user interface components that are bound directly to the data source: text, list, combo, picture, and check boxes, scroll bars, and command and option buttons. They will even bind to other third-party VBX text controls.

Fine Tune & Optimize

Although the controls are likely all you will ever need, Controls provides direct access to the Btrieve API for total control and amazing performance so that any data access that absolutely must be optimized can be.

Controls even supports the special field types of databases from MagicPC, Turbo Pascal, and TAS Accounting.

DDF Builder

DDFs, or Data Dictionary Files, are special Btrieve tables that provide a standard way to implement relational databases with Btrieve. To create and maintain these files, SMITHWARE provides DDF Builder for Windows, an application that allows you to create and maintain Btrieve DDFs and tables.

They'll Even Throw the Book at You!

Buy Controls and get a copy of the Btrieve bible from MIDI America: The Illustrated Guide to Btrieve.  This work is the reference guide to Btrieve development.

Did I mention the truly excellent documentation in controls for Btrieve? Beside the customary tutorial and reference, they include an Advanced Programming Topics section that is one of the best I've seen. It covers esoteric issues that could save you days of experimentation.

So What are You Waiting For?

If you build database applications with Visual Basic, now is the time to order SMITHWARE Controls for Btrieve.


Btrieve Client Engine
Btrieve Client Engine for Windows

Although Controls comes with the Btrieve for Windows engine, you will need to purchase the Btrieve Client Engine for Windows in order to distribute the Btrieve DLL with your apps. If your users are running Netware and want to use the Btrieve NLM included with Netware, or if your users have the Btrieve DLL from other software, such as an accounting package, you can purchase it directly from VBxtras.

VBxtraSpecial Price	$899

Retail Price	$995

Product# BT01	9 lbs.


The Bookshelf

No, "The Bookshelf" is not a product.  It is the place where you store your reading and reference material and I've got three great nominees for you.  Two of these books you must have and the third I chose because, well, you'll see why.

Crash Course in Visual Basic 3

Written by Ken Miller, Allen Wyatt, and Mike Schinkel (now you know why I included it - I'm a co-author!) and published by QUE, it is a small, concise book perfect for the quick learner to come up to speed on Visual Basic. My co-authors did an excellent job of condensing the vast amount of information covered into less than 250 pages.

To give you a feel for what's covered in the book, the chapters include the VB Environment, Creating Forms, Adding Functionality, Variables and Operators, Using Built-In Functions, Controlling Program Flow, Using Data Structures, Dialog Boxes, Debugging, and File Handling.

So if you are relatively new to Visual Basic and need a quick jump-start, this book is for you!

Level: Beginner to Intermediate

VBxtras Price:	$19

Product# BK01	3 lbs.

Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API

Chances are you've heard of the book, Programming Windows, that has been universally acclaimed as being the "bible" for Windows programmers by Charles Petzold. Well, Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API, by Daniel Appleman, is the Visual Basic programmer's equivalent of the Petzold classic. Not another "me too" book on VB, this book teaches you Windows from a Visual Basic  perspective. All examples are in Visual Basic, not C.

Topics covered include the Windows .DLLs, window handles, device contexts, bitmaps and icons, menus, text and fonts, printing, memory management, the clipboard, sound driver, serial communications, file operations, Windows messages, and functions used to manipulate controls, hardware and system, and drawing, as well as several (more?) advanced topics. It even includes a sample application with each section, and a diskette that contains the samples, a useful .DLL, and CBK.VBX which supports callbacks and is also a part of Dan's excellent SpyWorks-VB package (also in VBxtras).

Although this book is more advanced then your standard run-of-the-mill book on Visual Basic it deserves, no needs, to be your bookshelf. After all, who knows when you'll need to do some real Windows programming!

Levels: Intermediate to Advanced

VBxtras Price:	$33

Product# BK02	5 lbs.

Code Complete

What does this book, written by Steve McConnell and published by Microsoft Press,  have to do with Visual Basic? Specifically, nothing. On the other hand, I will tell you that Code Complete is the best book I have ever read on general programming techniques, bar none.

Everything I had ever read, learned, discovered, or realized about how to best program was covered in Code Complete. No dry text book, it contains a discussion and justification for every recommendation.

This is the essential reference for every software developer in any programming language, and the perfect resource for settling those disputes that arise in every programming shop about how best to program! Even if you don't buy it from VBxtras, buy it somewhere. You cannot be without this book, and I mean it!

Levels: All levels

VBxtras Price	$33

Product# BK03	5 lbs.


Vbxtras Registry

The VBxtra Consultant Registry and Referral Service

Need to Hire a Visual Basic Consultant?

Do you need a Visual Basic developer to help you with an existing project on a contract basis because you just don't have enough staff ? Or maybe you need a specialist to come help you with specific portions of the application? Or maybe you just need to have a turnkey application developed from scratch.

Good Help is Hard to Find!

Well I can tell you that good Visual Basic consultants are hard to come by because they are in such demand. I certainly had a difficult time myself  prior to starting VBxtras. However, VBxtras is in a unique position in that we reach more Visual Basic programmers than almost anyone else. As such, it is possible for VBxtras to have a large number of Visual Basic consultants in our registry.

What is the VBxtras Registry?

If you are looking for a Visual Basic consultant for any type of project, the VBxtras Consultant Registry and Referral System is a FREE service to you. Simply call us up! We'll ask you a few questions to help determine your needs, and then we will fax you a list of consultants that we have in our database. That's all there is to it!

So just Who are These People?

The consultants that we have in our database are companies or individuals who have contacted us and provided us with their information. Since this is a free service to you, we can't screen them for you, but where else can you get a list of Visual Basic consultants so easily?

Are YOU a Visual Basic Consultant?

Do you make your living selling Visual Basic development-related services? If so, you need to be listed in the Visual Basic Consultant Registry and Referral System.  Call us and we will fax you a questionnaire to fill out and a form to sign. Then you fax it back and that's all there is to it!


VBXtras Advisory Board

Nothing to it...

When I first envisioned VBxtras, I assumed that I would research and write about all of the products listed in the catalog. How could I have ever been so foolish to think that I could accomplish such a gargantuan task? Ah well... I then established a group of Visual Basic experts that could help evaluate and write about the products. From this group the VBxtras Advisory Board was born. The individuals listed are part of the initial VBxtras Advisory Board.

Hand Picked

I chose each person on the board because of the work I had done with them personally, or because of the quality articles that they had written.

Most of the members of the advisory board are consultants and, I can assure you, they are all excellent at what they do. You will note that we have listed each one's stats and a list of the products on which they primarily contributed. Thanks guys for all your help!

Phil Boyer - DataLink Systems
Pretty Printer, VB/Magic
219-236-7587

David Fullerton - Flash Creative Management
VBTools, SpyWorks-VB
914-977-1794 	CIS: 73770,1472

Glen Gordon - Expert Education, Inc.
FaxPlus, Visual Voice, VBAssist, VB Power Guides
404-952-2116	CIS: 73132,70

Raymond Jude Kaider - Independent Consultant
Muscle
312-685-6677	CIS: 71526,1542

Phil Kobierowski - Expert Education, Inc.
ImageKnife, M.4, Crystal Reports, VBASIC Library
404-952-2116	CIS: 73441,3376

Steven List - Transact Software
VSVBX, PinPoint
408-245-2225	CIS: 70153, 1735

Wally Nehls - DataLink Systems
HighEdit, SIxBase/VB, VB Compress Pro, VersionStamper-VB, Pretty Printer, VB/Magic
219-236-1477	CIS: 70642,1521

Paul Sheriff - Independent Consultant
TrueGrid Pro
714-538-6262	CIS: 72230,2216

Mark Streger - Information Management Consultants
QuickApp
202-395-4636	CIS: 74032,3714

Phil Weber - Micro Business Services
Doc-To-Help
503-684-1721	CIS: 72451,3401


Visual Basic Training

Expert Education, Inc.- The Best Place in the World to Learn Visual Basic

The Best?

Okay, I must be honest with you - I cannot recommend this company to you. Why? Because I am not only President of VBxtras, I am also the President of Expert Education, and it just wouldn't be right for me to recommend it to you. But I can try to sell you on it!

My First Love

You see, as I mentioned before, I am primarily a developer - I love it. I started writing business applications for the PC way back in 1985. In 1987, I started training people how to develop their own business applications. Since then I have spoken at over a dozen development-related conferences worldwide, and I have authored numerous books and articles on programming and application development.

EEI's Mission

In 1991, I formed a company called Expert Education, Inc. with the following mission: To deliver training for application developers using subject-matter experts who are also experts in training. If you were to see our client list and level of repeat business, you would say that we have succeeded.

Why Take VB Courses at Expert Education?

One of Expert Education's goals is to be the absolute best Visual Basic training and development shop around.  EEI offers hands-on training in small classes so that you can work closely with the instructor.  The Atlanta training center is stocked with state-of -the-art equipment in a pleasant learning environment.

You will attend courses with an instructor who is also a seasoned Visual Basic developer. You will get a complete set of training manuals that were developed jointly by a subject matter expert and an expert in course material development.  We take every aspect of the learning experience into account: instructor, equipment, course materials. That's just how we do things at EEI.

Let EEI Come to You

If you have a group of people who need Visual Basic training, we can send an instructor to your site.  We can deliver our standard courses to your group or we can tailor our courses to meet the specific needs of your company. Onsite training is very cost effective when you have developers who need to be trained together in teams or when you need people trained together quickly.

What's in them?

Our Introduction to Visual Basic course is a three day course that will get you started in the fundamentals of programming an event driven application in a GUI environment. Many of the standard Visual Basic controls are covered in depth, from forms to command buttons to timers. The focus is on interweaving these elements to form an attractive, effective user interface.

Intermediate Visual Basic is a two day course where you will find such topics as creating subroutines and functions that you will be able to incorporate into your projects after the class. The Data Access control is covered in depth, including working with the Recordset property of a Data Control as a Dynaset.

Advanced Visual Basic is a three day course devoted to all of the hot topics that you need in order to create a full-featured Windows application. We cover many topics in the Windows API dealing with things like .INI files, System Resources, Messaging, Want to know about DDE conversations or OLE 2.0? That's covered in Advanced Visual Basic, also. So is the data access layer, with Table, Dynaset, and Snapshot objects, ODBC, and an introduction to Visual Basic's flavor of SQL,. We'll even get you started creating Help files!

All of our courses do more than teach you how to draw controls and add code. We'll teach you the art of interface design. We'll show you the pitfalls and shortcuts that you just don't have time to discover on your own. We want you to become craftsmen, even artists, as well as programmers.

Sign Me Up!

If you are interested in taking a Visual Basic training course, give us a call at VBxtras.  Our staff will be glad to get you more information about the courses, pricing, and the training schedule.


Visual Basic User Groups

Locate a Users Group and SIG Near You!

 A great way to learn more about Visual Basic

 Network with other VB programmers

 Find out more about new products and tutorials

One of the goals that VBxtras has in common with VB user's groups is that we both educate and support the Visual Basic community.  So...heeerrrree's a listing of the VB user's groups and SIGS along with a short description of each group.  If you aren't already a member, join a user's group near you today!

Amateur Computer Group of New Jersey

Jim Wong:  201-398-2067
113 Mt. Arlington Blvd.
Landing, NJ  07850
Oldest group in the city with an active membership of  professionals and power users.

Atlanta VB UG

Andy Dean:  404-872-0311
430 10th St. NW, Suite S-010
Atlanta, GA  30318
The group is comprised of a good mix of  both independents and corporate developers.

Boston Computer Society

John Barrie:  508-829-2181
30 Clark St.
Holden, MA 01520
The best part of being involved with this group is teaching new users and sharing information.

Diablo Valley PC UG

Steve Isreal:  510-283-7900
3687 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
Suite 350
Lafayette, CA  94549
All levels of experience are represented and encouraged to attend.

Gold Coast VB UG

Joe Homnick: 407-368-0010

2300 Glades Rd., Suite 150
Boca Raton, FL  33431
Focus is on educating and informing members about VB and its current trends.

Heartland UG

Ken Neal:  913-541-0591
10201 W. 89th Terrace
Overland Park, KS  66212
The main thrust is the education of the group.

Indianapolis Computer Society

Bill Seltzer:  317-876-7217
2064 Emily Dr.
Indianapolis, IN  46260
Focus is on perpetuating VB in the computer world.

Madison PC UG

Peter Weiler:  608-263-3447
1225 W. Dayton St. Rm 1229
Madison, WI  53706
Focus is on tutorials and product demos.

Napa Valley PC UG

Frank Sommer:707-258-2509
1253 Monticello Rd.
Napa, CA  94558
Group meets monthly to discuss problems and share ideas.

New York Large VB UG

George Febish: 201-816-8900
50 E. Palisade Ave.
Englewood, NJ 07631
Focus is on corporate and government builders of new VB apps.

NOCCC

Bill Hinds:  714-633-4874
P.O. Box 5008
Orange, CA  92613
Focus is on visual programming in both VB and VC++.

North Texas PC UG

Jim Carter:  214-235-5968
1112 Pueblo Dr.
Richardson, Tx.  75080
A group for beginning VB users.

Woody Pewitt:  214-230-3485
P.O. Box 780066
Dallas, Tx.  75378
Focus is on VB programming and Windows development.

NPCPA

Virginia Benedict:
212-348-0690
CIS: 70373,3342
Highly technical and educational, professional environment.

NYPC VB SIG

David Kulick:  718-261-0285
147-51 72nd Rd.  #3F
Flushing, NY  11367
Part of the largest UG in NY area which includes many professionals and hobbyists.

OLE 2.0 Implementer's Group

Conan Callen:  206-489-2537
16534-23 NE
 Seattle, WA  98155
Group is oriented towards the migration from VBX's and the conversion of DLL's and custom controls to 32 bit architechure.

Orange Coast IBM PC UG

Wendy Sarrett: 714-843-2048
1500 Adams Ave. #105
Costa Mesa, CA  92626
The group is made up of mostly those trying to make the switch to VB.

Orange County VB UG

John Coffey:  714-248-9702
1900  W. Skywood St.
Brea, CA  92621
The group is geared toward the corporate developer and those who use VB to make a living.

Pacific NW PC UG

Sean Blechschmidt / Richard Buehrer:  206-324-9024
1202 E. Pike St. #665
Seattle, WA  98122
The group has close contact with VB staff at Microsoft.  Meetings are held at the Microsoft campus.

Philadelphia Computer Society

215-951-1255
LaSalle University
1900 W. Olney Ave.
Philadelphia, PA  19141
UG includes 60 SIGS with over 1400 members.

PIBMUG

VB SIG / Rod Ream:
818-280-6850
Gen. Info/Steve Bass:
818-791-1300
Southern California's largest group.

Research Triangle Park VB UG

Bob Canavan:  919-781-7809
3600 Glenwood Ave. /  Suite 150
Raleigh, NC  27612
The only VB and Access UG for programmers in the Raleigh area.

Sacramento PC UG

Larry Clark: 916-983-3950
P.O. Box 916
Folsom, CA  95763

San Francisco PC UG

Dov Gorman:  510-540-8766
1127 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA  94702
Group is geared toward both independent and corporate development.

SofTech VB-SIG

Frank Sommer:707-258-2509
1253 Monticello Rd.
Napa, CA  94558
Goal of the monthly meetings for the Marin/Sonoma area is to  provide a mixture of tutorials, product demos, and technical discussions.

Tampa Bay Computer Society

Tom Kiehl:  813-595-3075
14155 102nd Ave. N.
Largo, Fl.  34644
The largest group in the Southeast.

Twin Cities PC UG

Bill Rothermal: 612-935-0513
5701 Normandale Rd.
Edina, MN  55424
Group meets monthly for 3 hours: 1 hour for beginners, and 2 hours for more advanced programmers.

Utah Blue Chips

Jim Murtha:  801-539-4726
1412 Mason Hollow Dr.
Riverton, UT  84065
Focus is on providing education and skill to bridge the gap between the meeting and your home or office.


Vendors

VBxtras would like to recognize the following vendors for their support of the premiere issue.  We chose their products because we felt they represented some of the best VB tools on the market.  We appreciate these companies choosing to be a part of VBxtras.

Aardvark Software, Inc. Pretty Printer  -  201-833-4355	Media Architects, Inc. ImageKnife/VBX  -  503-297-6744
AJS Publishing, Inc. VB/Magic Controls  -  310-215-9145	MicroHelp, Inc. Muscle, HighEdit, VBTools 4  -  404-516-0899
Apex Software Corporation TrueGrid  -  412-681-4343	Microsoft Press  Code Complete  -  800-MSPRESS
APIary NetWare Client SDK  -  501-221-3600	Que Corporation Crash Course in Visual Basic  -  800-428-5331
Avanti Software, Inc. PinPoint  -  415-329-8999	Sheridan Software Systems VBAssist  -  516-753-0985
Building Blocks Publishing VB Tech Guides  -  201-301-0822	SMITHWARE, INC. Controls for Btrieve  -  615-860-3500
Cimflex Teknowledge Corporation M.4  -  415-424-0500	Stylus Innovation, Inc. Visual Voice  -  617-621-9545
Crystal Computer Services, Inc. Crystal Reports Pro  -  604-681-3435	SuccessWare SIxBase/VB  -  909-699-9657
Digital Communications Associates, Inc. QuickApp  -  404-442-4000	VideoSoft VSVBX  -  510-547-7295
Desaware SpyWorks-VB / VersionStamper  -  408-377-4770	WexTech Systems, Inc. Doc-to-Help  -  212-949-9595
EllTech Development, Inc. Compression Plus / Fax Plus  -  404-928-8960	Whippleware VB Compress Pro  -  617-242-2511
EMS Professional Shareware VBASIC Library  -  301-924-3594	Ziff-Davis Press Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API  -  800-688-0448


...Xtras

Join Our Team!

As Visual Basic developers, you are on the cutting edge of today's business development scene. We recognize your talent and expertise and we want to encourage you to participate in VBxtras. Here's several ways you can get involved:

Are you a Visual Basic Expert?

Do you have a wide range of knowledge about the Visual Basic 3rd party market? Do you have excellent writing skills? Do you want to join the wacky staff at VBxtras? Then I want to meet you!

Do you have experience in VB development? Do you have a training/teaching background? Would you like to work for Expert Education, on of the top VB training companies in the Country? Then let me hear from you!

Send me your resume along with a cover letter indicating specifically why you are interested. Also include your salary history and requirements, the part of the country in which you would like to be located, and any other pertinent details.

Success Stories?

During the time that we were researching the third party Visual Basic market for VBxtras, we heard numerous stories about how successful people were in using many of the products we have listed in VBxtras. But we know there are many more, and we'd love to hear them! If we get some really good ones, we will even print them in a future issue of VBxtras. So here is yet another way for you to become a member of the VBxtras' team!

If you have found one of the products to be a real lifesaver, or one that has just been extremely useful, let me know (in 50-100 words) ! If we print your success story, we'll give you a certificate worth $25 off of your next purchase from VBxtras!

As a matter of fact, if you have a funny story somehow associated with Visual Basic, send it in. After all, I've promised to try and entertain you, haven't I?

Send VBxtras to Friends & Colleagues?

Maybe you know someone who would like to receive a copy of VBxtras? If so, please fill out the attached survey with your friend's name, and fax it to us.

Are you the head of a VB developer group? Compile a list of those who want a copy of VBxtras and then call me about it. Do you have a shareware product for which you have a significant number of registrations? Call me about them.

I want to know about any Visual Basic developer who might be interested in getting VBxtras.  So, contact me and tell me about your group or list of VB developers, and I'll work out something beneficial for you or your group.


Order Information

Purchase Orders

Mail or FAX a copy of your P.O.  New accounts please provide bank and three trade references with phone #'s to be pre-approved.

International Customers

We are very sorry, but absolutely NO foriegn checks accepted.  All checks on a foreign bank will be voided.

Returns

All VBxtras products are backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. We will accept product returns of unopened, damaged, or defective software only.  Please call us in advance for an RMA number.

Shipping Costs

Weight	Ground	3rd Day	2nd Day	Next Day	AK,HI	Intl.

1-5	$7	$8	$10	$25	$21	Call

6-10	$12	$15	$18	$40	$27	Call

Over 10	Call	Call	Call	Call	Call	Call

The weight of each product is listed on each product page.  To determine your shipping charge, simply total the weight of all products ordered.  All product weights have been rounded up to the nearest pound.  If you would like us to determine the cost of your shipping, please check the box provided on the order form.  We will only do this for credit card orders.  Please call us to determine your shipping costs for orders over 10 lbs.

Typos

Nobody is perfect, right?  And even though we at VBxtras try to be...some times mistakes happen!

If you should purchase a product from VBxtras based upon our review -- and that review may have misrepresented the product or had some typos, naturally it has a money back guarantee.


Order Form

To Order

Print out the order form, fill it in and mail or fax to:	VBxtras, Inc.
1901 Powers Ferry Road
Suite 250
Marietta, GA 30067-0056
(404) 952-6388 (fax)

Include 5% sales tax if you are a Georgia resident.  Make checks and money orders
payable to VBxtras.  If using a credit card, remember to sign at the bottom of this form.

  Product	Product Name	Price	Qty	Wt.	Total $

Name:	__________________________________________________________

Company:	__________________________________________________________

Address: 	__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

City:	 	__________________ State:____ Zip: ___________Country: _______

Daytime Phone: ________________________ Fax: ____________________

•	My Check or Money Order (U.S. Funds Only) made out to VBxtras is enclosed.

•	Purchase Order attached.

•	Please Charge my:	Master Card  ·	Visa  ·	AMEX

Account #:____________________________________________  Exp. Date: __ / __ / __

Signature: __________________________________________________


VBxtras Customer Survey

Just the Fax

We want the fax about you! Your answers to the questions on our survey will help us to understand who you are so we can make decisions that will ultimately help you! The survey will give us information that will enable us to include the products you want and will need in the future.

Become a VBxtra-Special Customer

Filling out the survey and faxing it back to us will automatically put you on our VBxtra-Special Customer list and you will receive mailings that will offer incentives and extra-low prices.

Get 5 Xtra Bucks to Spend

Just fill out the survey and fax it to us at 404-952-6388. To show our appreciation, we will give you a certificate worth $5 towards your next purchase of $100 or more from the VBxtras Catalog!

What version of Visual Basic do you currently use?

    • 1.0   · 2.0   · 3.0

    •  Standard   · Professional

How long have you been using Visual Basic?

    • < 1yr   · 1-2 yrs   · 2-3yrs   · > 3yrs   · Not at all

How would you classify the types of apps you develop with Visual Basic?

    • Database   · Multimedia   · Utility   · Host front-end  · Other______________

How do you develop Visual Basic applications for?

    • Employer   · Clients   · Vertical    · Horizontal   · Other______________

Do you use Visual Basic in conjunction with other Microsoft products?

    • Word   · Excel   · Mail   · Other_____________

Did you register your copy of Visual Basic with Microsoft?

    • Yes   · No

Will you upgrade your copy of Visual Basic when the next version is released?

    • Yes   · No

If Yes, when will you upgrade?

        • Immediately   · Within 3 mo.   · Within 6 mo.   · More than 6 mo.

What type of organization do you work for?

    • Government    · Military    · Fortune 1000

    • Med-sized company   · Small-company   · Computer-consulting

    • Self-employed   · Other_________________________

What is (most similar) to your title?

    • Programmer   · Analyst   · President

    • Consultant   · Trainer   · Other___________________

What magazines do you read frequently?

    • Visual Basic Programmer's Journal   · Microsoft Systems Journal

    • Databased Advisor   ·  Access Advisor

    • Windows Tech Journal   ·  Windows/DOS Developer's Journal

   	•  Other__________________

What other products do you actively program in besides Visual Basic?

    •  FoxPro    ·  dBase   ·  Access    ·  Paradox

    •  C/C++     ·  Turbo Pascal   ·  Other_____________

Do you own a CD-ROM or plan to purchase one within 6 months?

    • Own    · Planned    · No plans

Do you use Microsoft Access? (select all that apply)

   	• As your database

    • As a development tool

   	• In conjunction with Visual Basic

   	• None of the above

What could Microsoft do to improve Visual Basic?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

What are your three favorite Visual Basic add-ons?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Do you write database applications with Visual Basic?

    • Yes   · No

    If Yes, which database tool(s) do you use (check all that apply)?

        • Access Jet 1.1   · Access Jet 2.0   · SQL Server

        • Controls for Btrieve   · SIxBase/VB

       	• Other_____________

Where do you prefer to purchase Visual Basic add-on software?

    • Vendor    · Mail order   · Other_____________

How many of the product recommendations did you actually read?

    • All   · 3/4   · 1/2   · 1/4   · None

Which VBxtras product recommendation did you enjoy reading most (page #)______

Where any of the product recommendations unclear?

    • Yes   · No

If Yes, which ones?________________________________

Would you like to see screen shots in VBxtras?

    • Yes   · No

Would you use a fax-back system for additional information if available?

    • Yes   · No

Are you in a position to use the VBxtras Consultant Registry and Referral Service?

    • Yes   · No

If Yes, will you use it now or in the future?

        • Yes   · No

Will you keep the VBxtras catalog as a ready-reference?

    • Yes   · No, I've already filled it in the circular file.

Would you pay for technical support on the products we carry?

    • Yes   · No

    If Yes, how would you like to pay?

        • Per Incident   · Yearly   · 900 Number

    If Yes, how much would you consider reasonable to pay?___________

How could we make VBxtras more beneficial to you?

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Are you interested in Visual Basic training?

    • Yes   · No

If Yes, then please answer the remaining questions

Who would the training be for?

    • Myself    · Others   · Both

If Others, how many?______________

What levels of training are you interested in are: (check all that apply)

    • Introduction   · Intermediate   · Advanced

How soon are you interested in the training?

    •  Immediately   · Within 3 mo.   · Within 6 mo.   · More than 6 mo.

What style of training would you prefer?

    • Hands-on   · Lecture   · CBT   · Other______________

Would you travel to attend a course if it were better than that available locally?

    • Yes   · No

Would you be interested in a course that covers Visual Basic add-on products?

    • Yes   · No

If Yes, which products specifically?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Be sure to include your name and address so that we can send your $5 certificate.  Also, by filling out this survey, we will put you on our VBxtra-special customer list so you'll be sure to receive future issues of VBxtras as well as special offers from time-to-time. And, if you could list a friend or two, we'll also put them on the list!  Thanks for all your help!

You!

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Company:	____________________________________

Address:	____________________________________

City:	______________________   State: _____   Zip:  _________

Phone:	______________________

Fax:	______________________

CIS/Internet:	______________________

Friend #1

Name:	____________________________________

Company:	____________________________________

Address:	____________________________________

City:	______________________   State: _____   Zip:  _________

Phone:	______________________

Fax:	______________________

CIS/Internet:	______________________

Friend #2

Name:	____________________________________

Company:	____________________________________

Address:	____________________________________

City:	______________________   State: _____   Zip:  _________

Phone:	______________________

Fax:	______________________

CIS/Internet:	______________________


Contacting VBxtras

By Mail	By Fax
VBxtras, Inc. 1901 Powers Ferry Road Suite 250 Marietta, GA 30067-0056	(404) 952-6388 By CompuServe 74407,1100
By Phone	By Internet
(800) 788-4794 (404) 952-6356	74407.1100@compuserve,com