Contents
Tom's Happy Constants

Copyright © 1993 by Thomas Bassal

Contents:

Introduction

Installation

Un installation

Instructions

Freeware Notice

Thanks for trying or using Tom's Happy Constants.

Do not forget to send me a mail if you like it!


Introduction

 Welcome to Tom's Happy Constants (THC).

THC is a Visual Basic Environment Add On, it was created to help Visual Basic Developers to get API constants in a fast and convenient way. Once THC loaded you get instant access to more than 2400 API constants (including multimedia). You have a powerful search function in case you don't remember the exact spelling of the constant. When the constant is found you can ether copy the global declaration or just its value to the clipboard. But that's not all! To make the whole thing really fast, I included the hot key function: from the code window you just have to highlight the API constant and press a hot key, the clipboard will be loaded with the corresponding global declaration or value. This means that THC will do all the dirty work in background.


Installation

Copy the following files in a directory of your choice:

THC.EXE

THC.HLP

THC.DAT

Then copy HOTKEY.DLL to a directory in your path.

Add THC to the Program Manager with the FILE/NEW menu command.

You will need VBRUN200.DLL to be in your path if you are not working with Visual Basic 2.0.


more than 2400 API constants, including multimedia, are written in this file. They are alphabetically sorted. If you want to add some constants to this file, take care of:

1. The format: CONSTANT_NAME=VALUE (there is no space around the equal sign).

2. The end of line: here should be a carriage return and a line feed, CHR$(13)+CHR$(10).

3. The sorting: the list should be sorted after the modifications. You can do it with most modern word processor (look for the Sort function).


Visual Basic Runtime Library.

Can be found on any BBS


Un installation

THC will create an INI file (THC.INI) in its own directory. So to uninstall the program, you only need to remove the directory of THC and the associated icon in the Program Manager.

Be careful about deleting HOTKEY.DLL, as you know, DLL can be used from many different programs.


HOTKEY.DLL is Copyright © 1991-93 User Friendly, Inc.


Copyright © 1985-1992

Microsoft Corporation


Copyright © 1987-1992

Microsoft Corporation


Instructions

First steps

Hot key features


First Steps

THC will need a few seconds to load the constants. Then you can :

Search: In the Search Box write the constant name (Full or just suffix) and press [RETURN]. If found, the constant name will appear highlighted in the Constant List.Its value will be written on the Status Line. When you press [ENTER] again, THC will search for another constant with the same suffix.

Copy: To copy the constant declaration to the clipboard, you need to transfer the highlighted item from the Constant List to the Copy List. Then press the Copy Button to throw the declarations in the clipboard. It can be done ether with [image] or with [image].

You can fill the Copy List with many items before copying to the clipboard.

If you set the option on the Menu Bar Settings/Copy Destination to Clipboard (Value Only), the clipboard will get the constant value.


Double Click on the Constant List to transfer a constant to the Copy List

Double Click on the Copy List to remove an item.

Click on the Copy Button to load the clipboard with the corresponding declarations.


In the Constant List go to the constant of your choice with [UP] [DOWN]. then press [RETURN] to transfer the item to the Copy List

In the Copy List press [DEL] to remove an item.

To load the clipboard with the corresponding declarations, press [F5].


Hot key Features

The best part of THC is its hot key: From any editor (and specially the VB code window), you can highlight a constant name, and press let say [SHIFT] [CTRL] [F5] to load the clipboard with the corresponding global declaration, or just the value. Then switch to the Global Module and paste it wherever you want. This will dramatically speed up your work with API constants!

You can tune  the behavior of THC with:

Option Hot key

Option On Failure

Option Copy Destination

It's a good thing to minimize THC when working with the hot key. Pressing [image] will minimize THC.

THC.INI will be created in the same directory as THC.EXE. All the Settings will be saved here.


Changing the hot key

On the Menu Bar select Settings/hot key to change the current hot key.


On Failure

If THC can not find the constant highlighted in your editor (during a hot key call), it will ether:

Beep (option Beep) or

Show a message (option Message) or

Maximize and give the focus to THC with the constant name loaded in the Search Box (option Call). Take advantage of this option!

These Options can be found on the Menu Bar Settings/On Failure.


If you remember only the suffix of a constant:

1. Highlight it (in your editor) and press the hot key: THC will appears with the highlighted suffix in the Search Box.

2. Press [ENTER] until you see the desired constant.

3. Press [TAB] to give the focus to the Constant List.

4. Press [ENTER] to transfer it to the Copy List.

5. Press [F5] to copy to the clipboard.

6. Press [ESC] to minimize THC and give the focus to your editor.


Copy Destination

If THC find the constant highlighted in your editor (during a hot key call), it will ether:

Copy the Global Declaration to the clipboard (option Copy to Clipboard (Declaration)) or

Copy the value of the constant to the clipboard (option Copy to Clipboard (Value Only)) or

Add the constant to the Copy List (option List). It's a good idea to gather many constants in the Copy List and then copy all the declarations at once to the clipboard with [F5], before pasting them in your global module.

These Options can be found on the Menu Bar Settings/Copy Destination.


Freeware Notice

If you like Tom's Happy Constants and use it, please drop me a mail on CompuServe, I would be glad to know that you are using it, and that the time used for the development was worth it! I will do my best to include any of your ideas in the next releases.

Thomas Bassal

Zwoelfer weg 2

86836 Lagerlechfeld

Germany

CIS 100276,1324

The program and documentation are copyright (c) 1993 Thomas Bassal.

The Tom's Happy Constants software package is distributed as FREEWARE. it may be freely distributed under the following restrictions:

It may not be used for profit without written authorization from the author (electronic services with hourly connect fees are not considered "for profit" in this context).

It must be distributed under the original filename and with all files intact and unmodified.

DISCLAIMER: USING THIS PROGRAM IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT OFFER ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, CONCERNING THE PROGRAM AND ITS DOCUMENTATION.