Visual Basic 6 Bootcamp: All-In-One Certification Exam Guide

by Mezick, Dan

• ISBN13: 9780071345347
• ISBN10: 0071345345
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-02-01
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media

Summary

McGraw-Hill, the experts in career-boosting guides for Information Technology professionals, now accelerates your mastery of one of the most covetedNand lucrativeNprofessional credentials in the industry: Microsoft VB6 Specialist Certification. Written by Dan Mezick and Scot Hillier, two leading VB authors and instructors, both regional Directors of Microsoft Developer Days, Visual Basic 6 Bootcamp Certification Exam Guide delivers the most clear and comprehensive exam preparation available ... at much less than youOd pay for a comparable classroom course! Plus, to fine-tune your performance on the exam, this book includes a super-handy CD-ROM with a full practice test (correctable on the Web), exercise and source code, innovative VB tools written by the authors, and a comparison of VB5 with VB6 in searchable HTML format.

Table of Contents

How to Use This Book	xxi
CHAPTER 1 VISUAL BASIC FUNDAMENTALS	1	(40)
Skills Covered	1	(1)
A Quick Tour of Visual Basic	2	(8)
Properties, Events, and Methods	10	(7)
Properties	10	(2)
Changing Properties at Run Time	12	(1)
Read-Only at Run Time Properties	13	(1)
The Default Property of a Control	14	(1)
Dependent Properties	15	(1)
Design-Time Only Properties	15	(1)
Getting Help	16	(1)
Events and Event-Handling Routines	17	(5)
The Default Event Procedure	18	(2)
Event Procedure Firing Order	20	(1)
Using Debug.Print	20	(2)
Methods	22	(2)
Method Examples	22	(2)
Advanced IDE Features	24	(13)
The Components Dialog and Toolbox	24	(1)
Project Templates and the New Project Dialog	25	(1)
The Code Window	26	(1)
Form Design Features	27	(1)
Project Properties	27	(1)
The General Tab	27	(1)
The Make Tab	27	(2)
The Compile Tab	29	(1)
The Component Tab	29	(1)
The Debugging Tab	29	(1)
VBIDE Options	30	(1)
The Editor Tab	30	(1)
The Editor Format Tab	30	(1)
The General Tab	30	(1)
The Docking Tab	31	(1)
The Environment Tab	31	(1)
The Advanced Tab	31	(6)
For the Certified Pro	37	(1)
Preparing for Certification	37	(1)
Certification Quiz	37	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	40	(1)
CHAPTER 2 GLOBAL OBJECTS	41	(28)
Skills Covered	41	(1)
Form Objects	42	(23)
The App Object	48	(4)
The Screen Object	52	(2)
The Clipboard Object	54	(1)
The Error Object	55	(1)
The Debug Object	56	(1)
The Printer Object	57	(1)
The Forms() Collection	58	(1)
The Controls() Collection	59	(1)
The Printers() Collection	60	(1)
Creating the User Interface	61	(1)
Writing Text Output to a File	62	(1)
Reading Text Input from a File	63	(1)
Printing Text to the Printer	64	(1)
Copying Application Data to the Clipboard	64	(1)
For the Certified Pro	65	(1)
Preparing for Certification	65	(1)
Certification Quiz	65	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	67	(2)
CHAPTER 3 MENUS	69	(20)
Skills Covered	69	(1)
Using the Menu Editor Dialog	70	(17)
Menu Fundamentals	70	(9)
Popup Menus	79	(8)
For the Certified Pro	87	(1)
Preparing for Certification	87	(1)
Certification Quiz	88	(1)
Answers to Certification Quiz	88	(1)
CHAPTER 4 VARIABLES AND STRUCTURES	89	(50)
Skills Covered	89	(11)
Scoping	100	(6)
Functions and Subs	106	(8)
The Visual Basic Language	114	(20)
Constants	121	(1)
Exploring the Scoping of Variables	122	(2)
Exploring Procedures and Procedure Writing	124	(1)
A Simple Selection List Box	125	(2)
By Value vs. By Reference	127	(3)
Optional Arguments	130	(2)
The Param Array	132	(2)
For the Certified Pro	134	(1)
Preparing for Certification	134	(1)
Certification Quiz	134	(5)
Answers to Certification Quiz	137	(2)
Chapter 5 Introducing Data Access	139	(34)
Basic Knowledge Required	139	(1)
Skills Covered	139	(30)
The JET Data Control	141	(5)
Data Access Objects	146	(4)
Open Database Connectivity	150	(2)
Structured Query Language	152	(2)
The Remote Data Control	154	(2)
The Active Data Control	156	(5)
Creating the Data Link File	161	(1)
Creating the Application	161	(3)
Selecting a Database to View	164	(1)
Building the Graphic User Interface (GUI)	165	(1)
Building the Database Explorer	166	(3)
For the Certified Pro	169	(1)
Preparing for Certification	169	(1)
Certification Quiz	169	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	171	(2)
CHAPTER 6 ERROR HANDLING AND DEBUGGING	173	(18)
Skills Covered	173	(1)
Error Handling Features	174	(8)
Debugging Facilities	182	(6)
Part 1: Setting Up an Error Handler	185	(2)
Part 2: Error Handlers for Each Routine	187	(1)
For the Certified Pro	188	(1)
Preparing for Certification	188	(1)
Certification Quiz	188	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	190	(1)
CHAPTER 7 POLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING YOUR APPLICATION	191	(42)
Skills Covered	191	(1)
Naming Standards	192	(5)
Application-Building Techniques and Tricks	197	(3)
Trick: Calling an Event Procedure	197	(1)
Trick: Accessing the Procedures and Data on an Unloaded Form	198	(1)
Tricks: Sorting with a ListBox and the Click of the ListBox with ListIndex	199	(1)
Technique: Data Validation	200	(1)
Multiple Document Interface	200	(3)
Control Arrays	203	(3)
Help Files	206	(5)
Resource Files	211	(4)
Compilation, Packaging, and Distribution	215	(14)
Using the Package and Deployment Wizard	225	(2)
Installing the Application	227	(1)
Uninstalling Software	228	(1)
Customizing Setup	228	(1)
For the Certified Pro	229	(1)
Preparing for Certification	229	(1)
Certification Quiz	229	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	231	(2)
CHAPTER 8 THE WINDOWS API	233	(24)
Skills Covered	233	(6)
Window Handles	239	(3)
Windows Messages	242	(2)
The SendMessage Function	242	(1)
The PostMessage Function	243	(1)
Subclassing Windows	244	(1)
Receiving Callbacks	245	(2)
The API Text Viewer	246	(1)
Incremental Search	247	(8)
Horizontal Scroll Bar	248	(1)
API Calls	249	(1)
Changing the Window Shape	250	(2)
Adding the API Calls	252	(1)
Building the Interface	253	(1)
Hooking and Processing Messages	253	(2)
For the Certified Pro	255	(1)
Preparing for Certification	255	(1)
Certification Quiz	256	(1)
Answers to Questions	256	(1)
CHAPTER 9 UNDERSTANDING CLASSES AND INSTANCES	257	(20)
Skills Covered	257	(2)
The Life Cycle of a Form	259	(2)
Declaring Object Variables	259	(1)
Creating Instances	260	(1)
Destroying Instances	260	(1)
Understanding Object Models	261	(12)
Multiple Document Interface	266	(1)
Sub Main	267	(1)
Instancing the Form	267	(2)
File Operations	269	(2)
Referencing the Object Model	271	(1)
Building the Application	271	(2)
For the Certified Pro	273	(1)
Preparing for Certification	274	(1)
Certification Quiz	274	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	276	(1)
CHAPTER 10 THE DATA ENVIRONMENT	277	(32)
Skills Covered	277	(7)
Hierarchical Cursors	284	(1)
The Microsoft Data Tools	285	(5)
The Data Report Designer	290	(2)
The UserConnection Object	292	(13)
The Data Environment	293	(3)
Building the User Interface	296	(2)
Generating a Report	298	(2)
Setting Up the ODBC Data Source	300	(1)
Creating the GUI	300	(2)
The User Connection Object	302	(1)
Coding the Application	303	(2)
For the Certified Pro	305	(1)
Preparing for Certification	305	(1)
Certification Quiz	305	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	307	(2)
CHAPTER 11 REMOTE DATA OBJECTS	309	(36)
Skills Covered	309	(1)
The Remote Data Objects Model	310	(3)
The rdoEngine Object	310	(1)
The rdoError Object	311	(1)
The rdoEnvironment Object	311	(1)
The rdoConnection Object	312	(1)
The rdoQuery Object	312	(1)
The rdoResultset Object	312	(1)
The rdoTable Object	313	(1)
The rdoColumn Object	313	(1)
The rdoParameter Object	313	(1)
RDO Events	313	(1)
Connecting to Data Sources	313	(5)
ODBC Connect Strings	314	(1)
Cursor Drivers	315	(1)
Establishing the Connection	316	(1)
rdoConnection Events	317	(1)
Understanding Cursors	318	(1)
rdOpenForwardOnly	319	(1)
rdOpenStatic	319	(1)
rdOpenKeyset	319	(1)
rdOpenDynamic	319	(1)
Managing Resultsets	319	(2)
Optimistic Batch Operations	321	(21)
Setting Up the ODBC Data Source	324	(1)
Creating the GUI	324	(2)
Coding the Application	326	(5)
Setting Up the ODBC Data Source	331	(1)
Creating the GUI	331	(1)
Coding the Application	332	(3)
Creating the GUI	335	(2)
Coding the Application	337	(5)
For the Certified Pro	342	(1)
Preparing for Certification	342	(1)
Certification Quiz	342	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	344	(1)
CHAPTER 12 ACTIVE DATA OBJECTS	345	(32)
Skills Covered	345	(1)
Active Data Objects Model	346	(14)
The Connection Object	346	(3)
The Command Object	349	(1)
The Recordset Object	350	(5)
The Field Object	355	(1)
The Parameter Object	355	(2)
ADO Events	357	(2)
ADO Cursor Features	359	(1)
Understanding Disconnected Recordsets	360	(14)
Setting up the Data Link	363	(1)
Creating the GUI	364	(2)
Coding the Application	366	(5)
Setting Up the Data Link	371	(1)
Building the Interface	371	(1)
Coding the Application	372	(2)
For the Certified Pro	374	(1)
Preparing for Certification	374	(1)
Certification Quiz	374	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	376	(1)
CHAPTER 13 CLASS MODULES	377	(32)
Skills Covered	377	(2)
Encapsulation	379	(1)
Building a Simple Class	380	(2)
Creating Properties	380	(1)
Creating Methods	381	(1)
The Life Cycle of a Class Module	382	(2)
Declaring Object Variables	382	(1)
Instantiating the Object	383	(1)
Calling Properties or Methods	384	(1)
Understanding Object Variable Scope	384	(2)
Using Property Procedures	386	(3)
Performing Data Validation	386	(2)
Incorporating Business Rules	388	(1)
Controlling Reading and Writing	389	(1)
Setting Procedure Attributes	389	(1)
Generating Events	389	(1)
Component Object Model	390	(2)
Creating ActiveX Components	392	(12)
Building a Class	393	(2)
Using the Class Module in a Project	395	(3)
Building an ActiveX DLL	398	(2)
Calling the DLL from a Client	400	(4)
For the Certified Pro	404	(1)
Preparing for Certification	404	(1)
Certification Quiz	405	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	407	(2)
CHAPTER 14 ADVANCED COMPONENT DESIGN	409	(38)
Skills Covered	409	(1)
Polymorphism	410	(3)
Creating Object Relationships	413	(11)
Private	415	(1)
PublicNotCreatable	415	(1)
SingleUse	415	(1)
GlobalSingleUse	415	(1)
MultiUse	415	(1)
GlobalMultiUse	416	(8)
Object Persistence	424	(20)
Defining Interfaces	428	(1)
The Instructor Class	429	(3)
Using Polymorphism	432	(2)
Creating the Object Model	434	(1)
Coding the Object Model	435	(2)
Creating the Client	437	(3)
Creating the Persistent Object	440	(1)
Creating the Client	441	(3)
For the Certified Pro	444	(1)
Preparing for Certification	445	(1)
Certification Quiz	445	(2)
Answers to Certification Quiz	446	(1)
CHAPTER 15 DATA BOUND AND REMOTE CLASSES	447	(30)
Skills Covered	447	(2)
Data Binding Behavior	449	(2)
Data Source Behavior	451	(2)
Creating Distributed Setups	453	(21)
Setting up the Data Link	458	(1)
Creating the Bound Class	459	(2)
Creating the Client	461	(2)
Creating the Data Source	463	(2)
Creating the Data Client	465	(2)
Creating the Distributed Component	467	(3)
Creating the Client	470	(2)
Creating the Setups	472	(2)
For the Certified Pro	474	(1)
Preparing for Certification	474	(1)
Certification Quiz	474	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	475	(2)
CHAPTER 16 CREATING ACTIVEX CONTROLS	477	(32)
Skills Covered	477	(1)
Control Creation Fundamentals	478	(2)
Adding Properties	480	(8)
Extender Properties	481	(1)
Constituent Control Properties	481	(1)
Custom Properties	482	(1)
Read-Only and Write-Only Properties	483	(1)
Run Time-Only and Design Time-Only Properties	484	(1)
Procedure Attributes	484	(1)
Saving Property Values with the PropertyBag	485	(1)
InitProperties	486	(1)
Write Properties	487	(1)
ReadProperties	487	(1)
Adding Events	488	(1)
Adding Methods	489	(1)
Building Special Feature Controls	489	(1)
Data Bound Controls	489	(1)
Container Controls	489	(1)
Invisible Controls	490	(1)
Utilizing Property Pages	490	(14)
Showing Properties on the Page	491	(1)
Applying Property Changes	491	(1)
Attaching Pages to Controls	492	(1)
Control Fundamentals	492	(1)
Control Properties	493	(2)
Control Events	495	(1)
The Toolbox Icon	496	(1)
The About Box	496	(1)
Control Fundamentals	497	(1)
Control Properties	498	(3)
Adding Property Pages	501	(3)
For the Certified Pro	504	(1)
Preparing for Certification	504	(1)
Certification Quiz	505	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	507	(2)
CHAPTER 17 CREATING ACTIVEX DOCUMENTS	509	(12)
Skills Covered	509	(1)
ActiveX Documents Fundamentals	510	(1)
Data Persistence in ActiveX Documents	511	(2)
The Life Cycle of an ActiveX Document	511	(1)
The InitProperties Event	512	(1)
The WriteProperties Event	512	(1)
The ReadProperties Event	512	(1)
Utilizing Asynchronous Downloading	513	(1)
Distributing ActiveX Documents	513	(5)
Graphic User Interface	514	(2)
Asynchronous Downloads	516	(1)
Creating the Animation	516	(1)
Viewing the Document	517	(1)
Preparing for Certification	518	(1)
Certification Quiz	518	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	519	(2)
CHAPTER 18 WEB CLASSES	521	(28)
Skills Covered	521	(1)
Web Class Fundamentals	522	(4)
Responding Through Web Items	526	(8)
IIS Application Object Model	534	(12)
Response Object	535	(1)
Application and Session Object	535	(1)
Application Variables	536	(1)
Request Object	537	(4)
Server Object	541	(1)
BrowserType Object	541	(5)
For the Certified Pro	546	(1)
Preparing for Certification	546	(1)
Certification Quiz	546	(3)
Answers to Certification Quiz	548	(1)
CHAPTER 19 DHTML APPLICATIONS	549	(28)
Skills Covered	549	(1)
DHTML Fundamentals	550	(8)
The DHTML Object Model	558	(16)
For the Certified Pro	574	(1)
Preparing for Certification	574	(1)
Certification Quiz	575	(2)
Answers to Certification Quiz	576	(1)
CHAPTER 20 SCALING VISUAL BASIC APPLICATIONS	577	(28)
Skills Covered	577	(2)
Single-User Applications	579	(1)
Multi-User Applications	580	(6)
Multi-Use ActiveX EXE	580	(1)
Single-Use ActiveX EXE	580	(1)
Apartment Threading	581	(1)
The Microsoft Transaction Server	582	(4)
Database Connection Pooling	586	(2)
Object Instance Management	588	(4)
Additional MTS Features	592	(9)
Setting up the Data Link	595	(1)
Creating the Business Objects	596	(3)
Placing the Business Object under MTS control	599	(1)
Creating the Front End	600	(1)
For the Certified Pro	601	(1)
Increasing Your Knowledge	601	(1)
Certification Quiz	601	(4)
Answers to Certification Quiz	603	(2)
CHAPTER 21 CREATING VISUAL BASIC ADD-INS	605	(30)
Skills Covered	605	(1)
The Visual Basic Object Model	606	(3)
Connecting an Add-In to VB	607	(2)
Menus and Toolbars	609	(2)
Manipulating Project Components	611	(2)
Distributing the Add-In	612	(1)
Existing Add-Ins	613	(19)
ActiveX Control Interface Wizard	613	(1)
ActiveX Document Migration Wizard	613	(1)
API Viewer	614	(1)
Application Wizard	615	(1)
Class Builder Utility	616	(1)
Data Form Wizard	616	(1)
Data Object Wizard	616	(1)
Property Page Wizard	617	(1)
Resource Editor	618	(1)
SQL Debugging	619	(1)
Visual Component Manager	619	(4)
Specifying Options	623	(8)
Handling the Menu Events	631	(1)
Testing the Add-In	632	(1)
Preparing for Certification	632	(1)
Certification Quiz	633	(2)
Answers to Certification Quiz	634	(1)
APPENDIX A EXAM MATRIX	635	(10)
Test Overview	635	(1)
70-176: Designing and Implementing Desktop Applications	635	(4)
70-175: Designing and Implementing Distributed Applications	639	(4)
Professional Skills	643	(2)
INDEX	645