INFO: SaveSetting & GetSetting Allow Nested Settings (145694)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 16-bit, for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 16-bit, for Windows 4.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0
This article was previously published under Q145694

SUMMARY

It is possible to use the SaveSetting statement to create nested levels of keys and values in the Registry. This behavior is desirable in some cases.

For example, when receiving the location of a SYSTEM.MDA file, the Access engine expects the SystemDB value to exist in a subkey of Engines\Jet, such as this: 
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER
      \Software
         \VB and VBA Program Settings
            \MyApp
               \Engines
                  \Jet
                     SystemDB = c:\access\system.mda

Simply using the syntax for GetSetting supplied in the documentation and online help does not allow for this functionality.

MORE INFORMATION

You can create nested levels in the Registry by using this syntax:

SaveSetting "TestApp", "Test2\Test3", "TestVal", "TestSetting"


This will create a section of the Registry that looks like: 
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER
      \Software
         \VB and VBA Program Settings
            \TestApp
               \Test2
                  \Test3
                     TestVal = TestSetting

This will only work with the 32-bit version of Visual Basic. If the same line of code is executed with Visual Basic 4.0 16-bit, the result will be a file named TESTAPP.INI, with the following section: 
   [Test2\Test3]
   TestVal=TestSetting

To retrieve values stored in the Registry like this, use the same syntax with the GetSetting function.

Some restrictions are inherited when creating nested keys with SaveSetting.

DeleteSetting and GetAllSettings do not work in the same fashion as they do with non-nested keys.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/7/2003
Keywords:kbinfo KB145694
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