INFO: VB5 FAQ: Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition (165524)

MORE INFORMATION

1. What is the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows, version 5.0, Control Creation Edition?
2. Is there a version 6.0 of the Control Creation Edition?
3. What is an ActiveX Control?
4. What is ActiveX?
5. What features will the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition offer?
6. Where and how can these ActiveX Controls be used?
7. How does the Control Creation Edition relate to the other versions of Visual Basic 5.0?
8. How do controls used within a custom ActiveX control get downloaded to a Web user's computer?
9. How does the release of the Control Creation Edition affect Visual Basic for Applications?
10. How does the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition relate to Visual C++ and the Visual J++ development tool?
11. How large are controls produced by the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition?
12. Do ActiveX controls created with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition share the same limitations as Java Applets?
13. Are the controls produced with Visual Basic Control Creation 5.0 Edition compiled to native code or to pCode?
14. Can I distribute the controls that I create, royalty-free?
15. What is the Visual Basic Virtual Machine and how does it get to the Web user's computer?
16. How many ActiveX Controls are currently available? How will Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition affect this market?

Questions and Answers

1. Q. What is the Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows, version 5.0, Control Creation Edition?
   
   A. The Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition (VBCCE) is the a member of the Visual Basic programming system for Windows, a rapid application development (RAD) tool that allows developers to build ActiveX controls quickly and easily, opening up Web development to the over three million Visual Basic developers in the industry today. The Control Creation Edition joins the Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions of Visual Basic version 5.0.
2. Q. Is there a version 6.0 of the Control Creation Edition?
   
   A. No. The Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition was desgined to introduce developers to creating ActiveX controls. There are no plans to upgrade the VBCCE.
3. Q. What is an ActiveX Control?
   
   A. ActiveX technologies make it easy to create, integrate and reuse software components (controls) over the Internet or intranets. An ActiveX Control is a software component that can be integrated into Web pages, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Access and Visual Basic or any host that supports ActiveX Controls.
   
   With ActiveX, developers can create components in any programming language, integrate them with any scripting language, and run those components from any type of application, including Web browsers business applications. Assembling Web sites from a wide variety of existing software components speeds time to market, allows Web site producers to build more engaging and effective sites, and results in a more intriguing and productive experience for Web surfers.
4. Q. What is ActiveX?
   
   A. ActiveX is a set of technologies that integrate software components in a networked environment, regardless of the language in which they were created. This integration of components enables content and software developers to create interactive applications and Web sites easily.
5. Q. What features will the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition offer?
   
   A. Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition allows developers to build ActiveX Controls using any of the following scenarios:
   
   
   • Data aware controls
   • Custom property pages
   • Multiple controls per OCX file
   • Multiple Container controls
   • Multiple Irregularly-shaped controls
   • Multiple Properties that download asynchronously
   • Multiple Self-describing controls with type libraries
6. Q. Where and how can these ActiveX Controls be used?
   
   Controls created with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition can be included in any application that supports ActiveX Controls, including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Visual Basic 4.0, the Visual C ++ development system, the Visual FoxPro database system, Microsoft Office 97, Delphi, Netscape Navigator, etc., via plug-ins and more, as well as the application of any vendor that has licensed Visual Basic 5.0 Applications Edition.
7. Q. How does the Control Creation Edition relate to the other versions of Visual Basic 5.0?
   
   A. Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition includes the new Intellisense technology, forms engine, and interactive debugger of Visual Basic 5.0, but it does not include some of the functionality found in the retail editions of Visual Basic, such as the Jet database engine, report writing, integration with the Visual SourceSafe version control system and other features not required for control creation. As a result, the version available for downloading from the Web is 5.5 MB. While the Control Creation Edition will provide support for building ActiveX Controls, it cannot be used to develop stand-alone applications.
   
   Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition will be available as a stand- alone product as well as integrated into the Professional and Enterprise editions of Visual Basic 5.0.
8. Q. How do controls used within a custom ActiveX control get downloaded to a Web user's computer?
   
   A. The Visual Basic 5.0 Setup Wizard analyzes all dependencies and creates everything necessary for Web applications. It creates a compressed file containing all files needed for control, an informational file that the browser uses to install and register the components, and a working HTM page that contains everything an HTM page needs for downloading, including the codebase reference.
9. Q. How does the release of the Control Creation Edition affect Visual Basic for Applications?
   
   A. All licenses of Visual Basic for Applications will become ActiveX Control hosts. Visual Basic for Applications 5.0 is an ActiveX Control container and the language engine at the heart of Visual Basic 5.0, Control Creation Edition, Office 97 and a growing number of third-party licensees. For more information on Visual Basic for Applications, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/vba/.
10. Q. How does the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition relate to Visual C++ and the Visual J++ development tool?
    
    A. Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition, Visual J++ and Visual C++ can all create ActiveX components. However, Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition is the only one of the three tools that applies RAD techniques to creating controls. Visual J++, Visual C++, and Visual Basic are programming languages that are component producers.
11. Q. How large are controls produced by the Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition?
    
    A. The average control will be about 20k, but actual size varies according to complexity.
12. Q. Do ActiveX controls created with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition share the same limitations as Java Applets?
    
    A. No. Unlike Java applets, ActiveX controls created in Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition can take full advantage of Windows 95 and NT operating systems. ActiveX controls produced with Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition are pre-built for digital signatures, giving the Web user the option to accept or deny the downloading of ActiveX components.
13. Q. Are the controls produced with Visual Basic Control Creation 5.0 Edition compiled to native code or to pCode?
    
    A. Controls produced by Visual Basic Control Creation Edition are compiled to pCode, producing very small but very powerful controls.
14. Q. Can I distribute the controls that I create, royalty-free?
    
    A. Yes. Any controls that you create from scratch or any of the intrinsic controls included with the Visual Basic 5 Control Creation Edition may be distributed royalty-free. You may be able to distribute other ActiveX controls, .exe files, and .DLLs that you have purchased, either through Microsoft products or though a third party vendor. Please consult the manufacturer's license agreement for each of files you plan to distribute to determine whether you have the right to distribute the file with your application.
15. Q. What is the Visual Basic Virtual Machine and how does it get to the Web user's computer?
    
    A. Visual Basic controls are interpreted by the virtual machine on the Web user's computer in much the same manner as a Java applet. The virtual machine (MSVBVM5.DLL) also provides high-performance services common to all Visual Basic authored ActiveX controls. The virtual machine is automatically downloaded and installed:
    
    • the first time a person navigates to a Web page containing any Visual Basic authored control. -and-
      
      
    • when any control built using a newer version of the virtual machine is accessed.
16. Q. How many ActiveX Controls are currently available? How will Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition affect this market?
    
    A. More than 2,000 ActiveX components are available today from hundreds of developers for use both over the Internet and in line-of-business applications. The number of ActiveX Control ISVs has grown by over 400 percent since the beginning of the year. With the release of Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition and its ease of use, there should be a significant increase in the number and types of controls available, providing substantial benefits to developers and customers.