DOC: Incorrect API Text Viewer Declaration of GetVersionEx API (187716)

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, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0
Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows 4.0

This article was previously published under Q187716

SUMMARY

The following error occurs when you use the GetVersionEx API function declaration from the API Text Viewer.

Compiler Error: User defined type may not be passed ByVal

MORE INFORMATION

The Declare statement for GetVersionEx in the API Text Viewer incorrectly passes a user-defined data type using the ByVal keyword. To correct this problem, remove the ByVal modifier. The correct declaration is:

   Private Declare Function GetVersionEx Lib "kernel32" Alias _
      "GetVersionExA" (lpVersionInformation As OSVERSIONINFO) As Long

You can also change the statement in the file win32api.txt so the next time you use the API Text Viewer, the Declare statement will be correct.

REFERENCES

For more information on using GetVersionEx, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

189249 HOWTO: Determine Which 32-bit Operating System Is Being Used

To learn more about the Windows API and the API Text Viewer, please see:

Visual Basic Books Online; search on: "API"; topic: Accessing the Microsoft Windows API

STATUS

This documentation error has been fixed in Visual Basic 6.0.

The win32api.txt that ships with Visual Basic version 6.0 has been updated with the correct declaration for GetVersionEx.

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	6/28/2004
Keywords:	KB187716