Copyright: VBxtras Catalog - Winter 1995


Table of Contents
The Ultimate Visual Basic Tools Catalog

A Message from the President

Welcome to the Winter 1995 Edition of VBxtras - The Ultimate Visual Basic Tools Catalog. This help file contains over 80 Visual Basic add-ons, books, and services.

The product listing contains all of our major products in alphabetical order. Or, you can search for products by name, vendor, or topic. To print an order form or to see more information about ordering, click the Order Form button above.

Be sure to check out the new Visual Basic Tool Tips journal, with the premier issue starting in March, 1995.

Catalog Listings	Special Products and Services

Product Listing	Visual Basic Tool Tips

The Bookshelf	Visual Basic Training Alliance

VBxtra Special Bundles!!!	Consultant's Registry and Referral Service

Order Form	Expert Placement

Who are we?

The VBxtras Staff	VBxtras Advisory Board	We want to hear from you!


Product Listing

3d Graphic Tools	3D Widgets	ALL Text HT/Pro

Aware/VBX	Chart FX	Code.Print Pro

CodeBook	Control Power!	Controls for Btrieve

Crystal Reports Pro Upgrade	Data Widgets	Dazzle/VB™ Pro

Designer Widgets	Distinct TCP/IP SDK	Doc-To-Help

DocLink/VB for Windows	DynaZIP VBX	FinLib/VB

Formula One™/VB	Gantt/VBX	Graphics Conversion Library

Graphics Server™ SDK	ImageKnife/VBX	InfoNable/VBX

Lexport	M.4	MediaKnife/VBX

MediaShop	Mega Pack	MicroHelp Compression Plus

MicroHelp Fax Plus	Muscle	NetPak Professional

NetWare® Client SDK	Open Mail System/VBX	PDQComm

PinPoint	Pretty Printer	ProMath/VB

QuickApp	QuickLine/VB	QuickPak Professional

QuickPak Scientific	QuickPeer	R&R Report Writer

ROCKET	Sign-On Verify	SpellCheck/VB

SpellPro	Spread/VBX	SpyWorks-VB

TAB/PRO	Tlist	ToolThings

TrueGrid Pro	VB Compress Pro	VB Data Companion

VB HelpWriter	VB Power Guides	VB Project Works

VB/Link for Lotus Notes	VB/Rig Professional	VBASIC Library

VBAssist	VBDD	VBGraphix

VBlite	VBTools 4	VBX Artist

VBXpress	VBXRef	Versions™/VB

VersionStamper-VB	Visual Basic Developer	Visual Basic Videos

Visual QuickBASIC	Visual Release/VBX	Visual Voice

VSVBX	VSView	Xref

Visual Basic Multimedia Adventure Set

More Products


Custom Voice
Custom Voice	$424

The Speech Recognition Development Tool Kit	Retail Price 	$495

From A&G Graphics Interface	Product# AG01 	1 lb.

Interactive debugger helps developers write bug free and optimized speech enabled programs

Parser APIs allow easy handling of multiple data-types

Strong technical support via the Internet, CompuServe Forum, and 30-day free phone support

Computer...Earl Grey...Hot!

Well, it's here, and it works great. For the first time, we have a way to easily design and deliver speech recognition applications using VB. Custom Voice enables you to jump in now and deliver apps effectively.

Do you have to give up your first born? No, and you don't need ANY proprietary hardware either, just a Sound Blaster.  It's a continuous speech system which allows users to speak naturally.  You see, Custom Voice works with ICSS, the speech  recognition engine from IBM, which is also speaker independent with a large vocabulary. Custom Voice can actually differentiate over 1000 different words at any one time. The accuracy achieved is over 95%.

"Warp Speed Now"

You'll be amazed at how fast you can be up and running. Bundled in the package are a family of nifty programs which illustrate how simple and easy it is to write a speech app.  Try the Voice Calculator or the trading example. Sets of pre-built grammar and an interactive grammar debugger will shorten your development time dramatically.  All of these tools enable you to get your projects up and running quickly. The neat trick the guys at A&G pulled off is the set of parser API's, which are also included in the package. They'll convert the recognized text into useful data types which are transparent to your application.

"Open the Pod Door now Hal"

Ever get a desire to talk to your computer? NOW you can! Ever wish your computer could really understand you? Now it does, sorta, kinda, well almost! Fortune 500 multinationals like DuPont, Rockwell, Hewlett Packard, CIBA Corning, Andersen Consulting and others are using Custom Voice to develop real applications.

Would I Lie to You?

Custom Voice has made life a lot easier for Chad Burkey, a developer at Andersen Consulting.  It has enabled Chad to integrate speech recognition using VB.  Chad says that an arduous multi-step process has been reduced down to a few simple calls.  He also states that "it truly makes natural language processing possible". Custom Voice has saved Andersen a LOT of time and heartache, and it is now their interface of choice. It also serves as their  "intelligence" extraction mechanism for the recognized speech via the parser API's.

Told 'Ya

Chad's boss at Andersen, Dr. Bruce Krulwich, a manager at CSTaR, believes that the ability for users to issue continuous speech in a full sentence is crucial for a natural interface.  This capability gives them the power and flexibility to achieve such an interface.  Bruce says "....The built-in parser provides integration of the speech recognition with the processing of the spoken sentences." Also, "Custom Voice has given us the control and power we need to easily develop advanced speech recognition applications."

Ooo...Magic

Developing a speech recognition application with Custom Voice and VB is a simple 4 step process:

1.	Write and test your grammar using the grammar debugger.

2.	Compile the grammar into a context file.

3.	Drag+drop the Custom Voice VBX onto your application form, and add the context file via the properties dialog box.

4.	Add your particular application level coding and use the parser API's to parse recognized text into basic variables as you wish........and oops You shoulda had a V-8 (only kidding).


Pretty Printer
Pretty Printer	$78

The Source Code Print and Debug Utility for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$99.99

From Aardvark Software, Inc.	Product# AA01 	1 lb.

Statement connectors make source code clearly readable

Prints individual functions, forms, and subroutines

Excellent as a source code browser and debugging aid

The Paperless Office...

Remember that myth?  Computers were supposed to eliminate paper. Hah!  They simply make it possible to generate reams and reams of nicely formatted printed output so that we can get just exactly the right look.

The Paper Trail

Why is it then that we print so much?  Because paper is still a much better medium for many purposes than a computer screen. Need to transmit information to a colleague? Paper is easier by far than diskettes.  Need to edit a document? It's much easier to scribble notes on a printout. You don't have to have a battery or an AC outlet to read papyrus.

Print that Source

Programmers need to print out source code just like everyone else. How else will you ever understand that 1000 line routine the last guy wrote, or you wrote and forgot? Hit Page Down until you find it??? What about tracking down a logic bug? And providing your client with hard copy source code documentation?  (You don't always do this?!?  You should!  It will increase their perception of your value!) Face it, sooner or later, you're going to have to print out your source code.

It's an Ugly Job...

Yes, when you print your source code from within Visual Basic, the output is just plain ugly. With all its visual orientation, VB doesn't provide any print formatting control at all. Certainly not useful for understanding and debugging, and it is definitely not the type of thing you want to present to a client at the end of a project! What's more, Visual Basic won't print individual routines or forms; it will only print .FRM and .BAS files in their entirety. Well, so much for the Rain Forests! :-(

Give VB a Makeover

Aardvark Software felt the same way about Visual Basic's printed output as I do, and that's why they created Pretty Printer,  a professional tool for serious programmers.  Pretty Printer is a  stand-alone program that was actually written in Visual Basic;  you don't even have to have Visual Basic loaded to print! The Aardvark programmers must have been mainframe developers in their  former lives, and I think that they wrote Pretty Printer just to make their old mainframe buddies jealous!

Oooh!  Aaah!

Pretty Printer can really wow your clients with its syntax highlighting (in color if you have a color printer), and its different fonts for different syntax components such as identifiers, keywords, literals, and comments.  When did I print this module? Oh, there's the date and time right on Pretty Printer's output!

Let's Connect

Pretty Printer also uses statement connectors to help you see the logic within your routines.  When you can trace the ENDIF that goes with the IF, errors really pop off the page at you!

Trying to be Green?

So you don't like to generate printouts that often anyway? Pretty Printer is much more than a print utility; it is an excellent source code browser as well. Load your source file into Pretty Printer and you get to see your source exactly the way it would otherwise be printed.

My Next Project

I found Pretty Printer while looking for add-ons to include in VBxtras. I really wish I had found it from day one. Now I can turn over the source documentation for my next VB project to my client looking much prettier than ever before. Don't you think you should do the same?  :-)


Gantt/VBX
Gantt/VBX™	$229

A Completely Flexible Gantt Chart Control	Retail Price	$249

From ADDSoft, Inc.	Product# AD01	3 lbs.

Visually Interactive with over 100 properties for almost infinite flexibility

Attach code to scores of event triggers

Includes end user help file to distribute with your application

Totally Atomic

If you're like me, you're always looking for a weapon to add to your personal arsenal that can take your application to a higher level of professionalism without a lot of work. Have I got a bombshell for you!

Gantt/VBX allows you to add Gantt style charts to any application with just a drop of a control.

Not just for Breakfast Anymore

With Gantt/VBX you don't have to think of a Gantt chart for just project management software. Think of using it to graphically display and manage anything that has starting and ending times. Use it to create to-do lists, appointment scheduling, conference room scheduling, meeting time tables, work group scheduling, vacation scheduling... and on and on.

Visually Interactive

Let's say you want to change a start date for a particular task. Just grab your mouse and point at the starting bar end and click and drag it to the new starting time. Same goes for changing the duration and the progress. Resize list columns and header size.

Almost Too Flexible!

You can adjust just about anything you can think of within the chart. Set the time-scale for Minutes, Hours, Days, Months, Quarters, or Years, Etc....

A Picture's Worth a 1000 Words

Here's what you get: 14 bar types ranging from Critical planned to user defined; 14 bar endpoint symbols in either solid or framed; 7 bar pattern options; complete control of fonts and colors; and over 100 properties.

You can customize this thing to your heart's content. Get the picture?

Not Just another Pretty Face

Gantt/VBX doesn't just stop with the user interface; it has over 40 events for your application to respond to! You will know when a user double clicks on a cell, or when the user double clicks on a bar in the depends field. You get the idea, you can respond to the user when you want to.

Yeah, but Don't get Intimidated

Gantt/VBX holds your hand all the way. The manual contains a great tutorial to walk you step by step in creating your first Gantt chart. You don't even have to be a VB guru to be productive with Gantt/VBX.

Lets say you want to save the data the user typed in. With most products, you have to develop elaborate schemes to save data. Not with Gantt/VBX:

GanttVBX1.ListSave = vbxtras.dat

Now lets load the data back in:

GanttVBX1.ListLoad = vbxtras.dat

Get the idea?

Goes the Extra Mile!

Not just the VBX, but ADDSoft also includes an end-user help file. They also optimized repainting and intelligent scrolling to make this control a pleasure to use. Have they thought of everything or what?

After using Gantt/VBX, it's hard to comprehend developing a VB app without it!


VBXpress
VBXpress	$269

Creates VBX Files Containing Controls of Your Own Design	Retail Price	$ 299

From AJS Publishing, Inc.	Product# AJ02 	 1 lb.

Create VBX files for VB and other VBX compatible development tools

Design command buttons, sliders, toolbars, and floating tool palettes

Customize button and toolbar appearance at runtime

Cream of the Crop!

What is it that distinguishes a  great Windows app from a run-of-the-mill program? Speed is important, sure. Features are important too. But quite often it is a well crafted user interface, right?

Let the Best Inspire!

For instance, think about some of the more recent applications on the market today: WinWord, Corel Draw, or Quicken to name a few. These are excellent programs primarily because of their user interface. But where do you get the tools you need to do the job?

To create world-class applications, you have to go beyond Visual Basic itself. The tools you need can only be found in the third party and most of the third party tools are supplied as .VBX custom controls. What a wonderful idea Microsoft had when they added .VBX support! VBXs comprise the first truly reusable set of software components in widespread use today!

But I Don't Want That...

Still, you can't create a .VBX with Visual Basic so, if you cannot find one that meets your needs exactly, and you are not a C++ programmer,  then you're out of luck.

Or, maybe not. You see AJS Publishing created VBXpress for those who want to create custom controls but can't afford the pain of C++. VBXpress provides you with great flexibility when it comes to creating command buttons, rocker buttons, sliders, toolbars and tool palettes. It lets you create any of these with practically any shape, font, color, or graphic you could imagine, you're limited only by your imagination!.

Options Galore!

VBXpress creates buttons in numerous styles: command, no-wait, toggle, spin, option, and delay. In toolbars and palettes, these buttons can provide an impressive user interface. Implementing text formatting buttons? You can create toggle buttons to use when you implement text justification and option buttons when you implement text attribute selection. It even comes with over 100 graphic images for use on your buttons and
toolbars. I could go on and on!

The Golden Goose

How about flyout toolbars attached to a button (looking like Corel Draw's toolbars) that minimize screen usage until needed. Also like Corel, you can use rollup dialogs and rollup palettes as well. How about sliders? Just look at how WinWord itself uses sliders to let you adjust column indentation to see how useful sliders can be! All with no programming!

Point and Click

VBXpress makes it super simple with its VBXpress Conductor, kind of like a Wizard that guides you thru the creation of a VBX control; it couldn't be easier!  Then once you've gained an understanding of how to use VBXpress, you can turn the conductor off and go to town!

Need a Little Magic?

What if you like the idea of creating custom controls, but you don't want to create VBX files; instead, you'd like to actually embed them in your .EXEs?  AJS has a similar product that may meet your needs, VB/Magic Controls. It lets you create the same kind of controls that VBXpress does, but it also lets you change a control's image at runtime, add 3-D effects to any control, and create rollup controls. Really neat.


TrueGrid Pro
TrueGrid Pro	$88

The Hottest Data-Bound Grid Control Available	Retail Price	$149

From APEX Software Corporation	Product# AX01 	2 lbs.

Super fast data-bound grid custom control

Automatically creates columns with headers for your tables

Supports many standard Windows controls in a grid cell

So you Wanna Browse your Data, eh Pilgrim?

If you are looking for a bound data grid then look no further than TrueGrid Professional! Unless you're from the old West, you know that the grid supplied with VB is a joke. In comparison, TrueGrid allows drop down list boxes, option buttons, and combo boxes, all in an easy to use control.  All of this functionality, and more, can be done with absolutely no programming on your part!

Procrastinator's Dream

One of TrueGrid's greatest features is its ability to set up almost any aspect of the grid at design time, or you can wait until runtime. For flexible, data-driven applications, these capabilities are a must!

Nothing to It...

Installing and using TrueGrid is a breeze.  Simply add TRUEGRID.VBX and you are ready to go. If you want it to, TrueGrid can automatically create columns with headers for all the fields in your table.

Have it your Way!

Colors and fonts, of course you want control of them in your grids. But TrueGrid gives you this control on a cell-by-cell basis! With this feature you can highlight negative amounts and make past due balances stand out! What's more, you can even display icons or bitmaps in a cell!

More Powerful than a Six Shooter!

Want to see different parts of a grid side-by-side? Use TrueGrid's unique feature called column splits! You can synchronize the rows, or scroll the rows independently! You can even let your users create their own splits! Want to edit cells right in the grid? TrueGrid supports in-place editing and validation. TrueGrid will even drop down a multi-line text control when editing large data! You can use standard VB Format() strings for data display in a column, and you can even base a column on a VB expression like so:

TrueGrid also supports automatic column sums for columns of numeric data!

Hey Duke, Look at This

Check boxes, Option buttons, Dropdown list boxes, Combo boxes and Radio buttons; any of these can be placed in a TrueGrid cell. They sure make in-place editing easier for users. Specify a list of valid values for a column and the user will get a drop down list box of these values when they edit. This list can also be loaded at runtime via another table in your database.

Fastest Grid this Side of the Rio Grande!

TrueGrid has a extremely fast engine for retrieving data. Use TrueGrid with a dynaset, or use a snapshot and program it yourself. With a dynaset, you can even specify the number of records to read at a time!

Fetch that Data, Waa-Ha!

Can't get what you need when bound to a data control? Use TrueGrid in callback mode and it will trigger a Fetch event when it needs new data, and an Update event when the user has changed data. So with TrueGrid you can say bye-bye to .AddItem and RowColChange!

I Wannit on Paper...

So your user says: I want to print this data that I'm browsing. No problem, TrueGrid can generate reports directly using the VB Pro version of Crystal Reports. And with the Crystal Reports Pro upgrade available from VBxtras, you can also create a bound report file (.RPT) and customize the output!

VBxtras is now offering a special bundle for those programmers who want Crystal Reports Pro upgrade and True Grid Pro. Get both products at the VBxtras low price of $245 (a $348 value).


NetWare® Client SDK
NetWare® Client SDK	$323

The NetWare Custom Control and Documentation Package	Retail Price	$395

From Apiary	Product# AP01 	1 lb.

VBX custom control provides support for entire NetWare API

NetWare API structures, constants, and 800+ functions

Complete Windows Help file describing all NetWare API functions

King of the Hill?

So what network software do you think is the most widely used for IBM-PC compatible computers today? IBM-PC Lan Program? NOT! How about MS-Lan Manger? Sorry. Banyan? Yeah, right. Lantastic? Uh-uh. Windows NT?  It may be feature rich, but it ain't got a big installed base.

Come on, you know which one is used more than any other... Novell NetWare. We're not talking which one is the best; I'll stay out of that one. We're talking the one with the most users. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that around 70% of PC networks currently in use are Novell. And it doesn't look like that is about to change anytime soon.

They Want it All!

It's not like it used to be. These days users expect compatibility. And they expect support. They won't stand for printers that are not supported. They don't want to have to switch to another program to change printers. They don't want to have to type in a user ID for every application they run.

Users want their network programs to recognize who they are and remember their individual and station configurations. They don't want to have to deal with mapping drives and setting paths. They want their programs to be able to communicate with other users on the network. Quite frankly, today's users want it all. And more and more often, they are getting it.

Bury your Head in the Sand?

So, are you going to stick your head in the sand and ignore the rising tide of user wants and needs? Or are you going to write your programs to support the environment that your users operate in? If you choose the latter (for your sake you'd better!), then there is no better way with Visual Basic to support Novell than with the NetWare Client SDK from Apiary!

The NetWare Client SDK is a VBX custom control and a collection of .BAS files declaring all structures, constants, and functions needed to support the Novell API. It has a Windows help file documenting and cross-referencing every function, and giving numerous examples of Visual Basic projects.

Overwhelming? Not at All!

Anyone familiar with Novell programming knows that the API has over 800 functions which can be inundating at best. But, Apiary has somehow managed to make the API conceptually manageable. When you install the NetWare Client SDK, it creates a program manager group with an icon for 20 categories of NetWare services. Click on any icon and you load Visual Basic and an example project that demonstrates the use of the selected group of NetWare API functions.

Love that Clipboard

Want to add support for, say, capturing local print ports to NetWare print queues? Just click on Print Capture, run the example program to get a feel for it, study the code for the program, then cut and paste the code you need into your application. That's all there is too it! No lengthy time spent pouring over manuals or scrolling through a Windows Help file (although the included help file is excellent).

What Else?

NetWare Client SDK provides support for all your NetWare servers 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x. It works with NETX and the VLM requester. The Help file even provides syntax for C and C++ programmers making this the only on-line NetWare reference for C and C++ programmers.


PinPoint
PinPoint™	$179

The Indispensable Tool for Visual Basic Debugging	Regular Price	$199

From Avanti Software, Inc.	Product# AV01 	1 lb.

Execution tracer provides detailed information on the order of execution

Application profiler determines and graphs bottlenecks

Utility automatically inserts or removes debugging hooks

Picking up Where the VB Debugger Leaves Off

Debugging?  Sigh. We all have to do it, and the tools are never quite good enough for us to do the things we want to do. We all know that the Visual Basic debugger doesn't give us many of the features we need during debugging.

What's worse, it even changes the way our programs behave at times. Sadly, there isn't a better alternative. Or is there? PinPoint from Avanti Software is exactly that tool!

So, What's Happen'n?

One of the toughest parts of learning VB is understanding the event-driven model.  It's different from a sequential model where things happen one after another.  It's different from the underlying Windows model, which is based on messages. Instead, Visual Basic deals with events.

Sure you can figure out the order of events (does LostFocus occur on one control before GotFocus on the next?) if you're patient and willing to single step through your application and take careful notes.  Not fun.  So why do all that work?

Do you Know Where you're Go[sub]ing To...

With PinPoint's Visual TracerTM you can determine the event order as it happens, and with minimal impact on your program. It includes a utility that lets you select which source files to add trace statements, and then does so automatically. Wanna remove them when you're done? No problem!  Done automatically.

By the way, you don't need to remove the calls unless you want to. The tracer code is smart enough to do nothing if the tracer server isn't present!

See the Forest Among all the Trees

Events, Methods, Subs, and Functions, boy-oh-boy can it  get confusing.  With Visual Basic, you will no doubt wonder what is happening and in what order, and what values are stored in arguments and variables.  You could single step (ugh) or embed Debug.Print calls throughout your source code.  But if you're going to go that far, why not take the easier route and use Visual Tracer?

You'll find the trace file has all the information you need to unravel the complex interrelationships of code and objects. You'll find that with PinPoint, you can understand what's happening when and what the data values are.

Optimize your Optimizations

Haven't discussed Visual ProfilerTM yet, have we? If Visual Tracer is the bagel, Visual Profiler is the cream cheese! Visual Profiler takes the trace output and uses it to analyze the performance of your application with one millisecond resolution! The Visual Profiler tells you how many times each event or Sub or Function was called, what the Gross and Net times were (total and average), and even shows you a pretty graph!

With this info, you can intelligently identify (I might say PinPoint, but I won't) what aspects of your application to optimize! You can optimize by improving your Visual Basic code, by writing it in C or C++, or by using another third party tool like MicroHelp's Muscle (also available in VBxtras!) By the way, PinPoint works with C and C++ too.

The Bottom Line!

The bottom line is that Visual Tracer and Visual Profiler are indispensable!  You won't use them every day; I'd be lying to you if I said you would.

But  and this is the real bottom line  when you need the information you can get from PinPoint, there's no other tool that can do the job!  None, nada, zilch, bupkis.

Fortunately for all us Visual Basic developers, PinPoint not only does the job, but does it quite nicely, too!


VB/Rig Professional
VB/Rig Professional™	$89

Error-Handling Code Generator	Retail Price(Pro)	$99

From Avanti Software, Inc.	Product# AV02	1 lb.

Automatically insert code to trap and report errors at runtime

Optionally insert template code so you can add your own error-handlers

View a stack trace when errors occur

Automatically remove the rigging

Waddayamean Type Mismatch?!?!?

I don't know about you, but I've gotten pretty tired of having users tell me that the program blew up and all it said was 'Type Mismatch.'  ARGH!  Or maybe you got the infamous Invalid Use of Null? No program is perfect, and many are data driven and data dependent.  What's a poor developer to do?

On Error Shoot Foot

I find the Visual Basic error handling to be somewhat less than intuitive.  It tends to frustrate me when an error occurs in one place, but gets trapped in another.

Maybe it's reasonable, but it's not obvious!  And I'm not particularly fond of putting those #*&# On Error Whatever statements in by hand - it's just too bloody time consuming.

VB/Rig Does It!

VB/Rig does the work that I don't like to do.  It examines my project and then, based on what I tell it, puts the error handling code in for me!  That's right, it does the work.

If you've used PinPoint, also from Avanti Software, you may have come to appreciate the automatic code insertion and removal tool.  VB/Rig takes the same approach.

The author, Brad Kaenel, clearly must have thought to himself Why do this stuff more than once?  Why not write the code once, and then let it do the work?

Brad has included a simple mission statement in VB/Rig:

VB/Rig's mission is to make runtime error-handling so easy to implement that you'll do it every time, all the time, as part of your normal development.  You know what?  He may just have succeeded!

Stack'em Here

Here's how it works. As your program runs, VB/Rig maintains a procedure stack. Yup - it keeps track of where you've been in your code and where you are now - it's almost as good as your mother!

When a runtime error occurs, VB/Rig first traps it so your program doesn't die. Then, up pops a window showing the error number, some explanatory text, and a nice, clear procedure trace for your user to look at. Finally, VB/Rig Pro time-stamps all that error information and writes it to a log file so you can review it later.

What does this mean to you? It means that instead of having to guess or figure, you know which Sub or Function was executing when the runtime error occurred. And you can collect this information while the program is running out in customer-land! Pretty cool, huh? But there's more!

I Wanna Do It Myself!

I know - you don't just want that automatic stuff - you want some real error handling.  You wanna write it yourself, or it doesn't count.

VB/Rig includes some handy options, including one that will insert a nice template (Select Case) for you to do your own thing.

So... What Am I Saying?

Don't worry - VB/Rig won't take any of the fun out of it (hahahahaaaa) - just the drudgery. VBxtras has a great price...so why wait?


Visual QuickBASIC
Visual QuickBASIC	$446

The VB Developer's Answer for Building
DLL's and True* EXE's in BASIC	Retail Price (Pro)	$495

From Basmark Corporation	Product# BM01 	4 lbs.

Generates True Executable, no run file required

Pro version generates EXEs and DLLs

Handles Windows callback functions

So You Want to Write a DLL (or EXE)?

One other thing that Visual Basic programmers have all wanted to do is write their own .DLLs and EXEs - in Basic!

Visual QuickBASIC gives you the ability to do either, in our language of choice, BASIC.  It accomplishes this huge feat by translating the Basic code you create into assembler code. Basmark then assembles the generated code for subsequent loading into an .EXE or .DLL.

Maybe a True Executable?

A question that gets asked a lot about Visual Basic is Does Visual Basic produce a true executable? Of course not! And every VB program pays a small runtime performance penalty for VBRUN300.DLL. On the other hand, Visual QuickBASIC from Basmark generates a true executable; no run file required.

16 Bits is Good, But 32 bits is Better

Visual QuickBASIC is a 32 bit application.  It runs natively under NT, and it uses the Win32's translation layer in Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

Basmark ships the Win32's translation layer with Visual QuickBASIC so you don't have to worry about tracking it down from Microsoft. It also generates 32 bit code so anything you code will be 32 bits as well.

Fast, Fast, FAST!

Visual QuickBASIC is triplely fast. First, the development environment is blazingly fast. Second, it comes with a GUI screen designer that generates the necessary BASIC framework needed to do the up-front windows stuff, including registering any classes, setting up message handlers, etc., which (of course) speeds up your development time. Third, the application you'll be shipping to your clients and users is fast, because Visual QuickBASIC generates FAST assembler code used to create your executable.

Naturally, everything you write with Visual QuickBASIC is a 32 bit application, which has it's own reward!

Call Me, Please!

Because VQB is a true compiled language, you can access the whole gamut of Windows API functionality, including Windows callback functions.

This means you can use the Windows API for a bunch of things you don't have access to in an interpreted language. You have direct access to callback functions such as all the enumerated lists, screen saver functions, and all those other things I don't remember since I never get to call them.

But 32 is for Admission

One thing to be aware of is that you must have the Microsoft 32 bit loader and be running a 32 bit version of Windows to actually build an executable.

This means either Windows NT or the future Windows 95, your choice.

Don't be a Wannabe

Don't wait a minute longer to get this one. It's just what you need for those can't create a true EXE and DLL blues!


VBX Artist
VBX Artist	$234

The Essential Painting and Drawing Tool	Retail Price	$250

From Bennet-Tec Information Systems	Product# BE01	2 lbs.

Abundant collection of painting tools - pencil, spray, eraser, flood-fill, screen grabber, etc.

API function calls for programmatic painting, without any user interaction

Modify, scroll, and scale images from your VB app

Drag-drop facility from Windows File Manager

Oh So Tedious...

Whenever we talk about including painting or drawing capability in our VB apps, time becomes a critical factor. VB makes including lots of different capabilities easy, but not painting and drawing. Sure it's possible to add this capability with the Picture control, but do you really want to go to all that  effort? Instead take a look at VBX Artist. It has two powerful controls in one package to make drawing and painting a breeze!

A Brave New World

Because it's been a pain, most of us have shied away from adding drawing capability to our programs. We've had no choice but to forget that a picture is worth a thousand words. Now, with VBX Artist you can give new functionality to your users and make them go Wow!.

Icon Do It!

Even if at first you think that your program is not graphics related, you would be amazed at how many different ways that drawing can be beneficial to your application. Imagine giving the user the ability to design their own icons within your application. How about giving them graphical note-taking capability to associate with a customer such as a map to their location.

What You'd Expect and More!

What power does VBX Artist provide to make all the above dreams come true? It's loaded with all kinds of drawing tools - pencil, brush, flood fill, eraser, spray, grabber, filled and empty shapes and much more. For these tools, you don't need to call some intricate Windows API functions.

Complete Rotations

Products from Microsoft allow a limited amount of font rotation - 90 degrees or flip horizontal or vertical. But, VBX Artist comes with a settable property called .FontOrientation, which you can set to any angle.

Separates the Men from the Boys

Want to go further than the simple painting and drawing functionality? Writing some sophisticated graphics programs? Can VBX Artist help? Sure!
Much more than a drawing package, it comes with its
own set of API procedures to address graphics functionality. It even has procedures to emulate mouse clicks and movements from within your program!

Not Enough?

How about writing a screen grabber program with two lines of code? How about easing the process of animation? Want programmable scrolling of graphics? Want scrollable and/or grabbable forms and controls? VBX Artist is all you need.

VBX Artist comes with another custom control called PicScroll. You can use this control to resize and scroll a picture made by the user. This control even supports drag and drop functionality from File Manager.

Referent Power

Don't take my word for it: VBX Artist received the 1994 Reader's Choice Award from Visual Basic Programmer's Journal, making VBX Artist one of the top custom controls in the market today.

In its review, VBPJ said this about VBX Artist: With this type of capability, you might even be able to create your own custom version of Visio. I rest my case.


ALL Text HT/Pro
ALL Text HT/Pro	$329

The All-Around Text Processing Control	Retail Price	$350

From Bennet-Tec Information Systems	Product# BE02	2 lbs.

Supports multiple simultaneous fonts with control of 11 font characteristics

WYSIWYG word processor with numerous formatting options

Built in hypertext, RTF and OLE 1.0 embedding support

Multiple Personalities?

Bennet-Tec bills ALLText HT/Pro as a multiple font custom control text box.  To me, that's an understatement, sort of like calling a hurricane a breeze.  Sure, ALLText can be used as a text box, but it's also a whole lot more.

Is it a Text Box...

When it comes to text handling, the standard VB text box can't even touch the flexibility of ALLText. What kind of flexibility?  How about the ability to mix multiple fonts within a single word, sentence or paragraph?  Or full control over properties like strike-through, super and subscripts, color, even custom shadow effects.

...or a Word Processor?

Can you think of an application that might benefit from word processing capabilities?  With ALLText, you can easily include an embedded word processor into your applications - tabs, margins, alignment, even paragraph styles and font tables are built in.  You can even add a background bitmap for watermark effects!

No, It's a Hypertext Control!

The HT in ALLText HT/Pro stands for Hypertext. Just tag a jump word in your text and when the mouse moves over it, the cursor changes and a custom event is triggered! You can capture
that event to jump to
different text or even play sound or video files.  You could even create a hypertext menuing system for your application!

But Wait, There's More...

ALLText HT/Pro is also data aware. For instance, you can store ALLText documents in your database and use the hypertext links to navigate the database.  RTF files and OLE 1.0 embedding are supported too! Get yours today!


Tlist
Tlist	$118

The Flexible and Powerful Outliner Control	Retail Price	$125

From Bennet-Tec Information Systems	Product# BE04	2 lbs.

An enhanced outline control that supports varying colors, fonts and icons for each item

Drag and drop enabled

Can be used as a list of pictures like the icon oriented toolboxes

Supports multiple selection of items

Picture This!

For those of us who grew up in the pre-GUI era, the old DOS TREE program created a nice visual with directories and sub-directories all laid out in an Outline format. Nowadays, word processors such as Word for Windows and PIM's like ECCO Pro incorporate outliners as a standard part of their products to allow thought processing. Haven't you ever wanted to incorporate similar concepts into your VB apps and couldn't find anything that gave you the flexibility and power to pass on to the user? Now you can use TList!

Create Outlines to Organize Thoughts

In one of my programs, a problem is broken down into sub-problems listed in order of urgency.  I found that the use of an outline control would simplify the design. Using the standard outline control bundled with VB was a joke. With TList, I was able to create a first level branch that contained the main problem with sub-problems listed as branches of the first level. Then I further customized each branch with a variety of screen elements.

With TList, I linked unique icons to each item on the tree and even resized the icons for the first level branches.  Different levels of urgency are shown with different fonts and colors.  Each item, its icon and the lines that connect branches have their own events, allowing for different responses.

Comprende?

As long as you understand the tree structure, you can add trees numerous levels deep in your program. The examples provided are mini-trainers in themselves.  So if you've been thinking of showing-up File Manager, TList will make it happen for you.


VB/Link for Lotus Notes
VB/Link for Lotus Notes	$698

A Programmer's Library for Lotus Notes Database Access	Retail Price	$795

From Brainstorm Technologies, Inc.	Product# BS01	1 lb.

Programmer's interface to read and update information in the Notes databases

Link Notes data to Visual Basic dynasets for truly flexible databases

Complete Search capabilities of the documents in a Notes database

Developers, Take Note

Lotus Notes is a package that has finally harbored appeal in the corporate developer.  It makes sense today to create applications that can talk intelligently to Notes and what better place to create them than in VB? VB/Link can make that transition painless.

Another Data Control

Much like the VB data control, the NotesData control is a set of information created by querying the Notes database using Notes functions.  It can be used to view or edit information in Notes databases.  The NotesData control can be column joined with VB dynasets and manipulated as if the data was entirely in an ODBC database.

Search Party

VB/Link provides an easy to use interface to the Notes database by providing search capabilities that extend to all contents of a database, the current view or within a NotesData record set.  Furthermore, Notes macros can be executed using VB/Link and results manipulated through VB code.

Flexible Systems

I was able to integrate my contact management system in VB with one in Notes by using VB/Link.  A join of the VB dynaset with the recordset created from Notes data was relatively easy and presented the effect of a single database to the user.  The application enabled the user to send Notes email, or launch a Word Processor and create a document with the information retrieved from Notes or the VB dynaset.

Let's (Inter)Face It!

VB/Link is a VBX and works through properties and events consistent with the Visual Basic environment.  Recordsets created through VB/Link can be visualized as a grid with each column a retrieved field resulting from the query.  Given its likeness to a grid, the recordset can be sent to a grid or a listbox by using a set of functions included with VB/Link.  No code is needed to iterate through the recordset with Additems for each record.

Joining Data

It is fairly easy to join columns of NotesData resultsets to VB dynasets.  The joins are accomplished through a function call that creates a resulting recordset sent to a standard VB grid, with field names of the resulting dataset represented in each column of the grid.

A Different Way...

Standard Notes behavior dictates that views be created  to work with data stored in Notes databases.  These views are generally rigid due to their pre-defined nature.  A VB interface can be made to customize the view per a user's viewing preferences and manipulated on the fly.  Standard Notes views can also be created with little effort.

Power Up!

A tool this powerful wouldn't, of course, be complete without standard events that can be fired in response to user and/or system events.  VB/Link contains a fairly comprehensive library of error handling events as well as those to facilitate validation, the availability of data as a result of a query, or just cursor movement.  This is just the tool for the programmer ready to meet the demand of Notes application development.


VB Power Guides
VB Power Guides	$129

The Essential Reference that is your VB Consultant for Hire 	Retail Price (set of 3)	$169

From Building Blocks Publishing, Inc.	Product# BB04 	6 lbs.
Need Individual Books?

Easy to follow learning tools

Field-proven code samples

Visual Basic application templates

Add it to my Project?

Don't try to use File, Add File... to bring in this hot product. It's not a VBX, a DLL, or even an .EXE. It's not a replacement for the Visual Basic manuals, or another off-the-shelf voluminous book. So, what are VB Power Guides? They are a set of well written, robust guide books for Visual Basic, and they're just like hiring your own VB consultant.

VBxtra! Vbxtra! Read all About it!

What first impressed me about these guides was that they are big enough for me to work with comfortably! The Guides are 8-1/2" by 11", with nice wide margins for notes. Now this might sound trivial, but just reach over, pull your Visual Basic manual off the shelf, and try to lay it open while you code! There you go.

What you Need, When you Need It

The three guides in the series cover an incredible range of topics. They are organized as easy-to-follow lessons, loaded with tips from the authors, who themselves are seasoned developers. The tips and techniques they lay out for you are fantastic!  The VB Power Guides essentially help you create a template for a Visual Basic application that you can use again and again.

Start Me Up

Power Start, the first of the three Guides, is geared towards the developer who knows where he wants to be, but needs to be pointed in the right direction. It jumps right into topics like MDI forms, using the Windows API, and Dynasets. How do you trap when an MDI parent form is closing, so you can save all the information on the MDI child forms? It's questions like this that are answered clearly for you in this text. Ever try to design an About box for your application (you know, with System Resources, Memory and Window Mode displayed)? Power Start comes with several forms like this already created - just plug them right into your project.

A Sense of Accomplishment

The second guide, Power Development expands on the template application created in Power Start. It focuses on data-driven techniques, again with the goal being reusable code. Validation, security, reporting and other elements that are de facto in an application are modeled for you. Plus everything you ever wanted to know about Drag and Drop. Power Development also includes a Code Generator for automatically generating your table access routines; just paint your form and Code Generator does the rest along with other valuable Visual Basic optimization techniques.

These are the Voyages...

The sequel to these two books (sorry) is Power SQL Development with Visual Basic. It is a thorough discussion of this hot new buzzword, Client/Server. If I didn't have a clear understanding of the concepts involved in Client/Server before reading this Guide, I sure do now! The discussions of the differences between the JET engine and ODBC, and about Business Rules, will really get you chomping at the bit (byte?) to implement them. And, once again, templates are established to keep your code flexible and modular.

Power SQL Development with Visual Basic includes an in-depth discussion of Structured Query Language, covering SELECT statements and stored procedures.

Like a Coding Coach

Lest you be worried about where to begin, rest assured that all of the VB Power Guides come with sample applications, specifically a customer/contact tracking system and a membership tracking application. Each are well commented and really illustrate the concepts of successful coding in Visual Basic. You can order any of the individual guides, or save money by ordering the whole set! With your set you get a handy binder to keep them in! Get yours today!


Need individual guide? No problem.

Each Individual Guide	$69

Book 1: Product# BB01	3 lbs.

Book 2: Product# BB02	3 lbs.

Book 3: Product# BB03	3 lbs.


R&R Report Writer
R&R Report Writer	$169

The Most Powerful Xbase Reporting Package Ever

From Concentric Data Systems, Inc.	Product# CD01 	3 lbs.
SQL Server Edition

Create complex reports with ease

Relate tables on any field, including expressions

Configure and run multiple reports with a few lines of code

It's Been my Favorite...

...reporting tool for the longest time. I've used both the DOS and the Windows version, and I even train end users on R&R. So when I needed to write reports for use with dBase files and my Visual Basic application, guess what I turned to.

R&R Does the Job

R&R Report writer has long been respected in the DOS world as being the Xbase reporting tool. It provides for powerful linking of .DBF files, and uses Clipper, dBase and FoxPro indexes effortlessly. It allows you to create sophisticated functions with ease, and it's runtime control is unmatched.

Now all this power is available in the Windows environment, which makes R&R one of the best choices for Xbase reporting from a Visual Basic program.

You won't Believe All That you Can Do!

One of the greatest frustrations I had while developing an application once was trying to create multi-detail reports. I wanted to print all the records from one table (labor information) and then all the records from another table (material information) within a group. On other systems I'd tried, there was no way to print multi-detail reports, where records from one table print, then records from the other table print, then the group prints. But because of the way R&R joins tables, it was easy to tell which table I was scanning through. These multi-scan reports make pretty much anything possible.

Link on Any Field

Another situation required me to have a link between two tables defined by a calculated field. The main table had a date field in it, and I needed to extract the month from that date field and use the extracted month to look up records in another table. R&R lets you use any kind of field, even calculated fields, for linking. That was a huge time-saver!

Create Complex User-Defined Functions

UDFs are easy to maintain, and easy to update. The UDF files are stored on the disk, so when you update the UDF through one report, all your other reports that use the same function can benefit.

The 3 R's: Relating, Reporting, and Runtime

Runtime reports are not a problem with R&R. Running a report is made easy by creating a record in a special control .DBF file for each report you want to run. Want to change the master file for a report, or change the record selection criteria? No problem. How about the print destination? Easy!

The Runtime files for R&R may be distributed royalty-free with your application.

What Can I Use it With?

R&R works with any Xbase database system. It supports dBase .NDX indexes, Clipper .NTX indexes, and FoxPro .CDX indexes, as well as memo files in these formats.

R&R can really crank 'em out in a network environment, too!

R&R for SQL also Available

Yes, the same strength in relating and reporting can now be used with SQL systems such as ORACLE Sybase and Scalable SQL. Either way, Xbase or SQL, R&R Report Writer gets the job done.

So, if you've got a tough job to do, order R&R Report Writer now!


SQL Edition of R&R Report Writer is also available.

SQL Server Edition	$269

Product# CD02	3 lbs.


QuickPak Professional
QuickPak Professional	$159

Grab Bag of Over 400 Functions and 30+ Custom Controls	Retail Price	$199

From Crescent Software, Inc.	Product# CR01	7 lbs.

Over 30 data-aware custom controls

More than 400 low-level subroutines and functions

Almost 3 MB of sample source code

1,000 pages of printed documentation plus on-line help

A VB 'Bag of Tricks'

Remember Felix the Cat? Whenever that animated feline got in trouble, he'd reach into his Bag of Tricks and pull out some miraculous tool that would save his furry little behind. The more I use Crescent Software's QuickPak Professional for Windows, the more I feel like Felix the Programmer!

QuickPak Pro is a collection of over 30 custom controls and more than 400 functions & subroutines for Visual Basic. It seems that whenever I find myself backed into a coding corner (or even thinking, Wouldn't it be nice if I could do this…), I can reach into QuickPak Pro and produce just what I need!

Help! I'm Trapped in a Form-Design Sweatshop!

If you're like me, you've produced more than your share of data entry screens. The next time your eyes glaze over at the prospect of creating yet another one, fire up the Crescent FormWizard.

FormWizard is a VB utility that allows you to easily generate data entry forms with just a few clicks of the mouse. Simply select a table and some fields, and you've got a working form linked to a database. A few more clicks, and you can customize the look of your form, even create an editable subform!

Includes a Complete Set of Crescent Wrenches

FormWizard is possible because QuickPak Pro includes a full complement of data-aware controls. Besides enhanced versions of VB's standard controls (list boxes, picture boxes, etc.), QuickPak's data-aware contingent includes a calendar (for graphically displaying and selecting dates), six custom text boxes for editing specific types of data, a hypertext label control, and a virtual list box that can display an almost unlimited number of items (as opposed to VB's standard list box, which is limited to 64K of data). Also in the package is Apex Software's TrueGrid (Standard Edition), a data-aware grid control that's far superior to VB's own GRID.VBX.

Of course, you can use any of these controls in un-bound mode (without connecting them to a database), giving you complete control over your program's behavior.

You Can't Do That in Visual Basic!

My favorite QuickPak tools are the ones that allow you to do things that aren't supposed to be possible in VB. The CSForm and CSPict controls, for example,  subclass VB's standard Form and Picture Box, allowing you to easily create scrollable sub-forms or to display context-sensitive prompts when the mouse pointer moves over a specific item.

But, Wait! There's More…

If QuickPak Pro contained only the custom controls I've described so far, it would be an excellent value. But it also includes over 400 functions and subroutines, and almost 3 MB of example code! Add to this 1,000 pages of printed documentation and on-line help, and you've got a Bag of Tricks that'll get you out of almost any programming predicament!

Order QuickPak Pro today, and tomorrow you too can feel like Felix the Programmer!


PDQComm
PDQComm	$119

A Complete Serial Communication  Library	Retail Price	$149

From Crescent Software, Inc.	Product# CR02	3 lbs.

Support for XModem-checksum, XModem-CRC,XModem-1K,YModem-G,YModem-Batch,ZModem, Compuserve B+, Kermit

Background file transfers, with built-in transfer progress dialogs

Modem database and a library of routines that plug into your application

WAN Woes

I have a client that has a home office and many remote branches. She wanted to put in a WAN so she could consolidate reporting, and transfer work back and forth on a project. She then looked at the price of the WAN. She had complete sticker shock.

Meet the Hero!

I proposed that I would create an automated communications server that would automatically send information to the home office at a scheduled time or on demand. If you can't guess yet, I was not the hero here. PDQComm was the hero. I was able to save the customer TONS! of money, by not putting in a WAN. I was able to get a few hundred pounds of cash for creating the application though.

It's Special...

The two things that make PDQComm outstanding are:

1.	It supports background binary protocol file transfers. (That means my CommServer could do Z-modem file transfers.)

2.	It is a breeze to use.

Serial communications can be an overwhelming and almost mystical task.  Not with PDQComm! It's got a great manual and easy to use design. Let's look at the quickstart. I dropped the control on my form, set the properties, added the following line of code into my form_load procedure:

Comm1.PortOpen = True

Pressed F5 to run the program, and all of a sudden I was talking to my modem with a  terminal screen on the form.

Communicate with multiple serial ports, built-in file transfers, and terminal emulations. This may be the only communications library you will ever need.


NetPak Professional
NetPak Professional	$144

The Visual Basic Link to the Networks	Retail Price	$179

From Crescent Software, Inc.	Product# CR03	3 lbs.

Works with Novell NetWare and Windows for Workgroups

Flexible across network versions

Provides a rich set of functions to duplicate undocumented functions

Got the Network Crazies?

If you track on-line services, you will find developers worldwide frustrated with undocumented and hard to use features of NetWare and Windows for Workgroups. They want to develop Netware apps but cannot find the right tools. NetPak Pro finds the remedy for the Network crazies.

The Functions

NetPak Pro provides functions to access the network services and manipulate them. Bindery, Print, Server, Connection and Directory Services get you the network objects, interface to queues and printers, File Server statistics, login information retrieval, and drive maps to network paths. A large number of examples demonstrate most included functions.

Services on Demand

The advantage of a toolkit like NetPak is that you can create network apps otherwise impossible in the NetWare environment. My favorite is the mini-app that I wrote to provide access to Microsoft Technet CD that resides on a NetWare server. The app picks up the network userid from the client PC and uses it to attach to a Netware file server.  Then it maps a drive letter to the server, copies new initialization files and runs the Technet viewer.  Every 5 minutes the app scans to see if the connection is still active and the Technet Window has been closed. If so, it deletes the map and logs the user out of the server. All this in less than a page of code, thanks to NetPak Pro.

Gotta Have It!

If you've beat your head against the walls around proprietary DLLs, you need NetPak Pro. Here is your chance to harness the power of networks through interfaces other than the standard network connect dialog.


Xref
Xref	$89

Cross Reference Program for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$99

From Crescent Software, Inc.	Product# CR06	2 lbs.

Complete Source Code analysis of  your Visual Basic 3.0 programs

Multiple formatted reports to document your code

Find unused variables and procedures

Can create a Procedure Tree diagram that shows the calling relationships between all Subs & Functions

Someone Else's Code...Ugh!

Have you ever taken over a programming project that someone else started? The worst part of the job, is figuring out what they did before you got there. Thank goodness for XRef!  It'll help you understand the inner workings of the code, and get you going in a hurry.

As Easy As...

With your project loaded into Visual Basic 3.0 and XRef running, all you have to do is choose the reports you wish to create, determine their destination (file or printer), and select start from the menu. XRef will do the rest!

When a Tree is not a Tree..

The most useful of the reports generated is the Procedure Tree diagram. It shows the calling relationships between all Subs and Functions in your program. Calls to external resources and DLL's are included. In this way you can fully understand what is going on under the hood.

The Ultimate REFerence

Whether your need is to understand source code, or to create full documentation of your code, XRef is the product for you.


QuickPak Scientific
QuickPak Scientific	$129

A Numerical Analysis Toolbox	Retail Price	$149

From Crescent Software, Inc.	Product# CR04	3 lbs

Over 100 hundred functions

Demonstration program to show how to use the functions

Easy to understand manual (over 200 pages)

Complete source code for all functions

Good with Math?

I can add, subtract, and multiply, but when it comes to finding the first order of vector differential equations, my skills get a little shaky. If you're like me, I bet you get a little shaky too.

How Much Does this Hold?

QuickPak Scientific is loaded with over 100 functions and procedures. You get functions to do linear equations, differential equations, nonlinear equations, optimizations, matrix and vector algebra, complex numbers and on, and on. You get the idea, this is a full featured library.

Easy to Use Too!

The thing I like best about QuickPak Scientific is that it includes a program that shows you how to use all the functions. The program allows you to enter all the data on screen and then see the result of the functions. Boy, I sure wish I had this in college! It doesn't stop there though. It also gives you the complete source for all the functions, which really helps make the formulas easy to understand. If you need a numerical analysis tool, look no further!


VBDD
VBDD	$169

Data Dictionary for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$179

From Crescent Software, Inc.	Product# CR05	2 lbs.

Provides a central repository for database structure and contents

Extends functionality of Microsoft Access with several unavailable or  hard to use functions

Supports several important types of referential integrity

Let there be Code

VBDD is a tool to maintain and document the structure of a database.  It also helps create database objects for use in VB programs and provides indispensable code creation and data manipulation functions.

VBDD creates Querydefs using a visual interface without requiring detailed knowledge of SQL.  It assists in creation of parameterized Querydefs to use the efficiency of Querydefs while maintaining flexible code.

Integrity Nitty Gritty

VBDD goes above and beyond Access's relationship builder and supports referential integrity rules for cascading and restrictive changes and deletes and nullify deletes.

VBDDxtras

Other features of VBDD include tools for management of table structures and documentation of  them. Documented, BASIC code created by VBDD can be added to VB programs.  Get VBDD ASAP!


Crystal Reports Pro Upgrade
Crystal Reports Pro Upgrade	$189

Enhance Reports with Graphics, Drawings and Charts	Retail Price (Upgrade)	$199

From Crystal, Inc.	Product# CS01 	3 lbs.

Plenty of new features beyond the VB version

Extensible through user-defined DLLs

SQL Data and ODBC Support

You Know the VB Version

And it worked great. But now you can take it to the professional level. The Crystal Reports 3.0 Pro version is not only more powerful than the Crystal Reports that came with Visual Basic 3.0 but it's easier to use too!

But I Want it to...

The standard Crystal Reports for VB was a great way to look at developing a reporting system to work with my VB applications. But then came the customers! I'll need my logo placed in there. I want it to become a WordPerfect file. Stick one of these cross-tab reports in the back. Your field names are too confusing for my ad-hoc reports. Thank goodness Crystal Reports Pro is here to help me handle all these crazy customer demands!

Report-O-Mania!

Let me tell you about some of the great new features in this package. There's a finetuner to adjust your report while showing live data. No more lining up your fields by guessing what it will look like when the data is merged. Here you run the report with the actual database data into a window and then drag and drop the columns where you want 'em -  this is cool! With Crystal Report Pro's OLE client capabilities, I'm now able to incorporate graphics, drawing, and charts all over my reports. It's also got a whole cornucopia of additional data analysis functions. It's even got a useful Report Gallery where you click icons to select the type of report you want. In addition, it's got complete capability for creating cross-tab reports. Best of all, you get the complete manuals to read about all these features.

Name it Support Pro

Access, Excel, ASCII, Btrieve, Clipper, dBase, FoxPro, Paradox, OLE. That's not enough for you? How about also being able to support IBM DB2/2, Gupta SQLBase, Microsoft SQL Server, NetWare SQL, Oracle, Sybase SQL, or any other source that supports ODBC. And coming out the other end, you can have your reports exported in RTF, Word, DIF, WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Excel, and a zillion strands of ASCII. Heck, you can even send out the reports as MAPI mail messages.

Get TrueGrid Too!

That's right, buy Crystal Reports Pro 3.0 and get the standard edition of TrueGrid at no extra charge (a $69 value). Of course it doesn't have all the features and capabilities of TrueGrid Pro that we're selling in VBxtras, but this is definitely a great bonus - at no extra charge.

For the Serious Developer

Crystal Services certainly had us in mind when designing Crystal Report Pro! Just check out these rich professional Windows development features. First of all, you get to access the Crystal Reports Report Engine DLL API through an expanded set of Print Engine calls. And Crystal Reports Pro 3.0 is extensible - can't find a feature you want, it allows you to write DLLs and UFLs for it.

What's in a Name?

And here's something that's really comes through for me, Crystal's Data Dictionary Builder. With it, you can define intuitive field names and create hidden links and formulas to the actual database tables. Then even the least technically oriented business managers can create their own reports without having to figure out my complicated database architecture.


SpyWorks-VB
SpyWorks-VB™	$112

Harness the Full Power of Windows Using Visual Basic	Retail Price	$129

From Desaware	Product# DW01 	1 lb.

Custom controls give almost complete control of Windows

Overcome almost every limitation VB ever had

Subclasses any VB form control

Implements call-back routines from within VB

You Can't Do that with VB!

Ever been told that? I have, and it really made me mad. Why? Because they were right! Dan Appleman, author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API (also available from VBxtras) and a true Windows wizard in his own right felt the same way. But instead of just steaming, he did something about it; he created SpyWorks-VB!

So now when someone tells you You can't do that in Visual Basic, just tell them Oh yes you can!

Watch out for that Foot!

SpyWorks-VB may well be the ultimate extension for Visual Basic programmers because it gives you the same power over Windows as a C programmer (including generating GPF's if you aren't careful!) But SpyWorks-VB was designed for the experienced programmer that does not want to accept the limitations of native Visual Basic. With SpyWorks-VB you decide what Windows functionality you want to deal with.

So how's it Work?

SpyWorks-VB gives you five custom controls for doing Windows-ey things like subclassing, callbacks, and hooks for intercepting messages. When I started with Visual Basic, I didn't even know that this functionality was missing!

Check Under the Hood!

Ever noticed that sometimes debugging VB apps is next to impossible? You can never be quite sure what is going on under the hood, like what events are firing and in which order. But not with SpyWorks-VB. SpyWorks provides SpyMem to monitor memory (and clean up after a GPF), SpyMsg to detect Windows and VB events for pre and post event processing, and SpyParam for checking API parameters. Other tools included are SpyWin, SpyMenu, and SpyVBX. Finally, there is the DWSPYDLL.DLL that provides many of the Windows-related functions that are missing from Visual Basic.

Create your own Offspring!

Everything in VB is a window: forms, command buttons, text boxes, labels, checkboxes, scroll bars, etc. Since every type of window has an unique class and each class has a default function, you can modify the Window's behavior by creating a replacement function for supplemental processing. This is called subclassing. SpyWorks-VB lets you do this in Visual Basic.

Just Call Me...

Many Windows API functions require a function address as a parameter to execute when something has occurred; this is known as a callback. VB does not directly support callbacks, but with CBK.VBX, you can do that in Visual Basic too.

Grab that Tab!

Have you ever wanted to catch a Tab key? KeyDown and KeyPress won't let you. With SBCKBD.VBX, you can hook into a keyboard process to detect any key before it gets to an app and do with it what you want. You can even ignore it!

Easy as 1, 2, 3!

With all this functionality, SpyWorks-VB still has more: display messages on a status bar as a result of mouse position, create a tiny caption area on a form, or attach commands to a system menu. SBCEASY.VBX makes all these things and others (shall I say?) easy!

The Bottom Line!

SpyWorks-VB benefits both the beginning and experienced Windows/VB application developer, by providing an understanding of what happens in the Windows environment and by allowing you to take complete control of it if you want to!  Clearly, no professional Visual Basic developer should be without SpyWorks-VB!


VersionStamper-VB
VersionStamper-VB™	$98

The Ultimate Visual Basic Distribution Toolkit	Retail Price	$129

From Desaware	Product# DW02 	1 lb.

Detects missing and obsolete .VBX and .DLL files

Analyzes .VBX and .DLL version information

Excellent tutorial on Windows operations

Add true version resource to VB executables

The Good Old Days

This is not a story about your Grandpa who had to walk 3 miles to school. (Up hill both ways!) But, I remember the days when I would upgrade my customer's programs by sending them a single .EXE That was it! Those were the days...

Files, Files and More Files!

Things have sure changed a lot since then, with the component method of software development that Windows supports. Add a .VBX here, call some .DLL's there and... SHAZAM! You have got a full featured application. Certainly I wouldn't trade it for the simplicity of yesterday, but it does introduce a whole new set of challenges.

Has this Ever Happened to You?

How many of us have had an application that has worked fine for several months out in the field. Then one day your customer calls and tells you that your applications are causing .GPF's on his machine. If your users are like mine, they say, Nothing when you ask them what they've changed.  After hours of trying things, you realize they installed some software which used older versions of files that your application depends upon and the other guys' install overwrote your version! So just exactly how do you stop this from happening?

Raise the Shields Scotty

Unfortunately, you can't keep another program from overwriting your needed files. But with VersionStamper-VB from Desaware, you can detect the problem and notify the user as to why. By adding a control to a form and a little bit of code (taken from the example) your application can verify every version of a .DLL and .VBX used. If a problem exists, your user is notified as to why. No more multi-hour support calls for overwritten .VBX and .DLL files! VersionStamper-VB puts you back in control!

Whose .DLL is that Anyway?

VersionStamper-VB also includes an application called Version Spy that will report the version information of any executable (.EXE, .DLL, .VBX) that contains a version resource. For example, when I was installing a Microsoft software product, the install program told me that some software has installed a .DLL with the same name as Microsoft's.  They said I should contact the vendor to have them change their name. What vendor?  I had no way of knowing who the vendor was.  Or, so I thought; VersionStamper-VB solved the problem for me.

Beyond the Software...

I keep trying to decide if the product ships with a manual or a text book. It is a manual because it tells you how to use the product, a textbook because it tells how Windows does things and refers you to other books and manuals if you want to know more information.  It tutors you on install strategies, and how to overcome the most common install problems.  All in all, one of the best manuals I've ever used! Of course one should expect the manual to be really good; after all, it came from Dan Appleman, President of Desaware and the author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API (also available from VBxtras). So, if you don't like to get support calls, I suggest that you reduce your support load significantly buy purchasing a copy of VersionStamper-VB!


QuickPeer
QuickPeer	$896

Generate Distributed Function Client/Server Communications 	Retail Price	$995

From DCA	Product#DC02	10 lbs.

Allows distributed apps to run over virtually any network protocol

Insulates application developers from communications and API complexities

Automatically generates client communications code and provides sample communications code for server environments

We're Goin' Client Server

All reports are in.  The decision has been made.  Your company has made the strategic IT move to client/server.  Distributed processing, that's the way to go.  Now the ball's in your court.  Pick your tools and build the future for your organization.

Help Wanted

Now you've got to completely re-engineer the back-end of your company's application into a new distributed architecture. You've got IBM® mainframes, AS/400s® and DEC® VAXTM systems that will be used as app servers.  Plus, you've got heterogeneous network support for a variety of distributed communications protocols - APPC, WinAPPC, CPI-C, WinCPT-C, ATCP/IP, SPX, NETBIOS. Your specialty is developing apps, not generating communications code. Help!

Painless Coding?

DCA, the leader in PC-to-host connectivity tools, recognizes that generating communications code for distributed apps across multiple protocols is no walk in the park.  That's why they came up with QuickPeer.  QuickPeer generates the client communications code for you by simply pointing and clicking. If you use QuickPeer, your developers can concentrate on developing the application, and not worry about coding and debugging in an obtuse programming language.  After all, time is money.

How Does it Do It?

QuickPeer includes two easy to use abstracted API's - QuickPeer API, as well as an easy four-verb QuickPeer Easy-API.  These API's simplify the development of distributed applications.  Both of these API's are call-and-return API's that provide high-level functions that handle the majority of communications interactions.  The high-level QuickPeer APIs abstracts virtually all distributed protocols, and raises other APIs to the conversational level of APPC.  This capability gives your developers the luxury of writing to a single API regardless of the underlying communications protocols.

Test this Code!

Yeah, you need to test the code throughout the process.  That's where QuickPeer's SpeakEasy comes in.  This learning and testing tool allows developers to interactively test conversation verbs for multiple protocols in a graphical environment.  Any time during testing, you can generate code for the verb for Visual Basic and copy the code from the output viewer directly into the VB app under development.

Sample Code is Good

Sure, it would be easier for someone to write the code for you.  QuickPeer comes real close to doing just that!  QuickPeer contains many examples of both client and server code that you can easily modify to suit your development needs. You get RPG and C source code for the AS/400, C source code for the DEC VAX. And COBOL source code for IBM mainframes. Plus, sample code is also provided for VB utilization.

Translation Please

QuickPeer's data conversion API automatically converts data types from Intel® to host format (initially IBM mainframe or AS/400). It handles a number of data conversions including ASCII to EBCDIC, EBDIC to ASCII, long integer from the byte order, and more. Saves valuable time and increases productivity.

Can it Get Easier?

A conversation custom control is provided as part of the QuickPeer software. This allows you to easily add QuickPeer functionality to your applications. In fact, no calls to the QuickPeer API's are required. All you've got to do is use the conversation control's properties and events.

Do Yourself a Favor

Generating communications code for distributed applications doesn't get any quicker or easier. Get QuickPeer now. After all, every second counts!


QuickApp
QuickApp™	$895

Painless Creation of Host Front Ends	Retail Price	$995

From DCA	Product# DC01	2 lbs.

Custom control that greatly simplifies host-front end development

Does not require EHLLAPI programming

Host sessions are recorded for use during development

Drive with Your Eyes Closed...

Visual Basic is a great tool for building user-interfaces. Unfortunately integrating VB with host applications (IBM mainframe, ASI400, DEC VAX, UNISYS, HP or UNIX)  means using EHLLAPI, which interfaces with terminal emulation screens. Native EHLLAPI is like assembler, every operation is atomic and you must check each error condition carefully. What's more, you have to worry needlessly about screen navigation and cursor position.

QuickApp to the Rescue

QuickApp does not eliminate the need for EHLLAPI, but it shields you from the pain associated with its clumsy interface. To use QuickApp you must first record your host screen. This recording file must be present when you build your VB app. QuickApp provides three controls that use the recording: Navigation, Label, and Text. Although it does not eliminate the need to understand the host application, using QuickApp does allow you to focus on building your application by solving the EHLLAPI problems for you.  So, if you have host applications that you are even considering giving a facelift, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of QuickApp today!


Visual Voice
Visual Voice™	$475

True Telephony Control	Retail Price	$495

From Stylus Innovation, Inc.	Product# SI01 	2 lbs.
Voice Card	$Call

Utilizes up to 24 phone lines

Records and manipulates voice objects and queries

Handles voice prompts and touch-tone commands

Can't Believe My Ears!

Visual Voice is like nothing you've ever seen (heard?) before! Via a custom control, a utility workbench, and a voice processing board, you can bring the full power of telephony to your own Visual Basic applications! The possibilities of this combination are nothing short of phenomenal! For example, you can build an interactive voice response system (like Touch Tone Banking), a Fax-on-demand system, or a custom voice mail application using Visual Basic!

What about Hardware?

Visual Voice will work with Dialogic-type voice boards and a system can be built around these boards that can handle up to 24 phone lines at once! You can even run different applications on the same PC that handle different lines!  Just ask us for more info on the voice boards you need. Visual Voice is not a cute multimedia VBX. It is a powerful system that can be used to design turnkey solutions with ease, yet handle true telephony and voice processing in a professional manner. So, look no farther that Visual Voice!


VB Data Companion
VB Data Companion	$45

Design, Administer, & Query MS-Access Databases	Retail Price	$49.95

MM Technology, Inc.	Product# MM01	1 lb.

Create SQL queries using Query-By-Example, and then paste the SQL query directly into your code

VB Data Companion helps you to define the Data Dictionary of your Access Databases

New user interface and now supports Access 2.0 databases

The Buddy System

VB Data Companion will be your new best friend when you discover all it can do!  It administers the Data Dictionary of Access databases, creates SQL statements with the Query by Example Engine, compresses and repairs MDB's, copies tables, browses tables, prints the Data Dictionary, and pastes and reformats SQL statements directly into your VB program.  Whew!

The Right Stuff!

Building a database into your application can be a very frustrating experience if you don't have the right set of tools to define and manipulate the elements of your database. VB Data Companion brings together all the tools you'll ever need, in one small but incredibly powerful package. So if you need to change the name of a field in a table, define a new index, or test out a query before including it in your program, then VB Data Companion has something for you!


Distinct TCP/IP SDK - Visual Edition
Distinct TCP/IP SDK	$266

TCP/IP Custom Controls for Windows™ Sockets,
Telnet, FTP, RCP, R-Commands, Mail and News	Retail Price	$295

From Distinct Corporation	Product#DI01 	7 lbs.

Implement TCP/IP networking into your Visual Basic app easily

Create your own FTP and Telnet programs

Utilize Windows Sockets to streamline network interface

What is this all About, Anyway?

TCP/IP is a popular networking protocol found in UNIX, Windows NT, and other operating systems. TCP/IP is system independent. You've heard of the Internet? It's entirely based on TCP/IP.

Windows Sockets is a set of networking services that allows the Windows programmer to tie  into TCP/IP.

Until now, any Visual Basic program that wanted to use TCP/IP was limited to DLL's that were neither easy nor conducive to the VB environment.

Enter Distinct's TCP/IP Software Development Kit.

TCP/IP for the Everyday Programmer

The custom controls included are Windows Sockets, FTP, Telnet, RCP, TCP Server, SMTP, POP2/POP3, NNTP, remote shell, rlogin and rexec. They serve as an interface to the DLL's that provide these services.

But where DLL's use upcalls or polling to notify the application of incoming data, these VBX's translate incoming data, errors, and status changes into events for the Visual Basic programmer to deal with.

Sockets to Me

Windows Sockets can be accessed through the Socket custom control. This allows your program to establish connections using either TCP or UDP.

You can also control the way data is buffered during send and receives, and how it is transferred during reads. The properties are sooo much easier to deal with than making socket calls directly.

FTP Made Easy

Using the FTP control, it's easy to write an FTP module in your application. The properties allow you to establish a connection, login, and upload and download files with ease.

Telnet all Over the Place

Using the Telnet custom control, you can implement Telnet based login capabilities. Just sit back and watch the control take care of establishing the TCP connection and handling Telnet option negotiations. The control even deals with escape sequences for you, so you don't have to filter them out.

All you have to do is handle the incoming data when the appropriate events are fired. You don't have to poll the DLL to get it!

Distinct TCP/IP Runtime Included

Included with the controls is a copy of Distinct TCP/IP 100% DLL Runtime, the smallest, fastest and most robust TCP/IP libraries for Windows. The Runtime provides you with full TCP/IP services on your system, including support for SLIP/PPP, NDIS, ODI, and packet drivers for Ethernet and Token-ring. Have NetWare? Or Windows for Workgroups? Compatibility with those environments is covered as well.

Also included are 10 sample applications and over 200 pages of documentation. Distinct TCP/IP works with Visual Basic versions 3 and 4.

Custom controls and runtime extensions run over any third party TCP/IP protocol stack; Note however that Distinct requires a runtime license for each PC. Distinct TCP/IP is definitely the product to use for FTP, Telnet or other TCP/IP tasks. The sample files are extremely useful, and even the packaging is gorgeous!

So, if you've only dreamed of doing all the things that Distinct TCP/IP SDK lets you do, isn't it time you get yourself a copy?


VBASIC Library
VBASIC Library	$55

The Largest VB Utility Collection Available	Retail Price (CD-ROM)	$59.50

From EMS Professional Shareware	Product# EM01 	1 lb.
No CD-ROM Drive?

Over 950 Shareware and  freeware tools for Visual Basic

Contains a comprehensive search utility

950 in One ? ! ?

That's right, 950 Visual Basic shareware and freeware add-on products - and still growing! The VBASIC Library is hands down the most extensive collection of  VB products I've ever seen, or even imagined!

Picture a BBS chock full of the most popular files for Visual Basic complete with an excellent search utility that have been screened, tested, and organized, and you've got the VBASIC Library.

Unlike a BBS, however, there is no download time required; you get everything included on three CD-ROM disks (or on a bjillion floppies).

A Trip thru the Library

The library is full of Visual Basic tools, tips, tricks, programs, code, articles, wizards, utilities, demos - you name it, it's in there.

Ever wanted to make changes to the Data Manager? The source is in there. Ever needed a spell-checker to attach to a textbox? It's in there. Ever need bar-code reader support or wanted to see how to call a certain API? It's in there, it's in there.

Ever wanted a wife who could cook, clean and do laundry? Well - uh, ... me too, and that's probably the only thing that's not in there!

How About...

Programming, for example? Well, the programming category of the library's directory has over 120 products listed. This includes all kinds of code samples and routines to add to your VB programs; all kinds of  tips, tricks, and techniques.

In the Custom Control group there are - let me count - 1,2,3..., 85 files ready to fill your Visual Basic toolbox. The Program Utilities group boasts 68 entries to help you maintain, generate and debug your code. The Database group has 42 items for database applications and various databases such as a complete set of US zipcodes, cities, and states.

Some of the other category groups include: Language Extension, Games, Graphics, Help, Reference, and System Utilities group. Not to mention the Data Access, Text, Program Control, Form, Communications, Business, Sound, oh how the list goes on and on!

Try to Find Them Elsewhere

Going through my printout of the file descriptions of this library (over 27 pages), I found some very interesting descriptions. I can't honestly say I've tried them all but here are some of the more unusual descriptions:

A reverse-Polish notation calculator; a .DLL to dial the phone; a .DLL used to simplify programming other .DLLs; source code for joystick support; a database of Compuserve nodes; a complete shareware videotape program; a program of pop-up inspirational messages; a set of samples files and source code that were supposedly intended to be shipped with VB but weren't. Whew!

Now what Do I Do with all This ?

The obvious answer is Everything! Cancel your appointments, put out the dog, and get ready to spend hours exploring all the VB world has to offer. Sure you'll have to put up with nagware with a lot of  'em but think of all the fun you'll have going through them all.

Find that if I only had the time to create a ... routine . Use the I'm sure someone's already written a ... tool. Play with the let me impress the guys at the office with ... utility. Or my favorite, the let 'em think I wrote all the code for it add-on!

So, Do you Need Them?

Look at it this way; if you need anything unusual for Visual Basic, chances are it's in the VBASIC Library.

If for no other reason, why not simply buy it as insurance for the next time you are behind schedule and need something special?  With this great VBxtras price, you really can't go wrong!


No CD-ROM Drive? No problem! The VBASIC Library
is also available on diskettes.

Price (Diskettes)	$72

Retail Price (CD-ROM)	$79.50

Product# EM02 	3 lbs.


Spread/VBX
Spread/VBX	$209

The Ultimate Spreadsheet Control for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$245

From FarPoint Technologies, Inc.	Product# FP01	3 lbs.

Over 250 propertiesMultiple cell types

Visual interface designer and code generator

Bound control to Access, Access ODBC, Q+E ODBC

This Product Excels!

If Spread/VBX was not so well written it could be overwhelming. Let's look at some of the options this product has. There are over 250 properties supported by Spread/VBX. There are over 25 spreadsheet events, over 35 spreadsheet functions, and 25 spreadsheet navigational keys automatically supported!

Easy as 123!

But, don't freak out. All you have to do is follow the tutorial in the manual. It starts you out building a simple data entry screen, and then takes you further into the product. Not too fast, not to slow, but just right. And of course it includes on-line help.

Access to Access, and Everything Else!

The problem with some controls is that they don't give you an easy way to store your data. You spend too much of your time developing elaborate schemes to save and load your data. That's not a problem with Spread/VBX. This is a bound control. You can bind this control to Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Access ODBC.

Build it, and They Will Come!

Spread/VBX doesn't just give you the VBX and leave you out on your own. Just double click on the interface designer property. Up pops the designer, which allows you to visually create your spreadsheet or grid. You can set the properties visually through a pick list, adding formulas for calculated fields. Things like color borders are a snap!

It's a Code Generator Too!

The designer also has a very neat feature called the learn mode. While in the designer, press the learn button, go to your spreadsheet, select some cells, do some actions, and then press the learn button again. The code to repeat the steps you just performed is now put into the clipboard. Just pass that code into your VB application. Too cool!

No Grid Lock Here

You can use Spread/VBX as a simple grid control if need be. You get all these cell types: Button, Check Box, Combo Box, Date, Edit, Float, Integer, Owner Drawn, PIC, Picture, Static Text, and Time. Boy, you can get a finger cramp just writing about all of them. And they are designed to make sense and be easy to use. Say you have a number in a cell $1,234.56. You can reference this cell's data formatted with the SS.Text property or as unformated data 1234.56 with SS.Value property. Neat-O!

Open your Mind!

Do not just think of Spread/VBX as a spreadsheet or a grid. Because a cell can be a picture or a pull down, it makes it very easy to create a toolbar. This product has the ability and flexibility to do about anything you want.

Believe Me, You Need this One!

You'll not only want Spread/VBX, you'll need it.  This is one of those rare products that can help take your applications to a new height of features and professionalism. Without a lot of work, you can add spreadsheets to your application without the slow performance of OLE. Go ahead...add Spread/VBX to your toolbox today!


TAB/PRO
TAB/PRO	$89

Tab and NoteBook Custom Control	Retail Price	$99

From FarPoint Technologies, Inc.	Product# FP02 	2 lbs.

Custom Control to implement Tabbed dialogs presenting a folder or index card metaphor

Data aware tab control to use information directly from the data control

Notebook orientation with or without binder rings

Tabs Everywhere!

Ever since the release of the latest Microsoft apps, Index tabs have blazed a trail to being one of their most duplicated features.  Several VBXs to implement the metaphor have surfaced recently, but TAB/PRO is the most feature laden to date. Tabs allow you to group information on screen into folders that the user can select using the index tabs.  This great feature allows you to fit more information on a single screen, present it logically, and eliminate the More... kind of buttons.

The Notebook

The Notebook is where the TAB/PRO control adds features not otherwise available.  The Notebook is an extension of the Tab control in that the pages can take on the look of a binder with each page in the binder a tab.  So in a financial planning application, for example, each page could represent assets, liabilities, insurance etc. with pages actually moving from one side of the binder to the other.  The users would be under the impression that they are filling out information in a binder, instantly putting them in a familiar environment and making your program user-friendly!

No Way!!

TAB/PRO can be bound to the data control to bind the tabs to individual records in the database. TAB/PRO can also be used with Visual and Borland C++ or any other environment capable of calling DLLs.

The tab control can orient itself to any direction and rotate smoothly.  It can also have an unlimited number of pages that can be scrolled through one at a time or through multiple layers.  Approx. 140 properties allow control over the functionality and look of the product.  At such a great price, don't pass up your chance to get TAB/PRO today!


Aware/VBX
Aware/VBX	$133

Data Aware Custom Controls	Retail Price	$149

From FarPoint Technologies, Inc.	Product# FP03 	2 lbs.

Bound Controls for every Microsoft Access™ data type

Edit/Masked Controls for Integers, Double, Single, Currency and Mask

Data Validation available by keystroke or at time of LostFocus

Full Support for International Settings

Data Controls

VB was probably the only catalyst in production of Windows database applications as other products were either too expensive, too bulky or both.  Its Datacontrol can now be further powered with Aware/VBX from Farpoint. The ComboBox and ListBox controls in Aware/VBX allow for more than 64K of data and can be bound or unbound to the VB Datacontrol.  They can also display multiple columns from different fields of the database.

Number Crunching

It's hard to implement data validation in VB because of all the implementation details that need to be considered.  All these details therefore make VB susceptible to being error prone.  Aware/VBX provides custom controls for data input of integer, long, Double, Single, and Currency values. It also takes care of the validation as the user types in the information or leaves the field.  The currency control can be set to display international currency symbols and also formats negative numbers in several ways.

What Time is It?

Three controls to manipulate date and time are included in this set of controls: Clock, Calendar, and Date/Time.  Each of the controls can be used bound or unbound and set for international standards.  The Date/Time control can also continuously provide an update of time and date. The Binary control in Aware/VBX can be used to display different bitmaps for binary field values.  The Text Control can be a multiline, bound control with approved character sets.  The Memo Control extends the Windows edit control by going over the 64K limit with a variety of formatting features.  Get your copy of Aware/VBX today.


Control Power!
Control Power!	$45

The CD-ROM Collection of VB products	Retail Price	$49.95

From FVP Digital	Product# FV01	1 lb.

Very powerful and visually pleasing interface

An exhaustive collection of VBXs and books on VB

Tons of demos for individual products

Tips and techniques and free custom controls

It's the 90's

Multimedia is creeping into our lives faster than ever, and FVP Digital has given us a very powerful collection of Visual Basic products on CD-ROM!   It also includes lots of Visual Basic services, tips and techniques.

This collection, aptly named Control Power! includes not just the descriptions of VBXs but their demos as well. That means you can actually play with a product, see it in action and if you like it, you can buy it.

Lots and Lots of VBXs...

Control Power! includes VBXs from several fields ranging from Accounting to Databases on one end, and Voice Control to multimedia on the other end. And we have products from companies with names starting from A to Z.

Books, Books and More Books...

Do you remember that frantic search in book stores to find the right VB book? Well, look no further, Control Power! also includes VB related books.

You can find books titled The Complete Idiot's Guide to Visual Basic to books addressing game programming in VB. And for the serious ones amongst us, VB super Bibles and the books extending VB are also included.

All these books include a brief description of contents, and level of the book, and several of them include the expert opinions, chapter line ups, etc.

Great Demos And Lots of Them!

We want to sell the concept of Control Power! on one awesome strength - demos. Where else can you play with all the tools you've dreamed of having in your programmer's tool chest?

This CD is packed with more than 125 megabytes of information and demos on custom controls, books, and services.  What more could you want?

Information Overload!

There certainly is a lot of information, but you will love the way Control Power! presents it to you.

The interface is extremely pleasing to the eye and very user friendly. You can easily select the list of products in a particular field or from a particular company.

Then you can look at a couple of lines of description, pricing information, phone, fax, address, etc. You can also read page(s) of information describing the features. If you are still not satisfied, you can run a demo for the product.

So, before you make your final decision on buying a particular product, you have all the information you need.

Don't Forget the Tips and Tricks...

Control Power! even includes a great collection of tips and tricks on Visual Basic, submitted by talented programmers like you or like those good ones who work for you.

There is an abundant amount of sample code too, just in case you want to check out how this particular custom control is used in the program.

Go On... Give it a Shot!

Order this Control Power! CD today! We are confident that you will find several products that will make your programming life easier, more productive, and a lot more interesting!

Try out the demos, read about available books, and then pick up the tools you decide on at VBxtras for the lowest price around!  It's a win-win!


Graphics Conversion Library
Graphics Conversion Library	$315

Complete Vector Image Viewing and Conversion	Retail Price	$350

From Halcyon Software	Product# HA03	2 lbs.
Need only one format?

Convert between a variety of vector image formats

Display images of any format

Alphabet Soup

If you do much work with images you will find yourself constantly converting between all the different formats.  Windows standard image files are .ICO, .BMP, and .WMF.  And then there are the file formats specific to many commercial programs.  If your application works with images, your users may have to do the conversions as well.  So why not make it easy for them?  Instead of supporting just the standard Windows images, let your users view any image file they can get their hands on!  This is easy with Halcyon's Graphics Conversion Library.

Raster Man Vibrations!

And just what is a vector image as opposed to a bitmap, or raster, image?  Well, bitmaps describe an image by specifying the color of each pixel on the display device.  This is how a typical paint program works with images.  The image itself contains no knowledge about the scene that it represents. Bitmap images are fine when you want to display an image always at the same resolution, and never want to modify the structure of the scene depicted by the image. Bitmap files are typically generated by ray tracing algorithms, digital camera output, or general paint programs.

What's your Vector, Victor?

Vector images formats, on the other hand, actually contain information about the structure of an image, independent of the device used to render that image.  The file will include a list of the basic objects and their position in the image.  It is up to the software which displays the image to render it correctly.  For example, a red ball could be described in the vector image file simply as a circle, colored red, with center (x,y) and radius r.  The advantage of vector formats is that they make it easy to modify images or individual objects within an image.  Vector image file formats are typically used by drawing programs and sell as CAD and engineering design programs.

All the Major Formats

Halcyon Graphics Library supports all the common vector image file formats. Supported vector formats include: CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile), DXF (AutoCAD), EPS (Encapsulated Postscript Vector), HPGL (HP Graphics Language), MET (OS/2 Metafile) , PIC (Lotus 123), PIC/DRW/GRF (Micrografx), PICT (Mac PICT version 2.0), SDW (AmiPro Clipart), WMF(Windows Metafile) , and WPG (DrawPerfect Vector) files.

Direct VB Access

The Halcyon Graphics Conversion Library is a set of DLLs as well as two VBX controls.  One of the controls is an image file viewer which can be used to display your image files before or after conversion.  The other control allows you to convert between image file formats simply by setting properties, without having to bother with DLL function calls.  Using the controls makes it painless to get a complete image viewer supporting any file format up and running quickly.

Come and Get It!

The Halcyon Bitmap VBX and the Halcyon Vector VBX can also be purchased separately.  (There is a 500 license limitation on the Vector Library.) Call and get yours now!


Need only one format of graphics conversion? No problem!
The Halcyon Bitmap VBX and the Halcyon Vector VBX can
also be purchased separately.

Bitmap VBX	$170

Product# HA02	1 lbs.

Vector VBX	$269

Product# HA01	1 lbs.


Visual Release/VBX
Visual Release/VBX	$147
(formerly InstallIt/VBX)

The Most Comprehensive Installation Program	Retail Price	$199

From Helpful Programs, Inc.	Product# HP01	3 lbs.

Rapid development of flexible, friendly, and creative installation programs

Sophisticated hardware and software sensing - CPU, media, memory, video, network, OS, etc.

Multiple file electronic distribution, extractable single file executable, diskette or CD-ROM distribution

First Impression Is...

...the best impression. Remember that? Whether we like it or not, ease or difficulty of installation creates some strong impressions in the user's mind about the product itself. There are numerous products with bad installation programs which force the user to just give up after messing with all kinds of things.

No Time!

We can't blame the development team either. Writing the installation program is often last on the list of things to do. But, by the time we get close to the project deadline, we certainly don't have time for the installation program. Putting something together quickly or even using the Setup Wizard can't produce the effective results we want.

The Solution is - Visual Release/VBX

We have an easy and effective solution for you - Visual Release/VBX. This is a set of custom controls for software installation tasks plus a set of tools useful in quickly preparing the product releases. The Visual Release/VBX system allows you an extremely wide degree of latitude in how you do your release production and installation.

You Take the Low End and I'll Take the High End...

With Visual Release/VBX, you can rapidly produce professional looking, bullet-proof installation processes. Since this is a VBX, you have all the power of Visual Basic available to you for any special needs. So, on the low end you can create great installation programs with almost no work, and on the high end, there is no limit to what you can do.

What, No Drive A:?

As you know, to reduce the amount of work that goes into the installation program, we assume a lot of things, from simple things like installation always occurring from drive A to the right kind of hardware. Please be assured that Visual Release/VBX provides you with the functionality for verification of all these tasks, in a friendly, easy to use manner.

Distribution

Once, I downloaded a program from Compuserve. First I had to copy the files onto different diskettes and install the program from these files. With Visual Release/VBX, you can make the distribution files the way you want - compressed or uncompressed files, for electronic or magnetic distribution, or even one single executable that is self-extracting. Of course you've also got the diskette or CD-ROM distribution.

System Files

Taking care of system files like autoexec.bat, config.sys, and win.ini can be pretty lengthy, and the time spent on this is precious time away from refining the functionality of your product. You are not done with simple text file manipulation. Power users and novice users want this taken care of in different ways. Then there is creating icons and groups. You've got to keep an installation log file, you know - just in case. Well, the easy answer for all of this is let Visual Release/VBX take care of this for you.

Power!

So far we've discussed only a fraction of what Visual Release/VBX can do!  The three bundled controls - instalit , file work , and system sensing custom controls - along with diskette builder, provide the power and flexibility you have been looking for in an installation program. So, next time spend all your time and energy on your product and leave installation to Visual Release/VBX.


Lexport
Lexport	$116

Make your Visual Basic Programs Multi-Lingual	Retail Price	$129

From Helpful Programs, Inc.	Product# HP02 	1 lb.

Automatic search for string literals in your VB program

Multiple language support transparently

Change languages at any time

Parlez-Vous VB?

How's your French? Or Spanish, or Chinese, or whatever? If you want to market your software internationally, your program must be in their language. But, to translate it, you're going to have to go through your source code and find all those string literals you stuck in during development. Then, you're going to have to maintain lots of versions of your source - one for each language! Or, you can buy Lexport, and let it handle things for you. Even if you don't speak the language, your VB app can speak any language, switching instantly between them!

The Source Is Where It's At

Lexport takes your code and builds in support for multiple languages automatically via calls to the Lexport software, a DLL you can redistribute. Once the calls are built in, you can take the translated strings and retranslate them into as many supported languages as you'd like. You can even change translations at run-time, giving you more flexibility in your program. Plus, Lexport will manage your translations so that you can easily add new strings or change existing ones. Although Lexport changes your source code, it retains the original strings in comments and optionally generates mnemonic calls to the Lexport DLL..

Tres Simple! Tres Reliable!

Lexport makes it easy to support multiple languages from one set of source code, and gives your customers the capability to select among languages on the fly. It runs on autopilot, or interactively so you can select the strings you need translated quickly and easily.  Your translated strings are kept in compressed form so no one can easily modify them after the sale. And, you don't have to wait to ship your native language version. Lexport ist wunderbar!


Visual Basic Multimedia Adventure Set
Visual Basic 	$36
Multimedia Adventure Set

Hottest MultiMedia Development Topics	Retail Price	$39.95

From The Coriolis Group Books	Product# CO01 	3 lbs.

Book and CD-ROM includes everything you need to create your own multimedia applications

Custom controls for animation, sound and VB programming

Video for Windows Developer's Kit

Hold on to Your Seat!

With this book and CD-ROM set, you're ready to enter the wild and exciting world of multimedia! Your adventure begins with an introduction to the multimedia capabilities built into Windows and VB. Soon, you're building a hypertext system that makes use of the Windows Multimedia API and some functions of the MMSYSTEM.DLL.. Before you know it, you are exploring the Windows Palette Manager and displaying and manipulating bitmaps entirely with API functions to create awesome special effects!

Quick, Catch Your Breath..

Next you are creating a powerful hotspot editor that allows you to draw and test a hotspot over any irregularly shaped object! Interested in adding the same kind of animation that powers video games and graphic simulations?  GOOD! Because a good amount of your adventure is spent on Sprites - an interactive form of animation found in video games.

For All You Music Lovers

It's time to explore the remarkable WaveMix DLL, an experimental library that lets you do real-time mixing of up to eight WAVE files for simultaneous playback...in stereo! Grab your microphone, because next you will be recording WAVE files directly from your VB app. Once you have mastered mixing, you will tackle the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and the Media Control Interface (MCI). Just when you thought it couldn't get any better...you are tossed into the dazzling world of digital video. Using custom controls in the VfW runtime library, you will develop a video capture utility and perform controlled video playback.  WOW! Whatever you do, don't miss this adventure!


InfoNable/VBX
InfoNable/VBX	$145

Direct Access to Online Services from Visual Basic

From InfoNable Corporation	Product# IN01	2 lbs.

Access CompuServe and other on-line systems  from your VB applications

OLE 2.0 compatability means this control can be used from C++, Paradox and Excel

Captures information and gets latest news merely by setting properties

Your Ticket to Travel

Have you ever wanted to access Compuserve or other online services directly from your VB or other Windows front-end applications? Like me, you certainly found it next to impossible. With the advent of the InfoNable/VBX product, however, access to Compuserve and others are just another point-and-click custom control on your VB controls palette.

InfoNable, calls their product an Information Server. It is available both as a VBX control for the VB developer or as an OLE Automation Server accessible from MS Office for the Excel/VBA user.

Reality Check!

Automating Compuserve access is not an easy task. Compuserve is accessible via WinCim/TAPCIS and other programs but only in an interactive mode. As an example, retrieving stock quotes from within your VB application is really not an option...until now with InfoNable! Using InfoNable/VBX is as easy as reading a text file or any other standard VB function that you are used to. Include the InfoNable/VBX control in your project, add the following code, run the program and you can immediately know how good or how bad your favorite stock is doing:

REM	Log in

REM 	The following line of code will 	REM	put up a Log In Dialog Box

InfoServ1.Login=True

REM 	Now grab a Stock Quote!

InfoServer1.StockSymbol=MSFT

Print Str$(InfoServer1.StockQuote)

Print Str$(InfoServer1.StockHi)

Print Str$(InfoServer1.StockLo)

Rem 	Log Out and Hang Up

InfoServer1.Logout = TRUE

A World of Options

Once you get your arms around the information, there is no limit to what can be done. You can create a stock database and forecast stock prices using mathematical functions of VB, or provide a visual chart.

Easily Access any Information

Using the Passthru and Capture properties, you can send commands directly to the server and capture all incoming information until the server prompts you. Using these properties you can access information in any area of the on-line service.

Mail, News, Etc.

InfoNable does not restrict you to just stock information. The example programs accompanying the package show how to access the mail system, world news, and business information, historical stock prices and business wire news on Compuserve. Imagine using Compuserve for communicating national, or better yet, international sales information. All you need is a local CIS access number and InfoNable/VBX!

Surfing Internet?

If you are an Internet hacker and all the previous discussion on Compuserve is putting you to sleep, wake up! InfoNable provides the same type of facilities to Internet Users on Delphi network.

Olé Señor

Since everyone is promising OLE 2.0 compatibility, you should not be surprised to learn that InfoNable also provides an OLE 2.0 version for you Excel users!

Better Than A Stethoscope

As mentioned previously, InfoNable/VBX is a server, which means that it launches a separate app to provide these services. If you Alt-Tab to it, you can use it to diagnose problems or to simply get a better view of what is going on in the background! This window is also useful for debugging your custom information access using Passthru and Capture. Electronic Information Services are taking the world by storm, and your ticket to ride is InfoNable/VBX!


DynaZIP VBX
DynaZIP VBX	$179

PKZIP Compatible Compression in a Custom Control	Retail Price	$ 199

From Inner Media, Inc.	Product# IM01 	1 lb.

Royalty-free zip file support, PKZIP or PKUNZIP not required

Read, write, append, delete, query, encrypt, decrypt, span disks

Uses industry-standard ZIP format

Versions for C, C++, Pascal, Database languages, and Windows NT

Zip-a-Dee-ay

The DynaZIP VBX makes it easy for your app to read and write to the same ZIP format made famous by PKWARE's PKZIP® and PKUNZIP®.  You can compress, extract, span disks, recurse directories, repair ZIP files, and tons more, by setting properties on a control.  No need to shell to PKZIP or PKUNZIP anymore.  And all this is royalty-free. You can distribute the VBXs and DLLs with your application. There is one VBX for unzipping, and another for zipping.

Smaller is Better

Seems like no matter how big a hard drive I get, I always run out of room.  You're probably no different.  I don't know exactly where your app could use a ZIPper,  but I do know that zipping files can easily reduce them in size by 40%.

If you can make your app install on a smaller footprint, you have a competitive advantage.  If you've got some data files that your app seldom uses, you could zip and unzip them dynamically with this set of VBXs.

Rather Unzip than Expand?

I have an installation disk for one of my applications that I created using the Visual Basic Setup Wizard.  The files are compressed using the Microsoft-supplied COMPRESS utility.  Next time, I think I'll write my own setup and use DynaZIP VBX, so I can take advantage of the efficiency of the ZIP format, and also make my techie customers more comfortable when they look at the disk and see their old familiar .ZIP extensions instead of EX_ and AB_.

Sharing Made Easy

If you have a need to do a lot of over-the-wire or through-the-mail data transfer, your Visual Basic app can now simply write data out as a ZIP file. When the file arrives on the other end, there is no need for you to send along a special decompacter disk - the receiving party can just use their own copy of PKUNZIP. The ZIP files you make are compatible with version 2.04g of the ZIP format.

Full Featured

This VBX has support for every ZIP feature I have ever heard of, including esoteric things like converting LFs into CRLFs and setting the compression factor.  The folks at Inner Media even do disk-spanning, directory recursing (both UNZIP and ZIP), and password encryption.

No Need to Zip Lips

As you may be aware, the government has placed restrictions on data encryption software. But Inner Media has gone through the process of getting listed with the U.S. Department of Commerce, so you can use this VBX freely in your internationally distributed programs.

Bells and Whistles

As a sample application, Inner Media gives you a full-featured Windows ZIP file utility.  You can use it right out of the box to manage your ZIP file collection, and also dig in behind the scenes to see how to use some of the more advanced functionality of these controls.

The DynaZIP VBXs also include Dynastat.VBX, a progress-indicator control. You display progress with a DynaZIP VBX by putting code in the MajorStatus or MinorStatus events.

Sold? Just zip on over to the phone, call VBxtras, and order DynaZIP VBX today.


ImageKnife/VBX
ImageKnife/VBX™	$238

The Ultimate Image Processing .VBX	Retail Price	$299

From Media Architects, Inc.	Product# MA01 	2 lbs.

Industry-standard scanners support

Simple and comprehensive image handling custom control

Extensive image file support and strong multiple image support

Supports bound and unbound database access

Picture This!

Imagine a VB Tool that can easily display all kinds of graphic formats on your Visual Basic forms. Now imagine also having the ability to process these images both individually and through multiple image processes. Throw in the capability to read, write, and convert to all the popular modern graphics formats. All this, and more, is what you get with the ImageKnife/VBX data-aware custom control.

Simply Powerful

Isn't it nice that the most comprehensive toolkit available for Visual Basic image processing is also incredibly easy to use? All you need to do to start is place a PicBuf control on your form, set a few properties, and you'll have graphic images popping right up. You can also link a PicBuf's property to the filename property of a File Common Dialog Box and presto, a complete image browser. As your graphic demands increase, you will find that ImageKnife/VBX has the advanced features to support your most sophisticated applications.

What Kind of Images?

All kinds - big ones, small ones, family pictures, pictures of trees, even ... oh, you mean you want to know the graphic image formats right? Well ImageKnife/VBX can read, write, and convert between TIFF, BMP, DIB, PCX, GIF, Targa, and yes, even JPEG. You can display them in true color, Super-VGA, VGA, and for your not-so-colorful users, there's monochrome. If you need to process these images, you can rotate, mirror, negate, sharpen, and matrix filter to your heart's content. There is also open access via DIB handles and an extensive set of color palette tools.

Could They be Using Mirrors?

ImageKnife/VBX has some real unmatched power in its multiple image operations. I'm talking about such tasks as composition, masking for cropping, and combining images. Start playing around with ImageKnife/VBX, and I promise that you'll find yourself able to perform some real image magic.

Bound or Unbound?

Use ImageKnife/VBX with the Access Jet engine and bind a PicBuf to a VB3 Data Control. Then, as you would expect, the image data contained in the current record's field automatically loads into the PicBuf. The PicBuf can also read, add, or edit images to the database, and even store the image as a Paintbrush OLE object in your .MDB file - try that with a picture box or an image control!  Simple enough for any VB rookie. Yet those of us who have more elaborate databases may wish to reduce the overhead and limitations of using the data control for the large blocks of data that make up images. Media Architects has designed ImageKnife/VBX to have the ability to read and write images in a field using the PicBuf as an unbound control. You can then use Visual Basic's GetChunk or AppendChunk methods instead.

The TWAIN Option

Aside from being the name of a distinguished author, TWAIN is the standard protocol and API for communication between software applications and image acquisition devices (I like to call them scanners).  The ImageKnife/VBX TWAIN option allows you to acquire their image data from TWAIN devices - no more having to switch out to another application for scanner support! Break the communications gap with your users. Order ImageKnife/VBX today and incorporate image processing in your VB apps tomorrow!


MediaKnife/VBX
MediaKnife/VBX™	$238

The Ultimate Multimedia Control for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$299

From Media Architects, Inc.	Product# MA03	2 lbs.

256 color animated sprites

8 bit or 24 bit image display

Sound, Image, Text, MCI, Sprites, and Timer Controls

Applications to manage your images in your multimedia projects

A Multimedia Cornucopia!

MediaKnife is the Swiss army knife of multimedia for Visual Basic. With it, you can display 8 bit or 24 bit color images, play sounds and video, manipulate sprites, superimpose text over graphics, make TV-like transitions between images, like curtains, fades, and much more!

Imagine...

Think of all the possibilities of what you could accomplish if you could easily add multimedia in your VB app. How about a full color interactive catalog? How about adding voice help files or tutors? Not to mention the real cool interactive games that you could create. Or you could create a talking birthday card for that someone special like I did.

The Magnificent Six!

The core of MediaKnife consists of six controls that allow you to manipulate sounds, images and the multimedia capabilities of Windows. Let me tell you about a couple of my favorite controls.

Better than a Sony!

mkDisplay is the key to providing multimedia capabilities to Visual Basic. This is the engine that allows you to display graphic images outside the confines of forms and picture boxes. You can implement transitions, design picture hot spots so the mouse can change its pointer, and even respond to mouse events. And because you can buffer images to memory, the fades can be lightning fast.

Shades of Austin-Healy

The mkSprite control is my personal favorite. This is the control that allows you take 256 color bit maps and combine them into animated sequences. Then have them flying all over the screen. You can predefine their paths or have them move under your user's control. MediaKnife also allows for collision detection of your sprites with other sprites or a specific color. I just used the sprite control to create a Klingon vessel that can be shot with a photon torpedo from the deck of my starship. (In that business app I am writing, of course!)

Tools of the Trade

MediaKnife also gives you the utilities you need to manage multimedia development. Have you ever thought your eyeballs where going crazy looking at a screen when a Windows application switched images and the screen flashed every color in the rainbow. The Palette editor allows you to take the images of your application and convert them to a common color palette so you can avoid color flash as images change Window's active color palette. Add a layout editor and a sprite editor to convert your bitmaps to full action sprites and you have the total package.

Danger Will Robinson!

If you are the type of person who has ever stayed up late mesmerized by software, you will be in trouble. This product is addictive! Never has it been so easy to integrate state of art graphics and sound and manipulate them so easily. You will spend 30 minutes creating your application and hours tweaking it to be just so! MediaKnife definitely has what you need to enter the brave new world of multimedia. Oh...and of course VBxtras has it at a great low price!


MicroHelp Compression Plus
MicroHelp Compression Plus	$228

The Ultimate Data Compression Tool for Visual Basic	Regular Price	$249

From MicroHelp, Inc.	PROD# MH12 	1 lb.

Fast creation of PKZIP compatible ZIP files

Store compressed graphics and documents in database memo fields

Powerful and flexible file handling routines

Full Basic source code

Where Did Our Storage Space Go?

Ten years ago when I added a 10Mb hard disk to my Compaq Portable, I asked myself: How will I ever use all this space? The other day I installed a 1Gb drive and said to myself: This should to hold me for about 6 months.

With graphical environments, CD-ROM devices, huge databases, and multimedia applications, storage space is at a premium. Programs routinely ship on ten or more high-density diskettes. Hard disks are forever filling up. When will it all end?

MicroHelp to the Rescue

Well, you might not be able to solve the entire computer industry's lust for storage space, but you can make a dent for your users with a wonderful tool developed by EllTech Development, Compression Plus.

Designed by Tony Elliot, a long-time BASIC guru, Compression Plus is a data compression toolkit developed specifically for Visual Basic. It creates industry standard .ZIP files that are almost completely compatible with Phil Katz's PKZIP® (compatible except for the multi-disk option; EllTech's solution is much better than PKZIP's).

Zippity-DoDah...

Just imagine the things that you could do with such a toolkit! Got a VB app that uses a ton of .BMP files and eats disk space for lunch? Store em in a .ZIP file until you are ready to use them, then UnZip. Want to write a database backup routine?  Backup to a multi-disk .ZIP file. Can't find a .ZIP file manager that does just exactly what you want it to do?  Write your own!

Compression Plus even allows you to store arrays to .ZIP files.  What an easy way to save data in memory from one execution to the next! Besides all that, Compression Plus is fast!

It Must be Difficult...

At first glance, you might think it hard to use, but that would be far from the truth. Just look how easy it is to create a .ZIP file of the files in your root directory.  Add COMPRESS.BAS to your project, make three function calls, and you then have the ability to create a .ZIP file directly from within your application!

Sure you could use shell to DOS and run PKZIP, but who wants a DOS window showing up in their app? Also, Compression Plus is completely royalty free, so you won't have to license PKZIP.

Shrink those MDBs

Even if you don't have a need for .ZIP files, you can still benefit greatly from Compression Plus. Included are compression routines to compress anything in memory and store it anywhere you like: store compressed data into an Access Jet memo field; pictures of houses for a real-estate broker; gemstone images for a jeweler; or compressed Word documents for a lawyer; the list goes on...

Better File Handling than VB Itself

An added bonus is the general purpose file-handling and manipulation routines.  They are clearly more powerful and flexible than those that come with VB Pro. I ought to know; I wrote the File Handling chapter of QUE's Crash Course in Visual Basic!

Did I Mention Full Source?

Compression Plus is composed primarily of a .DLL and a .BAS file of subroutines and functions. Compression Plus comes with complete BASIC source code. If you need to modify it, it's there. If you want to learn from it, it is well designed, readable, and contains just the right number of comments. Believe me, Compression Plus will make an impression on your memory! Get it today!


MicroHelp Fax Plus
MicroHelp Fax Plus	 $218

The Seamless Faxing Solution for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$249

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Product# MH13 	1 lb.

Easy-to-implement fax supporting a custom control

Supports numerous graphic file formats

Captures any application's printed output to the fax

Just Say No...

to any fax driver that your users must purchase and install. Imagine having to buy a fax driver for every user that needs to fax! Not with Fax Plus developed by EllTech Development.

Keep on Top of that Fax Modem!

With Fax Plus, your VB app will have direct control over your fax modem for sending and receiving faxes.  Fax Plus has a slew of properties for detecting the capabilities of your fax modem so you can correctly configure your application, as well as a useful set of error codes to check.

Fast, Easy, and Nutritious, Too!

Faxing using this VBX couldn't be easier. Simply set the PhoneNumber, FaxFileName, and Action properties, and away it goes! You can monitor the error and status codes to provide on-screen information.

To receive, just use the Rings, FaxFileName, and Action properties, and you're all set.

This Fax is Not Lax!

Faxes are sent using a .FAX file format. You combine supported graphic files to build a .FAX file, and can also break an existing .FAX file down into individual graphic files, all by using the VBX.

A .Picture Property is Worth a Thousand .Text Properties

Fax Plus can import .BMP, .PCX or .DCX files, and can create .BMP, .DCX, .PCX, or .TIF images from a received fax.

Advanced Properties Available Too!

The properties for the Fax Plus control let you create basic programs as described previously, but for you power peripheral types, you can get to properties that control the RTS signal, the Carrier Detect timeout, and the COMM speed.

If you're interested, you can even use these advanced properties of the Fax Plus control to handle communications directly through the modem! Not only that, the fax control has a built-in timer that can be used to poll the status of the fax modem periodically, rather than tying up resources with a DO loop.

All this and a Printer Driver, Too!

The printer driver works just like a standard Windows driver for printing from any Windows application. You can easily create an application that will be awakened by another Windows application starting a print job. When the app prints to the driver, the driver notifies the VBX sitting in your application. Your Fax Plus app then takes over and sets all sorts of properties about the print job. Essentially, you wind up with .BMP files created merely by printing from any application.

Use your Imagination!

There are a lot of possibilities here, from providing basic faxing ability to utilizing multiple fax boards! Fax invoices and confirmation notices upon entry. Design and build your own specialized fax server. Fax exception reports to operators at remote locations.

Fax Plus supports Class 1, Class 2, and Class 2.0 fax modems.

Don't Fall Through the Cracks; Just Get the Fax Plus!

So, if you have the need, or merely the curiosity, to build faxing ability into your Visual Basic application, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out Fax Plus.  It is the royalty-free solution for faxing from within a Visual Basic application.  Order yours today!


VBTools 4
VBTools 4	$94

The Ultimate Custom Control Collection for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$129

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Product #MH03 	3 lbs.

54 custom controls and utility functions

Leading-edge user interface controls

Enhanced data validation controls

Go Figure...

I love Visual Basic and the opportunities it has given me. I am amazed at the ease in which a powerful Windows application can be created, especially with the database capability provided with VB 3.0. However, I often wonder what those at Microsoft who designed Visual Basic were thinking when so much standard Windows functionality was not provided.

Enter the .VBX

Thank heaven for the .VBX hooks that Microsoft left in Visual Basic. Third party vendors rapidly filled in the feature's gap with an assortment of custom controls, and MicroHelp, Inc. has been at the forefront providing tools for Visual Basic development.  Many of us have used MicroHelp products since 1985 with Peeks & Pokes, and VBTools since the days of Thunder.

Where do I Begin?

VBTools 4 is bursting with tools for Visual Basic: 54 custom controls and utility functions in all! The newest version, 4.0, contains several new controls including FPGrid10, MhTAB, and MhTip. Grid/VBX from Farpoint Technologies is a database grid that is really fast when it comes to database data. I like the ability to directly type in a grid cell and have the tab key wrap to the next line. You can use Check Boxes for Yes/No for logical data, and Combo Boxes for cell selections.   The MhTAB control allows the creation of a tabbed set of windows similar to those presented in Word 6.0 and Excel 5.0. Since MhTAB is a container control with an alignment property, it can be used on MDI forms to create an interface consisting of folders. Other controls can then be placed on the individual folders.

MhTip creates those neat little pop-up help windows for icons that are so popular today. All you do is set the interval property to the delay time for displaying the tip, and set the tip caption in the SetCaption event which is the only event MhTip has.

Bind that Control!

VBTools 4 contains 22 controls that can be bound to a Visual Basic data control. Also, if you want to use a control that does not have binding capabilities, VBTools has MhOutOfBounds, which  can bind any control. Many controls in VBTools 4 are enhancements for standard VB controls. Mh3dCombo and Mh3dList are bound listbox controls with multicolumn capabilities. VB does not provide list box controls that are data aware nor have multicolumn capability.

Darn those #$%& Users

You know those users of your application. They type in stuff that you have to validate. Where should you put your validation? Not in the LostFocus event. For this, VBTools provides six custom edit controls for handling specific data types: integers, dates, real numbers, and an enhanced textbox control with any number of customized input/output properties and special masks. I find MhInput more flexible than MSMasked in VB Pro because it can be used more like a standard text control for output with edit masks as needed.

A Day to Play!

One very interesting control is the Mh3dCalendar control (similar to the pop-up calendar in Quicken), which displays a calendar with buttons for changing year and month. Mh3dCalendar can be bound to a date field in your database. Other unique controls are MhCard for displaying cards and MhDice which creates dice images. These game controls are unique VB add-ons.

Obviously, one page alone does not provide enough room to describe all the controls.  Extensive examples are provided, and the on-line help is so good that you might not even need the manual!

The Leader of the Pack

MicroHelp stated VBTools 4 is meant to be the ultimate custom control add-on product, with more controls for a lot less money than anyone else. I think they more than accomplished their goal!


VBGraphix
VBGraphix	$309

The Ultimate Drawing, Charting and Illustration Add-On	Retail Price	$399

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Product# MH11 	2 lbs.

Full featured charting package

Interactive drawing tool

Include animated pictures and slide shows in your application

Includes a powerful drawing API

This Ain't No Paint by Numbers!

VBGraphix is a one of a kind add-on for Visual Basic. There are simply no other products that do all of the things that you can do with it. With VBGraphix you can implement sophisticated charting, allow users to make drawings, present slide shows, and display animated drawings.

This is different than a paint program, in that you keep control over the individual objects in the drawing. Rather than coloring individual pixels, VBGraphix keeps track of the objects that are in your drawing.

It recognizes individual lines and shapes, and allows you to operate on entire objects. You just can't do that with a paint program.

XScript?

VBGraphix is based on XScript, a Video Imaging Language. XScript files are ASCII text files. A program which uses VBGraphix either creates or executes (or both!) the contents of XScript files.

If you are familiar with Postscript then you will not have any trouble at all working with XScript. The difference is that XScript is designed specifically for interactive graphics rather than just page descriptions. XScript is also useful as a picture exchange language.

Calling all DLLs!

VBGraphix is not a custom control, but is a collection of DLLs with a rich set of API functions.  Functions in the DLLs allow you to: specify a form to be used for drawing; read and save files; set preferences; copy and paste using the Windows clipboard; change the current drawing function; change the properties of selected objects; group and ungroup objects; and many more functions.

Other functions will pop up a dialog box allowing the user to set many different values interactively.

Even Better than Picasso

The drawing tools are object oriented, in that they allow you to draw a variety of shapes including lines, curves, circles, and rectangles; and then interactively select the objects and change properties such as line style, thickness, or fill type.

You can group objects, move them around, scale, rotate, and perform similar transformations. A single function call to the VBGraphix API saves the drawing as an XScript, Windows Metafile, or Postscript file.

Design your own Symbol Libraries

VBGraphix also has a resource manager which allows users to insert new symbols into a drawing.  You can create new resources and distribute them along with your application to allow your users to make custom maps, diagrams, etc. Or you may want to generate new objects based on data, and allow these objects to be used in drawings.

The possibilities are limitless! I used VBGraphix to implement a drawing module that is part of a pen computer application.

Now drawings and maps can be created in the field while data is being collected. And because VBGraphix is royalty free I can include the drawing module as a bonus feature on all my pen apps!

You Snooze You Lose!

Don't snooze or you will definitely lose out on a great product! VBGraphix is a great product for all you would be artists!

So, call VBxtras to get $90 bucks off the retail price!

Go on... what are you waiting for?


VBXRef
VBXRef	$79

Keep Tabs on your Visual Basic Code and Objects	Retail Price	$99

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Product# MH05	2 lbs.

Look at forms, modules, code, and properties without loading VB

Print code with headers, footers, line continuation and font control

Print a cross reference list of variables, constants, literals, and code elements

Take Chaaarrge!

Does your VB application have more forms and modules every day?  Do your development team members work without checking in with each other?  Does your application have unused and/or duplicate variables, procedures and functions?  And hey, what about those controls you removed whose code is still sitting in the forms?  How do you take charge?

Browse the Code, Lighten the Load

With VBXRef, you can open your project and see all your forms and modules in a project window, just like VB's. You can inspect a form's controls and properties or the procedures and functions in any form or module. With VBXRef's cross reference report, you can even obtain an inventory of all your application's variables, constants, and with the detail option set, you can pinpoint every reference to a specific variable.

What You Need

VBXRef gives you what you need to make your application lean, organized, and efficient!

VBxtras also gives you what you need...a great price! Call today!


Muscle
Muscle	$109

Super Fast and Powerful Library!	Retail Price	$129

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Product# MH02 	4 lbs.

Contains over 600 functions

Written in fast assembly language

Routines for optimization, data manipulation and accessing operating system features

It Just Runs too Slow...

How many times have you heard that in reference to your Visual Basic application. You can optimize until you are blue in the face, and you still won't be able to speed up many operations. Enter MicroHelp, Inc. MicroHelp decided to provide Muscle, a toolkit of over 600 functions and subprograms to help you optimize your apps. Muscle's forte is the under-the-hood power that it provides via tight, hand-coded assembly routines with source code!

Where do I Start?

There are so many features in this product you might think it overwhelming! Let me list a few of the thirteen different categories of routines in Muscle. Some categories include: Strings, Arrays, DOS/Windows memory, Keyboard, Files & Devices, Disks & Directories, System, Dates & Times, Bit manipulation, High-level routines, and Error handling routines. Believe me...I could go on and on! Do you know how long it would take to write these on your own? Since you will be sure to use it from the first day forward, why not get a little Muscle yourself?


SpellPro
SpellPro™	$110

Expand the Vocabulary of Your VB Apps	Retail Price	$129

From MicroHelp, Inc.	Product# MH04 	2 lbs.

 Seamlessly incorporate spell checking into your application

Includes both legal and medical dictionaries along with custom dictionary capabilities

Has DLL, VBX, and 16/32 bit OLE controls

It'll Put You Under its Spell...

I was working on a project that needed a spell check feature, so I installed SpellPro, added it to the project, wrote 5 lines of code, and was done! This is a custom control that works exactly the way you need it to. Just set the CheckWord property, then the Action property,  and it's off! You can check a long string (like a TextBox) with the Text property. SpellPro gives you everything you're used to seeing in a spell checker: suggestions, ignore, even change all!

Packed with Features

SpellPro provides you with a 50,000+ word dictionary and a 50,000+ synonym thesaurus. You can also add words to one or more custom dictionaries. There's even a cache of common words to speed things up. SpellPro has a built-in dialog box to handle misspelled words and suggestions, which I really like. It also has enough events to allow you to design your own form for this purpose - it even comes with a sample one! Why not give it a try?


3d Graphic Tools
3d Graphic Tools™	$134

Powerful 3d Drawing and Rendering Controls and Libraries	Retail Price	$149

From Micro System Options	Product# MI01 	4 lbs.

Full-featured toolkit for creating 3d spaces and objects

Gives complete control over every aspect of a 3d virtual world

Create 3d objects and view them from any angle with impressive texture and lighting effects

Deep Space 9-Thousand

3d Graphic Tools is your Starship to 21st Century space and depth in your presentations, pictures, and graphics-intensive VB programs.  If it's your mission to explore strange new worlds of VB Graphics, get ready for warp speed!

Living in a Virtual World

Imagine being able to design your own 3-dimensional world, with every aspect of space, reference and dimension at your fingertips.

That's what you can do with the Scene Control, one of the 4 controls included in 3d Graphic Tools.  Lighting, shadowing, ambient colors, and just about every other aspect of a 3d space you can think of (and many that I wouldn't have thought of) are yours to control.

But that's Only the Beginning...

Your Scene really comes to life, though, when you add Object Controls - characters that make up your 3d world.

Want a cool screen saver?  I  took one of the examples, a man's head, gave it a texture that looks like a tree trunk, and set it turning around in front of a psychedelic background with real depth.

Turning objects is really easy.  You use a Camera Control, which acts as your eyes in the Virtual World.  Set the location of the camera, and even its focus and magnification, and the objects in the world will appear in perspective as though you were sitting where you placed the camera.

Reusable 'Objects'

3d Graphic Tools lets you save a group of objects in a file, and use that same collection in multiple scenes.  It lets you save and import full 3d creations, and it lets you use regular bitmap and metafiles for a background and save the whole scene to a bitmap file when you've got it perfected.

But How Can I Get my Boss to Pay for It?

Show him the same old monthly sales graph.  Then show him same data on a 3d graph that looks like the Pyramids of Giza, with each pyramid's height representing a month's profit, and depth representing a month's revenues.  Throw in a scroll bar to change the Y-scale and a spin control to change the viewer's perspective, and start planning how to spend your raise.

Cut and Paste

That's my motto for quick, reliable programming, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

And that's one of the things I like best about the 3d Graphic Tools package.  It comes complete with 24 working VB projects.  One of them is an easily customizable 3d graph plotting program that I turned into the Pyramids of Giza program above.

Other examples render lots of cool objects for you to use in apps, including the head I used in my screen saver, planes, helicopters, a lamp, and the earth.

With all this and extensive on-line and printed documentation, you'll be up to warp speed in no time.  So beam on up!

P.S.

By the way, the runtime fees are only $1.00 each with the first 100 FREE!


MediaShop
MediaShop™	$399

The Multimedia Authoring System for Visual Basic 	Retail Price	$595

From Motion Works	Product# MW01 	3 lbs.

Five custom controls simplify multimedia programming in the VB environment

Create hotspots within pictures, text, even animations and videos

Sound annotation control links wave files to text

Multimedia - It's Not All Fun and Games!

What is multimedia?  Everybody talks about it, but almost nobody really understands how to use it.  I know I always thought that multimedia was great for playing games and stuff like that, but for serious business it had no place.  Boy was I wrong!

Parts Are Parts...

One of my customers was looking for a way to publish parts catalogs for their boats on CD-ROM.  One of the problems facing them was the fact that they didn't have a lot of the drawings that they needed  and the cost of producing them would kill the project.

Picture This!

Then I found a great solution to their problem  a VB add-on called MediaShop from Motion Works.  Soon after using it, I saw how text could be linked to hotspots in pictures using their VBX.  With this technology, they could simply take photographs of the boats, digitize them and link them to the catalog text.  Problem solved, money saved!  But that's not all...

I Wanna be in Pictures

So, you say, hotspots on graphics does not make it a multimedia application.  Right you are!  But MediaShop can do a lot more.  How about hot spots in video?  Now my customer could film a walk-through of the interior of a yacht with a video camera.  Simply identify the objects in the resulting .AVI file, and as the user walks through the boat they can point and click on the parts that they want!

Move Over, Mickey!

Animation can get a point across much more effectively than words and pictures.  But animation is hard to do, right?  Not with MediaShop!  In addition to the VBX controls, MediaShop includes a complete suite of animation tools.

Deja Vu?

If the editing tools look familiar, that's because Motion Works also created the CorelMove animation module for CorelDraw.  Tools include a path tool for creating path based animations, drawing tools for creating actors and props, a sound editor for building soundtracks, and a timeline editor to tie it all together.  Advanced features like onion skinning make cel based animation easy.

Follow the Bouncing Ball...

MediaShop also includes a sound annotation control.  Use the included tools to record a string of words (or maybe a song, if you're more talented than I am).  Then link the resulting .WAV file to your text on screen  each word is highlighted as it is played back!  Or, use it to pronounce a word when the user clicks on it.

The (Multi) Media is the Message

MediaShop is the type of tool that can really set your app apart from the crowd.  The more I work with it, the more ideas I get for giving my applications a friendlier, more human interface.  And when multimedia is this easy, why not?

Put it in Motion

Motion Works is primarily in the business of creating consumer multimedia titles.  That experience shows in the depth and ease of use of this product.

If you want to do multimedia in Visual Basic then you need MediaShop!


DocLink/VB for Windows
DocLink/VB™ for Windows™	$176

Integrates VB Applications with Windows Word Processors	Retail Price	$195

From NAPERSOFT®, Inc.	Product# NS01	1 lb.

Supports Lotus Ami Pro 3.0, Microsoft Word 6.0a, and WordPerfect for Windows 6.0a

Seamless integration with merge, form editing, and macro functions of supported word processors

Makes word processor interfacing easy for programmers and users and lowers program maintenance costs

A Simple Request?

Imagine that you've just completed a company-wide name/address application that will be used by every department in the corporation.  Then, you get these simple requests:  Dan, the perpetually peppy sales VP, wants to move data from your app to his department's MS-Word form letters.  Mary in AR wants to do the same thing, except her department uses Ami Pro.  And, yet another department loves Word Perfect and, of course, wants the same thing.  Suddenly, your completed project is once again months from completion.  Or is it....

A Simple Solution!

DocLink/VB offers you a way to fulfill these requests without having to spend weeks learning unfamiliar word processor commands and different programmer interface structures.  Also, you won't have to code complex and separate routines to manage each brand of word processor.  With DocLink/VB, you easily gain access to macros and merges within the supported word processors with a single interface.  With only one API to go through, your development time will be cut dramatically.  Your project completion time should go from months to maybe a week at most.

Merger Mania

DocLink/VB makes it simple to seamlessly incorporate the word processor's merge functions into your program.  You can bring in data from any database that your program can access and merge it into a word processor boilerplate document. No arbitrary limits are placed on the number of records you can bring into the document.  You can even change the document in the middle of a merge.  For example, if your program needed to print AR late notices, the program could process all the late invoices at once, rather than doing a separate process for each period.

A User's Delight

Most custom programs developed for corporations today are database programs and are often connected to large server databases.  The users of this new breed of program want to not only have access to the data, but they want to manipulate it using the tools that they work with on a daily basis.

DocLink/VB allows your users to edit their forms within the context of your data and program.  Just pass the field names to DocLink/VB and it passes them on to the word processor's field selection list. The end user can make the modifications they need to a form with the word processor commands that they're familiar with.

A Programmer's Joy

DocLink/VB's manual is well written and has step-by-step examples.  The example programs included on the disk not only show how the controls work, but illustrate some interesting ideas on how to implement them within your program.

Believe Me... It Pays for Itself!

DocLink/VB makes it less expensive to develop a wide range of document management applications by cutting development time and maintenance costs.  As a result, DocLink/VB will pay for itself many times over.


Visual Basic Videos
Visual Basic Videos	$4,500

Video Training Tapes for your Specific VB Needs	Retail Price	$5,000

From On-Line Resources	Product# OR01	11 lbs.

Individual tapes for the specific topic you need

Full Screen picture of all screens used in the videos

Hands-On, How-To approach to training

A Professional Mentor

Have you ever wished you had a programmer that you could just sit and watch and learn from? Now I am not talking about a run of the mill, off the shelf programmer, or the office guru. I mean a world class developer. And wouldn't it be great if he would just work on the things you wanted to learn about? Now you can have a Visual Basic expert right in your own living room or corporation training room.  Just take a look at On-Line Resources' VB Videos!

No Egos Here

If you're looking for flashy videos with Barbie and Ken look-alike speakers, flashing perfect smiles and perfect posture like a local weather forecaster, look no further! Because it's not here. You won't get an egomaniac whose chief concern is personal exposure! Instead you'll get screen shots that are full screen so you can easily see the whole screen and actually read it! With these videos you get facts not fluff.

Meet Sam Kazi

Let's talk about the author and narrator of these tapes. Sam Kazi is a world class consultant and trainer. He is often called on by Fortune 500 and international organizations to do training and consulting. He is the Senior Editor for the Los Angeles VBEE Newsletter, and also serves as the Technical Director for the Los Angeles Visual Basic User Group. I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. This dude knows his stuff.

It's a Blockbuster Weekend!

Now's your chance to kick back, grab that bowl of popcorn, and watch a VB master at work. Learn about the VB topics you want to learn about when you have the time. Here's a sampling of topics:

Forms

The basics to MDI. All you need to know about forms.

Managing the Mouse

How to capture and use mouse events.

Program Flow

Case statements thru End. All the controls you need to know.

Loops

The Do...Loop, For...Next, and While...Wend de-mystified.

Scoping

How to determine the scope of variables and implement it in Visual Basic.

Parsing & String Manipulation

Everything you wanted to know about the string functions in VB, but where afraid to ask.

Arrays

From the basics of arrays to Multi-Dimensional and Dynamic Arrays.

Grids

How to create a grid
and use it in your application without screwing up!

The File System Controls

The steps you need to use the files system in Visual Basic.

Pictures and Images

The difference between Image controls and Picture clips and when to use them.

Testing and Debugging

How to find errors and how to help prevent them.

The Help Engine in Visual Basic

How's and why's of Help creation in Visual Basic.

Printing Reports

Covers the in's and out's of PrintForm and Printer Object.

Bit Twiddling

How to use logical operators like XOR to manipulate bits.

DDE- Communicating with other Windows Applications

A complete how to for using DDE to communicate to Windows applications.

Corporate Training!

I can attest that this set of 15 videos will cover all those topics you've been meaning to bone-up on. If you're a corporate developer with an entire department to train, these videos are the answer to your training budget woes. Call today to get the deluxe briefcase containing this huge VB Video set!


ToolThings
ToolThings™	$158

Productivity Tools for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$179

From Pinnacle Publishing, Inc.	Product# PP02 	2 lbs.

Design Windows, message boxes, and Windows common dialogs visually.

Position, align, group,  and resize controls with absolute precision.

Identify and remove unused routines, variables, and constants from code.

Instantly indent lines of code, single routines, files, or whole projects.

A True Love-Hate

If you are like me you fell in love with Visual Basic the first time you tried the interface. Never before has my productivity been so high.  I even enjoyed what I was doing. Because the design environment in VB is so visual, I found myself designing screens on the fly. Life was great. But it later turned into a love-hate relationship. You see, I kept moving things around the forms, trying to line things up. I thought I would scream if the user asked me to change the tab order on one more screen. I know it is not good to scream at customers, but I was going crazy!!!

Welcome to Code Improvements!

Then ToolThings by Pinnacle Publishing came roaring to the rescue. This Thing is AWESOME! I now know how Tim Allen feels on Home Improvements when he wraps his hands around a world class, high performance, super charged tool! But this is not just one tool, it's a whole box of tool (thing)s.

No More Mr. Grouch

One of my favorite tools in the toolbox is the Tab Thing. You can pop up a single dialog box, and set the tab order for all the controls on the form without going into each individual control's property. I can even smile at my customers now when they ask me to change a form, because I know I can so easily change all the THINGS on the form (and still charge 'em big bucks!)

Like a Rabbit out of a Hat...

Watch me pull another THING out of my toolbox. The nudge thing. Move a THING or a group of THINGS all at the same time one pixel at a time, Align them, make them the same size, total control! I can't imagine life without it!

Does the Drudge Work

ToolThings also has tools that take the drudgery out of programming. It has tools that let you easily design and preview forms, message boxes, and common dialogs; set all the properties, preview them, then have it generate the code for you! Not only that, but you can save settings into templates to use in different projects. If this product came only with the tools mentioned, I would buy it in a minute. But it doesn't stop there.

What VB Should Have Included But Didn't

How about being able to highlight a block of code and push the Blockout Thing and comment it out, or un-comment it. Or how about pushing the Dent Thing to re-indent that block, or re-indent the whole project! Or push the Call Thing to get a picklist of all your user-defined functions. Press Type Thing to scan your projects for global and constant declarations; then when you are ready to ship, press the Compress Thing to remove all unused routines, variables, and constants for smaller faster .EXE's.

Pinnacle's Only Mistake

I don't think Pinnacle was thinking when they decided to market this one. Yeah, all the tools were designed to work together, and they all have the same look and feel. But they could have sold them separately for $50 - $100 bucks each! This THING is a steal- buy it before they come to their senses.


Code.Print Pro
Code.Print Pro™	$78

The Integrated Printing Tool for your VB Source Code	Retail Price	$99

From Pinnacle Publishing, Inc.	Product# PP01	2 lbs.

Print current project or project that is not loaded with your selection of files and routines.

Your choice of fonts and types for code, comments, headers, footers, names, dates...

Schedule your print jobs

Sort & print an index of the routines!

That's a Print!

Sometimes we all need to take a break from coding and print out our source code to see where we are and where we need to go, locate bugs, and identify areas for improvement. Just print your source code with Code.Print Pro, take the printout, sit far away from the glare of the monitor with a cup of coffee, and go through the problem areas. When you return with red marks all over your printout and several new ideas, you will be a lot more productive and a lot less stressed-out!

Make Your Point

Having Code.Print Pro on your desktop can have numerous benefits. Once your project is finished, you can produce a beautiful paper backup of your VB code. Use samples of code in your proposals, technical briefs, and presentations. Impress your clients, managers, or colleagues with the professionalism of a Code.Print Pro printout while explaining a certain point.

The whole layout and printing of the printout from Code.Print Pro makes it so easy to grasp code, you will be glad you got this utility.


Visual Basic Developer
Visual Basic Developer	$98

A Serious Journal for the Serious VB Developer	 Retail Price(12 issues)	$179

From Pinnacle Publishing, Inc.	Product# PP03	1 lb.

Monthly newsletter with information and assistance from Visual Basic experts

Geared towards the serious Visual Basic programmer

Every issue includes a disk packed with code and other goodies

Eight Days A Week?

Ever wish you had an extra day a week just to keep up with all the latest information about Visual Basic (of course you'd want to be the only one who had the extra day!)  Since an extra day is not likely, there is Visual Basic Developer instead; a monthly newsletter and disk combination from Pinnacle Publishing.  It's chock-full of articles and tips from the experts. VBD's mission is to provide just in time information and assistance on topics of importance to VB developers.

All You Need is Code

Sometimes a line of code is worth a thousand words.  Every issue of Visual Basic Developer includes a disk filled with code samples, example programs and even some of the latest and greatest shareware controls.

If you are looking for a single, concise source of timely information on VB, Visual Basic Developer is it!


Graphics Server™ SDK
Graphics Server™ SDK	$258

A Full-Blown, Time-Tested Charting Engine	Retail Price	$299

From Pinnacle Publishing, Inc.	Product# PP04 	4 lbs.

The granddaddy of Charting VBX's- also does C++

New chart types - Bubble, Tape, and 3D area

Quality hard-copy documentation

Industrial Strength Charting

When VB 3.0 shipped with a selection of custom controls, Microsoft chose Graphics Server to be its chart control.  As such, this control has been thoroughly pounded on and tested by thousands of VB developers.  When you buy Graphics Server SDK, you get all this stability and quite a bit of additional functionality. You also get all you need to access the engine from almost any language.

Instant Impact

If you already have a VB app with Graphics included, Graphics Server SDK gives you access to the extra features of the newest version with no changes to your code. ChartBuilder, the VBX that we VB programmers use as a hook to the Server .DLLs, is backwards-compatible with the VBX that shipped with VB Pro.  With this product you get all the fixes and enhancements that have been added since VB 3.0 shipped!


Open Mail System/VBX
Open Mail System/VBX	$329

Multi-Protocol E-Mail Custom Control	Retail Price	$495

From Raindrop Software Corporation	Product# RS01	2 lbs.

Drop-in replacement for MSMAPI.VBX

Supports VIM, MAPI, and MHS E-Mail protocols

Integrate your application with all major e-mail systems

Functionality without programming the underlying native mail system

Oh, By the Way...

It's 4 P.M. on Friday night, and your newly developed E-Mail compatible application is ready to be installed at your customer's site. What they forgot to tell you, though, is that they just changed from MS Mail to cc:Mail. But they say: Isn't E-Mail, E-Mail?

Right. What will you do? Probably spend the next week rewriting your application, and break your budget, your deadline, and your credibility!

OMS to the Rescue!

A much better alternative is to simply replace the MSMAPI.VBX that you used in your app with the Open Mail System VBX. It is a drop-in replacement for the Microsoft control.

To support cc:Mail you simply set the MailSystem property, of the OmsSession control, to MAIL_SYS_VIM. You then recompile your app, and voilà, it is now compatible with cc:Mail! You are now the hero of the day!

MAPI, MHS, VIM... WDTMA?

Isn't the computer industry wonderful, what with all it's acronyms! What do they mean anyway (WDTMA)? MAPI, MHS, and VIM are the names of the leading E-Mail protocols that are the standards of the industry.

They are, respectively: Microsoft's Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI, used by MS Mail, Windows for WorkGroups, and others.), Novell's Message Handling Service (MHS, used by Da Vinci eMail, Noteworks, and others.), and Lotus's Vendor Independent Messaging (VIM, used by cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, and others.)

What, Me Worry? Not Any More!

Normally, to use the different E-Mail protocols, you have to provide native support for the chosen protocol in your application.

This takes away from both your time and productivity. You have to concentrate on the inner workings of these protocols, and how to implement them, instead of coding your application to do what it is designed to do. With Open Mail System/VBX, you can concentrate on productive coding, and let the VBX worry about the interface between your application and the E-Mail system.

You Need a Little Faith

But you say: What if I don't know which E-Mail system will be installed? No problem, OMS will detect the presence of various E-Mail systems. Better yet, in
multi-protocol environments
you can switch between E-Mail systems at run-time!

Just like a BabbleFish

By supporting multiple E-Mail protocols, OMS provides you with a set of tools that let you talk with most of the currently installed PC-based E-Mail systems.

The nice thing about it is that it is an open environment that will allow other E-Mail protocols to be added in the future.

Learn a Lesson from Noah!

More and more, your users will expect that their applications are E-Mail enabled. So anticipate their needs and plan for the future.

And to take you away from the drudgery of coding for each of the major E-Mail systems, Open Mail System/VBX is here for you. It covers your current needs, and permits additions to anticipate your future needs.

So why not get it now and make both your present and future a little easier?


VBAssist
VBAssist	$89

Supercharged Development Environment for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$179

From Sheridan Software Systems	Product# SS01 	2 bs.

Power tools for power development

Seemlessly integrates into the Visual Basic environment

Improves ease-of-use and greatly enhances developer productivity

Rub the Lamp- Make a Wish!

VBAssist is a different sort of Visual Basic enhancement tool. This product is for the developer who wants to make his or her time spent in Visual Basic more efficient. If you find yourself repeating the same steps over and over, moving controls back into place after accidentally moving them, trying to set the tab order for controls and so forth, then this is definitely the Visual Basic add-on for you.

VB is Already Easy...

Easy yes, but VB is extremely repetitive, and inefficient too!

VBAssist loads with Visual Basic and attaches itself to your Visual Basic main window, giving you seamless access to a supercharged development environment!

VB Power Tools

VBAssist provides a variety of powerful tools for working with controls, properties, databases, and source code. Several are enhancements to Visual Basic's own abilities, but many of the tools give you features and power that you've been dying to have in Visual Basic, even if you never knew you needed them! It's just amazing to have this much power from just a click on a toolbar or a right click on a form or code window!

What Happened to my $%@^# Controls!

One problem I've always had is trying to align and size controls consistently. Sure, I could highlight a group of  command buttons and fudge around in the properties window. But imagine having the ability to align and size command buttons with just a few mouse clicks! VBAssist's control alignment tool takes care of it easily. You can also synchronize controls, colors, or create templates. There are also tools for managing the index property of control arrays, which we all know can be a huge headache. You can even lock the controls in place so that it's not possible to accidentally move them (right, like you never do that!)

Warp Speed, Mr. Data [Control]!

So, you've got a data control and some text boxes. So, you want to bind them together. So, you can't remember which field should go where. Enter the Data Assistant. This little ditty lets you do everything from drag and drop fields to modify and print table structures. Why, its Form Wizard will even generate an attractive form for you automatically!

Get the Picture?

Not only can you preview pictures with VBAssist before you load and paste pictures from the clipboard, you can capture screen shots directly into a control! Cool!

Fun for all Ages!

You advanced programmers will find some really standout tools in VBAssist. As a big user of the Windows API, I hate locating syntax and copying Declare statements from the VB Help system.  Through code assistant, you can find exactly the function you're looking for.  Enter System and Menu as keywords and Code Librarian jumps to GetSystemMenu ready for you to copy! By using the Visual Clipboard, you can collect numerous code snippets and paste them all at once. No more copy and paste repeated ad nauseam!

The Little Stuff is Cool!

Sheridan even thought of the little things that can make life with Visual Basic sweeter. Like giving you cut, copy and paste toolbar buttons. Like opening the last project you worked on. Like letting you tile and cascade your code windows with a single click. VBAssist even provides a useful little VBX for adding scrollbars to forms and picture boxes. Once you have it, you'll discover what your favorite feature is!


3D Widgets
3D Widgets™	$87

3-D Listbox, Panel, Button and Menu VBXs	Retail Price	$109

From Sheridan Software Systems	Product# SS03 	2 lbs.

3D command, option and check buttons, 3D Panel, Frames and Ribbon

3D drive, directory and file controls, list and combo boxes

3D menu VBX

3D Widgets: Act I

The first in the trio of VBXs included in this package provides 3D capability to VB 3.0 standard edition users.  It includes the 3D check box, option buttons, frames and 3D command buttons.  The 3D Panel and Ribbon button which help mimic commercial toolbars and status bars are also included in this set.

3D Widgets: Act 2

This VBX adds a bit more functionality to its 3D counterparts in VB 3.0 Pro.  The drive and directory boxes add various drive and directory representations and the file boxes are scrolling multi-column boxes.  The 3D combo and listboxes are also multi-column, scrolling controls.  Two listboxes can be linked so they scroll together due to an event from one of them.  The listboxes can be set to show complete lines only with configurable tab stops.

3D Widgets: Finale

The third VBX adds otherwise unavailable functionality.  It comes complete with 3D menus with checkboxes or pictures on menu items.  Standard VB appearance management properties apply.  This control creates a function with very few competitors.


Data Widgets
Data Widgets™	$87

Database Programming Tools	Retail Price	$129

From Sheridan Software Systems	Product# SS02 	2 lbs.

A set of controls that enhance the database access and functionality

Controls can be bound directly to a database or controlled through 	database objects

Controls can be bound across forms to minimize duplication and maximize consistency

Whatsa Widget?

Sheridan's Data Widgets are controls that ease the use of database manipulation in VB programs.  They consist of several VBXs that flex VB's database muscle with virtual operation and ability to be bound across forms.

The Guts

The DataGrid, DataCombo and the DataDropdown are the mainstay of this package.  They provide bound and unbound usage with the database, virtual memory use, > 64K of data and numerous other properties not found in their VB counterparts.  The DataGrid alone is worth the cost of the package.

Supporting Widgets

The DataOption is another widget in the package that provides bound option buttons based on a set of values.  DataCommand, a bound 3D command button helps with often performed database actions.  An enhanced version of the data control in VB is included with the package to add more versatility to the package.


Designer Widgets
Designer Widgets™	$89

Adds Graphic Pizzaz to Visual Basic Programs	Retail Price	$129

From Sheridan Software Systems	Product# SS04 	2 lbs.

Provides an index tab control to mimic the folder metaphor

Provides modifications of graphic elements of forms

Creates customizable, floating toolbars

Leave the Easy Stuff to Me!

Visual Basic is a lot of things, but it's not easy to work with when you need to create graphic elements that are appearing in today's commercial software.  Sheridan Software fills the gap with Designer Widgets, an indispensable tool for the VB Developer. The latest software has made toolbars universal.  Designer Widgets can help you create multiple, floating toolbars with customizable push or toggle buttons.  Each button can have balloon help (like Word's tooltips).  A Toolset editor even eases the editing process of the buttons.

Fab Index Tabs

Yet another graphic element popularized by Microsoft, index tabs, are also included with Designer Widgets.  This VBX provides you with a way to include multiple index tabs in your application with flexible alignment, size, and colors.  Each tab is a separate container of controls that can be individually enabled or disabled and made visible or invisible. Get your copy today!


Sign-On Verify
Sign-On Verify	$334

Absolutely Accurate Signature Verification for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$395

From Sign-On Systems, Inc.	Product# SO01	2 lbs.
Need Handwriter for Windows?

Secure data with signature verification.Completely language independent for international applications

Adjust the verification threshold

Allows for dynamic updating of signature templates

The Pen Is Mightier

For thousands of years humans have used signatures as a source of unique personal identification.  But then pen and paper went out the window, replaced by the computer and awkward passwords or Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).

I Forgot my Password!

The problem with PINs is they are too easy to lose or forget.  Also, these numbers can be stolen very easily. A recent client told me of how they gave a clerk a new password and within the day, that password was being used on the other side of the country to gain access to a system because it was a lot easier that way! This can be a big problem for applications that require secured limited access or some type of authorized verification, such as project approval.

A much better solution is to require a user's signature to verify their identity. The easiest way to incorporate such functionality into your VB apps is with Sign-On Verify. This control will compare a signature entered by a user to a database of previous samples of the user's signature, and indicate whether the signature is authentic, a forgery, or too ambiguous to determine.

Give Us Your John Hancock!

Sign-On Verify works by collecting six signature samples from the user.  These are stored in a database where they can be referenced when a signature needs to be verified.

If you like, you can even have the signature updated with newly accepted signatures, to account for the fact that one's signature may change slightly over time.

Close, but No Cigar

By setting the verification threshold level, you control how closely a new signature must match for verification.  The higher the security requirement, the more strict the threshold can be set (but of course the stricter the threshold, the more exact the signature must match).

Parlez-Vous Whatever!

One great aspect of Sign-On Verify is that it is completely language independent. Because it analyzes the dynamics of a signature rather than recognizing actual characters, it doesn't really matter if the signature consists of letters or is just an abstract symbol. Sign-On Verify can even identify Japanese!

How Do Dey Do Dat?

Years of research went into developing the signature recognition algorithms used by Sign-On Verify.  There is just no way that most organizations would be able to independently develop such functionality.  But with the power of Visual Basic and component-based application development, signature verification can be added to your application just about as easily as adding a text box!

Other Considerations?

But of course with most advanced technology, be aware you will have to pay a modest runtime licensing fee for distributing Sign-On Verify with your applications.

In order to use signature verification in your application you are going to have to purchase additional hardware and the Windows Pen Extensions anyway.  You can get Handwriter for Windows, the complete input system, from VBxtras. (call for more info!)

For those apps that need the absolute security of signature verification, Sign-On Verify just can't be beat!


Need Handwriter for Windows™, the complete input system? No problem.

(Handwriter) VBxtras Price	$289

Product# SO02	6lbs.


Controls for Btrieve
Controls for Btrieve	$198

The Btrieve Access Method for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$249

From Smithware, Inc.	Product# SM01 	3 lbs.
Need the Btrieve Client Engine?

Easy-to-use bound controls for Btrieve database access

Functions to directly access the Btrieve API for blinding performance

What's Btrieve?

Btrieve is the indexed record manager at the heart of Novell's client/server database solution; the NetWare SQL. Among serious developers, Btrieve has been the database manager for over ten years.

I've Already Got Jet...

Has Jet's integrity been tested for more than a decade? How about that multi-megabyte Access Jet engine? It's something to consider if you distribute applications on diskette.

Want to create an app that can run either client/server or stand-alone? Use Btrieve alone or in conjunction with the Btrieve NLM to create true client/server applications; without changing a line of code.

How About Speed and Data Integrity?

Consider that 7 of 11 LAN-based accounting packages reviewed in the Oct. 26th, 1993 issue of PC Magazine, and all 3 of the editor's choices use Btrieve. Performance is certainly an issue with accounting systems, and I can't think of anything that requires data integrity more than enterprise-wide accounting, can you?

Enter SMITHWARE

SMITHWARE, INC., a company built on providing Btrieve solutions, introduced Controls for Btrieve (or Controls for short), a Btrieve support for Visual Basic developers.

Why Not ODBC?

Sure you can access Btrieve files using ODBC, but everyone knows that ODBC is as slow as molasses on a January morning. If you want real-time access to Btrieve-based accounting or software databases, chances are ODBC simply won't support their proprietary data formats. Controls will. Worse yet, try to move to the end of a Btrieve file with ODBC.  This is not for the faint of heart! Go bottom requires you to skip through every remaining record in the file. Yeech!

No-Code Apps

With the ten custom controls provided, you can create true no-code applications. SMITHWARE'S excellent tutorial shows you just how easy it is. The controls include standard user interface components that are bound directly to the data source: text, list, combo, picture, and check boxes, scroll bars, and command and option buttons. They will even bind to other third-party VBX text controls.

Fine Tune & Optimize

Although the controls are likely all you will ever need, Controls provides direct access to the Btrieve API for total control and amazing performance so that any data access that absolutely must be optimized can be. Controls even supports the special field types of databases from MagicPC, Turbo Pascal, and TAS Accounting.

Under Construction...

DDFs, or Data Dictionary Files, are special Btrieve tables that provide a standard way to implement relational databases with Btrieve. To create and maintain these files, SMITHWARE provides DDF Builder for Windows, an application that allows you to create and maintain Btrieve DDFs and tables.

What's that I Smell?

What if you have a set of Btrieve files, but don't have any DDF files for these files as if common when trying to access data for a proprietary application. SMITHWARE provides another program, sold separately, called DDF Sniffer that will help you to create DDF files given a collection of Btrieve data files.

They'll Throw the Book at You

Did I mention the truly excellent documentation in controls for Btrieve? Beside the customary tutorial and reference, they include an Advanced Programming Topics section that is one of the best I've seen. It covers esoteric issues that could save you days of experimentation.

Btrieve Client Engine for WindowsTM

Although Controls comes with the Btrieve for Windows engine, you will need to purchase the Btrieve Client Engine for Windows in order to distribute the Btrieve DLL with your apps.

If your users are running NetWare and want to use the Btrieve NLM included with NetWare, or if your users have the Btrieve DLL from other software, such as an accounting package, you can purchase it directly from VBxtras. If you build database applications with Visual Basic, now is the time to order SMITHWARE Controls for Btrieve!


Need the Btrieve Client Engine for Windows? No problem. (You will need to purchase it in order to distribute the Btrieve DLL with your apps.)

Btrieve Client Engine	$704

Retail Price	$995

Product# BT01	4 lbs.


Chart FX
Chart FX™	$338

The Powerful and Flexible Charting Custom Control!	Retail Price	$399

From Software FX, Inc. 	Product# SF01 	3 lbs.

User-configurable charts & graphs

More than 18 chart types

Includes DLL-based model that can be used with other languages

Events to handle user clicks on chart elements

Power to the People!

Adding charts and graphs is a great way to spice up and add value to your application.  When you add built-in charts, you save your users the hassle of having to fire up another program such as Excel to graph their data.
As you know, Visual Basic Professional makes this pretty easy, right out of the box.  Add the graph VBX to your project, drag the control, set a few properties, and you've got a working chart.

Problem is, the chart you provide may not be the chart that your user really wants. Instead, you can use Chart FX. The beauty of Chart FX is the way it opens itself up to the end-user.

Instant Toolbars

Before I got Chart FX, I had an app that used a chart or two.  Sure, it was easy enough -  I dragged a Chart object into one of my forms, grabbed the example out of the help file, and had a 3D pie in a half hour.  But when I was ready to ship, the marketing department wanted much more pizzazz than I had first incorporated. Then I got Chart FX and with this one simple VBX, I tripled the pizzazz value of my app by givin' em a chart with toolbars!  Instead of simply displaying the chart, the user is now able to print, save to disk, change colors, select chart types, configure legends, and rotate.

All that I needed to do to add this flexibility was to replace the standard VB Pro graph control and make a few code changes.  Aside from the one line of code to OpenData (which I stole from one of the seven example apps), the translation from the VB Pro syntax to the Chart FX is nearly one-to-one.  And the result is amazing; I suddenly have a fully user-customizable fancy 3D chart piece in my app.

Chart FX provides a great choice of chart types, including 3D ribbons and Spline charts.  And the built-in runtime balloon helps too.

So You're a Control Freak You Say?

Yeah, it was a good idea to open up the graph so my users can customize things.  But there are some things I don't want them to do, changing the data being one of them.  Chart FX has a data editor on the toolbar that presents a grid to the user, in which they can change the values that make up the chart.  In my case, I don't want them to mess with the data.  No problem.  At design time, I can turn off any of the toolbar buttons, with a simple dialog box off the properties box.  And not only are they then not functional, they don't even show up!  No grayed-out mystery buttons to provoke calls to your support line.

It's All in Your Perspective

One of the really slick pieces of code in this VBX is the gadget Chart FX uses to change the charting perspective.  It's hard to describe, but they display a  window with a 3D picture of two intersecting plates, each with a marble on the edge.  You use the mouse to drag the marbles around, and get a instant sketch of the new point-of-view.  Much easier to use than the Excel way of dragging the corner handles around. Your users will think you are really clever to include such a nice piece of work.

Speedy Gonzoles!

With all the emphasis on end-user customizability, do you loose anything in terms of pure graph performance? Not at all; this VBX is fast.  The graphs paint snappy and clean. And the best part just may be that your users may never know that it was so easy... It doesn't get much better than Chart FX!


Versions™/VB
Versions™/VB	$79

Integrated Version Control for Visual Basic 	Retail Price	$99

From StarBase Corporation	Product# SB01	3 lbs.

Integrates seamlessly into Visual Basic's Project Window

Fully customizable version history and project reporting

Works on or off a network for fast check-in and check-out of project files

Side-by-side or top-and-bottom comparison of text files

Worry Wart?

Version control is one of those things that most of us never think about until it's too late.  Kind of like the way most new users only learn about backups after they've just lost a major quantity of work.

So who needs version control? Well, consider this...

But It Worked Fine During Testing...

Let's say you just released version 2.01B of your killer app.  Now you can just sit back and wait for the money to roll in!  But then you start getting those dreaded calls from your users  something isn't working right.  Of course, you can't understand it  everything worked fine in testing.  So you roll up your sleeves and start in debugging...

So, You Have a Photographic Memory?

But where do you start?  You know it has to be something that you changed since version 2.01A.  All you have to do is look at the code sections that have changed.

But unless you have a photographic memory, how do you know what's changed?  Well, that's why you need version control!

All I Need is a Photograph!

Using version control is sort of like taking snapshots of your project.  Then, when that unexpected bug crops up you can scan that old snapshot and spot the changes.

Of course, in all but the simplest programs, that can still be like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack.

You'd Think it was Part of VB!

With Versions/VB, the chore of version control has become a lot easier.  It attaches a toolbar and menus to the Project Window in the VB environment.

Functions for file logging and change control are right at your fingertips. Versions/VB is totally integrated into Visual Basic.

One For All and All For One!

Versions/VB is the ideal tool for managing your projects whether you program alone or in a team environment, on or off a network.  It allows you to easily maintain differing versions of your files for historical purposes as your project progresses.

You can save all versions of your project files, even .FRM/.FRX pairs, .VBX's and 'DLL's.  Also included is the Visual Diff tool, which displays two versions of a file side by side and automatically pinpoints the differences for you.

Two's A Crowd!

If you program in a team environment, version control is a necessity.  Why?  In VB, the interrelationships between forms and modules are somewhat nebulous.

Disaster can result if two programmers make differing changes to the same code simultaneously.  Versions/VB gives you the security of locking code modules, ensuring that you don't step on each other's changes. And Versions/VB's milestone functionality allows you to retrieve consistent snapshots of your project files whenever you want.

And by storing milestone versions, you can effectively lock a file from changes permanently.

Like A Version...

(Apologies to Madonna)... but although version control may not be sexy, it can be easy.

You owe it to yourself to start practicing safe programming with Versions/VB today.


M.4
M.4 VB	$179

The Expert System Custom Control VBX for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$199

From Teknowledge Corporation	Product# CT02	4 lbs.
Need the complete M.4?

High-end expert system capability in a VBX custom control

Object-oriented development language

Complete sample knowledge bases

What Good are They ?

Sure you're familiar with typical transaction based programs like order entry systems; these are the most common types of use for computers in business. But is that all that a computer is good for?

Decisions, Decisions

Aren't there many other ways in which you can use the power of the computer? Why can't you use the computer to make decisions? Sure your programs may already make decisions like Should this customer be charged tax or not? and What is the shipping rate to charge for a 7 lb. package that must be delivered overnight? But these decisions are really just the function of some set of parameters. What about decisions like What is the probable cause of a computer malfunction? or When will a truck need it's next maintenance in order to minimize downtime?

An Expert Can Decide

To make decisions of these types, you really need the help of an expert. Experts determine answers to questions using their expertise. So, get an Expert to write your program, right? Not! Experts in other fields are not expert software developers; you and I are!  What we need instead is to harness that expert's expertise within our programs. That's what M.4 VB is for.

Yes Virginia, there is...

...a true Expert System for Visual Basic. An Expert System uses the knowledge that an expert uses to analyze, plan, design, select or diagnose. This knowledge becomes a set of rules that make up a knowledge base. Your app can then solve problems when the expert is not around! M.4 VB is the expert system custom control that let's you use expertise from a knowledge base that you or others create and then incorporate it into your Visual Basic applications. And M.4 was designed to be used quickly and effectively by someone with no prior experience in knowledge system technology.

I chose M.4 VB because I wanted to use a knowledge base to help pick winning stocks in the stock market. Teknowledge Corporation made it easy for me because they provided a complete sample Visual Basic app with full source code.

An Abundance of Capabilities

For those who know Expert Systems, M.4 VB gives you all the different types of knowledge representation you could ask for: backward chaining, forward chaining, pattern matching variables, and symbolic list processing. You also get recursion, iteration, certainty factors, facts & rules, value checking and explanation.

OOP's, I Almost Forgot

For you forward looking developers, the M.4 language supports true Object Oriented Programming. That's right, we're talking about classes, multiple inheritance, methods, and message-passing.  The M.4 VB's language is easy to understand and very easy to use! Also, those who've used Prolog will certainly feel at home with how M.4 VB handles variables, anonymous variables, and list structures.

And for the Big Guns...

If M.4 VB is not enough for you, there is also the complete M.4 package which contains not only the components of M.4 VB but also the complete M.4 for Windows and for DOS, support for Visual C++ and ToolBook, a DDE Server w/source, the VBX source, a 500 page user's guide (found in the help file with M.4 VB), and more!


Need the complete M.4, which contains not only the components of M.4 VB but also the complete M.4 for Windows and for DOS, support for Visual C++ and ToolBook, a DDE Server w/source, the VBX source, a 500 page user's guide (found in the help file with M.4 VB), and more!? No problem.

Complete M.4	$495

Retail Price	$995

Product# CT01	4 lbs.


VB HelpWriter
VB HelpWriter™	$89

A Slick Help Authoring Tool for Visual Basic 3.0	Retail Price	$99

From TeleTech Systems	Product# TS01 	1 lb.

Automatic helpfile generator reads VB project files and creates help topics for each form

Import / Export to RTF file formats

Complete drag and drop operations

Does not require Microsoft Word

Now includes spell checking

Does this Sound Familiar?

I recently worked with a small development company with limited resources. They had a wonderful product idea and then fortunately found that it was indeed saleable! Their lead programmer spent eight  months developing the product, and the company spent several thousand dollars for a technical writer to produce the manual and help file.

After all that money (and review time) the help system was even pretty close to what they wanted.  That's when reality struck.

The Good News is...

As the company started marketing the product to customers, wouldn't you know that the customers wanted new features or slight changes to the existing product!  The code changes and additions were the easy part.  The bad news was that those darn customers wanted a help system and documentation that actually matched the function of the code.

The choices were to either spend lots more money and time with a technical writer or look for a tool.  The choice was easy given the options!  They chose a great new product called VB HelpWriter!  Let me tell you more...

TeleTech Systems Saves the Day

In my long and partially tarnished career in the data processing industry, only twice have I been able to go from box to solution in under thirty minutes.  The first time was when I bought a new mouse.  VB HelpWriter was the second.

Manuals are for Wimps!

Sure! Anybody can open a manual, spend several months learning a system and then make it do something.  I didn't crack the manual until after I had a working help system.  Here is how it went:

1.	Open the box and install the 	software.

2.	Tell it which .MAK file to use.

3.	Press the Autogenerate button.

4.	Press the Test button to see a 	real live Windows Help system.

OK! OK! So There's More...

Sure, the help system still needed my linguistic wizardry, but I had a working system in no time at all!  I then went on to add some more fanciness. Using the built in word processor, I added some text, pressed the Create hypertext button and made it jump, took some bitmaps of the product screen and added hot spots, and then pressed the test button again.

My last step was to export an RTF file for the manual. I now had a compiled help file, Error log, Jump Report and a manual with very little effort.

Wrap it up and Ship it out

The true test of a product is would you buy another copy?  Without hesitation I answer that question with a resounding YES!  I may even open the manual sometime!

At this great VBxtras price, how can you lose?


ProMath/VB
ProMath/VB™	$115

Professional Mathematics Library	Retail Price	$149

From TeraTech, Inc.	Product# TT04 	4 lbs.

Easily add statistical functionality to your application

Save yourself the time (and money) required to write your own mathematical procedures

Quick Basic and Power Basic version included free

I Don't Need This . . .

So, you were going to skip this review because YOU don't need math functions in your application.  Before you turn that page, think about how you could use math in your applications.

Does your program collect data?  Would it be helpful to track system performance and make predictions based upon it? Would your users like the ability to do some statistical analysis on the data they are working with?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then ProMath/VB is for you.

What can it do? How about roots, complex numbers, graphing, statistics, matrices, linear equations, Eigenvalues, integration, real and complex FFT's, differential equations, regression, and curve functions! With over 200 functions available, your math problem is probably already solved with ProMath/VB!

O.K. O.K. I'll Read More

ProMath/VB is a set of mathematical functions, subroutines, and utilities written in BASIC.  The code is compatible with Visual Basic for Windows as well as other versions of BASIC.

The code is divided into 22 BAS modules, each one containing a different type of mathematical procedure.  It also ships with a sample VB project which uses many of the ProMath/VB routines.

Wow...It Must Be Really Complex

To gain access to ProMath/VB's functionality is simple! First, run the install program which decompresses the program files to a subdirectory you specify.

Next, open up your VB program and add the module GLOBAL.BAS to the project.  This file contains all the structures and constants necessary for using ProMath/VB.  Next, add any other modules whose functionality you need. The documentation contains all the information required to determine which module file is necessary for the functionality you need.

TeraTech also recommends you add the statements DefDbl A-H, O-Z and DefInt I-N to the general declarations of all forms that will be using ProMath/VB's routines. That's it!  You can now follow the simple examples in the manual that show you how to use the functions, subroutines, and constants included.

Well...What About Support?

If you do have any problems using ProMath/VB, TeraTech provides great documentation. The package comes with a 300-page manual which is very readable and contains good descriptions and examples for every procedure and constant provided in the package.

For support, TeraTech offers a technical support line, a customer support line (for nontechnical questions), and a 24 hour BBS.  The BBS not only offers a method of getting questions answered, but also allows you to interact with other ProMath/VB users and get info on new mathematical functions, bug fixes, and routines modified for unique purposes.

Finally, TeraTech also provides a custom math programming service.

Believe Me... It All Adds Up!

If you're already writing applications that require mathematical functionality, you can see the advantage of ProMath/VB.

Save yourself the time (and money) you would need to write mathematical functions yourself and give ProMath a try.

What the heck, at this VBxtras low price, you can't go wrong! Get your copy today.


Dazzle/VB™ Pro
Dazzle/VB™ Pro	$388

Tools to Add Visual Impact	Retail Price (Pro)	$499

From TeraTech, Inc.	Product#TT02 	3 lbs.

Manipulate bitmapped graphic files

Add special effects to give your application that professional look and feel

Jazz It Up!

Dazzle/VB is a combination of  DLLs, BASIC routines, and a custom control that give Visual Basic the capability to deal with full color pictures and to add special effects. Included are tools to zoom, wipe, fade, stretch, pan, and adjust colors.

Picture This

Using the Picture control that comes with Dazzle/VB, you can manipulate BMP and DIB graphic files like never before.  You can enhance the red, green, or blue tones in a picture, or enhance the intensity of the entire picture. The Picture control also allows you to easily zoom into a part of a graphic.

Wipe Out

Dazzle/VB also provides tools to do a variety of wipes and fades with your graphic files.  This allows you to give your application a professional look.  Included are routines to wipe and unroll from multiple directions, as well as routines to explode and fade.

Str-e-t-ch and Move

Using Dazzle/VB, you can also take parts of graphic files and stretch or squeeze them into other images!  Sure beats learning API calls!

Call today to get Dazzle/VB!


VBlite
VBlite	$119

VB Telecom, B-tree, Printer and Array Management Library	Retail Price	$149

From TeraTech, Inc.	Product# TT08	3 lbs.

A set of DLLs for array handing and sorting

Routines for printer control and print job management of text and graphics

Routines for incorporating serial communications

Why VBlite if I have VBPro?

VBlite is NOT a light edition of VB - in fact it adds valuable tools to the VB professional's library.  This library  is a set of routines designed to add otherwise unavailable functionality to VB. Printing is a pain in VB and VBlite heals.  It made my job of changing page orientation, and making print job configuration changes easy. Plus, I could print bitmaps, graphic shapes and fonts anywhere on the page.

Be Tree?

B-tree is a tree with many nodes.  It provides for the indexing of a large data file for easier and quicker information search and retrieval.  The functions in the library allow for creation, addition, deletion, and resource management of the tree.  I find VBlite useful in providing a help desk with a large knowledge base of questions and answers by indexing the data files into a B-tree for fast future searches.

Array of Hope

When working with arrays of various types, I sometimes like to add a value across or down, rotate rows and columns, find min/max values, sort and sum them to create grouped reports or just to update record sets.  This portion of the library provides these and other functions to make the job of array management easier through one call rather than several subs worth of code.

Don't be Incommunicado!

VBlite comes with a DLL that eased my job of including a dialer with one of my recent apps.  It provided me with routines for port management and error correction while still leaving me with routines for transmitting and receiving data; with routines for flow control and CRC implementation at hand.


FinLib/VB
FinLib/VB™	$124

Financial Functions & Subroutines	Retail Price	$149

From TeraTech, Inc.	Product# TT03	2 lbs.

65 financial functions

Contains source code and formulae for you to learn and customize

Functions for both beginning programmers and the financial wizards

Quick Basic and Power Basic version included free

Simple Simon!

The idea behind FinLib is to take the drudgery of working with numbers out of the fun process called programming.  TeraTech has thrown in a great compilation of functions to make everything from  calculating simple interest to bond calculations easy.

America's Most Wanted

Procedures for even the simplest interest calculations can slow  programming down.  Add to that the drudgery of having to convert between simple, discounted and compound interest rates and the program gets hairy real quick.

Where's the Meat?

FinLib tops off this financial function pack with functions used in capital budgeting, type calculations such as net present value, and a profitability index. Included with FinLib are functions to carry out bond calculations such as price on anniversary, Bill Rate and price and others.  As an added bonus, FinLib adds a few functions the spreadsheet users would find useful such as future and present values of annuities, future and present values of annuities due, and various others such as IRR and NPV for use with your cash flows.


SpellCheck/VB
SpellCheck/VB™	$44

A 70,000 Word Spell Checker	Retail Price	$49

From TeraTech, Inc.	Product# TT05 	1 lb.

70,000 words are provided, can grow up to one million

Low memory requirements

List of possible corrections, if the word is not found in the dictionary

Works with several Basic compilers like VB/Win, VB/DOS QBasic, Power Basic, etc.

Are you writing for Mr. Quayle?

Spell checking need not belong only to serious writers with serious word processing programs. With SpellCheck/VB, you can provide this really neat spell check feature in your mail programs, language/ vocabulary based teaching programs and games, your printing utilities, simple editors, and the list goes on. Even if you don't do any of the above, you can spellcheck the memo fields in your database programs.

Well, memory requirements...

SpellCheck/VB requires approximately 5-6K of memory to run. If you don't intend to add any words to the dictionary, you may safely run with only 2K of memory to hold temporary strings.

Potato or Potatoe?

SpellCheck/VB is a welcome addition for all of us. It even provides a list of possible corrections if a particular word is not found in its dictionary. With such an impressive product, why not provide this feature in all your programs?


QuickLine/VB
QuickLine/VB™	$446

Voice Programming Library 	Retail Price	$495

From TeraTech, Inc.	Product# TT07	2 lbs.

A library to integrate voice based response in VB Programs

Can be used to setup a multi-line IVR for applications like account info

Why a Voice Library

QuickLine/VB is a library that helps you create interactive Voice Response programs.  These programs can be used to disseminate account information, schedules, dating services, wake up systems or create a voice mail rental solution. QuickLine/VB works with TTJ and Dialogic multi-line voice cards.

Speak to Me!

QuickLine/VB is a library of functions that record and play messages, dial phone numbers and accept touch tone input from telephones.  It can initialize and maintain lines separately or together.

Response Management

A voice activated system has to be able to handle several kinds of errors and QuickLine/VB provides the tools to check line status, to select and monitor the lines, and abnormal call terminations.  QuickLine/VB is a great tool if IVRs are your programming ball of wax!


VSView
VSView	$95

Printing Problems? Don't Call 911...Get VSView!	Retail Price	$99

From VideoSoft	Product# VS02	2 lbs.

Customize your forms and controls in seconds

Print (multi-column) text, graphics and complex objects

Use valuable screen real estate more efficiently with virtual scrollable areas

Get easy access to the Clipboard and the File Manager drag/drop interface

Oh, No!

All Visual Basic programmers have hit it at least once: the massive brick wall around the output capabilities of their until-that-time favorite development tool.  From one moment to another, the task that seemed so easy now looks like the beginning of a day-long expedition into the dark and cold universe of the Windows API.

Don't Worry, be Happy...

Don't worry,  there's hope. Videosoft's new VSView contains four separate custom controls in one .VBX file, and offers almost complete control over the appearance of both screen and printer output. Just by setting a few properties you can make your programs look like anything you want.

Chicago, Here We Come ...

Want to give your application that snazzy 32-bit 'Windows 95 look' right now, without learning more about subclassing than you'll probably want to know? Just drop a VSinform control onto your form, assign a few bitmaps (supplied with the VSView example program) to the right and left picture properties, tweak the title bar and frame settings a bit, and you're ready to go! But VSinform offers more than just pretty looks; it also gives you access to vital system statistics such as free memory.  In addition, it also allows your form to act as a drop target for files from the File Manager. Almost no coding required!

Looking Good on Paper

Creating anything more complex than the most basic (and drab!) output used to cost days using the Visual Basic printer object. VSView's VSprinter control lets you have multiple columns, tables, graphics and complex text, complete with a zoomable print preview, in minutes! And unlike VB, VSprinter handles paragraph-based output without a hitch, simplifying text formatting so much you'll have trouble believing it at first.

Bored with the Clipboard?

Another area in which VSView really shines is working with the clipboard. If you ever tried to transfer anything other than plain text or images from your VB app, you know how difficult and frustrating it is. With VSView's VSdraw control, anything you can draw (and there's not much you can't!) can be copied to the clipboard with one short line of code. Also, VSView offers an easy way to monitor changes to the clipboard data, allowing you to update your view of it, so to speak.

When Less is More

More often than not, a standard 14 VGA screen is just too small to get any real work done. The VSviewport control is the ideal alternative to telling your customers to get a 21 tube. It's a container for all types of controls, allowing you to create a viewport onto 'the big picture'.

The Bottom Line

VSView is a rock-solid collection of controls that is guaranteed to save you a lot of time. Whether you just use it to create fancy windows, rotated text and scrolling pictures, or base your entire output model on it, VSView will impress you with its ease of use and breadth of features.

If there's anything you're going to regret about adding VSview to your toolset, it's that you did not do so a long time ago! So, why wait? Order VSView today!


VSVBX
VSVBX	$44

Must-Have Custom Controls

From VideoSoft	Product# VS01 	1 lb.

Feature-rich Tab control

Container control automatically resizes contents

Super-powerful AWK text file 	processing control

The Tabbed Metaphor

Each time a vendor, particularly a major one, implements a new look or feature, we want to mimic them.  VideoSoft of Berkeley, California knows this.  They definitely know cool.  Not just when they see it, but when they sell it!  Just look at The VideoSoft Custom Control Library (VSVBX).  It includes two truly unique controls, VS/Awk and Elastic, and one that is the leader in its category, IndexTab.

You Want Them Where?

Tab controls have been around for a while, and the market is starting to fill.  What sets VSVBX's IndexTab apart?  For one thing, they've been on the market longer than anyone else. Their control has been in use, shaken down, and it's had the kinks worked out.  They've led the way in features and functions, and with their latest release, continue to set the standard. There are a variety of different tab styles, each of which can be 2D or 3D. You can set the foreground color, the background color, the colors for the tabs that are inactive versus the one that's active.  And, not to be overlooked, you can set this little beauty to have one row or multiple rows of tabs.

What's this Elastic and AWK?

Let me tell you about the Elastic control.  It allows you to place a bunch of controls inside and then automatically resize them at runtime!  Yup, you put this baby on a form or inside a container control, set its properties, and it stretches and shrinks stuff!

AWK is a string processing utility.  The VideoSoft version provides many of the features that its sister the UNIX AWK utility is famous for: VideoSoft's AWK control also does nifty things like stripping quotes from fields, and contains a sophisticated expression evaluator! You can't do better for functionality, features, or price in a single package.  You'll wonder how you ever survived without it.


CodeBook
CodeBook	$44

The Fastest Way to Work with Visual Basic

From VideoSoft	Product# VS03	2 lbs.

Essential tools integrate into the Visual Basic Environment

Instant access to subroutines, functions and often used code fragments

Add VBXs, forms and modules to your project with a single click

Clipboard monitor keeps text and bitmaps readily available

Recycle for Fun and Profit

One of the great benefits of Visual Basic is the ability to reuse code.  In theory, instead of writing a new routine to center a form for every new project, I can write it once and add it to my projects.  Now, if I could just remember where I put that routine...

Hide and Go Seek?

I used to waste a lot of time trying to find my old code.  Sure, I built some generic .BAS modules for my common routines, but that just cluttered up my projects with unused routines.  Then I discovered CodeBook from VideoSoft.

Don't ReadMe.First!

No, it's not the kind of book that you read.  CodeBook is a toolbar that becomes part of your VB environment to make you more productive.  Now, at the click of the Code Librarian button, I can instantly add my favorite Subs, Functions and API declarations to my project.

I Hate to Tupe Type

How many times have you typed For ... Next loops, Select Case statements or InputBox routines? (Why do you think they call them Routines?) I hate typing the same old code over and over again.  With Code Typist, I'm just a click away from routines, templates and code snippets.  Plus, I don't make any tupos typos!

Environmental Impact

VB is a great environment, but I constantly find myself going out to the Program Manager or File Manager for one thing or another.  CodeBook gives me instant access to project files, VBXs, and Help files.  It even lets me launch my favorite tools and programs without leaving the VB environment.  With all that plus a clipboard monitor, handle list, spy mode and more, CodeBook truly is the fastest way to work with Visual Basic.


Formula One™/VB
Formula One™/VB	$219

The Excel 4.0 Compatible, Data Aware, Spreadsheet Control	Retail Price	$249

From Visual Tools	Product# VT02 	2 lbs.

Excel 4.0 compatibility makes it easy to share information with many major Windows Applications

Table-based and BLOB worksheet storage provide many database options.

Excellent manual, help file, and learning tools get you up to speed quickly.

Start Your Engines...

When you start a new VB project, it sometimes feels like you're beginning a race.  As you begin, you search for the proper engine for your app to run on, much like an Indy car team wants the right engine for their race.  Visual Tools' Formula One / VBX is an impressive engine to put under the hood of your app.

Driver Training...

Even if a vehicle is powerful, it doesn't matter if you can't control it.  Formula One makes it easy to get up to speed.  The manual is detailed, but it's easy to understand.  The help file, one of the best found in any VB add-on, will give you an extra productivity boost and shorten the learning curve.  To top it all off, there are several example programs that not only teach Formula One, but also some VB tricks and tips that many programmers would like to know.

Into High Gear...

Have you ever had a client say, We have some of what we want in a spreadsheet, so we would like you to use it as a starting line for your program.  Did you think it was time to hit the brakes on your timeline as you had to relearn all those intricate spreadsheet commands that you've forgotten.  Formula One's Excel 4.0 compatibility makes it easy for you to read this data into your app and to move forward without a yellow flag.  Also, you have Excel-style custom formatting available to you as well.  This means that you have virtually unlimited formatting options when it comes to customizing this portion of your program.

Eyes on the Road...

Another favorite request of clients is to have multiple grids coordinate with each other or to be able to view data in different ways with a click of a button.   For example, if a client wanted to click a button to switch between sales figures for different regions, or if they wanted to view data weekly, monthly, or quarterly, Formula One makes it easy to provide this functionality for them. The Worksheet Designer, callable at runtime or design time, gives you a heads-up way to setup the formats and designs that your project calls for.  This method lets you keep your eye on the project finish line and not get bogged down in details.

Revving Up Data Access

In addition to the industry standard bound-to-a-table mode, Formula One also offers binary large object (BLOB) support.  In this mode, a complete worksheet can be saved in one field of a database as a binary object.  Suppose you were working on a sophisticated business modeling program.  Imagine being able to save the models in the database in one easy update instead of a complex series of multiple tables.   Imagine the praise you'll get when you cross the project finish line ahead of time with a faster program

Under the Hood...

Formula One has 125 built in functions from ABS to YEAR.  And, if this isn't enough, you can add your own custom functions (by creating a DLL).   This will give your program the horsepower it needs to win its race on the I-way.

High performance programs require a high performance engine.  Formula One's engine will get you across the finish line in record time.


Doc-To-Help
Doc-To-Help	$218

Superior Printed and On-Line Document	Retail Price	$295

From WexTech Systems, Inc.	Product# WT01 	2 lbs.

Drag and drop context-sensitive Help creation for VB- no programming required

Develop printed manuals and help files with the same source document

Utilize hypertext jumps, pop-ups, and graphics

It Ain't Over Yet

You've just finished your killer VB app that's going to fund your retirement and it hits you...you still have to create an on-line Help file. Yuck! You dread the days that lie ahead: defining topic hierarchies and hypertext links, creating arcane RTF files, editing, compiling, testing... But, wait! The First Rule of  Successful Programming is: Never Do Any Work You Don't Have To Do! With Doc-To-Help from WexTech Systems, the Old Days of tedious, labor-intensive Help file creation are over!

Point & Click Help

Doc-To-Help's templates and macros turn Word for Windows (version 2.0 and 6.0a) into a full-featured hypertext development system. Simply choose one of the professionally-designed page layouts and create your user manual by typing or importing text into its predefined sections. When you're happy with it, click on Make Into Help, and Doc-To-Help does the rest: the Table of Contents becomes the Help file's Contents screen, subheads are used to create a topic hierarchy, and margin notes become pop-up definitions. Doc-To-Help's powerful indexing utility can create an index for your manual that provides keyword searches in your Help file.  You can also build a glossary of terms which automatically seeds pop-up definitions in the Help file.

Dewey-Decimal for Apps

If your documentation contains cross-references within the text (…see 'Redundancy' on page 33…), Doc-To-Help creates hypertext jumps automatically. Doc-To-Help adds nearly 40 menu items to Word for Windows, and a toolbar in v6.0, so adding tables, graphics, even sound becomes a simple point-and-click operation. And because you are working from one source, your on-line help and printed documents are always in synch.

Regain Control!

Doc-To-Help is completely customizable. With the Format Help Window dialog, you can interactively set the colors, sizes and positions of your Help file's main and secondary windows. Include features like Hypergraphics (bitmaps hot spots that respond to mouse clicks) and Help Watermarks (subtle backgrounds behind Help topics).

Doc-To-Help also contains the Help Navigator which is a collapsible outline view of your Help file's contents. Doc-To-Help's interactive Help macro editor lets you change the Help user interface and execute commands in response to a mouse click, or automatically upon entering the Help topic.

Have your Cake & Eat it Too!

Want your manual and Help file to contain somewhat different information? No problem! Doc-To-Help lets you mark text as Help only or Manual only; no need to maintain separate versionsyou can update both simply by from within Word. When your Help file is complete, the Doc-To-Help Navigator lets you instantly locate the Help topic for every form and control in your application - simply drag and drop!  Linking context sensitive Help into VB has never been this easy!

Retire Early...

Doc-To-Help's excellent 300-page manual includes a step-by-step tutorial that will have you producing sophisticated Help files in minutes. Listen, if you develop in VB, then you simply must develop help as well; anything less is simply not acceptable. Doc-To-Help is a great route to help system development, and you get printed documentation without any additional effort.

With VBxtras' low price, you can't afford not to get it!


VB Compress Pro
VB Compress Pro™	$95

The Absolutely Essential .EXE Compaction Utility for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$99.95

From Whippleware	Product# WW01 	1 lb.

Remove unreferenced and unused constants, declarations, variables, and procedures from your application

Provides complete cross-reference of constants, controls, functions, forms, etc.

Assumption checking capability for pro-active debugging

Because I Said So...

All good developers know that you shouldn't refer to magic numbers in your source code. For instance you shouldn't use 3 when you could use FIXED_DOUBLE, 11 when you can use HOURGLASS, or 6 when you can use V_CURRENCY. Doing so makes apps more readable and maintainable, and is why so many of us include a copy of CONSTANT.TXT and other declaration files in our projects.

The Enlarging App

But try this: open a new project and create an .EXE. 5K right? Then add WIN30API.TXT to your project and recreate the .EXE. A whopping 65K!!! And it can only get worse! Can you spell B.L.O.A.T.?

What to Do?

So what are your choices? Should you use 11 instead of HOURGLASS? You shouldn't do that. Live with the bloat?  Many people do, much to the chagrin of their users. Cut and Paste each declaration as you use it? Can you say slow and inefficient?

Just Say NO to Bloat!

So none of those prior options appeal to you? I don't blame you. You do however have another, much better option. Use VB Compress Pro from Whippleware. This wonderful utility takes the source code for your application and comments out any and all unreferenced declarations and constants from its source files! After VB Compress Pro, we're back to 5K and we didn't have to cut and paste a single line! With VB Compress Pro, you can return to coding your application and forget the irrelevant concerns of application bloat. This is truly an aspect of Visual Basic that Microsoft should have taken care of, but didn't.

Better than a Bean Counter

Want to know how many referenced and unreferenced constants and variables you have? Not just Global, but Module and Form-level as well? How about all unreferenced API and DLL function declarations? How about detailed line counts, as well as cross references for procedures and controls? It's all possible with VB Compress Pro.

Don't Just Assume

If these savings already are not enough to justify adding it to your programming arsenal, the professional version doesn't stop there. It adds features that turn it into a powerful programming tool.

VB Compress Pro provides an assertion checker like the C language ASSERT macro. The assertion checker lets you include debugging statements that will tell you, during program execution, that you have done something wrong! No more tracking down errors only to find out that you made an invalid assumption in your code!  Afterwards, VB Compress Pro will also remove or comment out your assertions automatically!

Check it Out!

VB Compress Pro also allows you to package and maintain your Visual Basic code in libraries, the way you can in other development environments. This can help simplify maintaining your own collection of reusable routines!


Mega Pack
Mega Pack	$89

A Collection of Specialized VBX Custom Controls

From Mabry Software	Product# MB01 	1 lb.

12 custom control solutions in all, each with a unique solution in mind

Designed for ease of use and implementation

No coding or simple coding required for most applications

Source code version is also available

The Purpose

When I first started programming in Visual Basic I likened it to constructing a puzzle; only a bunch of the pieces were missing.  Early on in my quest for these missing pieces, I encountered several custom control solutions developed by Mabry Software.

Defined by their specific design and function, and ease of implementation without extensive coding, I thought to myself Isn't this what the purpose of custom controls should be?

Set Me Off!

So how easy are these custom controls to use?  Take for example the Alarm control.  Need to add time based events to an application?  Simply drop one of these on a form, and set the time you want it to fire its event.  It's that easy.

As a matter of fact an event will fire when the date has changed so that you can set up future events programmatically.  Great for use in the development of a PIM (Personal Information Manger).  Building a time bomb?  It's invisible at run-time, and you never hear it ticking!  (Only kidding, but you get my point?)

A Picture is Worth...

One of the shortcomings of the standard Visual Basic List Box has always been the inability to add bitmapped pictures as list items.  No longer!  The BmpLst custom control allows you to do this with a minimal amount of effort. Simply set the Picture property to a loaded picture object in your code or on your Form.   Can I have text too, you ask?  Sure!  As a matter of fact, you can locate the picture to the left, to the top, to the bottom, and to the right of text of a List Box item.  Want the popular 3D borders not supported by the standard Visual Basic List Box?  They're there!

My I-N-I

Everyone knows about those ubiquitous INI files used by Windows and Windows applications to store their configuration information.  And, most Visual Basic programmers know that you can use Windows' API functions to access them. Yet, the IniCon custom control is still one of the most popular add-ons used for storing and retrieving application configuration information (try saying that three times real fast) in an INI file.  Why?  Because it's easy (what else?) IniCon will read and write information to both private (application) and Windows INI files simply by the setting of a few properties.  'Nuff said?

What's Your Orientation?

RoText!!!  No it's not a college football cheer, but a data bound label custom control that enables you to display (rotate) text (using True Type fonts) at any angle of your choosing.  Did I say it was easy to use?

Is That All?

Nope.  Included in Mega Pack is the custom control MenuEv, that allows you to add status bar information for menu hilight events.  No code required!

The BarCod control facilitates the displaying of bar codes and the DFInfo control provides for easy access of disk and file info.  Percent Meter, Soundex, File Manager Drag 'n Drop, Joystick, and Zipfile Info controls are included as well.

Get it All!

Mega Pack has simple, easy to implement, inexpensive custom control solutions that belong in every Visual Basic programmer's toolbox!


A Message from the President

Welcome Back!

Earlier this year, I released the first issue of VBxtras - The Ultimate Visual Basic Tools Catalog.  That catalog included just over 25 add-on products for use with Visual Basic.  Your response to the premiere issue was overwhelmingly positive!

You told me how much you liked our focus on just VB, so you no longer had to look through those big catalogs full of unrelated products. You liked the products we chose to include, since they were some of the hottest on the market. You also told me that you enjoyed the way we described the VB tools because our product recommendations gave you the information you needed to help you decide what to buy.

You Wanted More!

Yes, you told me that you loved our first issue, but you had to have more.  Being the clever developer that I am, I decided to give you much, much more!  I am pleased to announce the addition of four vendors that you requested over and over: Crescent Software, Visual Tools, Bennet-Tec Information Systems, and FarPoint Technologies.  With these four new vendors come 23 of the coolest products available for Visual Basic including QuickPak Pro, Formula One, AllText HT/Pro, and Spread/VBX.  In this edition of VBxtras, we've added 30 vendors of quality Visual Basic add-ons to our catalog!

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

You also asked to be among the first to hear about newly released VB tools. I am really excited to tell you about several sensational new products from some of the top VB add-on development companies. AJS Publishing, MicroHelp, VideoSoft, Pinnacle Publishing, and StarBase have each released brand new products: VBXpress, VBGraphix, VSView, ToolThings, and Versions/VB respectively.  Be sure to take a look at these great new tools as you browse the catalog!  All in all, we have more than tripled the number of products in this edition of VBxtras!

Bigger is Better

In order to do justice to all of our great products, we increased the catalog page size and added full color!  We now have much more room to give you information on all of your favorite VB tools.  We've also added screen shots and more graphics!

Saving you Moola

Besides increasing our vendor listings, product inventory, and catalog size, I surveyed every other source of Visual Basic add-ons I could find, and I beat everyone on price!* So... price shoppers beware - any price comparisons you make will likely be in vain!

But, in case I missed one, fax me the ad, and I'll beat the price as long as it's not below my cost. (You really wouldn't want me to have to lose money would you?)  Also, I revised the shipping and weight charts which in effect mean lower shipping rates for you on most every product purchase.  In BASIC terms, these changes mean providing optimal service for our customers!

So What Else is New?

Some of the vendors who have developed the products that you see on the pages of VBxtras have lots and lots of VB add-ons.  It just wasn't possible to include product recommendations for all of them!  So we've added a page that provides pricing on additional products from our current vendors. You'll notice the same low prices on these products, so if you need a product from one of our current vendors that isn't described on our catalog pages, just turn to page 76.

We Should be Committed

Without you, we do not exist. Thus, total commitment to customer satisfaction is the number one priority at VBxtras. From pre-sale technical support services to return policies, we are constantly striving for excellence. Please help me by faxing or mailing the survey in this issue or contact me at 800-788-4794 to provide input and/or suggestions.

Give a Mouse a FREE Home!

Order now and with every purchase of $50.00 or more, I'll send you, a free VBxtras mouse pad!  After all, you are a true VBxtra Special Customer to us! And thanks again for choosing VBxtras as your #1 preferred source for Visual Basic add-on products.

Sincerely,

Mike Schinkel
President

P.S.

Be sure to see my special bundles on pages 4 and 5!

*Except for those really special deals made by the vendor that we cannot be a part of.


ROCKET
ROCKET (formerly SixBase/VB Pro)	$199

The Fastest Database Access Available for Visual Basic™...	Retail Price 	$249
and it's xBase Compatible Too!

From SuccessWare	Product#SW04 	1 lb.

 Super-fast database access.Query builder creates complex queries

Supports dBase/FoxPro/Clipper files

Provided with database tool

More than Even COBOL...

How many DOS-xBase applications are out there today? Better yet how many will need to be converted to Windows? Let me tell you, TONS!  I had a project to convert parts of an existing Clipper application to Windows. The powers that be did not want to convert the whole application at once because they felt it to be too big of a project. But Visual Basic 3.0 supports xBase file formats, right? NOT!

A Tower of Babel

The problem is that VB supports xBase data file formats, but not Clipper index files. Worse yet Visual Basic does not support Clipper's record locking on a Network. This is not good! Similar problems exist for people porting dBase III, IV and FoxPro applications. So I did some research and found a product called ROCKET by SuccessWare.

It Was Love at First Byte

I knew SuccessWare has been very successful (no pun intended..., well maybe) in the Clipper Replaceable Database Driver market. The forums on Compuserve are full of praise for SuccessWare, so I thought I would give it a try. My reason to try it was solely for the Clipper and Foxpro compatible file locks.

Turbo xBase!

I thought I was only getting a database control in ROCKET. I was wrong. It's also got a high performance turbo charged database engine, a huge selection of add-on functions, a browse control, a query builder, BLOB and Bitmap support, and the Visual Navigator.

Browse for You xBasers

The grid control in VB is nice but you've not seen anything like the grid in ROCKET. It allows you to select the columns to display, the record to view, the index to use, and it also allows in place editing with both pre- and post- data validation! Freeze columns, choose colors, adjust column size, etc.. you get the idea, this is way powerful!

The Ties that Bind

Just by specifying field name and dbf property you can bind to a database. This is a masked control. You can specify the fields being entered to be numeric or letter. Pre and Post validation is also included.

But,... I Don't Want Any of That!

I they are like my users, yours want to filter the data their way, and ever one of them wants it different; that is where the interactive query comes in. With it, your users can build a complex query string and pass it on to the ROCKET engine for fast filtering.

GO TOP, SKIP, COMMIT!

Besides the obvious benefits of the controls and the xBase compatibility, it gets better because functions mimic the xBase language which make sense and are very easy to use. Like sx_AppendBlank(), sx_CloseAll(), sx_GoBottom() ... you get the idea; if you know xBase you know ROCKET; nuff said.

Not Just for xBasers Anymore

The thing that I was not expecting was the blinding speed of ROCKET. Not only does the engine give you Clipper and FoxPro index compatibility (NTX, CDX,  and IDX), it also gives you the performance you want and need in a Windows product. And for really high performance, you can try their .NSX indexes

Rushmore, Smushmore

Heard of Rushmore? With the  Mach Six query optimizer, which is up to 1,000 times faster than raw xBase, you will care less about any other data access method! ODBC is great for developing an application that needs to access different types of data, but when was the last time you really needed that?

I Can See Clearly Now

If you used Jet, you would use Access to create and manipulate data in an interactive mode; but what about with ROCKET?

That is where the Visual Navigator comes in. It is a complete interactive tool for data definition and manipulation using the .DBF file format, provided with ROCKET, and also sold separately for end-users of your apps who also want to manipulate their data.

Who Needs ROCKET?

You do if you want to develop database apps with industry standard xBase files!  Call to order yours today!


VB Project Works
VB Project Works™	$266

The Version Control System Specifically for Visual Basic	Retail Price	$295

From The Young Software Works	Product# YS01	3 lbs.
Need the Lite Edition?

Easy to do parallel and branched development

Provides module sharing between projects of standard routines

Has this Ever Happened to You?

You're working on a VB project with a team of programmers. The team takes precautions to keep from overwriting each others files on the network through E-mail, status meetings, etc. Suddenly, one day, the difficult routines you've been working on for the past week are gone! Accidentally, someone in the team overwrote them, and you just want to cry!

Or....you're working on a shareware project. You start making changes to implement what you think is a cool new feature. After a while, you discover that maybe its not so cool after all. Unfortunately, you've wiped out or significantly changed a lot of your previous work. What to do?

In Comes the Cavalry

VB ProjectWorks is the answer to these problems and more. This program gives you a way to easily keep track of changes to a project that's integrated directly into the Visual Basic development environment.

Additional ProjectWorks menu selections appear in the File, Options and Help menus. By tying directly into the VB menu structure, it is simple to learn and to use. Essentially, once configured, you go through the same steps as you always do when coding and running your VB projects and your changes are safely stored and your previous versions are protected. And there aren't any complex macro languages or cryptic commands to learn either.

Managing Chaos

One problem I've run into with clients is when they have a phase of the project that they are using and testing, and I've continued on developing the application. Of course, they report a 'simple' bug. Do I send them an updated copy that might have new bugs related to untested work? Or do I spend several hours striping out the new code and send them the fix? With VB ProjectWorks I could trace back along the branches of my development tree and send them out a fixed version of their program and continue my new work uninterrupted!

Also, I would have the advantage of having the previous 'buggy' version available for reference as well. In more complex multi-programmer projects, this branching capability can be used to control custom changes and experimentation, making this kind of development less costly. You also get source code compare and merge utilities to make it easy to maintain these different versions.

Share and Share Alike

The critics of VB often say that there is no module sharing in VB. Well, so much for that lament! VB ProjectWorks makes module sharing as easy as selecting Add File from the File menu. When you update a shared module, all projects with this module are updated. No more risky and tedious copying required.

Makes those Square Pegs Round

VB ProjectWorks also has a stand-alone module that you can use to add things like databases, project documentation, help files, etc. to a project. You know, those things that always get lost or misplaced on your hard drive.

Less Filling

And, if you don't need branching or sharing, then you might only need the Lite Edition. (The Lite Edition also does not include the stand-alone module.)

Practice Safe Programming

Don't risk the your project's health. Make sure that you use VB ProjectWorks when you develop your next Visual Basic Application. Don't delay, call VBxtras today.


If you don't need branching or sharing, then you might only need the Lite Edition. (The Lite Edition also does not include the stand-alone module.)

Lite  Edition VBxtra Price	$109

Retail Price (Lite)	$129

Product# YS04	3 lbs.


VBxtras Advisory Board

The Best in the Business

Chairmen of the Board

The VBxtras Advisory Board is made up of some of the best Visual Basic programmers, consultants, trainers, and authors in the industry.  These individuals will help shape the future of VBxtras and will advise us in making appropriate decisions on the products we choose to offer.

And the Winners are...

We had an overwhelming number of people who applied to be on our advisory board! The members who were selected, scored the highest number of points on our application which measured software development experience, Microsoft certification, authorship, user group membership, and training experience.  As a result, the individuals who were selected represent some of the most respected developers around!

So Who are They?

The products that each advisory board member evaluated and wrote about are listed after each of their bios.

Dave Bourgeois: Dave Bourgeois is a Senior Information Systems Analyst at Southern California Edison Company where he founded and leads a VB user's group.  He holds a BS in Mathematics from Biola University and an MS in Management Science from California State University, Fullerton. Dave teaches a Visual Basic course as part of the undergraduate curriculum at Cal State Fullerton, and is involved with developing a multimedia product using VB. Dave can be reached via CIS at 70720,3425. (ProMath/VB, Dazzle/VB)

Andrew Brust: Andrew is President of Progressive Systems Consulting, Inc., a New York City software consulting firm specializing in client/server and other custom VB applications. Andrew is also a frequent contributor to Visual Basic Programmer's Journal. Progressive Systems Consulting can be reached on Compuserve at 70274,1746 or via the Internet at abrust@pipeline.com. (VBXRef)

Woody Butler: Woody is a Sr. Information Analyst for the Electronics Systems group of Westinghouse Electric Corp. in Baltimore, MD and a hit and run VB/Access consultant as time permits. He's currently working on MS Windows and Client/Server development using Visual Basic, Powerbuilder and Cobol. He is also a co-author of the forthcoming book from Waite Group Press, The Visual Basic Controls Desk Reference. He can be reached on Compuserve at 76605,3652.(Lexport, Visual QuickBASIC)

Frank Carr:  Frank is an independent consultant located in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  His work currently involves the development of custom client/server and GUI solutions with Visual Basic and MS-SQL Server.   Frank has been working in the personal computer and networking field since 1983 and has developed applications in QuickBasic, MASM, and C, in addition to Visual Basic.  Frank can be reached at 404-880-5762. (VB ProjectWorks, Formula One, DocLink/VB)

Crile Carvey:  Crile is a Microsoft Certified Professional who specializes in Visual Basic, OLE/2, and Visual Basic for Applications. Since the introduction of the IBM PC in 1980, Crile left mainframes forever. He has progressively  moved from low level to high level languages, moving  from  8088 assembler through Pascal through 'C' and landing happily in the world of Visual Basic. Crile can be reached via CIS # 70650,3521.(Chart FX, Graphics Server SDK, DynaZIP VBX)

Paul Clement: Paul is a Software Developer for Internet Systems Corporation based in Chicago.  Internet Systems is a total banking solution provider for some of the world's largest international banking institutions.  Paul has developed several Tandem based applications that support Internet's Atlas Funds Transfer product line.  In addition, he develops Visual Basic applications for internal company use.  Paul can be reached via Compuserve at  71712,631. (Mega Pack)

Andrew Dean: Andrew is a partner with Advanced Digital Solutions, Inc. (ADS), an Atlanta based software development and consulting firm specializing in Geographic Information Systems, spatial database applications and desktop mapping. Andrew is President and co-founder of the Atlanta Visual Basic Users Group, sysop of the Atlanta VB BBS (404-872-0311), and the developer of several shareware VBX and DLL products for Visual Basic. Andrew can be reached at 404-872-8728. (Sign-On Verify, VBGraphix, Graphics Conversion Library)

Michiel de Bruijn: Michiel lives in Rottedam, The Netherlands, and is co-owner of VBD Automatiseringsdiensten.  At VBD, he's the designer and lead programmer of the Network Communication System, an advanced Windows-based messaging system.  Whenever he's not glued with his nose to the PC screen or sleeping, Michiel is active as a volunteer for Scouting Netherland and for the DOSgg, a large nation-wide computer users group. Michiel can be reached via CIS at 100021,1061.  (VSView)

Tej K. Dhawan: A native of India, Tej is a partner in Advanced Technologies Group Inc., a company specializing in Client Server development.  He is primarily a Visual Basic developer producing software written for use with Microsoft Access and NT SQL Server. His company also sells Intel based computers sold through a distributor channel under the WARP brand name.  His primary interests keep him in several USENET groups and mailing lists, generally related to programming and software engineering. (TList, VBlite, FinLib/VB, QuickLine/VB, VB/Link for Lotus Notes, TAB/PRO, Aware/VBX, NetPak Pro, VBDD, Data Widgets, Designer Widgets, 3-D Widgets)

Glen Gordon:  Glen is a programmer/trainer with Expert Education, in Atlanta, Georgia. He has designed several sophisticated applications in Visual Basic, using many third-party tools. Glen develops courses and does training for novices to advanced users. His expertise is in user interface design and database development. Glen can be reached at 404-952-2116. (R&R Report Writer, Distinct TCP/IP SDK Visual Edition, SpellPro)

Dick Grier: Dick is an independent consultant for Hard and Software, his company, located in Lakewood Colorado. Dick  was Principal Software Engineer for Hathaway Systems Corporation for seven years, and specialized in data communications, signal processing and new product planning and design. His technical interests are in embedded system design and programming, PC programming to support control, and communications and analysis of scientific data. He can be reached at  303-986-2179.

Steve Hoag:  Steve is a Project Manager for US Marine / Bayliner. Steve began programming full time this year, coming from a 15 year background managing the Parts division.  Entirely self taught, Steve took up Visual Basic with version 1.0 out of frustration over being told that desired improvements to his systems were impossible or  too difficult. Steve can be reached at (206)435-5571. (Visual Basic Developer, ALLText HT/Pro, CodeBook, Media Shop, Versions/VB)

Steven List: Steven is the President and Founder of Transact Software, Inc.  TSI specializes in the design and implementation of custom applications using Visual Basic and the Microsoft Office suite of products.  Steven has spent over 15 years working with database systems and application development on platforms ranging from mainframes through UNIX-based systems to Microsoft Windows. Steven is currently working on satisfying his ambitions toward owning and using every custom control he can arrange to get.  Steven can be reached at 408-245-2225. (VB/Rig, Visual Basic Tool Tips)

Ram Mareddy: Ram has developed sophisticated products in all versions of Visual Basic. He is a Microsoft Certified Professional in DOS, Windows, and Visual Basic.  He has several years of software development experience in traditional languages and operating systems like C/C++, Unix, DOS, Windows etc. and products like SQL Server, Access, Excel, etc. He is presently working as a Programmer/Analyst at Roadway Information Technology in Akron, Ohio.  Ram can be reached at 216-869-5228.  (Code.Print Pro, SpellCheck/VB, Control Power!, Visual Release/VBX,  VBX Artist)

Wally Nehls:  Wally has more than 11 years of experience working with personal computers and computer networks.  He is a co-founder of Cornerstone Computers in South Bend,  Indiana and specializes in new technology, including local and wide area networks and the latest PC hardware and software.  He joined Data-Link Systems in 1990, bringing his PC expertise to the position of Project Manager.  Wally can be reached via CIS # 70642,1521.  (Gantt/VBX, VB Videos, ToolThings, MediaKnife/VBX, Spread/VBX, PDQComm, QuickPak Scientific)

Luc Paquin: Luc is president of  JLP Consultants, a consulting firm that specializes in software development, computer animation and graphics,and is located north of Montréal, Québec, Canada.  After using a multitude of development environments and platforms, Luc has been concentrating on Visual Basic and Windows for the last 2 years. Most of the applications that he currently develops are multilingual, and complete with manuals and on-line help. Luc can be reached via CIS at 73730,2125. (Open Mail System/VBX, XRef)

Sundar Rajan: is a consultant with over 13 years experience in mainframe, mini and client/server systems. Before moving to the U.S. in 1993, Sundar founded and operated SunSoft Systems (NZ), a software consulting firm in Wellington, NewZealand. His areas of expertise spans CASE Tools, 4GLS, Windows programming tools and a variety of Relational databases and SQL servers. His technical articles have appeared in Data Based Advisor, Paradox Informant, PowerBuilder and VB Developers Journals. He can be contacted on Compuserve at 72774,1030. (InfoNable/VBX)

Dan Robinson: Dan spent 5 years playing punk rock in virtually every city in the U.S. before getting into computers by way of music production.  He got his first programming job by buying dBase, writing some utilities at home, and showing his boss how the utilities could improve their inventory system.  Since then, he has developed numerous database, communications, and multimedia apps in C++, FoxPro, and VB, working in MIS shops and independently for his custom software company, Camino Cielo Labs. Dan can be reached at 805-963-0884.  (3d Graphic Tools)

Paul Sheriff: Paul has over nine years experience programming business applications.  He has consulted in such industries as aerospace, real estate, medicine and hotels.  Paul was a principal programmer for an international software firm in Munich Germany, and now runs his own consulting business in Southern California. He is currently designing business applications using Visual Basic, Access and SQL Server.  Additionally Paul is teaching Visual Basic on a national seminar series, has written three technical guides, and has three video training tapes on Visual Basic. He can be reached at (714) 538-6262.

Phil Weber: Phil Weber is the founder of Micro Business Services, a contract programming firm specializing in Visual Basic development. He can be reached on Compuserve at 72451,3401. (QuickPak Professional)

Barry Wilson: Barry is currently the General Manager of  Phoenix Technology Alliance, Inc., a software development and consulting company based in Norcross, Ga.  This company specializes in Windows front end software for Digital Equipment Corporation VAX/VMS systems. He has 22 years experience with software systems for ALL-IN-1, VMS, UNIX,  DOS and Windows markets, Contact and Time Management, Sales Management, Marketing Management, and Tele-Marketing systems. (VB HelpWriter)

Not available at press time:
Dave Chowning & Zane Thomas


The VBxtras Staff

Just Who Are Those People Anyway?

The Staff... Unmasked!

Until now, the people behind the VBxtras Catalog have been just a name or a voice on the phone.  Since we've gotten to know a little bit about those of you who have called us or sent us orders, we thought it was time for you to meet the people who actually take your order, offer tech support, or who are a part of putting out the catalog.

Oh Yeah, We're A Fun Bunch...

Since the Premiere issue of the VBxtras Catalog debuted five months ago, our staff has grown by leaps and bounds. We even moved our operation to a brand new office that we thought we would grow into. HA!  In the four short months we've been here, we've almost outgrown it!

Boy, You've Kept Us Hoppin'!

Because you've made VBxtras a success, we've had to grow quickly to keep up with you! Our aim is to make sure that your questions are answered, your orders filled and shipped on time, and that you get the lowest prices all the time.

We hope that you will continue to call us with your suggestions for new products, new services, and new ideas.  When you do call us, here are just some of the key people you will be talking to.

Worry Wart

Mike Schinkel, our president, has his hands in every aspect of the business. As a result, he tends to get just a little stressed!

Mike oversees the entire VBxtras operation, and he makes all the final decisions on what products we put into the catalog. He is also our quality control watchdog.  He tries his best to keep the rest of us in line, alas...an impossible task.

The Ring Master

Traci Detchon, our catalog production manager, helped Mike develop the idea for VBxtras.  In the early days, she even took orders and helped with shipping.  (Thank goodness, she's now turned that huge task over to someone who knows what they're doing!)

These days, you'll find Traci managing the three ring circus of catalog production - getting every facet of the VBxtras Catalog written, edited, printed, and mailed.

Designer Widget

Lora Davis, one of the original staff who worked on our first catalog, is in charge of catalog layout and design.  Poor thing, she had to figure out how to squish over 80 products in the catalog, and still have it look great!

Lora also did all the drawings of our goofy looking Guy who pops up all through the catalog.

Prom-o Queen

Bridget Rigdon is our brand new promotions director.  Bridget is the one responsible for bringing you some great promos and special deals.  She also makes sure that you hear about VBxtras in as many ways as possible.

Look for us soon in Visual Basic Programmer's Journal, DATA BASED ADVISOR, and Visual Basic Developer, among others!

The Tech-ies

Last but certainly not least, is our technical support staff.  When you call us with a pre-sale tech support question or a referral for a product, you will probably speak with one of our co-op students from Georgia Tech.

These guys really know their stuff!  They are young, energetic, and fully up to date on all of the newest technology available.

Getting to Know You

Now that we're no longer strangers, feel free to give us a call. We'll be glad to answer your questions and take your order.


The Bookshelf

Some of the Best Visual Basic Books on the Market

In the last catalog, I spotlighted three books that I felt were really special. Once again, I'm going to cover three more books that I think are worthy of special note.

Visual Basic SuperBible

Database Developer's Guide With Visual Basic 3

Visual Basic - Game Programming for Windows


Visual Basic SuperBible
Visual Basic SuperBible	$39

By 	Retail Price	$44.95

Bill Potter, Taylor Maxwell, & Bryon Scott	Product #BK04	5 lbs.

If you had to pick one book to buy on Visual Basic, I'd say that this is the one. Why? Well, many reasons. Although size alone does not denote quality, it IS over 1600 pages! But in those 1600 pages more relevant material is covered about how to use Visual Basic than any other book I've come across lately.

What else? If you want to find out about a specific statement, function, object, property, method, etc. in VB Pro, the inside cover contains a jump-table that lists each of these and the pages on which you can find them.

In the back of the book is another two page jump-table of various task categories and subcategories such as OLE/Activate an Object, Keys/Trap form-level input, and DDE/Get information from a linked application.

Organized into 7 parts with 27 chapters, Visual Basic SuperBible covers everything from the basics of using objects and responding to events, to showing how to use DDE, OLE, and the data control, and everything in between. Sample code is provided for how to use practically every feature of VB, and a 3.5 diskette is included that contains all of the major examples in the book; one for each chapter. In most cases, this book is all that I'll ever need when it comes to using VB. Try it, I think you'll like it.


Database Developer's Guide With Visual Basic 3
Database Developer's Guide	$39
with Visual Basic 3

By 	Retail Price	$44.95

Roger Jennings	Product#BK05	5 lbs.

In a recent reader survey, Visual Basic Programmer's Journal found that 77.5% of their readers do database development; that is a pretty powerful statistic! Visual Basic is really a great tool for developing database applications, but it ain't exactly easy if you don't already know how!

That is where the Database Developer's Guide comes in. Another large book, this one is over 1100 pages. It covers the entire realm of database development in VB (and nothing else; this baby is focused).

Database Developer's Guide covers a lot of ground in its 6 parts. Part 1 covers the data access object and related controls. Part 2 discusses database and query design including SQL. Part 3 addresses database front end design. Advanced programming with data access objects is found in part 4 including transaction processing. Part 5 covers multi-user database applications including networked and client/server databases as well as integrating with mail systems. And finally part 6 shows you how to distribute production database applications. And of course is includes a diskette that contains all of the source code from the example applications in the book.

So, if you happen to be a Visual Basic programmer who develops database applications, then you need this book, without a doubt.


Visual Basic - Game Programming for Windows
Visual Basic -	$35
Game Programming for Windows

By 	Retail Price	$39.95

Michael J. Young	Product #BK06	3 lbs.

Sometimes you just want to have some fun! Well if you agree, then this is the book for you! As the author states, computer games are a lot of fun to play, but are often a challenge for the programmer because of how difficult they are to implement. Well, this book provides 11 really neat games complete with background about the game, a description of how to play it, and a discussion of how to implement it.

The games include Boule (a variation of roulette), Deduce (a logic game), Fractal Puzzle (like a 2D Rubic's cube), Grid War (I didn't like this one; I couldn't even score!), Ludo (a neat board game - I beat the computer!), Peg Solitare (like those toys you see in a country restaurant), Queens (another logic game), Ringo (an 4 against 7 circular checkers-like game), TriPack (like Tetris), 3D Tic Tac Toe (the one with the first move should always win), and Word Squares (like a solitare scrabble).

Since each of these games is a complete, working game, you get to really see how they are implemented; many of the techniques are useful even if you're not writing games.

And, since all the games come on the diskette in both executable form as well as source, you may want to get it just for the completed games; to heck with the source code! So, for a fun and educational book, you can't beat this one.


More Products

Additional Products from VBxtras Vendors

You Really Want More? Eighty-four products is not enough for you, huh? Well, I figured as much! That is why I added additional products and books pages!  But I don't have much room to chat, so here they are. (By the way, if you need an add-on for Visual Basic that you don't see here or anywhere else in this catalog, chances are 99.9% that we can get it for you at the best price possible!)

TOOLS

Prod #	Product	Vendor	Weight	Retail	VBxtras
MI02	3d Graphic Tools: C/C++ version (w/source)	Micro System Options	4	$295	$266
MI03	3d Graphic Tools: VB & C/C++Combo (w/source)	Micro System Options	5	$369	$332
OR02	Access Videos	On-Line Resources	11	$5,000	$4,500
BE03	ALLText Standard	Bennet-Tec	2	$125	$118
DW05	CCF-Cursors	Desaware	1	$35	$32
CS02	Crystal Reports Pro (Full Program)	Crystal Inc.	3	$395	$278
DW04	Custom Control Factory	Desaware	1	$48	$43
TT01	Dazzle/VB (Standard)	TeraTech	3	$199	$152
SM02	DDF Builder	Smithware	2	$130	$108
SM03	DDF Sniffer (requires DDF Builder)	Smithware	2	$200	$180
DI03	Distinct TCP/IP SDK Professional - C/C++ DLL	Distinct	1	$695	$598
DI02	Distinct TCP/IP SDK Standard - C/C++ DLL	Distinct	1	$495	$418
IM02	DynaZIP C/C++ DLL	Inner Media	1	$249	$224
IM03	DynaZIP C/C++ DLL (32 bit)	Inner Media	1	$249	$224
BE06	FileIcon & DragDrop	Bennet-Tec	1	$50	$49
VT01	First Impression	Visual Tools	2	$249	$219
FP04	Grid/VBX	FarPoint	2	$99	$88
VT03	Imagestream	Visual Tools	2	$249	$219
AP02	IPX Custom Control v2.0	Apiary	1	$295	$233
MB02	Mega Pack w/Source Code	Mabry Software	3	$190	$179
MH08	MicroHelp Communications	MicroHelp	1	$149	$110
MH09	MicroHelp Network Lib	MicroHelp	1	$99	$89
MH10	MicroHelp Report Generator	MicroHelp	1	$189	$170
AP03	NetBIOS Custom Control v2.1	Apiary	1	$99	$81
BE05	PicScroll	Bennet-Tec	1	$50	$49
AA02	Pretty Printer - 20 user version	Aardvark	1	$1,495	$975
YS02	ProjectWorks:Professional Edition (3 Users)	Young Software Works	4	$595	$536
YS03	ProjectWorks:Professional Edition (7 Users)	Young Software Works	4	$1,295	$1,166
SW03	ROCKET (Single user version)	SuccessWare	1	$149	$119
BE07	ScatterPlot3D	Bennet-Tec	1	$125	$116
AD02	Schedule/VBX	ADDSoft	3	$249	$224
SO02	Sign-On Verify for C/C++	Sign-On Systems	2	$395	$356
DW03	SpyNotes #2 (Common Dialog Toolkit)	Desaware	1	$35	$32
FP05	TAB/VBX	FarPoint	2	$49	$48
AX04	TrueGrid Std-to-Pro Upgrade	Apex Software	2	$69.95	$63
WW02	VB Language Manager Pro	Whippleware	1	$150	$48
MH07	VBViewer	MicroHelp	1	$99	$79
SB02	Versions	StarBase	2	$279	$223
SI02	Visual Fax	Stylus Innovation	3	$495	$475
BM02	Visual QuickBASIC Standard	Basmark	4	$195	$176
HP03	Visual Release with InstalIt v6.0	HPI	4	$299	$269
VT05	Visual Speller	Visual Tools	2	$149	$129
VT04	Visual Suite	Visual Tools	8	$299	$269
VT06	Visual Writer	Visual Tools	2	$249	$219
AJ04	Visual/db Database Manager - Network	AJS Publishing	2	$249	$224
AJ03	Visual/db Database Manager - Single User	AJS Publishing	2	$149	$134

BOOKS

Prod #	Product	Vendor	Weight	Retail	VBxtras
MP01	Code Complete	Microsoft Press	4	$35	$33
QE01	Crash Course in Visual Basic 3	Que	2	$20	$19
SA05	Master Visual Basic	Sams	5	$45	$43
SA03	Programming Games for Beginners; Visual Basic for Windows for Fun and Profit	Sams	3	$27	$26
SA04	Secrets of the Visual Basic 3 Masters	Sams	4	$35	$33
MP03	The Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows Workshop	Microsoft Press	4	$40	$38
EN04	The Visual Basic/SQL Server Primer	ETN Corporation	5	$60	$57
QE02	Using Visual Basic 3	Que	4	$35	$33
QE03	Using Visual Basic for Applications	Que	3	$30	$28
EN01	VB=mc2: The Art of Visual Basic Programming	ETN Corporation	4	$40	$38
EN02	VB=mc3: Visual Basic CDK/SDK Programming w/Disk	ETN Corporation	4	$40	$38
EN03	VB=mc4: Visual Basic Standard and Practices	ETN Corporation	4	$40	$38
QE04	Visual Basic 3 By Example	Que	3	$30	$28
RH01	Visual Basic 3.0 Programming with Windows Applications	Random House	5	$45	$43
SA06	Visual Basic Graphics Toolkit	Sams	4	$35	$33
WG02	Visual Basic How-To (covers VB 3.0)	Waite Group Press	4	$37	$35
ZD01	Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Windows API	Ziff Davis Press	4	$35	$33
ZD02	Visual Basic Utilties	Ziff Davis Press	3	$30	$28
CO02	Windows Power Programming with Custom Controls	Coriolis Group	4	$40	$38


Consultant's Registry and Referral Service
Consultant's Registry	1-800-735-9790
and Referral Service

Finding Visual Basic Consulting Specialists to Meet Your Needs

From Expert Education, Inc.

And Get it Done, But Yesterday

So you have an important software project that you would like to have implemented, but you don't have the staff or the expertise to do so? What to do?

The common solution is to hire a consultant. A good one, but where do you find these consultants? Trouble is, it's so difficult to locate the right one, many such endeavors end in failure. So, how can we help?

Calgon, Take Me Away!

We can help by matching up a your needs with a consulting shop that is listed in our database. We will determine what you are looking for based on a set of criteria that we've developed, and we'll provide you with a list of consultants and consulting shops that will likely be able to meet your needs. And we'll do this all for FREE!

So if you need to find a consultant, call us at 800-735-9790 or 404-952-2116 and let us know that you would like to use the Consultant's Registry and Referral Service.

So you have a Consulting Shop?

Whether you are a one man shop, or you are the size of a big six accounting firm, you need to be listed in The Consultant's Registry and Referral Service. Give us a call at 800-735-9790 or at 404-952-2116 and let us know that you would be interested in being listed in the Consultant's Registry and Referral Service. We'll discuss the details with you to get you involved right away.


Expert Placement
Expert Placement	1-800-735-9790

The Visual Basic Contractor and Employment Placement Service

From Expert Education, Inc.

The Dilemma

As president of VBxtras, I talk to VB programmers and MIS directors every day.  I am often asked if I know of a programmer with a particular background who is available for work on a project, or if I know about a job opening somewhere....So I started to think, how can I get these people together?  That's when the Expert Placement was born!

Expert Placement is now available through Expert Education which is my other company. Expert Placement will help companies who need top talent fill available Visual Basic programming positions, and it will help top VB developers find quality jobs.

Need a Job?

Finding just the right position is hard work!  Let Expert Placement put your resume in the hands of the hiring managers that make the decisions. Expert Placement finds programmers either full time employment positions, or contract positions.  Companies looking for either full time or contract programmers pay all the associated fees.

Expert Placement has developed a huge database of programmers and companies with available positions all over the country.  We have a definite edge over other placement services because VBxtras reaches over one hundred thousand VB programmers each issue.  The more people who know about the service, the greater your opportunities.

Just Fax Us...

If you are interested in finding a contracting or permanent employment position in your area or elsewhere, just fax a cover letter and your resume to 404-952-2168 and we'll contact you shortly thereafter to discuss your qualifications and specifics with you, and to get you into our database.

Need a Programmer?

If instead you are in need of either a contractor or an employee with Visual Basic development experience, then give us a call at 800-735-9790 or 404-952-2116. We'll discuss with you the details of our program and see what we can to best meet your needs as quickly as possible.


VB Training Alliance
VB Training Alliance	1-800-735-9790

Call The VB Training Alliance to Learn from Visual Basic Training Experts Across the Nation

From Expert Education, Inc.

Expand Your Potential

Have you been looking to take an introduction course in Visual Basic, but didn't know where to look?  Maybe you've already been programming in Visual Basic for a while and are ready to take some advanced courses.

Maybe you're wanting to learn more about using Visual Basic with the Windows API, with OLE, with databases, multimedia, or even client/server development. Or maybe you have just wanted to learn more about general application development in Visual Basic. Were will you go?

Experts at Your Service

Expert Education has researched training centers to find outstanding Visual Basic talent at various locations across the country. Each company was chosen because of their commitment to Visual Basic expertise, and because of their excellence in training.

Get Your Hands-On VB Training

All the training alliance members provide hands-on training which has been shown to be the most effective method of learning. Classes are small, giving students lots of one-on-one time with the instructor.

If you have a large group that needs to be trained, the VB training alliance can provide an instructor to teach at your site. That saves you both time and money!

But don't take our word for it; each of the training centers has met the qualifications to become a Microsoft Solution Provider as well.

One Call Does it All

The VB Training Alliance makes it easy for you. With just one call to the 800 number, you can locate the Visual Basic training center nearest you. In minutes, you can have course outlines and schedules faxed directly to you, and you can also speak to a training coordinator to help you decide which course is right for you!  It's that easy!

So, stop searching the yellow pages and call the Visual Basic Training Alliance hotline today. We can help you meet your Visual Basic Training needs now and in the future!

The VB Training Alliance Brings You...

•	Hands-on Visual Basic Training

•	Locations Throughout the Nation

•	Training Coordinators to Assist you in Determining your Needs

•	On-Site Training Available

•	Top VB Training Facilities with State-of-the-Art Equipment

•	Experienced Visual Basic Instructors

•	Course Outlines and Pricing at 	Your Fingertips in Minutes!

Call for a VB Training Center Near You!

1-800-735-9790
1-404-952-2116


Visual Basic Tool Tips

The Custom Control How-To Journal for Visual Basic	Before 3/95	$39/yr

From Expert Education, Inc.	After 3/95	$49/yr

Focuses on the how-to use of custom controls and add-ons

Clear and detailed information to take advantage of custom control features

Demonstrates tools appropriate to your problems

Order through VBxtras	1-800-788-4794	1-404-952-6356

The Journalistic Ghetto

Visual Basic is HOT!  Yup - capital letters and all!  We all know it's the slickest, most fun environment in which to develop software to date. So what make's VB so cool? Is it the BASIC?  Nah. Is it the Visual?  Might be, but there are other visual environments.  So what is it?

Better than Snap-On

Visual Basic is extensible, that's what. As you know, what you get in the box is just the beginning much like your first package of Lego. You can do a lot with VB, but you soon find there are many things too difficult for VB alone. Things like binding a database to a list box, automatically resizing controls on a form, or adding tooltips to icon buttons (those nifty little yellow help boxes that pop up on toolbars).

A Smorgasbord

That is where 3rd-party custom controls and other VB add-ons come in. You see there are TENS OF DOZENS of custom controls available for use with Visual Basic, plus many other types of add-ons.  Look in this catalog, and you'll see more than you can deal with at one time, and probably more than you can afford! And the typical VB developer owns and uses at least 3 or more VB add-ons.

Formidable Tasks

But how do you use all these tools? They have as many or more features than the controls provided with VB Pro, and most of us have yet to master them. Look at grid and spreadsheet controls; dozens of properties and methods and events. How can we expect to learn them all?

Called Tech Support Lately?

One answer, when you're trying to figure something out, is to call Tech Support at the vendor. Just ask: Excuse me, but could you tell me how to make the caption text yellow except when the button is on the bottom left of the form and then I want it to be three dimensional?  Yeah right!

A Fresh Approach

The other day I was with a staff VB expert and he was using one of the products that VBxtras carries. He showed me how to use it in a way I was not even aware could be done. Immediately I thought, WOW, what if we had a journal that explained how to actually use these custom controls. From that, Visual Basic Tool Tips was born.

VBTT is a new publication with a focus on providing how-to articles about custom controls and add-ons for Visual Basic. It contains articles written by folks like you and me. They are developers and vendors who both use and know the things they're writing about.

Tell Me How...

VBToolTips, because of its focus, will tell you how to take advantage of custom controls in ways that no one else will. We're not talking about reviews or product recommendations here.  We're talking concrete, direct, clear information on HOW.

Articles will focus on implementing solutions with 3rd-party tools. They will be short and to the point with no hype and sans opinion. And they will clearly show you how to do things you might not have thought of or things you thought of but couldn't figure out how to do. Our correspondence section will address your questions and provide answers from experts.

Led by the Best

Our Editor is Steven List, one of the most respected Visual Basic gurus west of the Mississippi. His job, starting bimonthly with the March/April 95 issue, will be to bring you a 24 page journal packed full of wonderful technical articles that show you how to use all these crazy custom controls!

Cheap Too!

VBToolTips is unique.  No one else addresses custom controls and add-ons except in reviews.  No one else will tell you HOW to do things, WHEN to do them, or WHY you should do them.

So here we are.  Give us a try.  And hey!  You might even want to write an article yourself!


Fax Back Questionnaire

1-404-952-6388

Dear Visual Basic Programmer,

Will you please do me a favor? Your answers to the questions below will help us better meet your needs with respect to the tools you'll need to compete in the quickly advancing world of Visual Basic programming. Many thanks for the help.

How many programmers (besides yourself) do you work with?

None   [image] 1-2   [image] 3-9  [image] 10-25  [image] 26-100   [image] 100+

Would you be interested in receiving special offers from VBxtras via fax?

Yes   [image] No

Do you desire/require the ability to generate .DLLs without using C?

Yes  [image] No

Do you desire/require very fast program execution?

Yes  [image] No

Do you need to write programs that use large arrays?

Yes  [image] No

Do you use shareware custom controls?

Yes  [image] No

Do you prefer to buy individual controls or packages?

Individual  [image] Packages

What is your primary operating system?

DOS  [image] Windows 3.x  [image] Windows for Workgroups 3.x  [image] Windows NT   [image] OS/2
Other_________________

What is your primary Windows word processing system?

WordPerfect  [image] Word  [image] Ami Pro

Which Windows programming environments do you use?

Visual Basic  [image] Visual C++ [image] Borland C++ [image] dBase  [image] PowerBuilder
SQLWindows  [image] Other __________

How many programmers at your site use custom controls?

________VBXs        ________OCXs

How would you classify the types of apps you develop with Visual Basic?

Database   [image] Multimedia   [image] Utility  [image] Host front-end  [image] Other______________

For which purposes do you develop software?

Inhouse apps  [image] Custom Software
Prepackaged Vertical software for sale
Prepackaged horizontal software for sale   [image] Other

Do you use Visual Basic in conjunction with other Microsoft products?

Word   [image] Excel   [image] Access  [image] Mail   [image] Other ____________

Did you register your copy of Visual Basic with Microsoft?

Yes  [image] No

Will you upgrade your copy of Visual Basic soon after the next version is released?

Yes  [image] No

What type of organization do you work for?

Government   [image] Military    [image] Fortune 1000
Med-sized company   [image] Small-company
Computer-consulting  [image] Self-employed
Other________________

What magazines do you read frequently (Check all that apply)?

Visual Basic Programmer's Journal   [image] Microsoft Systems Journal
Databased Advisor  [image] Access/Visual Basic Advisor
DBMS  [image] Visual Basic Developer  [image] Windows Tech Journal   [image] Byte
Windows/DOS Developer's Journal  [image] PC Week
Infoworld  [image] Dr. Dobbs   [image] Computer Language

Do you consider yourself proficient in C++?

Yes  [image] No

Do you use Microsoft Access? (select all that apply)

As your database     [image] As a development tool
In conjunction with Visual Basic    [image] None of the above

If you write database applications with Visual Basic, which database tool(s) do you use (check all that apply)?

Not Applicable  [image] Access Jet 1.1  [image] Access Jet 2.0   [image] SQL Server
Controls for Btrieve   [image] SIxBase/VB  [image] LotusNotes Link [image] Other_____________

Are you interested in Visual Basic training?

Yes  [image] No

If Yes, what types of training would you be interested in: (check all that apply)

VB Intro  [image] VB Intermediate   [image] VB & Windows API   [image] VB & OLE
VB & Database Development  [image] VB & Client Server   [image] VB & Mail
VB & 3rd Party Tools  [image] VB & Multimedia   [image] VB App. Development
Excel Power User w/VBA  [image] Word Basic  [image] Access Basic
Developing Solutions w/MS-Office

YES! I want to be a VBxtra Special Customer!

Be sure to include your name and address so that we can send you future catalogs.  Also, by filling out this survey, we will put you on our VBxtra-special customer list so you'll be sure to receive future issues of VBxtras as well as special offers from time-to-time.

Name:______________________________________________________________________

Company:___________________________________________________________________

Street:______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

City:_______________________State:_________Zip:___________Country:______________

Daytime Phone:___________________________Fax:________________________________

Email_______________________________________________________________________


VBxtra Special Bundles!!!

Package Deals Tailored to Meet Your Visual Basic Needs

If you've had a hard time in the past deciding on which VB add-ons you really need, take a look at these bundles. I designed them specifically to help you pick the tools you need. What's more, you won't find better prices on these collections of tools anywhere else!

Bundles = Big Savings!

Since the first catalog, I've received literally hundreds of requests to recommend products. So I've decided to provide some VBxtra Special product bundles each for a different type of VB developer. I spent time researching, I grouped complementary products into bundles, and I went to several of our vendors to ask that they give us an even better deal so you can save BIG!

Help Me, I'm New!

The most common question we're asked is: I'm new to Visual Basic; what add-ons do I need? My Start-up Bundle provides features that practically every developer needs. Included is a tab and elastic control, a data bound grid utility, a collection of numerous useful controls, and a superb VB environment enhancement. As far as I'm concerned, if you could have only four products, then the ones in my Start-up Bundle are arguably your best bets. A $502 value, it's yours for the VBxtra Special price of $369.

Start-up Bundle    $369	Product #VX01  9  lbs.

VSVBX

TrueGrid Pro

VBTools 4

ToolThings

Moving Right Along...

Beyond the start-up bundle, I've grouped several other products into specialty bundles. A few of the bundles contain products from a specific vendor, but the rest of the bundles are targeted toward developers with specific needs.

What's a Widget?

If you are a Sheridan Software Systems fan don't miss the Sheridan Visual Developer's Suite Bundle. In this suite are three of their hottest products: Our best selling VB environment enhancement, a grid and other data bound controls, and a collection of tab, toolbar, and form controls. A $437 value, snap them up for only $248.

Sheridan Visual Developer's Suite    $248 	Product #VX02  7  lbs.

VBAssist

Data Widgets

Designer Widgets

Go for the Grab Bag

Do your eyes light up at the all-you-can-eat salad bar? Do you love it when the Ginsu Knife commercials are broadcast? If so, the Value Pack Bundle is for you!  Each product in this bundle contains a great collection of controls and/or functions.  Included are controls for print preview, virtual forms, form customizations, drawing, barcoding, percent meters, INI file management, menu events, rotated text, and tons more. Also included is the largest collection of public domain and shareware tools available. De value is: $447; you pay only $379.

Value Pack Bundle   $379	Product #VX03  11  lbs.

VSView

Mega Pack

QuickPak Professional

VBASIC Library

No Pain, No Gain

Want to make it fast? Then you need my Optimization Bundle. Included is a profiler, a set of high-performance replacement functions for slower VB routines, and a BASIC compiler that can create truly compiled DLLs for blazingly fast routines. Worth a whopping  $823, I've managed to bring it to you for only $599. This one won't last long.

Optimization Bundle $599	Product #VX04  10  lbs.

PinPoint

Muscle

Visual QuickBASIC

You do What with your Software?

If you distribute your VB software to multiple users, then you need my Distribution Bundle. This bundle includes 4 great products: an .EXE compression utility, a control that monitors VBX and DLL version conflicts, a source code control program, and an installation utility. A $428 value, all for only $329.

Distribution Bundle   $329	Product #VX05  9  lbs.

VB Compress Pro

VersionStamper-VB

VB Project Works

Visual Release/VBX

Make a Record of It

Develop database programs?  To really ease your database development chores, I've packaged four products that include a set of data-bound controls, an advanced report writer, a data-dictionary, and a mini-database manager that doesn't have the bulk of MS-Access for quick database manipulation.  Of course, if you were going to the vendors to buy them separately, they'd set you back $557, but I'll let you have them for only $459.

Database Bundle    $459	Product #VX06  7  lbs.

Data Widgets

Crystal Reports Pro Upgrade

VBDD

VB Data Companion

Ex-Base Who?

That's xBase if you're in the know. And if you're a xBase developer you need my xBase Bundle. Included is a scorchingly fast dBase, FoxPro, and Clipper compatible access method, and the grand-daddy of all the report writers with the finest feature set available. Together they might set you back $498, but if you get them paired together from VBxtras, you're only talking $349.

xBase Bundle     $349	Product #VX07  5  lbs.

ROCKET

R&R Report Writer

Tommy Can You Hear Me?

Into Multimedia?  My Multimedia Bundle is for you, especially if you stray beyond pure multimedia and want image processing and storage capabilities. Included are a complete package of multimedia controls, a set of complimentary image processing controls, and an educational bundle of tools for multimedia. Worth $638, you need only pay $499.

Multimedia Bundle   $499	Product #VX08   7  lbs.

MediaKnife/VBX

ImageKnife/VBX

Visual Basic Multimedia Adventure Set

Watching the Clock?

Wanna leave work in time to watch Wheel of Fortune? You can use my Productivity Bundle which includes a source code printing utility, a version control add-on, and a powerful help creation tool. Easily worth $297, you can get these three and pay only $229.  This way you can make it home in time for Pat and Vanna.

Productivity Bundle   $229	Product #VX09  5  lbs.

Code.Print Pro

Versions™/VB

VB HelpWriter

Wanna Get Excited?

The price on my Data-Entry Bundle may excite you! Provided is a powerful set of 3D controls, a text processing control that supports multiple fonts and even hypertext, and a spell checker for all that text! A $588 value for only $499.

Data-Entry Bundle  $499	Product #VX10  6  lbs.

3D Widgets

ALL Text HT/Pro

SpellPro

R-U-A-Book Worm?

Learn best by analysis and inspection? My Self-Study Bundle includes a comprehensive set of guides to VB 3.0, a CD-ROM of demos of most major 3rd party tools, and a year's subscription to two journals that cover Visual Basic and how to use VB add-ons, respectively. You might pay $427; I've brought it to you for $299.

Self-Study Bundle   $299	Product #VX11  10  lbs.

VB Power Guides

Control Power!

Visual Basic Developer

Visual Basic Tool Tips

Far Out

FarPoint Technologies has three products in high demand. Grouped together are a full spreadsheet control, tab and notebook controls, and a set of data aware controls. Advertised for $493, I'll get you all three for only $419.

FarPoint Bundle   $419	Product #VX12  8  lbs.

Spread/VBX

TAB/PRO

Aware/VBX

Don't Delay

Yes, as with all special deals each are limited-time offers since we've made special purchases to support these prices.  So...when they're gone, they're gone. Also, since I'm bringing you really great deals on these bundles, please, no substitutions. Hope to hear from you soon!


Order Form

For Fastest Service Call:	1-800-788-4794

1-404-952-6356

Fax:	1-404-952-6388

Ordering

Fill out the order form and mail or fax to us.  Include 5% sales tax if you are a Georgia resident.  Make checks and money orders payable to VBxtras.  If using a credit card, remember to sign at the bottom of this form.

Purchase Orders

Purchase orders are accepted from government, educational institutions, Fortune 1000 companies and open accounts only. Purchase order number must be referenced at time of order and P.O. must be faxed or mailed to us for our records.

Pricing and Policies

Pricing and Policies subject to change at any time.

International Customers

We are very sorry, but absolutely NO foriegn checks accepted.  All checks on a foreign bank will be voided.

Shipping Costs

The weight of each product is listed on each product page.  To determine your shipping charge, simply total the weight of all products ordered.  All product weights have been rounded up to the nearest pound.  If you would like us to determine the cost of your shipping, please check the box provided on the order form.  We will only do this for credit card orders. Call or fax for rates outside the continental U.S. or Canada.

C.O.D.'s

C.O.D.s are accepted with a money order, certified check or cashier's check. Add a $5.00 COD fee.

Returned Checks

There will be a $10 charge for all returned checks.

Returns Policy

In keeping with our promise to provide the best in customer service, we have revised our return policy.  Our goal is to give you a catalog that provides the information you need to make an informed choice on what software to buy.  We recognize, however, that sometimes the software you purchase, may not meet your ultimate needs.

So... with that in mind, you now have 30 days from the date we ship the product to you to return it. All items, of course, must be returned in resaleable condition to qualify for a refund.

There will be a $10 or 10% (whichever is greater) per product restocking fee.  If the product is returned unopened, or the diskette package is unopened, the restocking fee may be waived.  VBxtras reserves the right to make this determination.

Shipping is not refundable or covered by VBxtras if the product is returned. Of course products that you receive that are defective or damaged are returnable for replacement. With all returns, please call ahead for a RMA number.  We will not accept returned merchandise without an RMA number.

VBxtras, Inc.
1901 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 250
Atlanta, GA 30339
FAX: 404-952-6356

Name:______________________________________________________________________

Company:___________________________________________________________________

Street:______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

City:_______________________State:_________Zip:___________Country:______________

Daytime Phone:___________________________Fax:________________________________

My Check or Money Order (U.S. Funds Only) made out to VBxtras is enclosed. (Allow 10 business days for check to clear)

Purchase Order attached.

Please Charge my:	    MasterCard	      Visa    [image] AMEX

Account #:___________________________________________Exp. Date:________________

Signature: ___________________________________________________________________

Continental US Shipping Rates	Weight:	1-3	4-6	7-12	13-20
	Next Day	$20	$25	$35	$45
	2nd Day	$11	$13	$20	$30
	3rd Day	$9	$11	$15	$22
	Ground	$7	$8	$11	$15
Canadian Shipping Rates	Express	$45	$60	$75	$90
	Standard	$12	$15	$18	$25


Qty	Product #	Product Name	Weight	Price	Total $
	Weight Total		Sub Total
• Check here if you'd	5% GA State Tax if Applicable
like us to determine your	COD (Add $5.00)
shipping costs for you.	Shipping: Next Day  2nd Day  3rd Day  Ground
	GRAND TOTAL