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Frequently Asked Question |
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In this page we have attempted to answer many of the
questions typically associated with vbExport, it's
use, what it is and how-to-do's. If you have any questions
not answered in this FAQ, please feel free to fill
out a survey contact at the bottom of this page. |
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Q: What is vbExport?
A:vbExport
is an add-in tool for Visual Basic programmers which provides
them the ability to create exportable functions or subs
from public functions into a DLL or EXE. Using a method
called Native Exporting Technology,
developers can create functions in projects, which can
be called using the Windows API. This used to be something
only languages such as Visual C++ and Delphi did and now
it is available to Visual Basic programmers as well!
Q:
Is it hard to export a function?
A:
Not at all.
Simply just create the function you want to export in
a global file (BAS) and be sure that you decalre it as
Public.
Q:
Do I need to distribute anything with the DLL/EXE I
compiled with vbExport?
A:The
only requirements are the standard visualbasic runtimes
and controls your project references, vbExport does not
add any requirements.
Q:
Why can't I find the vbExport interface in my Visual
Basic References?
A: If
you do not see the Megaphat Interface for vbExport
in your references, you may have to add the reference
manually. To do this, simply hit browse and select where
you installed vbExport. You should see the object reference
file there. If you do not, please contact Megaphat Industries
for further instructions.
Q:
Whenever I export a function using a string as a parameter
or the return value, I get a GPF from my application.
Why does this happen?
A:This
is simple. Since Visual Basic passes a reference to a
string to it's memory space, the run-time library interprets
where the actual string value is stored. This is a dynamic
allocation and cannot truly be passed because vbExport
cannot go past the Visual Basic run-times. However, there
are workarounds that work just fine. One workaround is
by using a fixed-length string which pre-allocates the
memory space required. Another workaround is by using
a Variant. Either of these methods have proven effective.
Q:
I need a DLL which returns an array of UDTs. How does
vbExport handle this?
A: vbExport
can return an array of UDTs just fine. Just be sure to
define the array not only in your application, but in
the vbExport'ed DLL as well.
Q:
Is the DLL generated using vbExport thread safe in
the WEB development environment?
A: Yes. The DLL is will be loaded by the actual
thread of the web process. We do suggest using a separate
process for the web if you have further concerns. This
will ease the load on the actual inetinfo process
and allow you to monitor the application process.
Q:
Will vbExport work on Visual Studio .NET?
A: VS.NET
uses a different method for compiling Visual Basic.NET
projects and at this time, vbExport v2.0 will not work
with VS.NET.
Q:
I created a simple ActiveX DLL similar to the one
in the examples provided. Upon following the instructions,
I tried compiling the executable. vbExport never gave
me an option to export my function as the sample previously
indicated. What can I do about this?
A: Typically,
this would be caused by an incomplete configuration
of vbExport. This can be remedied by simply selecting
vbExport as your compiler type in the vbExport startup
dialog. This can be found in the vbExport program
group.
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