Extend VB's Capabilities within the VB Environment

Many programmers have been able to make the leap to Windows because of the way VB protects one from dealing with the innermost workings of Windows itself. SpyWorks makes it possible for the VB programmer to accomplish tasks that were previously difficult or flat out impossible without writing custom DLLs and controls in C or C++.

SpyWorks is aimed at the intermediate to advanced Windows programmer. Dan Appleman wrote SpyWorks and recommends using his book, the Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to the Win32 API as a supplementary text for working with SpyWorks.

SpyWorks is different from other add-ons because its purpose is not limited to any particular task. The package includes several demos and examples to get you going and to spark your imagination. Each control below comes in two flavors: a 16-bit and a 32-bit OCX. Here's a brief capsule summary:

Dwsbc.ocx - Generic Subclass control: Allows you to intercept and manipulate the underlying Windows message stream for any Visual Basic form or control (including custom controls).

Dwcbk.ocx - Generic Callback Control: Contains a pool of “callback” functions, for use with Windows API functions.

Dwshk.ocx - Keyboard and Windows Hooks control: Contains a task or keyboard event detector which allows you to intercept keyboard entries before they are received by VB or another application. Dwshk.ocx also supports Windows “hooks” and is ideal for intercepting Windows messages on a global basis.

Dweasy.ocx - Still more Windows hooks. Implements common subclassing tasks, including Mouse tracking, scrolling and virtual forms, tiny captions and rollup windows.

Dwspy32.dll - A library that contains a set of functions that help you take advantage of advanced API techniques and work with the various controls.

SpyWorks 4.0 also includes the new Desaware API Class Library. This exciting tool tames the steep API learning curve by “wrapping” or encapsulating powerful API functions into a class library. This enables you to incorporate the power of API functions into your VB application using any of several different approaches. This is written in Visual Basic and comes with full source code. Also included are a killer set of debugging tools and other utilities.

It's possible to accomplish a lot with VB, but once you get beyond the most simplistic business applications, you're going to have to dig deeper. If you don't know C/C++, it's not reasonable to postpone delivery of your project while you get up to speed. If you do come from a highly technical background, you probably love the level of productivity possible with VB, but miss the power of direct control of the API for subclassing, message hooks, callbacks, etc.

SpyWorks gives you the best of both worlds by combining the ease of VB with the power of the Windows API!