VBTools 6 is a collection of VBX controls. It offers tools for better interface design, multimedia, a better timer, and advanced windows functionality like subclassing.

System Requirements

• Windows 3.1 or higher
• 16-bit Development environments
• Microsoft Visual Basic 1.0 or higher, or any Windows programming language which supports type 1 VBX controls
• Visual Basic 2, 3, 4(16-bit)
• CD-ROM

VBTools Features

The VBTools Package contains more than 60 different controls, documentation consisting of a printed manual as well as a Windows help file, and samples projects for Visual Basic. Here is a list of some of the controls included:

International Control provides the means of storing and retrieving internationalized text; captions can be set automatically! The control automatically evaluates other controls on a form and assigns internationalized text. You can also embed variables in text for flexibility!

Data-aware label control offers the ability to display multiple line captions, and to display a percentage bar.

Command button allows multiple line captions, up/down states (button stays down when pushed), and multiple bitmaps on the control to represent the various states.

Command Control has all the features of the Command Button control and adds the capability to display different pictures for 3 different states (up/down/pressed).

A combination of the Command Control and the option buttons allows multiple instances to work together allowing only one button to be down at a time.

Data-aware, interactive calendar control allows a bitmap to be displayed on the background or the top of the calendar, can return different date formats, and has multi-language support.

Data-aware check box control supports multiple line captions, and allows you to replace check box with bitmaps for different states.

Data-aware list box supports multiple columns for the items in the list box, gives the ability to search the items for a particular string, gives the ability to make all items to be in upper/lower case characters, and allows two different bitmaps to be placed in a list to show selection status.

Data-aware combo box contains all the capabilities of the List Box control, and adds the ability to determine how many items are shown when a combo boxes list is dropped down.

Directory list box control

Drive list box control

File list box control

Frame control allows the creation of a frame without a border, and allows bitmaps to be placed on the background of the control.

Data-aware label control allows a picture to be displayed in the control, and allows the caption to be positioned vertically, horizontally, and tiled in either direction.

FlowCharting Control lets you easily add flowcharting capabilities to your custom apps. This control can also be used as a game board with pieces as well as an interface designer! Embed any object or control and draw connecting lines between objects. Optional 3D effects and full control over background color image and scroll bar settings. Optional vertical, horizontal, diagonal and dot grid lines with full control over color and tick mark spacing.

Menu control which can be used to force menus to become 3D menus, and utilizes custom bitmaps for checked and unchecked states.

Data-aware label control allows multiple columns containing the capabilities of the MH3D control and the ability to automatically align the control to the top or the bottom of the form.

Data-aware option button allows the use of pictures to represent the various states (checked, unchecked, grayed, pressed) and the button to be resized and aligned to the left or to the right.

Bi-Directional Slider Control provides a sliding mark within a 2-dimensional area. Load a custom picture into the control for reference and select coordinates or values by dragging the “thumb”.

Alarm control rings an alarm and displays a bitmap to grab the users attention; the programmer can configure from the default alarms (clock, wrist watch, or telephone) or can create an original alarm by providing bitmaps and wav files.

Picture box allows a series of up to 32,768 pictures to be displayed - one after the other.

Label control shows a moving bitmap with or without a set of up to 3 bitmaps.

A Control to provide access to 3 types of Windows services: enumerated list, message hook services, and subclassing.

Picture controls that displays a fixed set of bitmaps that represent playing cards or up to six dice.

Clock control will display the time on a clock face or an analog clock; it will also allow the programmer to use a custom bitmap instead of the default one.

Command button which supports multiple line captions, and replacement of the standard button image with programmer-defined bitmaps.

Text box will display a file, and adds search capabilities.

Floating Text Extender provides an extension to lines of text that are not completly visible! Works with list boxes, edit controls and all applicable VBTools’ custom controls, including the multicolumn list control!

Common dialog control which allows additional controls to be placed on the dialog box, allows the dialog to be resized, and adds a FileNameChange event for open/save dialogs.

Data-aware text box control allows a custom format to be defined for input up to the first 50 positions, has predefined input masks like phone numbers and social security numbers, has overstrike mode, has an undo option, and adds an event which is fired when invalid input is received.

A control to add design- / run-time configuration via INI files.

A control that allows only date input (it can contain spin buttons).

A control that only allows integer input (it can contain spin buttons).

A control that only allows real number input (it can contain spin buttons).

A control that only allows time input (it can contain spin buttons).

A control that provides automated drag-drop capabilities in VB applications.

File list box which contains information (attributes, size, etc.) about a file, and includes drives and directories in the list box as well.

A control which will graph information on the screen as if the screen were a piece of paper, the paper can be moved forward and backward, and different colors can be used to do the plotting.

Picture box control displays BMP, TGA, ICON, GIF, PCX, TIF, and WMF files (including 24 bit color files); the control will also allow zooming in or out on the picture.

A control which gives a program the ability to easily retrieve, add, or modify data contained in INI files or from the Windows Registry; no function calls required.

An invisible control which can be placed on top of forms to allow the clicking of a location to fire events.

A command button control with the ability to have five different states, and can display five different bitmaps or colors to represent each state.

A control that lets the programmer write code which could go to the printer, screen, a metafile, or the clipboard.

A control that can be used to bind one or more controls, whether data-aware or not, to fields in a database.

A control which looks like a miniature container window; it can be moved around in its defined work space and can be minimized(only shows the title bar of the window) or maximized.

A frame control which allows for the automatic resizing of all the child controls when the container window is resized.

A lasso control which the user can use to select controls; after selection the program can allow the user to resize move, but any action taken on the selected control must be done programmatically.

A 3d data aware gauge control

A 3d key state control

A control that provides easy access to network dialogs/functionality

A toolbox window control

A control that displays pop-up captions for items

A higher resolution timer

A data-aware scroll bar control with customizable bitmaps

A tree control with customizable bitmaps

A picture box control for non-rectangular shapes

A control that adds screen saver functions

A control to store and play WAV files internally

A control to play AVI movie files

A data-aware text box with auto horizontal alignment

A data-aware radio dial control with the ability to use custom bitmaps

A Tabbed multi-page frame control

* Most controls which are visible contain the ability to change all their colors used in the control, and the ability to add 3d effects.

Version 6 Enhancements

Wav Player supports “parental lock-out” for explicit material, allows you to stop a currently playing WAV file, plus retrieves or sets all informational fields such as copywright, comments, etc!

B3Wav Player allows you to subclass windows in other programs as well as in the current one.

Date and Time Controls have user-defined date and time formats, respectively!

Invisible Control New transparent caption option.

Calendar Control lets you change text color and background color by day!

List Box Control boasts multiline titles, checkbox option in list, as well as optional option button in list!

For 32-bit development environments check out OLE Tools.