can someone explain classes and modules

will you help me learn and show me some sample code

Don't really need to show code to explain them really. Modules are used for you to store functions, subs, constants, API's, and variables publicly or privately, and is a good way to organize code. For example, lets say you are making a game. You can store all the 3D engine code in one module, physics in another, API's and constants in another, the game engine in another, etc.

Class modules are used for making your own objects. You can store functions, subs, and variables in there like a module, but it has limitations. Like for example, you can't use arrays. Unlike regular modules, class modules can have properties, methods, and events, like you see with objects you would normally see in a form, like command buttons, textboxes, etc. After writing some code to a class module, you would need to do either this, which is called Early Binding:

VB Code:

Dim MyObject As MyClassModule
 
     Private Sub Form_Load()
 
          Set MyObject = New MyClassModule
 
     End Sub

Or this, which is called loose binding:

VB Code:

Dim MyObject As New MyClassModule

Or this which is called Late Binding:

VB Code:

Private Sub Test()
 
          Dim MyObject As MyClassModule
 
          Set MyObject = New MyClassModule
 
     End Sub

Now MyObject can access the code within a class module. You would do something like so to do it:

VB Code:

Private Sub Test()
 
          MyObject.MyFunction
 
     End Sub

Hope this helps.

so lets say i was making a game and i wanted enemy arrays in a module i could just load them like this

VB Code:

dim enemyHP as integer

and then i can call them and if so how.

You just need a type for enemies, I would think. That way you could link the description, the Mode of Operation MO, and any other relevant info in the base type. Then you could use something like this;

VB Code:

Dim Enemies(10) as Enemy

Then you could use Enemies(1).Description

could i like enemy1.hp = 25

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xypherx

could i like enemy1.hp = 25

---

Yes, but you would need to set up a Class Module or Type first. It seems like you have the idea of how to use it down though. Here is a decent tutorial on custom Classes: http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...sesobjects.asp

Its for Microsoft Office and VBA but you can totally apply it to VB6. It is slightly hard to understand, but I used it as a starting point for making my first Class (which I am in the middle of making). Also when you go to Add a class module try using the Class Wizard. Let me know if you need help getting started with it.

would you help me more i really couldnt understand it...

Maybe something like this?

VB Code:

Option Explicit
 
  Private Type Enemy
    tName As String
    tHP As Integer
    tPower As Integer
    tDead As Boolean
  End Type
 
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
  
  Dim Enemies(10) As Enemy
  Enemies(0).tDead = False
  Enemies(0).tName = "David"
  Enemies(0).tHP = 80
  Enemies(0).tPower = 100
  
End Sub

Yeah, User Defined Types are somewhat like class modules, except that you can only store variables and arrays.

Here's one you can use on sprites:

VB Code:

Public Type Sprite_Type
 
     X As Single
     Y As Single
     Width As Single
     Height As Single
     Velocity_X As Single
     Velocity_Y As Single
     State As Long
     
End Type

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jacob Roman

VB Code:

Dim MyObject As MyClassModule
 
     Private Sub Form_Load()
 
          Set MyObject = New MyClassModule
 
     End Sub

---

^^ Early binding = Always good

VB Code:

Dim MyObject As Object
Set MyObject = New MyClassModule

^^ Late binding = Semi-OK but don't use if you can help it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jacob Roman

VB Code:

Dim MyObject As New MyClassModule

---

^^ Loose Binding = Very Bad

A user-defined type (Hate that name, it is a structure really) is just a block of data. Whereas a class module is a full-blown object with its own executable code contained within.

i see what you are saying but how would i call it into my program...

Well basically if you have a class module you need to instantiate it in order to be able to use it. Methods of instatiation are shown above :)

Then, you use its properties, methods, in the normal VB way: Object.Member.

Can you be a bit more specific as to your problem?

i was told it was best to know classes for many things like i wanted to do this

dim enemy(10) as enemy
dim enemyMaxHp(10) as EnemyMaxHp

would i have to do that set enemy as new

and then could i do enemy(0).name = Slime

Yes. Your class CEnemy would need a Name property, however that is reserved by VB, so it would have to be EnemyName or something like that. And yes you need to do Set Enemy(0) = New CEnemy.

so would i have to do it like set enemy(0) to (10) as = cEnemy


and name would be like EnemyName(10) as EnemyName

then set enemyname(0) = CEnemyName

then CEnemyName1 = slime

No no. You only need the one CEnemy class, that class has the properties EnemyName and MaxHP or whatever.

Like this:

VB Code:

' In CEnemy
 
Private mstrEnemyName As String
 
Public Property Get MaxHP() As Long
    MaxHP = 200  ' or whatever
End Property
 
Public Property Get EnemyName() As String
    EnemyName = mstrEnemyName
End Property
 
Public Property Let EnemyName(ByVal pstrNewName As String)
    mstrEnemyName = pstrNewName
End Property

And then you would declare it like this

VB Code:

Dim objEnemy As CEnemy
 
' And instantiate it:
Set objEnemy = New CEnemy
 
' Give it a name
objEnemy.EnemyName = "Fred"
 
' Get its max hit points
Msgbox objEnemy.EnemyName & "'[color=black]s maximum hit points is: " & objEnemy.MaxHP[/color]
 
' And when it needs to be killed off (from the program's point of view anyway)
Set objEnemy = Nothing

HTH :)

can one of you write a tutorial in vb to show me so i can understand it ?

Xypherx, I strongly reccomend opening a new project, adding a class module, and when the window pops up instad of select Blank Class Module, select VB Class Builder. Then play around with adding methods, and properties, then look at the code that VB writes for you.

Someone will still have to write/link a tutorial for you or you can use the confusing one I mentioned early to understand the property Let Get part. I actually hope someone has a good tutorial, I could use one too.

that tutorial you sent me confused me so much for some reason. but ill try what you said, and yes i really do hope somebody writes/links a tutorial for us

Your right, it uses very complex language (for no reason at all, some authors are just weird). But its the only one I know of (obviously there are others).

The part of property let get set explains it enough that after you use the VB Class builder you should be good to go.

By the way, after you use the class builder to make the original file you can go back to it (go to make a new class then select it just like you did before) and edit/add things to the class you made and VB will pop the code in at the proper spot.

could i just use a regular module and do

VB Code:

public enum enemy
dim hp as integer
dim mp as integer
dim name as string
dim weapon as string
dim strength as integer
 
 
enemy.hp = "25"
enemy.mp = "10"
enemy.name = "Slime"
enemy.weapon = "ooze"
enemy.strength = "5"

Nope. If you tried, you would have gotten an error. From MSDN:

Quote:

---

Enumeration variables are variables declared with an Enum type. Both variables and parameters can be declared with an Enum type. The elements of the Enum type are initialized to constant values within the Enum statement. The assigned values can't be modified atrun time and can include both positive and negative numbers. For example:

Enum SecurityLevel
IllegalEntry = -1
SecurityLevel1 = 0
SecurityLevel2 = 1
End Enum

An Enum statement can appear only atmodule level. Once the Enum type is defined, it can be used to declare variables, parameters, orprocedures returning its type. You can't qualify an Enum type name with a module name. Public Enum types in aclass module are not members of the class; however, they are written to thetype library. Enum types defined instandard modules aren’t written to type libraries. Public Enum types of the same name can't be defined in both standard modules and class modules, since they share the same name space. When two Enum types in different type libraries have the same name, but different elements, a reference to a variable of the type depends on which type library has higher priority in the References.

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so that means what?? i'm confused

You cannot use DIM in an enum. They are only for like info, like Play=1 and Stop = 2. Then you can refer to Play, and it gets returned as 1.

You need a class, and you need to instantiate an array of them to have more than one. Use the examples from above. That's the best way to do it.

i still dont get how to use them in a form

Take a look at Woka's class example:

one more quick question how would i get my arrays from a regular module.

Usually, I declare public arrays in a module

VB Code:

Dim MyArray() as String

and then in the form, redim it to give it a value

VB Code:

ReDim MyArray(4)

Then, any routine can assign or read values from MyArray()

can i like dim enemy(10) as string

enemy(0).name = "Slime"
enemy(0).hp = "25"