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Thread: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

  1. #121
    MS SQL Powerposter szlamany's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    In this picture we tell the story of an old MicroVAX 3100 full of PHI and stored in a hardware room!
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Hah if that table looks messy you don't want to see my actual office.

    Beautiful VAX you got there szlamany

  3. #123
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by Blueapples View Post
    Thanks for the kind words.

    Right now it is a basic action game but the editor *does* look like a strategy game, you've inspired me, I hadn't even realized I had done a lot of the work for a strategy game!

    Here's my most recent work environment, while on vacation I am not in my office.
    with the supervisor behind

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yokesee View Post
    with the supervisor behind
    That's right.

  5. #125

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Look after that uVax 3100 m96, it is fast becoming a collectors item. The peripherals too. That command line is as usable as it ever was. The PSU will need the large caps replacing before you turn it on next time. Remember that! The only problem we ever have with old Vaxes is turning it on after turning it off, the old filter caps don't handle the voltage spikes on startup and pass them onto the mobo.

    When you see chaps on youtube "just turning the old 'puters on to see if they work", it drives me nuts! Slow power up with a large rheostat after replacing any large capacity PSU caps is the only safe way to do it, monitoring the voltages at known points.

    When it is booted, expect entirely stable operation, uptime measured in years.

  6. #126
    Addicted Member jg.sa's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    [ s n i p ]
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    Last edited by jg.sa; Aug 9th, 2021 at 05:14 PM.

  7. #127
    Addicted Member jg.sa's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    Strangely enough, when we do virtualise a Vax the one thing that is often retained is the Operator's console in the form of VT220/420. As you know a Vax does not like having the console disconnected.
    How do you plug in a VTxxx to a VM ?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    I still have one of the DCL programs I wrote for controlling the flow of chocolate at Mars, it was named "Countdown", written in DCL, transpiled into BASIC or Fortran, I forget which, it controlled the chocolate output of 20 chocolate production lines.
    DCL that controls the flow of chocolate, now I know why I feel I have been missing out !!!

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    The others are all on TK50 and I ought to get them off while I still can.
    My wife talks about this all the time, why do I have boxes of backup media when I have no drive to mount them on

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    My DCL programming was highly BASIC in its style. Functional, not event nor object driven but for a while it did control a major factory making product for the world.
    Was OOPS invented when we were using DCL ?

    Mate this is g8 to have a reminisce but vbforum Admins. will probably ban us both for going on about VAXs, do you know any other 'forum' we can move over to all about VAXs and VMS ( a real OS ) ???

  8. #128

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    As long as you keep posting an image of your VB6 programs and finding some tenuous connection, then I am sure it will be alright. My VMS period was how I transitioned from 8bit BASIC on Sinclair ZX Spectrums and the like - as a boy-programmer, to more mature versions of BASIC. DCL was my stepping stone, giving me a more modern (at that time) 32bit platform for my coding and some real tasks for my code. OOP was around for decades before the 80s but DCL was largely a scripting language, though very capable so it wasn't designed for that sort of work.


    My first computer, a poor photo and a bit grubby but I still have it.

    A VT is plugged into a VM via dedicated serial port hardware or for long term usage without a VT, you can always use putty on a dedicated monitor. Serial port hardware is still available though server admins can have a veritable fit over a terminal in their computer room. How things have changed.

    My next VB6 side project that I can see coming back into my mind's eye is an old one that I used to use at the Mars chocolate factory. I created and used a command line tool called diary.com, a DCL program that used to record all system events into flat files based upon month, year, day &c and was so easy to use as an operator's daily system log, that I had multiple users within the factory. It allowed easy searching based upon data ranges and easy input of information. It was also a call logging system noting all user requests &c. Anything that happened in the system or to the system went into that program and was stored in flat files. Being command line it had no fancy interface so if I did recreate it, it would have to be a console program. I have no experience of creating console programs on Windows using VB6 so it may be a useful thing to learn. This is a useful detour...


    Chocolate!

    As a sitrep on my recent VB6 Dropbox chat program, I have added display of Emoji status and am now adding support for dropped images, PNG types included. PNG support is important for a chat program.

    [Edited for the zx80 & chocolate image]
    Last edited by yereverluvinuncleber; Jun 30th, 2021 at 04:26 AM. Reason: [Edited for the zx80 & chocolate image]

  9. #129

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Your software, once again, I say this to all software that I see here (and I mean it) is fascinating, especially your claim to have the world's only green software! That's a claim you might have to support with some more information... A unique claim in my opinion. Tell us more about that as that is a back story that is worth telling.

    Also, CREAM technologies? Hmmmm.

  10. #130
    Addicted Member jg.sa's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    [ s n i p ]
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    Last edited by jg.sa; Aug 9th, 2021 at 05:12 PM.

  11. #131
    Addicted Member jg.sa's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by jg.sa View Post
    u p d
    s

    n

    i

    p
    Last edited by jg.sa; Aug 10th, 2021 at 05:14 AM.

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    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by jg.sa View Post
    - Sends any file additions to Taskbar 'Jump Lists' as quad. encrypted and tokenized .sas files
    Up to now we only had compression mixed for encryption here and now this bombastic compressing-encrypting-tokenizor-parser is "reaching for the stars". . .

    cheers,
    </wqw>

  13. #133
    Addicted Member jg.sa's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    G'Day wqweto

    Thxs for the reply

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    compressing-encrypting-tokenizor-parser
    I didn't actually used the word 'compressing' or 'parser'

    We only use the tokenizor ( down under we actually spell it tokeniser ) when we need to store binary data in XML or .ini ( ASCII files ) as we never use the hive to store app settings.

    If you want really g8 security for your files you need to be thinking Stega this is how Gov's task up their spooks so it is above Military grade comms.

  14. #134
    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by jg.sa View Post
    I didn't actually used the word 'compressing' or 'parser'
    True!

    You just used "quad. encrypted" which must be like tripple DES with one more round :-))

    cheers,
    </wqw>

  15. #135
    PowerPoster ThEiMp's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Well it's better than Windows 9.00, then hey dudes
    I have a huge free products range, of computer software in which you can download using any kind of 64-Bit Web Browser. Also there is coming a Social Networking section that I am making on my Website...

    |Ambra Productions Inc. | The Black Sun Society | The Black Shield | Ambra College | Church of the Black Sun | Ambra Productions Inc's Homepage | Boomtick Event's Venues: Ambar Nightclub, Jack Rabbit Slim's, Villa Nightclub and Lucy's Bar | Pasta Ambra | Fish Feast Company | Wallet Wizard | Ambrose Liquor | Ambar Tavern | Ambra University |

    Do you wish to do unpaid work for me??? If so, the PM me on this Forum, and then we can get to work, programming for the future of computers go by the name of ThEiMp. This is my ghost writers name. Also my nickname, means that I am: The Imperial of the Technology Industry, so then to make it really short, I just then wrote: The Imp, which is where I get the nickname from...

  16. #136

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Getting to the end of my side project, all I need to do is to add PNG support (!) Ping responses, awake call and response, add quicksorting, emailing recipient on Dropbox error and I'm done! I'm using my tool now and it is intuitive to operate, fun and a bit mental. Dil. will hate it but that doesn't matter

    I have just added the ability to add custom texts to the predefined text buttons.



    Adding a new tab and a few extra controls I realise I may be approaching the 255 controls per form limit. Is there a more elegant way around this other than creating each tab as a separate form? This is one limitation I really would like RadBasic/TwinBasic to circumvent.

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    Adding a new tab and a few extra controls I realise I may be approaching the 255 controls per form limit. Is there a more elegant way around this other than creating each tab as a separate form? This is one limitation I really would like RadBasic/TwinBasic to circumvent.
    I ran into that for one of my applications that I wanted to keep as windows-less as possible. The solution would be to create control arrays.

    E.g. moving the 11 + buttons into an array, will reduce the control count with 10. Looking at the screenshot above, the 11 Labels, 11 combos, and 22 buttons within the Texts-frame could be reduced to 4 controls, while still keeping things logically.

    I've also used that approach to tidy up code. In your case if you keep the indexes of the controls that are related the same, you maybe could have one routine for all 11 + buttons, and one for all 11 - buttons.

  18. #138

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by Erwin69 View Post
    The solution would be to create control arrays.
    Absolutely and I agree, except my next task (side project no.99) is to create a .NET version and that of course requires it to be free of control arrays. I have learned from my cost in migrating another VB6 project to VB.NET that control arrays are the worst to be feared... (spoken in a pirate accent).

    As such I have avoided control arrays wherever possible, each and every separate control having its own name and number assigned as if I was coding like a baby and not a dyed-in-the-wool VB6-er.

  19. #139

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    I have another old project that I am scared of resurrecting that is made up entirely and only out of control arrays! It must be close to the limit too, like a massive spreadsheet, created before I knew that grid controls even existed. One of my first tools created in the late 90s using QB and upgraded through VB versions.

    I am scared to open it now as I will be seeing my old coding at its worst. It was the UI to the database I created for my mil. sim. wargaming project. All the data for every tank, vehicle and gun used in Normandy in 1944-45. The data collection was a massive task in itself, nowadays everyone seems to know a lot about tanks and AFVs but then it was an arcane subject and the gathering of the data was a feat, it cost me loads of cash in books!.

    I don't even know why I created my own database? Perhaps it was because databases were arcane and unknown to me in those early days, I cannot remember. Were databases easily cheap and available to VB back then or did we have to roll our own?



    So, if I am ever going to give these tools a future, it lies in ripping out all those control arrays and converting to VB.NET (or pray for RadBasic/TwinBasic). I would not have abandoned this development at all if VB6 had not been abandoned by MS, more light at the end of the tunnel means old half-finished projects such as these can be resurrected.

  20. #140
    PowerPoster ThEiMp's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    So last post sounds so cool
    I have a huge free products range, of computer software in which you can download using any kind of 64-Bit Web Browser. Also there is coming a Social Networking section that I am making on my Website...

    |Ambra Productions Inc. | The Black Sun Society | The Black Shield | Ambra College | Church of the Black Sun | Ambra Productions Inc's Homepage | Boomtick Event's Venues: Ambar Nightclub, Jack Rabbit Slim's, Villa Nightclub and Lucy's Bar | Pasta Ambra | Fish Feast Company | Wallet Wizard | Ambrose Liquor | Ambar Tavern | Ambra University |

    Do you wish to do unpaid work for me??? If so, the PM me on this Forum, and then we can get to work, programming for the future of computers go by the name of ThEiMp. This is my ghost writers name. Also my nickname, means that I am: The Imperial of the Technology Industry, so then to make it really short, I just then wrote: The Imp, which is where I get the nickname from...

  21. #141

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    I am working so slowly. It took me a full day to implement the clock in place of the fire button and it is midnight now.



    Mum has serious dementia and the house that we are living in dates from 1640-ish and needs continuous repair. The fact that I get anything done in VB6 pleases me.

    The clock face and surround are taken from one of my YWE widgets but the hands are coded as VB6 line objects and so the appearance is not quite as good as I'd like. Certainly not as good as the YWE version that can place transparent PNG images under the layer of glass. I decided not to go for the full stopwatch.

    This shows you what I could achieve under the old YWE engine easily enough using javascript:



    Then there was the Xwidget version written in Jscript.



    You can see that the VB6 version is definitely a downgrade compared to the originals. However, it is good enough for the moment.

    I know I need to start working with Olaf's RC5/RC6 which could probably accomplish that sort of feat with ease.

    Anyone else working on anything VB6 that is interesting?

    [Edit: Added original GIFs of the stopwatch]
    [Edit: Changed the FireCall image to show the updated clock with date and second windows]
    Last edited by yereverluvinuncleber; Jul 16th, 2021 at 09:40 AM. Reason: Changed the FireCall image to show the updated clock with date and second windows

  22. #142
    PowerPoster ThEiMp's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    still your app is quite advanced still, then so
    I have a huge free products range, of computer software in which you can download using any kind of 64-Bit Web Browser. Also there is coming a Social Networking section that I am making on my Website...

    |Ambra Productions Inc. | The Black Sun Society | The Black Shield | Ambra College | Church of the Black Sun | Ambra Productions Inc's Homepage | Boomtick Event's Venues: Ambar Nightclub, Jack Rabbit Slim's, Villa Nightclub and Lucy's Bar | Pasta Ambra | Fish Feast Company | Wallet Wizard | Ambrose Liquor | Ambar Tavern | Ambra University |

    Do you wish to do unpaid work for me??? If so, the PM me on this Forum, and then we can get to work, programming for the future of computers go by the name of ThEiMp. This is my ghost writers name. Also my nickname, means that I am: The Imperial of the Technology Industry, so then to make it really short, I just then wrote: The Imp, which is where I get the nickname from...

  23. #143
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    I am working so slowly. It took me a full day to implement the clock in place of the fire button and it is midnight now.
    Reading that made me think of the Napoleon Dynamite quote:

    "It took me like three hours to finish the shading on your upper lip."

    Looks good.

  24. #144
    PowerPoster ThEiMp's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by OptionBase1 View Post
    "It took me like three hours to finish the shading on your upper lip."
    I don't follow you, there or so, hey dude???
    I have a huge free products range, of computer software in which you can download using any kind of 64-Bit Web Browser. Also there is coming a Social Networking section that I am making on my Website...

    |Ambra Productions Inc. | The Black Sun Society | The Black Shield | Ambra College | Church of the Black Sun | Ambra Productions Inc's Homepage | Boomtick Event's Venues: Ambar Nightclub, Jack Rabbit Slim's, Villa Nightclub and Lucy's Bar | Pasta Ambra | Fish Feast Company | Wallet Wizard | Ambrose Liquor | Ambar Tavern | Ambra University |

    Do you wish to do unpaid work for me??? If so, the PM me on this Forum, and then we can get to work, programming for the future of computers go by the name of ThEiMp. This is my ghost writers name. Also my nickname, means that I am: The Imperial of the Technology Industry, so then to make it really short, I just then wrote: The Imp, which is where I get the nickname from...

  25. #145
    Addicted Member jg.sa's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    [ s n i p ]
    Last edited by jg.sa; Aug 9th, 2021 at 04:44 PM.

  26. #146

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by jg.sa View Post
    G'Day DM

    Now that I have a little free time and out of lockdown, I want to get back to an old project
    Not kicking you off the thread but as you are asking specific questions on a subject that is likely to need a series its own questions/answers I suggest you create a new thread entirely and not post the questions/answers here (interesting though it is). Thanks in advance.
    https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

    Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.

    By the power invested in me, all the threads I start are battle free zones - no arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign.

  27. #147
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    It's not a current project since I don't do any new stuff in VB6 but this was my last VB6 project:-



    Note about video:
    I spent the first few minutes showing the code just to give a sense of the project's size and what's in it. You can skip to 5:38 for an actual demonstration.

    This was one of the projects I used to basically learn and practice GDI back in 2009. I just got a bit carried away and it turned into this. I cringe when I look at the source code today. God I was so green. It was the last thing large code base I wrote in VB6. It's actually incomplete as I wanted to do a lot of things with it. It was around this time I was getting into VB.Net and after using it for a while, it just became too painful to go back to VB6. I kept missing all the new stuff I was using in VB.Net and I loathe having to go back into VB6 and do without them. Eventually it became too much and I just abandoned it. I eventually re-wrote it in VB.Net but this VB6 version is still more advanced as it has sound, music and quite a few more special effects.
    Treeview with NodeAdded/NodesRemoved events | BlinkLabel control | Calculate Permutations | Object Enums | ComboBox with centered items | .Net Internals article(not mine) | Wizard Control | Understanding Multi-Threading | Simple file compression | Demon Arena

    Copy/move files using Windows Shell | I'm not wanted

    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  28. #148
    Fanatic Member Episcopal's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Niya ... I didn't know you were a genius.

  29. #149
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Genius? lol....that code is trash. Any seasoned programmer would vomit if they saw how badly designed and implemented that project was. I cringed when I read that code today. I can't believe I was that bad lol...

    Not saying I'm super good today but I am at least 10x better today than I was then....
    Treeview with NodeAdded/NodesRemoved events | BlinkLabel control | Calculate Permutations | Object Enums | ComboBox with centered items | .Net Internals article(not mine) | Wizard Control | Understanding Multi-Threading | Simple file compression | Demon Arena

    Copy/move files using Windows Shell | I'm not wanted

    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  30. #150
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    I have another old project that I am scared of resurrecting that is made up entirely and only out of control arrays! It must be close to the limit too, like a massive spreadsheet, created before I knew that grid controls even existed. One of my first tools created in the late 90s using QB and upgraded through VB versions.
    The optimization is good, and the text box control array only needs dozens of lines of code. The database can be in EXCEL or CSV format, or only in INI file or Notepad format.

  31. #151

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by Niya View Post
    ...this was my last VB6 project
    Yes Niya, I remember seeing it within the last few years somewhere and also attempting to run it. It appeared at the time to be from the mind of someone slightly crazy. Now I can put two and two together and see that my initial assumption may have been correct!

    It is a fascinating tool though I am sure running that demo would drive me mad too, quite soon.

    You have been given a temporary passport to my thread which allows you to comment as long as you keep the .NET/VB6 comparison (and which is better) to a minimum. This is a VB6 zone.

    Thankyou for your comment!

    PS. What you perceive as your rubbish code is probably the standard that many of us would like to achieve. I for one believe that the end result is often more important than well structured, well designed code. Especially when that person is a creative type and not necessarily a more logical type that comprise a typical programmer.

    Code doesn't easily lead itself to expression and good code doesn't always make a fun nor usable program.
    Last edited by yereverluvinuncleber; Aug 10th, 2021 at 07:04 AM.
    https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

    Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.

    By the power invested in me, all the threads I start are battle free zones - no arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign.

  32. #152
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    It appeared at the time to be from the mind of someone slightly crazy. Now I can put two and two together and see that my initial assumption may have been correct!
    Man, I didn't have any real regard for any principles of proper design, I just wanted the damn thing to work. It's a thing I'm still trying to get a grasp on today but I'm much better at. But back then...oh boy. While I was recording that video, I came across a bubble sort......A BUBBLE SORT! What the hell was I thinking! Why in God's name didn't I just look up a good quicksort algorithm lol....I'm pretty sure even then I knew that bubble sorts were terrible.
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    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  33. #153
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    PS. What you perceive as your rubbish code is probably the standard that many of us would like to achieve. I for one believe that the end result is often more important than well structured, well designed code. Especially when that person is a creative type and not necessarily a more logical type that comprise a typical programmer.

    Code doesn't easily lead itself to expression and good code doesn't always make a fun nor usable program.
    Thx for the compliment and don't get me wrong, I'm proud of my achievement. I designed and implemented a 2D engine with no prior knowledge on the subject. Everything in that program is stuff I figured out on my own without any help. I had to work out how to do all of the physics myself. Acceleration, deceleration, aiming, movement etc.

    But when I look at the code through my eyes today, I see sooooo many mistakes and things I just did wrong. It hurts my soul to see how little I knew. I guess the harshest critic anyone can have is themselves. I could have designed this soo much better.
    Last edited by Niya; Aug 10th, 2021 at 07:15 AM.
    Treeview with NodeAdded/NodesRemoved events | BlinkLabel control | Calculate Permutations | Object Enums | ComboBox with centered items | .Net Internals article(not mine) | Wizard Control | Understanding Multi-Threading | Simple file compression | Demon Arena

    Copy/move files using Windows Shell | I'm not wanted

    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  34. #154
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    Yes Niya, I remember seeing it within the last few years somewhere and also attempting to run it.
    Oh yea you did. Someone commented about the source on YouTube and I remembered that I actually released it so I went to find it. I found it here. You were in that thread asking me about it.

    I think I must have missed your last post in that thread as I didn't respond. My apologies for that. I usually try to answer question people ask me so for that to go unanswered means I most likely didn't see it. Donno what happened there.

    Anyways, I know it's about 3 years too late but I'll answer it still. You asked:-
    The screensaver worked without effort but the game does not start. Not yet tried to fix it. I enjoyed what it did and how. It is worth resurrecting. I will use it as a guide for some work that I am attempting.
    Turning it into a game was one of the things I was working on when I transitioned to VB.Net so it remained unfinished. If I remembered correctly, that project was still in a bit of disarray so I'm not surprised it doesn't work. But even then, I think I only got as far as implementing the ability to control the creatures with mouse clicks similarly to a MOBA or RPG game. I would have loved to help you with this at the time, but to be honest, I can't remember how most of it works anymore. However, I could have tried to explain some of the principles behind it's inner workings so you could have at least made a solid attempt to implement your own. Even though I don't understand that code anymore, I still retain the knowledge to make something like that if I wanted to. I don't remember every single detail but you never really forget the important stuff.

    Again, sorry for not answering your question.
    Treeview with NodeAdded/NodesRemoved events | BlinkLabel control | Calculate Permutations | Object Enums | ComboBox with centered items | .Net Internals article(not mine) | Wizard Control | Understanding Multi-Threading | Simple file compression | Demon Arena

    Copy/move files using Windows Shell | I'm not wanted

    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  35. #155

    Thread Starter
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by Niya View Post
    Again, sorry for not answering your question.
    It's OK. I was at that time looking for some guidance and some examples of VB6 GDI and GDI+ to help me understand what I needed to do to create my Rocketdock replacement dock now known as SteamyDock. I have largely written that VB6 utility now and I think I did have a look at your code so that I would be less scared of GDI when I attempted to do my own thing. I didn't get further than just looking at it.

    My two or three projects underway are taking all of my very, very limited spare time and although it has taken me three years, this is actually a short time when creating entirely from scratch with zero knowledge. Taking on any other project at the moment would kill me.

    My current side project is nearing completion.



    Here it is shown in single chat window mode, the data from the two source, sorted using a quicksort! Once this is complete, I need to place a proper GDI+ clock on that form and have proper solid hands rotating and displaying a shadow... Can I do it? I am unsure but it it is my aim.

    Other than that I could add AES encryption by shoe-horning in Wqweto's code and that would provide end to end encryption rather than the point to point encryption currently provided.

    My progress is slow but steady and most importantly, I teach myself those things that I desire and the aim is what I want. I do aim to convert it to .NET afterwards.
    https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

    Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.

    By the power invested in me, all the threads I start are battle free zones - no arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign.

  36. #156
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    It's OK. I was at that time looking for some guidance and some examples of VB6 GDI and GDI+ to help me understand what I needed to do to create my Rocketdock replacement dock now known as SteamyDock. I have largely written that VB6 utility now and I think I did have a look at your code so that I would be less scared of GDI when I attempted to do my own thing. I didn't get further than just looking at it.
    Yea I could have helped you with this. GDI is actually not that hard in principle. It's just very verbose. Lots of APIs with lots of parameters and a lot of book keeping like remember to free objects etc. GDI only looks intimidating because of it's verbosity but what the main functions actually do are very simple. At it's core what GDI is doing most of the time is painting an hBitmap object into a Device Context. A Device Context is just a fancy way of saying canvas or background. That's basically what you do 80% of the time with GDI.

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    My current side project is nearing completion.

    That looks nice. Good job.

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    Once this is complete, I need to place a proper GDI+ clock on that form and have proper solid hands rotating and displaying a shadow... Can I do it? I am unsure but it it is my aim.
    Sure you can. Off the top of my head I can think of a couple ways to approach this. The easiest approach would involve pure raster operations like bliting and blending only. You use a static clock image without hands as a background. Then you get separate images of both the long and short hands. Each hand would have multiple images with hand in different positions. Which hands you draw would depend on the time you want the clock to show.

    A slightly better way to do this would be to have only one image of each hand. One for the long hand and one with the short hand. You can then perform a rotate transformation on these images to position the hands in whatever position you need them to be.

    As for the shadows. I'm thinking you can create some kind of mask from the images of the hands. The hand itself in this mask could be pure black pixels with non-zero alpha values. The mask would also have those black pixels surrounded by background of fully transparent pixels, that is to say, their alpha would be 0. Now you paint this mask onto the clock background such that the alpha values would be honored and it should darken the background where the non-zero alpha parts of the mask was rendered. You then draw the hand on top of this. Of course when you draw the mask, you would have to offset it slightly from where you're going to draw the hand depending on where you want to shadow to fall relative to the hand.

    Yea, this is definitely doable and I think you have the capability based on what I've seen from you so far.
    Treeview with NodeAdded/NodesRemoved events | BlinkLabel control | Calculate Permutations | Object Enums | ComboBox with centered items | .Net Internals article(not mine) | Wizard Control | Understanding Multi-Threading | Simple file compression | Demon Arena

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    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  37. #157

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Quote Originally Posted by Niya View Post

    A slightly better way to do this would be to have only one image of each hand. One for the long hand and one with the short hand. You can then perform a rotate transformation on these images to position the hands in whatever position you need them to be.

    As for the shadows. I'm thinking you can create some kind of mask from the images of the hands. The hand itself in this mask could be pure black pixels with non-zero alpha values. The mask would also have those black pixels surrounded by background of fully transparent pixels, that is to say, their alpha would be 0. Now you paint this mask onto the clock background such that the alpha values would be honored and it should darken the background where the non-zero alpha parts of the mask was rendered. You then draw the hand on top of this. Of course when you draw the mask, you would have to offset it slightly from where you're going to draw the hand depending on where you want to shadow to fall relative to the hand.
    Yes, this would be my approach, roughly what I did in the YWE versions shown earlier in the thread. It'll be a little more painful to implement with GDI+ but I have an approach and I just want to see it through.

    An idea to completion and some learning on the way.
    https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

    Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.

    By the power invested in me, all the threads I start are battle free zones - no arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign.

  38. #158
    Angel of Code Niya's Avatar
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Ah well. Have at it and good luck.
    Treeview with NodeAdded/NodesRemoved events | BlinkLabel control | Calculate Permutations | Object Enums | ComboBox with centered items | .Net Internals article(not mine) | Wizard Control | Understanding Multi-Threading | Simple file compression | Demon Arena

    Copy/move files using Windows Shell | I'm not wanted

    C++ programmers will dismiss you as a cretinous simpleton for your inability to keep track of pointers chained 6 levels deep and Java programmers will pillory you for buying into the evils of Microsoft. Meanwhile C# programmers will get paid just a little bit more than you for writing exactly the same code and VB6 programmers will continue to whitter on about "footprints". - FunkyDexter

    There's just no reason to use garbage like InputBox. - jmcilhinney

    The threads I start are Niya and Olaf free zones. No arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign. - yereverluvinuncleber

  39. #159
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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    : )+<
    I have a huge free products range, of computer software in which you can download using any kind of 64-Bit Web Browser. Also there is coming a Social Networking section that I am making on my Website...

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    Do you wish to do unpaid work for me??? If so, the PM me on this Forum, and then we can get to work, programming for the future of computers go by the name of ThEiMp. This is my ghost writers name. Also my nickname, means that I am: The Imperial of the Technology Industry, so then to make it really short, I just then wrote: The Imp, which is where I get the nickname from...

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    Re: Getting the ball rolling. Which VB6 projects are you working on?

    Getting toward the almost-END of my side project, the one that was meant to be a quick diversion, that ended up taking three months to (largely) complete.

    So far, it has taught or refreshed me in the following:

    o Usage of the Win API, isValidURL.
    o VB6 listbox limitations - setting individual colours of lines is not possible
    updating all fields in a listbox is slow.
    o Using a WINAPI LockWindowUpdate to lock a listbox control during an poll preventing flicker.
    o Adding horizontal scrollbars to a listbox using API.
    o The difference between UNIX type EOL or a Windows EOL and input i/o inability to recognise and handle unix CrLf.
    o Using Scripting.FileSystemObject FSO to open and read files allowing handling of unix style EOL CrLf.
    o Multiplying two real constants, 65 and 1000, causes an overflow, VB6 handling the two numbers internally as integers as they are both below 32768 when VB6 encounters them.
    o Use of the clipboard in VB6.
    o Copying folders using Win APIs <
    o Using shape controls and rotating them in code using COS, SIN
    o Resizing images using scaleX, vbHimetric, pBox.ScaleMode
    o Timer semi-independence of the main routine, partial in-process threading?
    o VB6 timers have lowest priority and will compete badly with any code operating in the main UI thread.
    o Initiating timers in code using SetTimer, KillTimer exceeding the VB6 time limit of 65355 ms
    o Use of callback routines, asynch in nature, running in a separate thread
    o Callback timers are therefore aynchronous in nature and run at a higher priority than VB6 timers.
    o callback timers have no marshalling and may have limit to their functionality as they run in a separate context.
    o Use of .tag as a quick and dirty way to pass single params to timers.
    o Using VB6 collections as a message queuing system
    o Creating timestamps unixTimeInSecs DateDiff("s", "1/1/1970")
    o Use of the GetTimeZoneInformation API
    o Use of the getlastinputinfo API and tickcount to determine last user interaction.
    o Quicksorting arrays.
    o Passing multiple parameters using a ParamArray
    o Use of Rubberduck to tidy my code.
    o use of instrRev in place of my usual lastIndexOf


    I had experience of the some of the above previously but my little side project has just allowed me to dabble a little deeper and refresh some of that lost or rusty knowledge. I wrote that list to show how even a side project can improve one's knowledge and now I am rather pleased I set out on it.

    I am about to enable email support and tackle that GDI+ clock, then create a manifest, tidying up of the Help, some testing on different versions of Windows and it is done and dusted, another month at my current snail's pace!
    Last edited by yereverluvinuncleber; Sep 7th, 2021 at 05:30 PM. Reason: Added callback multithreading, collections
    https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

    Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.

    By the power invested in me, all the threads I start are battle free zones - no arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign.

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