Wrox Press VB6 Win32 API Tutorial Introduction Karl Moore
When I sat at an expensive Advanced Visual Basic course last year, we were warned about the Application Programming Interface (API). Our coverage of the topic consisted merely of a "steer clear" notice. Hmmm, useful. So when the Wrox PR department offered a new Win32 API Tutorial for Visual Basic, I jumped at the chance to learn more about this mysterious subject. And I'm glad I did.
First of all, allow me to explain what this API thing is all about. All the acronym refers to is a set of Windows functions that you can access via, say, Visual Basic or C++.
For instance, suppose you copy a file in your Visual Basic application. To keep with the "Windows feel," it'd be great to display the standard 'Copying Files' progress box that appears when copying files in Explorer.
But how can you do it? Just add a few lines of code that tell Windows what to do. In geek-speak, you're calling an API function.
Aside from basic Windows functions, API also supports items such as encryption and text rotation, saving lines of complicated (or even impossible) code. Why reinvent the wheel? Use the API!
