Minimise VB 6.0 Application to Task Bar

Open a new standard project in vb 6.0

Then add a module named modPublic.bas in the project and add the following code in the module which are the public declaration and API call code:

Option Explicit

Public Declare Function Shell_NotifyIcon Lib "shell32" Alias "Shell_NotifyIconA" (ByVal dwMessage As Long, pnid As MinimiseIconData) As Boolean

'constants required by Shell_NotifyIcon API call:
Public Const NIM_ADD = &H0
Public Const NIM_MODIFY = &H1
Public Const NIM_DELETE = &H2
Public Const NIF_MESSAGE = &H1
Public Const NIF_ICON = &H2
Public Const NIF_TIP = &H4
Public Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200
Public Const WM_LBUTTONDOWN = &H201 'Button down
Public Const WM_LBUTTONUP = &H202 'Button up
Public Const WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK = &H203 'Double-click
Public Const WM_RBUTTONDOWN = &H204 'Button down
Public Const WM_RBUTTONUP = &H205 'Button up
Public Const WM_RBUTTONDBLCLK = &H206 'Double-click


Then add other module named modType for the public type declaration for the project. Add the following code in this module:

Public Type MinimiseIconData
cbSize As Long
hwnd As Long
uId As Long
uFlags As Long
uCallBackMessage As Long
hIcon As Long
szTip As String * 64
End Type

Then on the Form1 properties select the icon which you want to display when your application is minimised to the task bar.
Note: icon has the extention .ico

Add one command button on the form

Then in the Form1 code page add the following code:

Option Explicit

Private minIco As MinimiseIconData

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Unload Me
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
If App.PrevInstance Then

End
End If
With minIco

.cbSize = Len(minIco)
.hwnd = Me.hwnd
.uId = vbNull
.uFlags = NIF_ICON Or NIF_TIP Or NIF_MESSAGE
.uCallBackMessage = WM_MOUSEMOVE
.hIcon = Me.Icon ' <== You can change this to another icon
.szTip = "Double-click this icon to make the application visible" & vbNullChar ' <== You can change this also.

End With
Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_ADD, minIco
End Sub

Private Sub Form_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
Dim lngButtonAction As Long

lngButtonAction = X / Screen.TwipsPerPixelX

Select Case lngButtonAction

Case WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK
' Left mouse button has been double clicked
' If app is currently minimized ….
Me.WindowState = vbNormal
Me.Show
'If Me.WindowState = vbMinimized Then ' … then restore it to normal size
' Me.WindowState = vbNormal
' Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_DELETE, nid ' and remove the icon
'ElseIf Not Me.Visible Then ' Else, if the app is hidden …
' Me.Show ' then show the form again
' Me.WindowState = vbNormal
' Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_DELETE, nid ' and remove the icon
'End If

Case WM_LBUTTONDOWN
' You could put code in here to make something happen when
' left mouse button is single clicked on the icon

Case WM_RBUTTONDOWN
' You could put code in here to make something happen when
' right mouse button is single clicked on the icon

End Select

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
On Error Resume Next

If Me.WindowState = vbMinimized Then
Me.Hide
Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_ADD, minIco
Else ' otherwise don't show it
Me.Show
Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_DELETE, minIco ' ç This removes the icon
End If
End Sub


Private Sub Form_Terminate()
Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_DELETE, minIco
End Sub



The code to minimise the application to the taskbar is at the following link. Please click the following link to download and use the code: http://prateek.regmi.googlepages.com/minimise_App_To_Taskbar.rar

Read more!

Win API Timer in VB 6.0

If you need to execute the particular piece of code in certain duration in your vb 6.0 application without using the vb Timer control then this code sample will help you a lot.

This API call doesn't uses the unwanted cpu processor but it only executes the Function or a sub at a given time and closes the timer when ordered.

Fist in the module put the following code:

Public Declare Function SetTimer Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal nIDEvent As Long, ByVal uElapse As Long, ByVal lpTimerFunc As Long) As Long

Public Declare Function KillTimer Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal nIDEvent As Long) As Long



Public lngIden As Long

Public Function StartTimer()

lngIden = SetTimer(0, 0, 5000, AddressOf TimerCallback)

End Function

Public Function CloseTimer()

KillTimer 0, lngIden

End Function

Public Function TimerCallback(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal uMsg As Long, ByVal idEvent _
As Long, ByVal dwTime As Long) As Long

Dim lngRetVal As Long
lngRetVal = MsgBox("Hi its' me making a callback! Want me to prompt again?", _
vbExclamation + vbYesNo, "CallBack Functions")

If lngRetVal = vbNo Then
Call CloseTimer
End If

End Function

Now call the functions from the form

Private Sub Form_Load()
Call StartTimer
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
Call CloseTimer
End Sub



The Code sample can be downloaded and can be used from the following link below:

http://prateek.regmi.googlepages.com/WinApi_Timer.rar

If any comments or add ons on the code then please don't hesisate to comment on this blog.
Thanks

Read more!

Interface based programming in VB 6.0 ( Inheritance example)

Complete object oriented programming using interface in vb 6.0.

Full source code provided with the running application that shows how we can reuse our code in creating different instances and using the instances in different tasks to do. It completely explains how inheritance can be applied from vb 6.0 application. People might think full object orientation is not required in vb but if this concept can be taken in mind then we can use the full use of our code re use and can be helpful for those programmers who are targetting to go ahead in com or D- com programming.

The application also shows how to use API calls to play .wav sound from the vb Application. You can download and use the application from the following link provided.

http://prateek.regmi.googlepages.com/InterfacewithVB.rar

Read more!

Create chat program using WinSock in VB 6.0

How to use Winsock Component

How to create a chat program from vb


The you can Download the sample application from the link below :


http://prateek.regmi.googlepages.com/WinsockTest.rar

Read more!

Displaying all prime numbers below 100 in VB 6.0

Displaying all prime numbers below 100 in VB 6.0

Private Sub DisplayPrimeNumbers()

Dim Num As Long
Dim NN As Long
Dim IsPrime As Boolean

For Num = 2 To 100
IsPrime = True
For NN = 2 To Int(Num / 2)
If Num Mod NN = 0 Then
IsPrime = False
Exit For
End If
Next
If IsPrime Then
MsgBox CStr(Num) + " is a prime number!"
End If
Next

End Sub

Read more!