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I guess I should´ve mentioned I´m using VB6, but anyway that second ref seems pretty damn good. 10x a million, Dave!
Pablo.Ar
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I'm working on a note control. I have some pop up windows by doing .showdialog. Is there anyway I can do if I close the parent form, all the popup(child forms) will close as well? Thank
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If you call ShowDialog() with the parameter filled in, your Dialog will have a parent. If the Dialog form has a parent, if the parent gets closed, the dialogs will also close. It's simple enough to do, just tell ShowDialog which form is the parent form, usually "Me":
Dim myDialog As New DialogForm2
myDialog.ShowDialog(Me)
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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Hi,
Thank you all for ur answers.I tried working it out but there still is some problem.I tried the dllimport method but i still have an error saying that the entry point has not been found.this was using salford fortran .i was just wondering if all fortran compilers are compatible with .net platform.when i used the intel fortran 8.0 compiler i was not able to reference the fortran dll as well.the error was that it is not a valid dll or com object.i guess it cudnt recognise the dll.is there anything i can do to get it right??
the dllimport code i used was
_
Public Shared Sub xyz(ByRef x As Integer)
End Sub
call xyz(x)
and in the fotran dll i wrote the following
subroutine Dll2(x)
x=x+1
! Expose subroutine Dll2 to users of this DLL
!
!DEC$ ATTRIBUTES DLLEXPORT::Dll2
!MS$ATTRIBUTES REFERENCE :: x
end subroutine Dll2
this is just an example i was trying to get right.
i need to get it right soon.
thank u for ur help
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It would appear that the .DLL is in a custom format that is not usuable outside the salford fortran runtime. There is nothing you can do to get it in the correct format, other than rewriting the code using the Intel FORTRAN compiler and having it create the .DLL in a standard format.
I don't know this for sure, it's what I suspect...
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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You should check Salfords Site:
http://www.salfordsoftware.co.uk/kb/SKB146
Calling routines in object files/DLLs created by other compilers
This applies to:
Salford C/C++ DBOS
Salford C/C++ Win32
Salford FTN77 DBOS
Salford FTN77 Win32
Salford FTN90 DBOS
Salford FTN90 Win32
Salford FTN95 DBOS
Salford FTN95 for Visual Studio .NET
Salford FTN95 Win32
Question
Is it possible to call routines in object files/DLLs created by other compilers?
Answer
Yes using C_EXTERNAL or STDCALL. See the Mixed Language Programming section in the User Guide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED ON AN AS-IS BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. PROVIDER SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL PROVIDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF PROVIDER HAS BEEN ADVISED BY USER OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH POTENTIAL LOSS OR DAMAGE. USER AGREES TO HOLD PROVIDER HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES, LIABILITIES AND EXPENSES.
Document ID: SKB0146
Published on: 12 Feb 2004
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And Here:
Calling a Salford FTN95 DLL from Microsoft Visual Basic
This applies to:
Salford FTN95 Win32
Summary
Calling routines in a dynamic link library created with Salford FTN95 from a Microsoft Visual Basic application.
Solution
An FTN95 DLL that is called by an executable that uses the STDCALL calling convention (e.g. one created using Win32 Visual Basic) must use F_STDCALL in the declaration of all exported subprograms. For example,
F_STDCALL FUNCTION F(X)
INTEGER F,X
F=X
END
Such a function could make calls to Windows API functions provided an interface is provided via, for example, "USE MSWIN" or "INCLUDE <windows.ins>". Alternatively an interface for each API function can be given explicitly. For example,
STDCALL SENDMESSAGE 'SendMessageA' (VAL,VAL,VAL,VAL):INTEGER*4
A call is automatically made to a DLL function called LIBMAIN when the DLL is loaded. If you do not provide a definition of LIBMAIN then SLINK will provide a default for you. LIBMAIN is used to initialise global data. It takes the following form.
F_STDCALL INTEGER FUNCTION LIBMAIN(hInst,ul,lpR)
INTEGER hInst,ul,lpR
!***** Initialise global data here
LIBMAIN=1
END
A simple SLINK script would take the form:
dll
lo f95.obj
exportall
file c:\windows\f95.dll
A Visual Basic program can use calls to the API functions LoadLibrary and FreeLibrary in order to ensure that the DLL does not unload whilst a Visual Basic form is loaded. Here is some sample code for this purpose.
Private Declare Function LoadLibrary Lib "kernel32" Alias "LoadLibraryA" (ByVal s As String) As Long
Private Declare Function FreeLibrary Lib "kernel32" (h As Long) As Long
Dim hLibModule As Long
Private Sub Form_Load()
hLibModule = LoadLibrary("f95.dll")
End Sub
Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
i& = FreeLibrary(hLibModule)
End Sub
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED ON AN AS-IS BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. PROVIDER SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL PROVIDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF PROVIDER HAS BEEN ADVISED BY USER OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH POTENTIAL LOSS OR DAMAGE. USER AGREES TO HOLD PROVIDER HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, LOSSES, LIABILITIES AND EXPENSES.
Document ID: SKB0169
Published on: 19 Feb 2004
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I have been struggling with several of the winmm.dll API's. One of them is the waveOutGetDevCaps function. The arguments aren't complicated but despite every attempt I can't get it to work properly. I have tried searching for on-line documentation and there are multitudes of them but they all use the function passing the same parameters receiving the same successful results. I can't figure this out. Can anyone help me with this.
<snippet of="" code="">
Public Const MAXPNAMELEN = 32
Public Structure WAVEOUTCAPS
Dim wMid As Short
Dim wPid As Short
Dim vDriverVersion As Integer
Dim szPname As String
Dim dwFormats As Integer
Dim wChannels As Short
Dim dwSupport As Integer
End Structure
Public Declare Function waveOutGetDevCaps Lib "winmm.dll" Alias "waveOutGetDevCapsA"
(ByVal uDeviceID As Integer, _
ByRef lpCaps As WAVEOUTCAPS, ByVal uSize As Integer) As Integer
Dim caps As New WAVEOUTCAPS
Dim dev, hWaveOut, hwnd As Integer
Dim buffer As String = (MAXPNAMELEN)
dev = waveOutGetDevCaps(0, caps, Len(caps))
'the string value produced here is evaluated as null as well as any of the other members which produce 0. I have tried switching the ByRef and ByVal keywords around but this hasn't proven to be a resolution.
txtCaps.Text = "Channels = " & caps.szPname
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks! 
"For God so loved the world...." John 3:16
I only have one boss, J.C.
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What does dev contain when the function returns? The results your getting would suggest that one or more parameters that your passing in are incorrect. Also, we're missing the code that defines the structure WAVEOUTCAPS. It would appear that an attribute is missing that properly defines the structure so it can be marshalled correctly.
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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dev returns a value of 0 which from my understanding would indicate that there wasn't a problem passing the function. As documented per MSDN as
Public Const MMSYSERR_NOERROR = 0
However, the value can also be 0 if the last parameter passed which would be evaluated as the size of the WAVEOUTCAPS structure, is determined to be zero as well, then nothing would be copied and the function returns zero also.
So I am uncertain if the 0 value means success or a bad pass of a parameter.
As for the missing attribute, what would that be and where is it documented? Microsoft isn't making it obvious.
Thanks
"For God so loved the world...." John 3:16
I only have one boss, J.C.
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<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)>
This is why I asked for the code that declared the structure. This line makes sure that the structure members get packed together, in memory, in the order that they are declared and, if you follow the Win32 API documentation, the order that the API expects them in.
Without this line, the memory image of the structure can be anything in managed memory. This means that the structure can be moved at any time and can even be spread out and fragmented over a much larger block of memory.
Putting the LayoutKind.Sequential attribute in there makes sure that the structure is arranged in memory properly. ALL structure definitions being marshalled to the API require this attribute, otherwise you'll run into problems like the one you had with this one, and/or you can run into intermittant problems that you just can't figure out why it worked one time and not another...
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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Okay Dave,
This is a very useful piece of information that I was previously unaware of and I now understand what you meant with your previous inquiry concerning the structure. This was apparently a new requirement for the .NET framework since I don't recall such a requirement under VB6 for structures or what was then termed as "types".
I also noticed the additional line of code that was:
MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst:=MAXPNAMELEN)
Seemingly this is the only way to allocate the string buffer within the structure for the returned value in VB.NET that would be the equivalent for VB6 as:
szPname As String * 32
What about the structure members after the "MashalAs" parameter specified for the string member? Will they require anything additional to ensure that the returned values are properly packed in memory before a return also or does the StructLayout parameter apply for the entire structure as I would assume.
Thanks Dave 
"For God so loved the world...." John 3:16
I only have one boss, J.C.
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The primitive types after the String, and MarshalAs, are known types with fixed sizes and are automatically Marshaled as the proper types. Typically, the only thing you have to watch out for is the structure member packing, which by default is on 8-byte boundries. Sometimes you'll com acrossed a structure where you have to specify a smaller pack size, typically 4.
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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mivey4 wrote:
As for the missing attribute, what would that be and where is it documented? Microsoft isn't making it obvious.
Your actually just scratching the surface of a very BIG topic, call Interop. The documentation starts here[^] with Interoperating with Managed Code. It assumes you already know how the functions your calling work and what their requirements are, like for WaveOutGetDevCaps.
RageInTheMachine9532
"...a pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" -- The Roaming Gnome
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mivey4, try this:
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code removed here"
Public Const MAXPNAMELEN = 32
<structlayout(layoutkind.sequential, charset:="CharSet.Auto)"> _
Structure WAVEOUTCAPS
Public wMid As Short
Public wPid As Short
Public vDriverVersion As Integer
<marshalas(unmanagedtype.byvaltstr, sizeconst:="MAXPNAMELEN)"> _
Public szPname As String
Public dwFormats As Integer
Public wChannel As Short
Public wReserved1 As Short
Public dwSupport As Integer
End Structure
Declare Auto Function waveOutGetDevCaps Lib "winmm.dll" _
(ByVal uDeviceID As Integer, _
ByRef lpCaps As WAVEOUTCAPS, _
ByVal uSize As Integer) As Integer
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Dim caps As New WAVEOUTCAPS
Dim dev, hWaveOut, hwnd As Integer
Dim buffer As String = (MAXPNAMELEN)
dev = waveOutGetDevCaps(0, caps, Len(caps))
TextBox1.Text = "Device = " & caps.szPname
TextBox2.Text = "Driver Version = " & caps.vDriverVersion
TextBox3.Text = "Channel = " & caps.wChannel
End Sub
End Class
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sorry, CP messed up the struct:
<StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
Structure WAVEOUTCAPS
Public wMid As Short
Public wPid As Short
Public vDriverVersion As Integer
<MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst:=MAXPNAMELEN)> _
Public szPname As String
Public dwFormats As Integer
Public wChannel As Short
Public wReserved1 As Short
Public dwSupport As Integer
End Structure
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Okay! That nipped the problem in the bud.
Now for enlightenment for the initial issue. The additional lines of code that obviously made all the difference between success and failure were:
a. Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
b. StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)
c. MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.ByValTStr, SizeConst:=MAXPNAMELEN)
Why must these additional parameters be set in order for the API function to properly work but there isn't any direct or immediately obvious documentation for it? I have used other API structures and passed them receiving the expected results without addition of these parameters. Are there any resources available for VB.NET programmers that provide a good sound source of information for implementing API calls?
My apologies for the oversight of an additional member of the WAVEOUTCAPS structure that was mentioned earlier to me.
----> Public wReserved1 As Short
I use an API Generator utility to generate the Declarations and constants and apparently this additional member wasn't added until after the release of the utility. But I do realize the importance of providing the API calls with everything they expect or there will be problems.
Thanks 
"For God so loved the world...." John 3:16
I only have one boss, J.C.
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Here is is a reference:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vbcn7/html/vaconStructuresAndClasses.asp
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And Here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpref/html/frlrfSystemRuntimeInteropServicesStructLayoutAttributeClassTopic.asp
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Last one:
I like MSDN but it is hard to get around until you get used to it.
Microsoft Win32 to Microsoft .NET Framework API Map
Microsoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual Studio User Education Teams
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dndotnet/html/win32map.asp
I hope all this help's but I gotta go back to work.
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Thanks Anonymous,
All the references will most definitely be invaluable bookmarks that will more carefully review. I appreciate all the help and thanks for taking time to provide the assistance.
"For God so loved the world...." John 3:16
I only have one boss, J.C.
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Hello all,
First post here and I'll start by saying that, while I've done a few basic VB projects, I am very much a newbie to VB. Anyway, I need to write a VB app that is called from an HMI application and will bring a second application, already running, to the foreground. Once this occurs, the VB form needs to stay on top of this second application allowing a button for switching back to the original HMI. When this "return button" is pressed, the form/VB app should exit/quit/unload(?).
I have experimenting with the AppActivate command, but there seems to be problems with it performing everytime.
Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated!
Walt Hucks
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Try this API code:
-------- 8< paste on a module 8< ------------------------------------------
Private Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Long, ByVal x As Long, y, ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long
Private Const HWND_TOPMOST = -1
Private Const HWND_NOTOPMOST = -2
Private Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
Private Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
Private Const TOPMOST_FLAGS = SWP_NOMOVE Or SWP_NOSIZE
Public Sub MakeNormal(hwnd As Long)
SetWindowPos hwnd, HWND_NOTOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, TOPMOST_FLAGS
End Sub
Public Sub MakeTopMost(hwnd As Long)
SetWindowPos hwnd, HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, TOPMOST_FLAGS
End Sub
-------- 8< paste on a module 8< ------------------------------------------
now, whenever you need it, call MakeTopMost(frmMain.hWnd), and if you need to 'free' the window, not being 'Always on top' anymore, call
MakeNormal(frmMain.hWnd), that´s it!
btw, if you close the app, and you never free-ed the window, nothing happens, in case you are wondering... 
Pablo.Ar
PS: I got this code from someone else, of course. Glad to have a chance to pass it along.
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Thanks much for the info! The question I have now though is, where can I find the hwnd for the two different applications? In other words, I assume that you have to reference the handle of the application that you wish to place on top. If I don't have access to the source code, how do I find out what this handle is?
Thanks again for your help!
Walt Hucks
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Never mind my reply to your post... I guess that you meant for that code to be used for my VB form and not necessarily the other two applications that I'm switching between.
But now I would like to know what is the proper way to terminate my VB form/application. The event prompting the closure would be another button click that returns the VB form to "Normal" (or not on top all the time), switches to another application and then closes.
Once again, I appreciate all help.
Walt Hucks
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