If you haven’t switched to DCOM yet, and still use Remote OLE Automation, you must launch the Automation Manager program on the server machine, in order to let the server

This is an evergreen, but it’s still popular. It is very easy to create a window that always stays on top of the others, thanks to the SetWindowPos API function.

We all know to keep the sa password secret and to share it with as few people as necessary. However, users see no problem with registering their server in Enterprise

The const qualifier guarantees that the value of an object cannot be changed directly by the program. However, it may be altered asynchronously–that is, by a way unknown to the

You may already know how to replace the default gray form submit button with an image (see Tip “Replace Form Buttons With Images”), but do you know how to replace

The default behavior for a java.awt.TextArea is to scroll the text you enter to the left once the length of the line of text exceeds the displayable area. When this

When you need to process each character in a string, you can assign the string to a byte array and iterate on its elements (remember: each Unicode character corresponds to

Sometimes you want to know if the desktop is in Active Desktop mode-for example, to set an HTML wallpaper. I couldn’t find a function to accomplish this, but this hack

At times, you might want to retrieve the current system font settings, such as the font being used for window title bars, or the menu or message box font. You

When using bound controls, data is updated automatically when you Move to a different record. Data is not updated when you close the form. To ensure that data is saved

When debugging Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) problems, it can be difficult to locate the source of errors. However, one facility that can be used to accomplish this is the logging/tracing

Let’s face it–the default gray buttons that come with all browsers to go along with HTML forms are not very attractive. If you have a good look and feel going

Templates can have static data members. A definition for a static data member can appear in a namespace scope enclosing the definition of the class template that contains the static

Identifying and solving connectivity problems is a frustrating process. Here are some hints to make your life easier. First, verify that you can connect to your server outside of SQL

Use this code to determine whether NT is running on its screen saver desktop. NT5 has an SPI function, but this code should work on any NT version: Private Declare

You might occasionally need to execute a group of statements with different and unrelated values of a variable. For example, say you need to verify that a number isn’t a

Most standard controls send WM_CTLCOLORXXXXX messages to their parent when they’re about to draw themselves. VB normally handles these messages and responds appropriately with the ForeColor and BackColor properties that

Question: I often get disconnected for no apparent reason after being online for only ten minutes or so. Is this a normal occurrence? Answer: The reasons for being disconnected can

Question: What is the best software package available for the intermediate programmer to develop Web pages? I have never created a Web page before, but I have about 20 years

Question: I’m designing a new rollover for my menu frame. I have five graphics, and I want them to change colors when the user mouses over them. Also, how do

It’s often the case that you’ll use some derived value in the test section of a for loop. Many times this value will not be changed during the loop, such

Many Web site managers prefer all site visitors to enter their site through the front page. The front page may contain site usage information that all users should see, or

Your database is useless if your clients can’t connect to it. However, keeping all the DLLs necessary in sync with each other has always been a complicated task. Microsoft has

Every STL container uses an allocator that encapsulates the memory model that the specific platform uses. Allocators hide the platform-dependent details such as the size of pointers, memory organization, reallocation

Question: What are frames used for? Answer: Frames came on the scene a few years ago as a way to display information from more than one HTML page at once.

Question: As a Web designer, I’ve used HTML, JavaScript, and DHTML in my projects. But now I see the need for server-side programming/scripts for my near future projects. I did

Question: I have a Web site with a large number of links broken down into categories. This directory has become a nightmare to manage. Is there a way to automate

Question: What is the difference between GIFs and JPEGs and when would you use either in Web development? Answer: GIFs are seen most often on Web sites. They are usually

No product is perfect when it heads out the door. Sooner or later a service pack will be released. When using SQL Server, you should always be on the lookout

When your application generates multiple lines of output and is responsible for manually separating those lines, you may be inclined to insert an instance of the linefeed character (usually represented