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The Latest

InstrWord – Search a whole word

‘ Return the next occurrence of a whole wordFunction InstrWord(start, Text, search, compareMethod) As Long Dim index As Long Dim charcode As Integer ‘ assume the search fails InstrWord =

ReplaceWord – Replace whole words

‘ Replace a whole wordFunction ReplaceWord(Source As String, Find As String, ReplaceStr As String, _ Optional ByVal Start As Long = 1, Optional Count As Long = -1, _ Optional

Drop the Parentheses in a VBScript Sub

Beginners are sometimes stymied when they get error messages on code that works perfectly elsewhere. For example, this code produces the error message, “Cannot use parentheses when calling a Sub”:

Using Your Own VB Components in ASP Pages

Question: I want to create a three-tier application that has a browser front end and a Visual Basic middle-tier. How do I access my VB code from ASP? Should I

Formatting Your SQL Statement Correctly

Question: I am trying to set up a recordset from the results of a form. On the ASP page, I have set a variable to the entry from the form

Determine if a PDF File Exists From ASP

Question: We have an ASP page that displays product information from a database. We also have a button to download/view a related PDF file that should only appear on the

Stringtokenizer That Works with Empty Strings

import java.util.*;import java.io.*;class Class1 { static Vector split(String string,String delimiter) { //StringTokenizer that works with empty strings boolean wasDelimiter=true; String token=null; Vector vector=new Vector(); if(string!=null) for(StringTokenizer stringTokenizer=new StringTokenizer(string,delimiter,true);stringTokenizer.hasMoreTokens();) { if((token=stringTokenizer.nextToken()).equals(delimiter))

Customizing a JComboBox

The JComboBox API provides a programmer with very little directcontrol over how list items are displayed. This is because, in trueobject-oriented fashion, a JComboBox object knows or cares very littleabout

Doing an [import java.package.*]

This tip is probably cosmetic, but it could result in great convenience. Doing a [import java.package.*] would allow usage of [public] classes in theaforementioned package without the usual required verbosity.

How to Format Numeric Values

At times you want to output the numeric values in specific format, for example, you may want to display monetary value with two decimal points, or scientific data with five

Java Applications and the “Current Directory”

A recurring question in the Sun Java Forum groups is, “How do Ichange the current directory of my Java application?” The correct answer is that you don’t! Java applications don’t

Keep HTML Totally Separate From Java Code

I have been working on Java Servlets and HTML for quite a long time and have always had a problem keeping HTML code separate from Java code, but now I’ve

Remove Unused Controls From Projects

If you usually load many controls into your VB project during development, you often have controls loaded that aren’t used any more by the time the project’s finished. If the

Multiply Conditions for Boolean Result

You often have to test for multiple conditions when enabling a confirmation button or other control that commits user input. Instead of using complex If…ElseIf statements or inline If functions,

Save Forms’ Size and Location at Run Time

You’ve noticed how some apps display forms and toolboxes in the same location and size as when you last closed them. Here’s some simple code that gives your VB app

Use an Easier Autohighlight Method

Most of us have a routine we call to autohighlight the entire contents of a textbox when it receives focus. And most of us type the name of the textbox

Test for Illegal Characters

Use this fast function to test for the occurrence of nonalphanumeric characters in a string: Private Declare Function StrSpn Lib “SHLWAPI” Alias _ “StrSpnW” (ByVal psz As Long, ByVal pszSet

Turn a Textbox or Label Into a Marquee

Sometimes you need to display information longer than the biggest textbox or label control you can have onscreen. I’ve written a routine that displays a textbox’s or label’s contents in

Format Names Consistently

People’s names come in many separate parts, some of which might not be present or known. The hassle begins when you’re dealing with a storage system?database or otherwise?where the parts

Wrap I/O for Text Files

In a production application, every time you want to access a file for reading or writing, you must retrieve a free handle using the FreeFile() function to ensure you don’t

Create a Safer Mid Function

If you often write complex string-parsing and manipulation algorithms, the last thing you want is to add more checks to ensure your string positions are not negative. Avoid the hassle

Account for Taskbars When Centering Forms

Most VB programmers must display a form centered on a screen. You can do this in a variety of ways, but most ignore aspects of the environment such as the

Enhance the Replace Function

If you’re faced with a string that needs to have certain characters removed from it, use the Replace() function to make the problem more manageable. For instance, use this code

Write an IsTime Function

Use this function to determine whether a string represents a valid time: Public Function IsTime(sTimeArg As String) As Boolean IsTime = IsDate(Format(Date, “short date”) & _ ” ” & sTimeArg)End

Use Screen-Saver Passwords

When you write a screen saver in C and the Windows SDK, a static library (SCRNSAVE.lib) allows you to create custom dialogs to change and request the password. But in

Enhance the Trim Function

The Trim function has a serious shortcoming: It handles only space characters?not all the usual white spaces such as tabs, carriage returns, and line feeds. Instead of the standard Trim