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The Latest

Running Piped Threads

In a typical application using piped streams, an object of type PipedInputStream and an object of type PipedOutputStream are started as separate threads. One thread uses a PipedOutputStream to output

Set Objects to Nothing

If you set objects to Nothing, then test their nothingness, this suggestion might help you. If you declare an object as New and later set it to Nothing, VB won’t

Hashed Associative Containers

The Standard Template Library (STL) provides only one type of associative container–the sorted associative container. The STL sorted associative containers are map, multimap, set, and multiset. However, there is another

Track MousePointer Changes

If you develop large apps, this routine can help you keep a count of calls to change the mousepointer. The routine, called MouseStack, keeps a stack of those calls and

Scrub Out Unused Constants

Low-level parsing in VB doesn’t come up every day. This routine demonstrates how to search a VB module for dead module-level constants with only a few lines of code. Reading

Identities and Triggers—A Lethal Mix

he identity property is a useful tool in designing databases. However, you can encounter serious problems with using it when combined with triggers. This problem was brought to my attention

Obtain the ASCII Value of a Character

To obtain the ASCII value of a character, simply assign the char variable to an int variable. For example: char aChar=’B’;int charVal = aChar; Then System.out.println(“”+charVal); will print the ASCII

Simplify Command-Line Argument Parsing

ArgumentParser simplifies command-line argument processing by separating arguments into positional parameters and options (any argument starting with “-” or “/” is considered an option, which may specify a value). Construct

Create C++ DLLs to be Used in VB Apps

Some C++ programmers develop Win32 API DLLs that can used from Visual Basic programs. Use the __stdcall prefix with functions exported from the C++ DLL that you want to access

Move the Cursor to the Center

Use this simple subroutine to move the mouse/cursor to the center of an object. It’s useful for tab-like functions and default settings: Private Declare Function SetCursorPos& Lib _ “user32” (ByVal

Assure Compatibility

When working with ActiveX DLLs, many VB programmers build a reference DLL first, copy it to a subdirectory of the project directory, and set version compatibility to binary with a

Never Store Arrays of Objects in an auto_ptr

The Standard Library’s auto_ptr class template automatically destroys an object that is allocated on the free store when the current scope is exited. For example: #include //definition of auto_ptr#include using

Add a Hyperlink Listener in Java

To add a hyperlink listener in Java, add it to the JEditorPane and set its contents. A lot of errors may be thrown, but this is how the hyperlink listener

Dump the Server Variables to a Table With ASP Code

The Active Server Pages Request object gathers lots of information about the server and the browser. This information is stored in the ServerVariables collection. You can iterate through the entire

The Default Value Returned From main()

In this example, main() is missing an explicit return statement. int main() { printf(“hello world”); } In C, when control reaches the end of main() without encountering a return statement,

Create ODBC DSNs Dynamically

You can use Visual Basic to create ODBC Data Sources Names (DSNs) dynamically for MS SQL Server. Simply place this line in a module: Declare Function SQLConfigDataSource Lib “odbccp32.dll” (ByVal

Avoid Empty Exception Handlers

One of the most frustrating experiences when running a Java program is an empty line where you expect information about a thrown exception. The programmer probably meant to catch the

Netscape Displays a Blank Page

Question: My Web page works fine using Internet Explorer but if view with Netscape it displays a blank page. I think it has something to do with the table commands,

Make a Cursor Appear in First Form Field

Question: When designing a form, like a login page, how do I make the cursor automatically sit in the first form field? For example, I ask for an admin number

Pre-Fill a User Form

Question: I’d like to implement a script on my Web site that I’ve seen on other sites. This script asks visitors to register for free through a form as a

Delete an Item From Favorites

Question: How do I delete an item from Favorites under Windows NT 4.0? Answer: Under Windows NT 4.0, the favorites are saved in this folder: C:WINNTProfilesFavorites You can delete items

The Size of an Enum Type

In C, the size of an enumeration equals the sizeof(int). In C++, the underlying type for an enumeration is not necessarily an int–it can be smaller. Furthermore, if an enumerator’s