1¾« USING WINDOWS' HIDDEN ROUTINES Beneath Visual BASIC, within Windows, are hundreds of powerful, small commands that are as tiny as they are useful. If you want to be able to strike through or italicize a word (or an individual character in a text box), or cause one icon to dissolve into another, or activate sound, or design your own 3-D buttons...or hundreds of other things, you'll want to find out about the "API" lurking underneath Visual BASIC and accessed by calling them the same way you would call a sub or function. API The Application Programming Interface (API) is a fancy name for a set of "libraries." These libraries are rich collections of commands, actions that Windows will take if you touch one of the commands within them. It's all handled for you in Visual BASIC -- just type in the Sub or Function correctly and supply the required variables. These libraries are present in every computer that runs windows; the libraries are in the WINDOWS/SYSTEM directory under names such as USER.EXE and GDI.EXE (they're not really like the normal, runnable .EXE files we've been used to in DOS). Knowing how to access these commands greatly increases your control over Windows and your ability to effectively program in Visual BASIC. Using the API is like adding hundreds of specific procedures, events, and properties to the already astonishing potency of Visual BASIC. How to Use API Mail in your $9 registration fee for QuitWin and you'll receive the commented source code that illustrates how the sound and exit-Windows API calls were accomplished in QuitWin. It's pretty simple, as you'll see. You'll also get a tutorial pointing you in the right direction, showing you how to get down into the Windows engine room and get your hands on the controls that govern everything Windows can do. (You'll need to buy a Microsoft Press reference book, but it's worth it.) Just send your payment and our crack staff will send the tutorial to you immediately (we won't wait for the check to clear; we trust you). Send your check to: Marilyn Software 2703 E. Bessemer Ave. Greensboro, NC 27405 Copyright Richard Mansfield 1991. w˜uŸq£o±kui—f™d²v™å9M:==<† ,=<å9: =<™0€žw˜uŸqýo kâi f d†}`E†hbèwå958-:ŽF¢58%:ŽFvFfGºFå9E8]%:0€ x¢ÿÿ¤ÿÿ¦ÿÿ–ÿÿ˜ÿÿÿÿŸÿÿnÿÿpÿÿûÿÿýÿÿ ÿÿÿÿæÿÿèÿÿ÷ÿÿùÿÿ…ÿÿ‡ÿÿ<‡œÿÿžÿÿ°ÿÿÇÿÿÞÿÿàÿÿâÿÿ ÿÿ ÿÿpÿÿûÿÿýÿÿ ÿÿÿÿæÿÿèÿÿ÷ÿÿùÿÿ…ÿÿ‡ÿÿ<  Tms RmnHIDDEN ROUTINES Beneath Visual BASIC, within Windows, are hundreds of powerful, small commands that are as