VEE Resource Centre

Searching a Text Array

Often it is required to check an array of text for a match with a given text e.g. username lookup. This tip describes a simple and fast way to check for a match and, if required, find the element index with which the match was made.

Using Web Services

Web services are simple but potentially very powerful. Creating, deploying and consuming with the aid of certain development environments is a snip, but the examples shipped with VEE possibly look off-puttingly complex. This tip explains SOAP, the web service consumption process and provides an example in VEE without using .NET. It also has a web page example which might be of interest to non-VEE users.

Password Mini-Tutorial

There are several ways to provide password-protection to a VEE application. This mini-tutorial takes you though a method which avoids hard-coded passwords in the VEE file. Download the zip file below which contains documentation and an example in VEE.

Tip/Function Helper to Import Windows System DLLs

You may want to have different header files to deal with Windows system DLLs - User32.dll and Kernel32.dll. Instead of using a file it is often neater to write the text to a temporary file just while importing the library. Download the zip file below which contains documentation and an example in VEE.

SendKeys Tool

There are some applications that you may want to control but they do not have the interface to allow this - or maybe you just want to extend the functionality of a current application. The SendKeys method allows you to send keystrokes to the active window as if typed at the keyboard. The download zip file contains documentation and an example in VEE.

Tools supplied by:Shawn Fessenden, Oswego Software Inc.

VEE 'Talking' using MS Agent Example

There is an example provided with VEE using the MS Agent ActiveX component but I like the simplicity of this example and the positioning and timing of the agent are better aesthetically in my opinion.

Example supplied by:Rick Page, Futaba Corporation of America

Text Parsing Tools

VEE has a few tools for extracting tokens from strings but sometimes these don't quite do the job. Here are two tools contributed - one allows several delimiters to be used the other is a set of tools for parsing from strings, arrays of strings and also some useful conversions from binary arrays to integer or to a string. It has a tool for extracting data from a text file but ignoring comments starting with #.

Tools supplied by: Barrie Walden, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Rob Marquardt, Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley

VEE Object Libraries (VOL)

VEE can be made to operate in an object-oriented way. This library and the associated templates and descriptions are designed to help you use it that way.

To view a more detailed explanation of the VEE Object Libraries (VOL) then click the link below. VOL Readme

VEE CSV File Interaction (clCSVFile)

Well here is a pretty cool tool which works as an object within the VEE Object Libraries. It deals with CSV files (comma-separated values files) in an almost database-like style.

To view a more detailed explanation of the CSV File object (clCSVFile) then click the link below. clCSVFile Readme.

Retrieving Directory Information

This tool retrieves and displays the files and folders within the directory specified. This is achieved by using the some of the Windows API functions resident in the Kernel32.dll file. Sorry: this tool can only be used in VEE Pro (6).

Tools supplied by:James Atkin, Com Dev Wireless

VEE Ini File Interaction (clIni)

This tool works as an object within the VEE Object Libraries. It deals with Ini files allowing the application to read different Key values and to change them. The accompanying example shows you how to use the tool without using VOL itself, to use VOL refer to the VOL and clCSVFile examples above.

Set System Time Using a GPS via a COM Port

Very simply this tool reads the data from the GPS COM port and picks out the time, then sets the PC system time accordingly. Currently set up for COM2. Uses a Garmin GPS 'smart antenna' module which comes with an RS-232 link. The link needs to be wired to a 9-pin plug and power needs to be provided - this can be routed from the backplane. Contact me here for more details.

Visual Basic ActiveX Automation: Create And Use

A mini-tutorial which steps through the process of creating a simple ActiveX automation object using Microsoft Visual Basic 6 and then using the object in VEE.

ActiveX Automation with Microsoft Access

This is a mini-tutorial which covers basic interaction between VEE and Access. The example files show you how to connect your VEE application to an Access database to read and write to fields in a table.

Static, Pop-up and Status Panels

This mini-tutorial demonstrates a few ideas of using panels from the very basic, adding panels which are 'buried' in UserObjects, dialog- boxes and status-and-control panels. It includes a few hints that may not be immediately obvious too.

Find, process and find next loops

This is a mini-tutorial which covers basic loop constructs for those starting out with VEE; and so-called "feedback loops" which make several iterations before they complete for more advanced VEE users.

ActiveX Automation with Microsoft Excel

This is a mini-tutorial which covers basic interaction between VEE and Excel. The example files show you how to connect your VEE application to an Excel workbook and add worksheets, change names, read values and format columns.

OK Buttons and VEE Program Flow

This is a mini-tutorial which covers basic use of OK buttons and similar program flow ideas which are sometimes a little difficult to grasp. This is really aimed at beginners to VEE - more seasoned programmers will find this rather basic.

Serial Comms

This is a mini-tutorial which takes you through the various steps required to achieve a serial comms link and points out some tips on the way.