Let's Take A Ride

If you haven't done so already, double click the VB6 icon, and let's take a ride. The first screen you see is an opening dialog box that offers an array of choices. The opening dialog box is shown in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.1

The various choices exist because VB 6 can compile your programs into several different types of files.

• Standard .EXE files are normal programs.
• ActiveX .EXE files are programs that allow other programs to access their data.
• ActiveX .DLL files (dynamic link libraries) are collections of functions and procedures that can be accessed by other aplications. DLL files are known as in-process servers; they operate in the same memory space as the program that uses them.
• ActiveX controls are components that add functionality to your program.
• ActiveX Document .DLL and .EXE files are programs that have been modified to work within Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc. They are suitable for distribution and viewing over the Internet.
• Add-in files can be added in to the Visual Basic programming environment. They are used to automate tasks that you do again and again.
• VB Application Wizard builds a part of your program for you. Actually, it creates a large part of the program's user interface.
• An IIS application is executed on a Web server. It uses VB to process browser requests and responds to events in the browser.
• A DHTML Application uses VB on the client to process events in HTML pages.

A project is a collection of files that make up an application.