Visual C++ revolves around messages. Messages are sent to controls from windows giving them information and instructing them to do things. Messages are also sent from controls to windows, and to other controls. Being able to send messages to controls allows you to do much more than using Visual Basic procedures. Messages can be sent using the SendMessage function in the user32.dll. To use it, simply enter the following declaration into a form. If you want to enter it into a module, and use it throughout the project, change the Private to Public.
Private Declare Function SendMessage
Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal
wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
All you need to know to send a message to a control is its hWnd property and the command you want to send to it. To find the command you want to use, load up the API Text Viewer, and select Constants from the API Type list box. Constants that begin with WM_ tell the control to do something, EM_ to return a value.
The advantage of being able to send these commands is that you are using the controls code, which you presume is bug free, rather than your own. This will save space as well as time. Of course if you want to do something the control can't do you have to write your own code still.
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