This section describes the contents of the COMPONENTS tab.
this tab includes extra components that you can use in Visual Basic 6.0 to enhance and extend the capabilities of both their programs (through OCX/DLL third-party) and installing Add-Ins and/or Tools that thanks to their automatic tools help the developer to work considerably less, better, with more efficiency.
There are many other old components that come on the CDs of Visual Studio 6.0 or Visual Basic 6.0.
But not all are installed by the setup, to use them you must do it manually.
Please note that from Windows Vista OS, Microsoft no longer supports these components, this does not mean that they do not work.
In contrast most of these old components work.
In general, to install and register manually the components is wrongly executed in the most known:
First, copying the component file in the SysWOW64 or System32 folder (depending on your version of Windows)
Next, using the command: regsvr32.exe component file
Unfortunately, this approach is completely wrong, because it ignores how Windows handles the registration of ActiveX components (DLL or OCX).
Windows must not only register the component (this is what is do by regsvr32.exe), but must also increment a counter that tells the system how many applications use the component. In short:
Therefore, if this value is not correctly updated, there is a risk that a component is removed from the computer during an uninstallation of a program, even when this component is used for other applications, but they have not updated correctly the counter during their setup.
This is one of the main reasons why the ActiveX components should never be copied and registered at hand, both in our computer but also computers of our clients which do not always have to act so quickly to solve this problem.
When you install one of these components using VS6 Installer, as well as copy and register the component VS6 Installer provides to create registry item for it.
If the component is already installed, VS6 Installer does not install it, because to do it properly would be essential to check the version number.
This may be a feature on the next version.
To install a components, simply press the button of component name, then confirm.
If a component button is checked, mean that the component already installed, and do nothing.
Of course, VS6 Installer will register the appropriate license to use the components in the Visual Basic IDE.
Although it is an old version, Crystal Reports 4.6 is definitely better than the old Microsoft DataReport.
In addition, installing the new drivers version 2000 (which VS6 installer can install automatically) can be used with any version of Access database (.mdb and .accdb) and other databases, of course.
See Crystal Report
This group lists some Add-ins and Tools that simplify and improve the working developer.
MZ-Tools 3 (free) - https://web.archive.org/web/20150206030211/http://www.mztools.com/v3/mztools3.aspx
Please note that v.3.0 isn't longer available on official forum, but fortunately you can find it on WaveBackMachine arcive!
MZ-Tools 3.0 is a freeware add-in for Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Basic 5.0 and the Visual Basic For Applications editor (provided by a VBA-enabled application such as those in Office 2003-2013 32-bit, except Office 64-bit) which adds many productivity features to the IDE.
MZ-Tools is very easy to use. It provides a main menu, a toolbar, handy context menus and customizable shortcuts to access its features, which are detailed in the Features section.
You can customize several features of MZ-Tools to meet your development standards (data type prefixes, template for procedure headers, template for error handler, etc.) or your personal preferences (user name, shortcuts, etc.).
For your convenience, MZ-Tools has been localized in the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese (Portugal).
Italian help files can be downloaded from here:
http://www.vbcorner.net/index.html
go to TRADUZIONI -> MZ-Tools 3.0
MZ-Tools 8 (NOT free) - https://www.mztools.com/
This is the current version that work both on VB6.0 and VB.MET/C#.
CodeSMART 2013 (not free) - http://www.axtools.com/products-codesmart-vb6.php
Code SMART is an add-in extraordinary, very advanced and has many features. I recommend it.
Integration with the IDE, Code View Enhancements, Explorer Tools, Find Tools, Analyzer Tools, Automated Text Entry, Designer Tools, Code Maintenace Tools, Code Documenting Tools, Error Handling Tools, Task Management, More...
See also Source+ for VB6 (not free) - http://www.axtools.com/products-sourceplus.php
Enigma Virtual Box (free) - http://www.enigmaprotector.com/en/aboutvb.html
Application virtualization system for Windows. Enigma Virtual Box enables application files and registry to be consolidated in a single executable file, without loss of efficiency and without virtualized files having to be extracted to the HDD.
Enigma Virtual Box is a free application that supports both x86 and x64 binaries.
Enigma Virtual Box is used for file and registry systems virtualization and allows you to consolidate all files and registry used by your application into a single executable file without having to extract virtual files to the disk.
With Enigma Virtual Box, you can virtualize any types of files, dynamic libraries (*.dll), ActiveX/COM objects (*.dll, *.ocx), video and music files (*.avi, *.mp3), text files (*.txt, *.doc), etc. Enigma Virtual Box does not extract temporary files to the HDD; file emulation is performed in the process memory only. The supported versions of Windows include Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/2008 and Windows 7.
Enigma Virtual Box is perfect for creating portable applications!
vbAdvanced (free)