Implement API2 Declares With Xojo on Windows (XDL-0013)

I Wish Windows Declares with Xojo API2! is updated. Added more examples to Windows in Version 4.7 (September 2024) in this >1,200 page book. View it at https://scispec.ca/index.php/books, and purchase at https://xdevlibrary.com. It’s a free update for 4.x owners.

Xojo provides a RAD (Rapid Application Development) environment because it protects the user from the Operating System. Xojo has many helpful functions, and declares add to this existing toolbox.

Tapping into the Operating System directly with Declares opens up almost all of the options available for a program - but you are also out of the protection of the safe IDE (Integrated Development Environment) of Xojo. With the ability to change anything with the program or operating system, improper code also provides the ability of a crash. This is written for intermediate and advanced programmers of Xojo.

All examples have been converted to 32-bit, 64-bit, ANSI, and Unicode versions.

This book provides many examples that are converted from C++ functions to Xojo. Although there are many Visual Basic examples that can be converted, vb declare example are becoming outdated, have different parameters, or contain misinformation. For these reasons converting from C++ to Xojo is a long-lasting alternative and which this book provides many descriptions, reasons, references, and working examples for Xojo declares.

There are 31 chapters and contains over 1050 pages with over 150 example programs.

Updates:

New to Version 4.7 – September 2024

• Added GetFileSize method in Example 4-12
• Added RTL_OSVERSIONINFOW structure in Example 2-12
• Added RtlGetVersion Declare in Example 2-12
• Added RTL_OSVERSIONINFOEXW structure in Example 2-13
• Added RtlGetVersionEX Declare in Example 2-13

New to Version 4.6 - March 2024

• Added SetDllDirectoryW for OS specific DLL folder search (Example 35-1)
• Added SetDllDirectoryA for OS specific DLL folder search (Example 35-1)
• Added CryptProtectData to encrypt Data (Example 36-1)
• Added CryptUnprotectData to decrypt Data (Example 36-1)
• Added Data_Blob structure
• Added Cryptprotect_Promptstruct structure

New to Version 4.5 - May 2023

This version has a focus on the Windows Audio and Video API's.

- Added update for Windows 11 OS

- Included more options on mciSendString rewrite function and Declare

- Updated Example 16-1 with new mciSendString function - Record Sound

- Updated Example 16-2 with new mciSendString function - Play Sound Files

- Updated Example 16-3 with new mciSendString function - Extra Audio Data

- Added dynamic audio volume control, Example 16-4

- Updated Example 16-4 with new mciSendString function - Audio volume

- Created Example 16-5 with mciSendString function - Left-Right volume

- Created Example 16-6 with mciSendString function - Left-Right mute

- Created Example 16-7 with mciSendString function - audio playback speed

- Created a new chapter for videos with MCIString function - Chapter 34

- Updated Example 34-1 to API2 controls

- Updated Example 34-1 to updated mciSendString function declare for open, play, pause, resume, stop, and close commands

- Updated Example 34-1 to API2 DesktopApplication. DesktopMenuBar, DesktopTextField, DesktopLabel, and DesktopWindow for videos.

- Added Example 34-2 which changes movie screen size and position.

- Added Example 34-3 for extra video data, including Frame Rate.

- Added Example 34-4 to dynamically change the volume of a video during runtime.

- Added Example 34-5 to dynamically change right-left volume of a video at runtime

- Added Example 34-6 to mute left-right sound channels while playing a video.

- Added Example 34-7 which changes video and audio playback speed.

Version 4.4: This version has a focus on the Windows Clipboard API's. This is a start of the many declares and there is much more content that can be created.

New to Version 4.4 -- February 2022

* Updated clipboard constant CF_DIBVS to CF_DIBV5

* Added CF_HTML Clipboard Format Type

* Added CF_RICHTEXT Clipboard Format Type

* Added GetClipboardformat to retrieve clipboard data (Example 29-3)

* Added EmptyClipboard example (Example 29-4)

* Added Generic Cut, Copy, and Paste (Example 29-5)

* Added Load a BMP picture file to the clipboard (Example 29-6)

* View clipboard picture data (Example 29-7)

* Added tagBITMAPINFOHEADER structure

* Added CF_DIB picture from clipboard to display (Example 29-8)

* Added CountClipboardFormats Structure

* Added EnumClipboardFormats Structure

* Added GetClipboardFormatName for both ANSI and Unicode

* Added the ability to retrieve clipboard formats (Example 29-9)Explai

Version 4.2: Fixed example 15-1 where it wouldn’t compile on 64-bit machines and updated for Xojo API 2.

New to Version 4.3 -- July 2021

- Explained Stucture Union in Chapter 33

- Add SendInput for a keyboard Virtual Key (Example 33-1)

- Add SendInput for a Mouse key (Example 33-2)

- Added Virtual Key Code constants (Appendix CR)

- Added MouseFlag Code constants (Appendix CS)

- Added tagINPUT structure description and MB equivalent for 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility

- Added SendInput function for completeness and 32-bit and 64-bit compatibility