The Coding Box

Play Wav-files Declare Function PlaySound Lib "winmm.dll" Alias "PlaySoundA" (ByVal lpszName As String, ByVal hModule As Long, ByVal dwFlags As Long) As Long
This is the what the declaration look like and the parameters are:
lpszName: This is the path to the wav-file you want to play
hModule: I don't have clue what this do. Set it to 0 and everthing will work.
dwFlags: This is how it will be played. Use these constants:

Public Const SND_SYNC = &H0 -Play up the file once and returns immediatly after the sound is played
Public Const SND_ASYNC = &H1 - Play up the file once and returns after the sounds starts to play
Public Const SND_NODEFAULT = &H2 - Play up the file once and if sound file isn't found it uses the deafault sound
Public Const SND_MEMORY = &H4 - Play up the file once from a buffer in memory
Public Const SND_LOOP = &H8 - Play up the file continuously, used with SND_ASYNC
Example: PlaySound App.Path & "\Bigclap1.wav", 0, SND_SYNC

Hide/Show Cursor Declare Function ShowCursor Lib "user32" (ByVal bShow As Long) As Long
Parameters:
bShow: This parameter is simply to turn on and off the cursor. Set it to False to make the cursor invisible and set it to True to make visible again. Be careful when using this.
Example: Retcode = ShowCursor(False)

Elliptic objects Declare Function CreateEllipticRgn Lib "gdi32" Alias "CreateEllipticRgn" (ByVal X1 As Long, ByVal Y1 As Long, ByVal X2 As Long, ByVal Y2 As Long) As Long
and
Declare Function SetWindowRgn Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowRgn" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal hRgn As Long, ByVal bRedraw As Boolean) As Long
Notes: These functions is measured in pixels. Everything in your elliptic object will work as usually. You have to use both of these functions to make it work.
Parameters for the first function:
X1: Where to start the ellipse, horizontal
Y1: Where to start the ellipse, vertical
X2: The diameter of the ellipse, horizonal
Y2: The diameter of the ellipse, vertical
Parameters for the second function:
hWnd:The handel to the object(form,picturebox,textbox, etc) you want to make elliptic
hRgn: The retcode from the function CreateEllipticRgn
bRedraw: If you want to redraw your object with the new look. Set this to True
Example:
Dim retcode As Long
retcode = CreateEllipticRgn(30, 0, 200, 200)
SetWindowRgn Form1.hWnd, retcode, True

Change Wallpaper Declare Function SystemParametersInfo Lib "user32" Alias "SystemParametersInfoA" (ByVal uAction As Long, ByVal uParam As Long, ByVal lpvParam As Any, ByVal fuWinIni As Long) As Long
Notes:This function can perform many different things. It is worth testing a bit more but here will it only be used as a wallpaper changer. Some of the parameters is not used when changing wallpaper. You can only use bitmaps (*.bmp). Returns 0 if an error is found else will returns a value.
Parameters:
uAction:What you will change in windows. To change wallpaper use this constant Public Const SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER = 20
uParam: Set this to 0
lpvParam: The path to the bitmap
fuWinIni: Set this to 0
Example:
SystemParametersInfo SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, "C:\windows\clouds.bmp", 0

Set Pixel / Get Pixel Private Declare Function SetPixel Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long
and
Private Declare Function GetPixel Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long) As Long
Notes: This funktion is used to manipulate pictures. It is very important when you create mask when animating. You don't have to use both functons at the same time.
SetPixel sets the color of a pixel. GetPixel returns the color of a pixel.
Parameters in SetPixel:
hdc: The handle to the object(picturebox,form) in which the pixel will be set.
x: The Pixels location, horizontal
y: The Pixels location, vertical
crcolor: The color you will set the pixel to.
Parameters in GetPixel:
hdc: The handle to the object(picturebox,form) where the pixel is located
x: The Pixels location, horizontal
y: The Pixels location, vertical
Example:
Dim color as Long
Dim retcode as Long
color = GetPixel(Picture1.hdc, 10, 50)
retcode = SetPixel(Picture1.hdc, 10, 50, vbBlue)

Move Form without CaptionBar Declare Function ReleaseCapture Lib "user32" () As Long
and
Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Notes: These functions are not created only for the purpose of moving forms so the parameters can be a bit odd. You have to use both functions. Put the function calls under Form_MouseDown.
Parameters for the second function:
hwnd: The handle to the moving form.
wMsg: Use this constant Public Const WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN = &HA1
wParam: Use this constant Public Const LP_HT_CAPTION = 2
lParam: Set this to 0
Example:
ReleaseCapture
SendMessage hwnd, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN, LP_HT_CAPTION, 0

Animating Declare Function BitBlt Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hDestDC As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal hSrcDC As Long, ByVal xSrc As Long, ByVal ySrc As Long, ByVal dwRop As Long) As Long
Notes: This is a long one. It is used for many different parts in Animating. See the Game Development section for further information. The part that is going to be explained here is how you copy a part of a bitmap into a Picturebox. If you do this rapidly it will appear as if it moved on its own. These parameters are hard to explain so try to figure it out by yourself, of course with these guidelines.
Parameters:
hDestDC: The object(Picturebox) where the picture will be painted.
x: Where in the object it will be painted, Horizontal.
y: Where in the object it will be painted, Vertical.
nWidth: The width of the picture which will be painted
nHeight: The height of the picture which will be painted
hSrcDC: The handle to the Picture. Often a Picturebox with the picture inside.
xSrc: Which part of the Picture will be painted, Horizontal.
ySrc: Which part of the Picture will be painted, Vertical.
dwRop: This indicates how it will be painted. See the Game Development section for information. Use these constants:
Const SRCCOPY = &HCC0020
Const SRCINVERT = &H660046
Const SRCPAINT = &HEE0086
Const SRCAND = &H8800C6
Example:
ret = BitBlt(PicBox.hdc, 1, 1, 70, 70, picsource.hdc, 1, 1, SRCCOPY)

For best performance: 800x600 High Color

Play Wav-files	Declare Function PlaySound Lib "winmm.dll" Alias "PlaySoundA" (ByVal lpszName As String, ByVal hModule As Long, ByVal dwFlags As Long) As Long This is the what the declaration look like and the parameters are: lpszName: This is the path to the wav-file you want to play hModule: I don't have clue what this do. Set it to 0 and everthing will work. dwFlags: This is how it will be played. Use these constants: Public Const SND_SYNC = &H0 -Play up the file once and returns immediatly after the sound is played Public Const SND_ASYNC = &H1 - Play up the file once and returns after the sounds starts to play Public Const SND_NODEFAULT = &H2 - Play up the file once and if sound file isn't found it uses the deafault sound Public Const SND_MEMORY = &H4 - Play up the file once from a buffer in memory Public Const SND_LOOP = &H8 - Play up the file continuously, used with SND_ASYNC Example: PlaySound App.Path & "\Bigclap1.wav", 0, SND_SYNC
Hide/Show Cursor	Declare Function ShowCursor Lib "user32" (ByVal bShow As Long) As Long Parameters: bShow: This parameter is simply to turn on and off the cursor. Set it to False to make the cursor invisible and set it to True to make visible again. Be careful when using this. Example: Retcode = ShowCursor(False)
Elliptic objects	Declare Function CreateEllipticRgn Lib "gdi32" Alias "CreateEllipticRgn" (ByVal X1 As Long, ByVal Y1 As Long, ByVal X2 As Long, ByVal Y2 As Long) As Long and Declare Function SetWindowRgn Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowRgn" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal hRgn As Long, ByVal bRedraw As Boolean) As Long Notes: These functions is measured in pixels. Everything in your elliptic object will work as usually. You have to use both of these functions to make it work. Parameters for the first function: X1: Where to start the ellipse, horizontal Y1: Where to start the ellipse, vertical X2: The diameter of the ellipse, horizonal Y2: The diameter of the ellipse, vertical Parameters for the second function: hWnd:The handel to the object(form,picturebox,textbox, etc) you want to make elliptic hRgn: The retcode from the function CreateEllipticRgn bRedraw: If you want to redraw your object with the new look. Set this to True Example: Dim retcode As Long retcode = CreateEllipticRgn(30, 0, 200, 200) SetWindowRgn Form1.hWnd, retcode, True
Change Wallpaper	Declare Function SystemParametersInfo Lib "user32" Alias "SystemParametersInfoA" (ByVal uAction As Long, ByVal uParam As Long, ByVal lpvParam As Any, ByVal fuWinIni As Long) As Long Notes:This function can perform many different things. It is worth testing a bit more but here will it only be used as a wallpaper changer. Some of the parameters is not used when changing wallpaper. You can only use bitmaps (.bmp). Returns 0 if an error is found else will returns a value. Parameters: uAction:What you will change in windows. To change wallpaper use this constant Public Const SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER = 20* uParam: Set this to 0 lpvParam: The path to the bitmap fuWinIni: Set this to 0 Example: SystemParametersInfo SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER, 0, "C:\windows\clouds.bmp", 0
Set Pixel / Get Pixel	Private Declare Function SetPixel Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long and Private Declare Function GetPixel Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long) As Long Notes: This funktion is used to manipulate pictures. It is very important when you create mask when animating. You don't have to use both functons at the same time. SetPixel sets the color of a pixel. GetPixel returns the color of a pixel. Parameters in SetPixel: hdc: The handle to the object(picturebox,form) in which the pixel will be set. x: The Pixels location, horizontal y: The Pixels location, vertical crcolor: The color you will set the pixel to. Parameters in GetPixel: hdc: The handle to the object(picturebox,form) where the pixel is located x: The Pixels location, horizontal y: The Pixels location, vertical Example: Dim color as Long Dim retcode as Long color = GetPixel(Picture1.hdc, 10, 50) retcode = SetPixel(Picture1.hdc, 10, 50, vbBlue)
Move Form without CaptionBar	Declare Function ReleaseCapture Lib "user32" () As Long and Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long Notes: These functions are not created only for the purpose of moving forms so the parameters can be a bit odd. You have to use both functions. Put the function calls under Form_MouseDown. Parameters for the second function: hwnd: The handle to the moving form. wMsg: Use this constant Public Const WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN = &HA1 wParam: Use this constant Public Const LP_HT_CAPTION = 2 lParam: Set this to 0 Example: ReleaseCapture SendMessage hwnd, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN, LP_HT_CAPTION, 0
Animating	Declare Function BitBlt Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hDestDC As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal hSrcDC As Long, ByVal xSrc As Long, ByVal ySrc As Long, ByVal dwRop As Long) As Long Notes: This is a long one. It is used for many different parts in Animating. See the Game Development section for further information. The part that is going to be explained here is how you copy a part of a bitmap into a Picturebox. If you do this rapidly it will appear as if it moved on its own. These parameters are hard to explain so try to figure it out by yourself, of course with these guidelines. Parameters: hDestDC: The object(Picturebox) where the picture will be painted. x: Where in the object it will be painted, Horizontal. y: Where in the object it will be painted, Vertical. nWidth: The width of the picture which will be painted nHeight: The height of the picture which will be painted hSrcDC: The handle to the Picture. Often a Picturebox with the picture inside. xSrc: Which part of the Picture will be painted, Horizontal. ySrc: Which part of the Picture will be painted, Vertical. dwRop: This indicates how it will be painted. See the Game Development section for information. Use these constants: Const SRCCOPY = &HCC0020 Const SRCINVERT = &H660046 Const SRCPAINT = &HEE0086 Const SRCAND = &H8800C6 Example: ret = BitBlt(PicBox.hdc, 1, 1, 70, 70, picsource.hdc, 1, 1, SRCCOPY)