• Developing Internet Applications
• Internet Terms and Concepts
• Working with Hyperlinks
• Saving Documents and Objects as HTML
• Opening and Importing HTML Data
• Using the WebBrowser Control
• Using the Internet Transfer Control
• Using the WinSock Control
• Setting Up a Personal Web Server

Developing Internet Applications

The Internet provides an effective solution for broadcasting information across different platforms. For example, many organizations use the Internet to distribute product information, directories, or company policy manuals to people both within and outside of the organization. By applying Internet technologies to their internal network, organizations can help their employees share, analyze, and find information more easily.

Microsoft Office 97 is a flexible and robust tool for creating Internet content. By using the Microsoft Office Internet features, you can create applications to publish and distribute information to peers, management, and other functional groups in a timely manner, regardless of where they are located. For example, you can enter data into a Microsoft Access database, and then publish that database on your company's Web server so that users on a variety of platforms can access that data with a Web browser.

In Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access, you can use Visual Basic for Applications to automate and extend Internet features in your custom applications.

Internet Terms and Concepts

In all likelihood, you are well aware of what the Internet is, and you've had a chance to take advantage of its many resources. Even if you have used the Internet, the following overview will help to make sure you understand the terms used to describe it in this chapter.

The Internet is a collection of computer networks that connects millions of computers around the world. The World Wide Web is a client/server technology used to access a vast variety of digital information from the Internet. By using a software client called a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, and a modem or other connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), you can easily access text, graphics, sound, and other digital information from practically any computer in the world that is running the appropriate server software on the Internet.

A Web browser uses a variety of standardized methods for addressing and communicating with Internet servers. These methods are called protocols. The most common protocol is Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which was originally created to publish and view linked text documents, but has been extended to display and run a growing variety of graphics, sound, video, and other multimedia content. Other common protocols include File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Gopher, telnet, RealAudio, as well as protocols used to start other applications such as e-mail and Usenet newsreaders.

The following table describes many of the protocols commonly in use today.

Protocol	Protocol name	Description
http	Hypertext Transfer Protocol	Goes to Web pages that contain text, graphics, sound, and other digital information from a Web server on the World Wide Web.
ftp	File Transfer Protocol	Transfers files between computers on the Internet.
gopher	Gopher protocol	Displays information on a Gopher server.
wais	WAIS protocol	Accesses a Wide Area Information Servers database.
file	File protocol	Opens a file on a local hard disk or LAN.
https	Hypertext Transfer Protocol with privacy	Establishes an HTTP connection that uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption.
mailto	MailTo protocol	Opens your electronic mail program to send a message to the specified Internet e-mail address.
msn	Microsoft Network protocol	Goes to a location on MSN(TM), The Microsoft Network.
news	News protocol	Starts a newsreader and opens the specified Usenet newsgroup.
nntp	Network News Transfer Protocol	Performs the same function as News protocol.
mid	Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) protocol	Plays MIDI sequencer files if the user's computer has a sound card.
cid	CompuServe Dialer (CID) protocol	Establishes a point-to-point protocol (PPP) connection with the Internet through CompuServe's network.
prospero	Prospero protocol	Opens files on the Prospero distributed file system.
telnet	Telnet protocol	Starts a telnet terminal emulation program. A terminal emulation program is a command-line interface that you can use to issue commands on a remote computer. For example, by using telnet to connect to a UNIX server, you can issue UNIX commands to perform operations on that server.
rlogin	Rlogin protocol	Starts an Rlogin terminal emulation program.
tn3270	TN3270 protocol	Starts a TN3270 terminal emulation program.
pnm	RealAudio protocol	Plays RealAudio streaming audio from a RealAudio server. Streaming audio and other streaming media formats establish a connection to the server and start playing immediately without downloading an entire file.
mms	Microsoft Media Server (MMS) protocol	Plays media such as ActiveMovie(TM) streaming format files (.asf) from an MMS server.

To run or display Internet content with a Web browser, you type an address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into its address box. You can enter a URL that points to any Internet file type or resource supported by the browser that will be used to display or run it. You enter most URLs in the following format:

protocol://serveraddress/path

Protocol specifies the Internet protocol used to establish the connection to the server, and is generally followed by a colon and two slash marks. Serveraddress specifies what is usually called the domain name of the Internet server. Path specifies the location and name of the page or file on the Internet server. For example, this is the URL for the What's New page on the Microsoft Access Developer Forum Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/whatsnew.htm

Note For some protocols, URLs have a different format. For example, the format for a URL that uses the MailTo protocol is mailto:username@domain; the format for a URL that uses the News protocol is news:newsgroupname; the format for a URL that uses the Network News Transfer Protocol is nntp://newsgroupname.

Most files you download and open with a Web browser are pages formatted with Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tags. HTML tags are codes enclosed in angle brackets that are used by a Web browser to determine the structure and appearance of an HTML document, such as graphic elements and text formatting. For example, the two HTML tags in the following sentence:

Make <B>this text</B> look bold.

Cause the text to display like this when viewed with a Web browser:

Make this text look bold.

To navigate to other pages or multimedia content, a user clicks a hyperlink on a Web page. A hyperlink is colored and underlined text, or a graphic, that uses the path specified by a URL to download and open another file, such as another Web page or some form of multimedia content, such as a picture or sound file.

You can use HTML tags called anchors to create hyperlinks. An anchor with an HREF attribute goes to a file outside of the current document. For example, the following anchor creates a hyperlink that goes to the Microsoft home page:

<A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/">Microsoft Home Page</A>

An anchor with a NAME attribute creates a bookmark at a location within the same document. Other hyperlinks can go to the bookmark created with this type of anchor.

HTML was originally a simple system for publishing documents on the Web, but it's rapidly evolving to include features that you can use to create sophisticated, interactive applications.

Tip You can view an HTML reference that describes the most commonly used HTML tags as well as recent additions supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator at http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/author/newhtml/.

Standard Web browser functionality is evolving through the addition of a variety of new technologies such as helper applications, plug-ins, ActiveX controls, Java^™ applets, and scripting languages. If your Web browser doesn't support these technologies, you may need to install additional components to be able to use them.

Helper Applications

Helper applications are typically used to play audio or video files, or to display certain graphic formats. You may need to install helper applications before you can play or display certain content in your Web browser. In more recent browsers, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 and Netscape Navigator version 3.0, many of these functions are built into the browser itself, or are being replaced by one of the other technologies described in this section.

Plug-Ins

By using plug-ins, Web page authors can embed content that uses additional player or reader modules directly within Web pages. For example, there are plug-ins used to display Macromedia Director and Apple QuickTime® movies in a Web page. In order to use Web pages containing content that requires a plug-in, the plug-in must be installed beforehand. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 and Netscape Navigator versions 2.0 and 3.0 can run plug-ins.

ActiveX Controls

By using ActiveX controls, Web page authors can extend the kinds of content that can be displayed on a Web page. They can also enhance their Web pages with sophisticated formatting features, animation, and embedded programs that perform operations such as background downloading. ActiveX controls don't need to be installed beforehand — they can be downloaded when a user first opens a Web page. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 has built-in support for Web pages that contain ActiveX controls. To use a Web page that contains ActiveX controls in Netscape Navigator version 3.0, you must use the NCompass ScriptActive plug-in.

Java Applets

By using the Java programming language, Web page authors can produce applications called applets, which can perform functions similar to plug-ins and ActiveX controls. To display or run a Java applet from a Web page, a Web browser must be able to compile and run Java code. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 and Netscape Navigator versions 2.0 and 3.0 can run Java applets.

Scripting Languages

Scripting languages are interpreted programming languages that Web page authors can use to perform a variety of operations. They are often used in conjunction with ActiveX controls or Java applets. Three common examples of scripting languages are VBScript, JScript^™, and JavaScript. To use a page that contains scripting language code, a Web browser must be able to interpret the code. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 can run both VBScript and JScript code, as well as most JavaScript code. Netscape Navigator versions 2.0 and 3.0 can run JavaScript code. Netscape Navigator version 3.0 can run VBScript code if you have the NCompass ScriptActive plug-in installed.

In addition to scripting languages, there are a variety of server-side scripting languages, such as CGI, PERL, and ActiveX Scripting that extend the functionality of servers. In Microsoft Access, you can create Active Server Pages (ASP) that use ActiveX Scripting to bind data to Web page controls. By using Active Server Pages, your Web pages can perform many of the same functions as Microsoft Access forms.

If you install Internet server software, such as Microsoft Internet Information Server, on servers connected by a local area network (LAN), you can use these same Internet technologies to share data within an organization. Such a system is called an intranet or internal Web. For example, your organization could post human resources information for all employees on a Web page, or a project team could post information about its members and provide hyperlinks to important documentation about the project. All the features in Microsoft Office that are designed for the Internet can also be used on an intranet. For more information about Microsoft Internet Information Server, see http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/.

You can also set up a personal web server to test your Web application or to publish small-scale intranet applications. If you are using Windows 95, you can install Microsoft Personal Web Server. If you are using Windows NT Workstation version 4.0, you can install Microsoft Peer Web Services. For more information about Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services, see "Setting Up a Personal Web Server" later in this chapter.

Working with Hyperlinks

In all Microsoft Office 97 applications, you can create hyperlinks to display and run standard Internet content. Additionally, in all Office applications except Outlook, you can create hyperlinks to move between Microsoft Word documents, Microsoft Excel workbooks, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, and Microsoft Access databases that are stored on a local hard disk or on a LAN. You don't need Internet connections or Web servers to use hyperlinks to move between Office documents or files. You can use both kinds of hyperlinks in the same application.

A hyperlink to a Microsoft Office document can also go to a specific location or object within another document or the current document. The following table lists the objects that a hyperlink can go to within each Microsoft Office application.

Application	Object
Microsoft Access	A table in Datasheet view. A query in Datasheet view. A form in Form view or Datasheet view, depending on the form's DefaultView property setting. A report in Print Preview. A macro. Using a hyperlink to go to a macro runs the macro. A module.
Microsoft Excel	A worksheet. A specified range of cells in a worksheet. A named range of cells in a worksheet.
Microsoft PowerPoint	A slide.
Microsoft Word	A bookmark.

When you follow a hyperlink, either by clicking it or by using the Follow or FollowHyperlink method, the Office application may open a cached copy of the document, depending on the Internet settings in Control Panel. To view or change these settings, double-click the Internet icon in Control Panel, then click Settings on the Advanced tab. For more information about the Follow and FollowHyperlink methods, see "The Follow Method" and "The FollowHyperlink Method" later in this chapter.

When specifying a hyperlink address, you can use either of two forms:

• A valid URL that points to a resource on the Internet or an intranet.
• A path on a local hard disk, or a path on a LAN.

Specifying a URL as a Hyperlink Address

To create a hyperlink that goes to a Web page or other Internet content, you must enter a valid URL as the hyperlink address. You can enter a URL that points to any Internet file type or resource supported by the browser or to an ActiveX control, such as the WebBrowser control, that will be used to display or run it. For example, the URL to the home page of the Microsoft Office Developer Forum is:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/developer/default.htm

When you enter a URL like the previous example that doesn't specify a particular file name, be sure to include a slash mark (/) at the end of the address. Although URLs that do not end in a slash mark generally work, they require the server to perform additional operations that add to the overall network load and slow down the opening of the hyperlink. When you specify a file name at the end of a URL, you do not end the URL with a slash mark. For example:

http://www.microsoft.com/default.asp

If your users have Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 or if your application uses the WebBrowser control, your application can open a Microsoft Excel workbook, Word document, or PowerPoint presentation within the browser or control. To do this, the corresponding Office application or viewer (Microsoft Excel Viewer, Word Viewer, or PowerPoint Viewer) must also be installed on the user's computer. In this case, a URL can point directly to an Office document on a Web or intranet server. For example:

http://YourIntranetServer/YourWordDoc.doc

You can also open an Office document in Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 or in the WebBrowser control directly from the standard file system, without using a Web server. To do so, use the File protocol, as follows:

file://c:\my documents\sales.doc

Specifying a UNC or Standard Path as a Hyperlink Address

To create a hyperlink that starts a Microsoft Office 97 application and opens one of its documents from a LAN, enter a universal naming convention (UNC) path as the hyperlink address. This ensures that the hyperlink continues to work if the document or the application that contains the hyperlink is moved to another computer. A UNC path starts with two backslashes (\\) and supplies the server name, share name, and full path to the file. For example, a UNC path to a Microsoft Excel workbook would be in the following format:

\\server\share\path\workbook.xls

You can also specify a network path that uses a mapped drive letter, such as E:\path\workbook.xls. However, because the path is specific to that drive letter, the hyperlink only works if the user's computer has the drive letter mapped to the appropriate server and share. If you want to create a hyperlink that goes to a file on a local drive, you can use a standard file path starting with a drive letter, such as C:\path\workbook.xls. In this case, if the application is moved to another computer, the hyperlink only works if the file specified in the address is stored on the same drive and in the same folder on the new computer.

You can also enter a UNC or standard file path as a hyperlink address to open any file type that is registered on the computer running your document or application. For example, if Notepad is installed and registered to open text (.txt) files, you could enter a UNC path to open a text file in the following format:

\\server\share\path\filename.txt

Absolute vs. Relative Links

When you create a hyperlink, you can use a path based on either an absolute link or a relative link. A path based on an absolute link points to a fixed file location. Absolute links identify the destination of a hyperlink by its full address such as C:\My Documents\Sales.doc or http:\\www.microsoft.com\default.htm. Use an absolute link for hyperlinks to destinations that won't be moved or that require a full path. For example, use absolute links in hyperlinks to other Web sites, such as a list of your favorite Web sites.

A path based on a relative link points to a destination relative to the file the hyperlink is located in. When the first part of the path is shared by both the file that contains the hyperlink and the destination file, that part is called a hyperlink base. For example, if the path to the file that contains the hyperlink is C:\My Documents\Databases and the path to the destination file is C:\My Documents\Workbooks, then C:\My Documents is the hyperlink base. The hyperlink base address is automatically added to the beginning of the path for all relative links. You can specify the hyperlink base on the Summary tab of the document's property sheet. To open a document's property sheet in Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, click Properties on the File menu. To open the property sheet for a Microsoft Access database, click Database Properties on the File menu.

When a hyperlink uses a path based on a relative link, you can move the file that contains the hyperlink and the destination file without breaking the hyperlink if you move the destination file to an identically named location. For example, if you set the hyperlink base to C:\My Documents and then create a relative link to a document in C:\My Documents\Workbooks, and you move the document that contains the relative link to a new computer, you must copy the destination file into an identically named folder in C:\My Documents on the new computer. Alternatively, you can move the destination file to a folder named Workbooks within another folder (for example, D:\Applications), and then open the document that contains the relative link and update the hyperlink base to the new folder's name.

If you save a document or database object that contains relative links as an HTML document, the hyperlink base is omitted from the anchor tags created for those relative links. For example, suppose you create a relative link to a database called Names.mdb in C:\My Documents\Databases, and set the hyperlink base to C:\My Documents. When you save the document as an HTML document, the anchor tag created is <A HREF="Databases\Names.mdb">. To keep the hyperlink from breaking in the HTML document, you must create a Databases folder in the folder that contains the HTML document on the HTTP server, and then copy the Names.mdb database into that folder.

All Office 97 applications except Outlook provide objects and collections that you can use to work with hyperlinks in Visual Basic code. Although there are a great number of similarities across each application, in some cases the objects and collections that hyperlinks are associated with differ slightly in each Office application.

To work with hyperlinks in Visual Basic code, you use the Hyperlink object. In all Office 97 applications except Microsoft Access, the Hyperlink object is a member of the Hyperlinks collection. In Microsoft Access, the Hyperlink object is a member of the Controls collection. The objects that can contain a Hyperlinks collection differ for each application. They are listed in the following table.

Application	Objects that can contain a Hyperlinks collection
Microsoft Word	Document, Range, or Selection objects
Microsoft Excel	Worksheet or Range objects
Microsoft PowerPoint	Slide or Master objects
Microsoft Access	None. Microsoft Access doesn't have a Hyperlinks collection. All Hyperlink objects are members of the Controls collection. In addition, you can have a set of records that contains fields with the Hyperlink data type and use Visual Basic to work with the records as if they were a collection.

The objects that can have a Hyperlink object associated with them differ for each application. The following table summarizes which objects can have an associated Hyperlink object.

Application	Objects that can have a Hyperlink object associated with them
Microsoft Word	Shape, InlineShape, Selection, or Range objects
Microsoft Excel	Shape, Selection, or Range objects
Microsoft PowerPoint	Shape.ActionSettings or TextRange.ActionSettings objects
Microsoft Access	CommandButton, ComboBox, Image, Label, ListBox, or TextBox objects

Adding New Hyperlink Objects to the Hyperlinks Collection

In Microsoft Excel and Word, use the Add method to create a Hyperlink object and add it to the Hyperlinks collection. To create a hyperlink with the Add method, use the following syntax: object.Add(anchor, address, subaddress)

The following table describes the arguments of the Add method.

Argument	Description
object	Required. An expression that returns a Hyperlink object.
anchor	Required. The anchor for the hyperlink. Can be either a Range or a Shape object.
address	Required. The address of the hyperlink.
subaddress	Optional. The subaddress of the hyperlink.

Microsoft Word Examples

In Word, you can use the Add method to add a hyperlink to either a Range object (a range or selection of text), a Shape object (a graphic object), or an InlineShape object (a graphic object within a line of text).

Creating a Hyperlink for a Microsoft Word Range Object

The following example inserts the text "Microsoft Web Site" at the beginning of the active document, selects the inserted text, and then adds a hyperlink to the text that goes to the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com/.

Sub AddHyperlinkRange()
Dim r As Range

Set r = ActiveDocument.Range(Start := 0, End := 0)
r.InsertBefore "Microsoft Web Site"
Selection.MoveRight Unit := wdWord, Count := 3, Extend := wdExtend
ActiveDocument.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor := Selection.Range, _
Address := "http://www.microsoft.com/"
End Sub

Creating a Hyperlink for a Microsoft Word Shape Object

The following example creates a beveled shape, adds the text "Microsoft Web Site" to the shape, and then adds a hyperlink to the shape that goes to the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com/.

Sub AddHyperlinkShape()
ActiveDocument.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeBevel, 150, 150, 100, 30).Select
With Selection
.ShapeRange.TextFrame.TextRange.Select
.Collapse
.TypeText Text:="Microsoft Web Site"
.ShapeRange.Select
End With
ActiveDocument.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=Selection.ShapeRange, _
Address:= "http://www.microsoft.com/"
End Sub

Creating a Hyperlink Associated with a Command Button

In addition to creating Hyperlink objects in Visual Basic code, you can create a command button by using the user interface and then add code to the command button's Click event procedure to make it follow a hyperlink. This doesn't create a Hyperlink object so the hyperlink isn't available in the document's Hyperlinks collection. To create a command button that follows a hyperlink in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, use the following procedure.

To create a command button that follows a hyperlink

1. Right-click the menu bar and then click Control Toolbox on the shortcut menu.
2. In the toolbox, click the Command Button tool, and then click where you want to place the command button.
3. Right-click the command button, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
4. In the Caption property box, enter the text you want on the button. Set any other properties you want to control the button's appearance and then close the Properties dialog box.
5. Right-click the command button, and then click View Code. Enter a procedure that uses the FollowHyperlink method in the button's Click event. For example:

   Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
   FollowHyperlink "http://www.microsoft.com/"
   End Sub

6. Save the code, and exit Design mode to test the button.

Note When using this method, the command button doesn't display blue underlined text or the hand cursor when the mouse is over the button.

For more information about the FollowHyperlink method, see "The FollowHyperlink Method" later in this chapter.

Microsoft Excel Examples

In Microsoft Excel, you can use the Add method to add a hyperlink to either a Range object (a range of one or more cells) or a Shape object (a graphic).

Creating a Hyperlink for a Microsoft Excel Range Object

The following example adds the display text "MSN Web site" to cell A1 in the first worksheet in the current workbook, and then adds a hyperlink to that range that goes to the Web site at http://www.msn.com/.

Sub AddHyperlink_Range()
Dim wrk As Worksheet

Set wrk = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1)
wrk.Range("A1").Value = "MSN Web site"
wrk.Hyperlinks.Add Address := "http://www.msn.com/", _
Anchor := wrk.Range("A1")
End Sub

Creating a Hyperlink for a Microsoft Excel Shape Object

The following example adds a rounded rectangle labeled "Click Here" to the first worksheet in the current workbook, and then adds a hyperlink to the rectangle that goes to cell C6 on the first sheet of Book2.xls.

Sub AddHyperlink_Shape()
Dim wrk As Worksheet
Dim shp As Shape

Set wrk = ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1)
Set shp = wrk.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRoundedRectangle, 50, 50, 100, 50)
shp.Select
Selection.Characters.Text = "Click Here"
wrk.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor := shp, Address := "C:\My Documents\Book2.xls", _
SubAddress := "Sheet1!C6"
End Sub

Microsoft PowerPoint Examples

PowerPoint doesn't use the Add method to create a new hyperlink. Instead, you create a hyperlink by working with the ActionSettings collection of a Shape object (a graphic) or a TextRange object (text associated with a Shape object). A Shape or TextRange object can have two different hyperlinks assigned to it: one that's followed when the user clicks the object during a slide show, and another that's followed when the user passes the mouse pointer over the object during a slide show.

To specify which mouse action to work with, first use the ActionSettings property to return the ActionSettings collection, then use ActionSettings(index), where index is either ppMouseClick or ppMouseOver. Set the Action property to ppActionHyperlink to specify that the action is a hyperlink. After a hyperlink is created, it's available from the Hyperlinks collections for the Shape, TextRange, and Slide objects.

Creating a Hyperlink for a Microsoft PowerPoint Shape Object

The following example adds a Custom action button with text that reads "Microsoft.com" to the first slide in the active presentation, and then adds a hyperlink to the button that goes to the Microsoft home page.

Sub AddHyperlinkButton()
Dim sld As Slide, shp As Shape

Set sld = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
Set shp = sld.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeActionButtonCustom, 50, 50, 160, 30)
With shp.TextFrame
.TextRange.Text = "Microsoft.com"
.MarginBottom = 5
.MarginLeft = 5
.MarginRight = 5
.MarginTop = 5
End With
With shp.ActionSettings(ppMouseClick)
.Action = ppActionHyperlink
.Hyperlink.Address = "http://www.microsoft.com/"
End With
End Sub

Creating a Hyperlink for a Microsoft PowerPoint TextRange Object

The following example adds a rectangle to the first slide in the active presentation, adds text to the rectangle, and then adds a hyperlink to the text. This example defines a hyperlink for all the text in the text range. It is possible to define more than one hyperlink within a text range for selected characters.

Sub AddHyperlinkText()
Dim sld As Slide, shp As Shape, txt As Text

Set sld = ActivePresentation.Slides(1)
Set shp = sld.Shapes.AddShape(msoShapeRectangle, 0, 0, 250, 140)
shp.TextFrame.TextRange.Text = "Microsoft Web Site"
Set txt = shp.TextFrame.TextRange
With txt.ActionSettings(ppMouseClick)
.Action = ppActionHypertext
.Hyperlink.Address = "http://www.microsoft.com/"
End With
End Sub

Microsoft Access Example

Microsoft Access doesn't provide a Hyperlinks collection or use the Add method to create a hyperlink on a form or report. Instead, you create hyperlinks for label, command button, and image controls by setting either the HyperlinkAddress property or the HyperlinkSubAddress property, or both, of the control.

Note You can also create a field with the Hyperlink data type to store hyperlink addresses in a table, and then bind that field to a text box, list box, or combo box on a form. For more information, see "Storing Hyperlinks in Microsoft Access Tables" later in this chapter.

Creating a Hyperlink Control in Microsoft Access

The following example creates a new label on a form and then sets the HyperlinkAddress and HyperlinkSubAddress properties to create a hyperlink. When you create a hyperlink in Visual Basic, and you want it to be colored and underlined, you must also explicitly set the ForeColor and FontUnderline properties.

Sub CreateHyperlinkLabel(strForm As String, xPos As Integer, _
yPos As Integer, strCaption As String, Optional strAddress As String, _
Optional strSubAddress As String)
Dim ctlLabel As Control

' Open form, hidden in Design view.
DoCmd.OpenForm strForm, acDesign,,,,acHidden

' Create label control with text specified by strCaption, at
' the position specified by xPos and yPos.
Set ctlLabel = CreateControl(strForm, acLabel, , "", _
strCaption, xPos, yPos)

' Set hyperlink address, text color, and underline.
With ctlLabel
.HyperlinkAddress = strAddress
.HyperlinkSubAddress = strSubAddress
.ForeColor = "1279872587"
.FontUnderline = True
End With

' Save form.
DoCmd.Save acForm, strForm
End Sub

To use this example to create a hyperlink, you must specify the form, position, display text, and hyperlink address. For example, enter the following code into the Debug window:

CreateHyperlinkLabel "Form1",100,100,"Microsoft Web Site","http://www.microsoft.com/"

You can use similar code to create image and command button controls and set properties to create a hyperlink.

Referring to Hyperlink Objects

Use the Hyperlink property to return a reference to a Hyperlink object. The objects that can have a Hyperlink object associated with them differ somewhat for each application.

Microsoft Word Example

Use the Hyperlink property to return the hyperlink for a shape. Note that a shape can have only one hyperlink associated with it. The following example follows the hyperlink associated with the first shape in the active document.

ActiveDocument.Shapes(1).Hyperlink.Follow

Selection and Range objects can have multiple Hyperlink objects associated with them. For these objects, you must either loop through the object's Hyperlinks collection or specify a member of the object's Hyperlinks collection by using the Item method. The following example loops through the hyperlinks in the current selection.

Dim H As Hyperlink, hLinks As Hyperlinks
Set hLinks = Selection.Hyperlinks

For Each H In hLinks
MsgBox H.Address
Next H

The following example displays the address of the first hyperlink in the first 20 characters of the current document in the Immediate window.

Debug.Print ActiveDocument.Range(0,20).Hyperlinks(1).Address

Microsoft Excel Example

Use the Hyperlink property to return the hyperlink for a shape. Note that a shape can have only one hyperlink associated with it. The following example follows the hyperlink associated with the first shape on the first worksheet.

Worksheets(1).Shapes(1).Hyperlink.Follow NewWindow:=True

Microsoft PowerPoint Example

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, a shape in PowerPoint can have up to two different hyperlinks assigned to it: one that's followed when the user clicks the shape during a slide show, and another that's followed when the user passes the mouse pointer over the shape during a slide show. To return a hyperlink for a shape, you must first reference the appropriate member of the ActionSettings collection (ppMouseOver or ppMouseClick), and then use the Hyperlink property.

The following example displays the address for the mouse-click hyperlink of the third shape on the first slide of the active presentation in the Immediate window.

Debug.Print ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes(3). _
ActionSettings(ppMouseClick).Hyperlink.Address

Microsoft Access Example

In Microsoft Access, you can use the Hyperlink property to return a reference to the Hyperlink object associated with a CommandButton, ComboBox, Image, Label, ListBox, or TextBox control.

The CreateHyperlink procedure in the following example sets the Address and SubAddress properties for a label, image control, or command button to the values passed to the procedure. The Address property setting is optional, because a hyperlink to a database object in the current database uses only the SubAddress property.

To try this example, create a form with two text box controls named txtAddress and txtSubAddress, and a command button named cmdFollowLink. Then paste the sample code into the Declarations section of the form's module. Display the form in Form view, enter appropriate values in the txtAddress and txtSubAddress text boxes, and click the cmdFollowLink button.

Private Sub cmdFollowLink_Click()
CreateHyperlink Me!cmdFollowLink, Me!txtSubAddress, Me!txtAddress
End Sub

Sub CreateHyperlink(ctlSelected As Control, txtSubAddress As TextBox, _
Optional txtAddress As TextBox)
Dim hlk As Hyperlink

Select Case ctlSelected.ControlType
Case acLabel, acImage, acCommandButton
Set hlk = ctlSelected.Hyperlink
With hlk
If Not IsMissing(txtAddress) Then
.Address = txtAddress
Else
.Address = ""
End If
.SubAddress = txtSubAddress
.Follow
.Address = ""
.SubAddress = ""
End With
Case Else
MsgBox "The control '" & ctlSelected.Name & "' does not support hyperlinks."
End Select
End Sub

Referring to a Hyperlink Object by Its Position in the Hyperlinks Collection

Use the Item method (or the Item property in Microsoft Excel) of the Hyperlinks collection to return a single Hyperlink object based on its position in the collection. The first object in the collection has an Item value of 1. The Item method is the default member of the Hyperlinks collection, so you can refer to the Item method in either of the following ways:

Hyperlinks.Item(1)
Hyperlinks(1)

Microsoft Word Example

The following example follows the first hyperlink in the selection.

If Selection.Hyperlinks.Count >= 1 Then
Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow
End If

Note The Count property for the Hyperlinks collection of a Selection object returns the number of items in the main story only. To count items in other stories, specify the story in the StoryRanges collection. For example, to count all of the hyperlinks in the primary footer story you can use the following code.

ActiveDocument.StoryRanges(wdPrimaryFooterStory).Hyperlinks.Count.

Microsoft Excel Example

The following example uses the Follow method to activate the second hyperlink in the range of cells from E5 to E8.

Worksheets(1).Range("E5:E8").Hyperlinks(2).Follow

Microsoft PowerPoint Example

The following example sets the Address property of the second hyperlink on the first slide in the current PowerPoint presentation.

ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Hyperlinks(2).Address = "C:\New\Newsales.ppt"

Looping Through the Hyperlinks Collection

You can use the Hyperlinks collection in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint to loop through the set of Hyperlink objects associated with an object. In Microsoft Access, you can loop through the Controls collection or a set of records to work with the hyperlinks in your application.

The following examples perform operations on a Hyperlinks collection that contains existing Hyperlink objects. In the Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint examples that follow, the object that contains the Hyperlinks collection is specific to the application. However, you can modify each example to run in another application by referring to the appropriate object. Because the Microsoft Access examples use the Controls collection or a set of records instead of the Hyperlinks collection, you can only use them in Microsoft Access.

Microsoft Word Example

If the active document includes hyperlinks, this example inserts a list of the hyperlink destinations at the end of the document.

Dim hLink As Hyperlink

Set myRange = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=ActiveDocument.Content.End - 1)
Count = 0
For Each hLink In ActiveDocument.Hyperlinks
Count = Count + 1
With myRange
.InsertAfter "Hyperlink #" & Count & vbTab
.InsertAfter hLink.Address
.InsertParagraphAfter
End With
Next hLink

Microsoft Excel Example

The following example updates all hyperlinks on the first worksheet in the active workbook that have the specified address.

Dim hLink As Hyperlink

For Each hLink in ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Hyperlinks
If LCase(hLink.Address) = "C:\Current Work\Sales.ppt" Then
hLink.Address = "C:\New\Newsales.ppt"
End If
Next hLink

Note In Word, you can use the Hyperlinks collection to access hyperlinks created by inserting a HYPERLINK field. In Microsoft Excel, however, you cannot use the Hyperlinks collection to access hyperlinks created by entering a formula using the HYPERLINK function.

Microsoft PowerPoint Example

The following example updates an outdated Internet address for all hyperlinks in the active presentation.

Dim hLink As Hyperlink
Dim S As Slide

oldAddr = InputBox("Old internet address")
newAddr = InputBox("New internet address")
For Each S In ActivePresentation.Slides
For Each hLink In s.Hyperlinks
If LCase(hLink.Address) = Lcase(oldAddr) Then hLink.Address = newAddr
Next hLink
Next S

Microsoft Access Examples

Microsoft Access doesn't support the Hyperlinks collection, but you can loop through the Controls collection on a form or report to work with the hyperlinks associated with any control on the form or report. The following procedure displays the name and hyperlink address values for controls that contain hyperlinks in the Debug window.

Sub ListHyperlinks(strForm As String)
Dim Frm As Form
Dim Ctl As Control

DoCmd.OpenForm strForm, acDesign, , , , acHidden
Set Frm = Forms(strForm)

' Ignore controls without hyperlinks.
On Error Resume Next

For Each Ctl In Frm.Controls
If Not (Ctl.ControlType = acTextBox) Then
Debug.Print "Control:" & Ctl.Name & vbCrLf & _
"Address:" & Ctl.Hyperlink.Address & vbCrLf & _
"Subaddress:" & Ctl.Hyperlink.SubAddress & vbCrLf
Else
Debug.Print "Control:" & Ctl.Name & vbCrLf & _
"Text box control bound to Hyperlink field " & _
Ctl.ControlSource & vbCrLf
End If
Next Ctl
Frm.Close
End Sub

In addition to creating Hyperlink objects that belong to the Controls collection of forms and reports, you can have a set of records that contains fields with the Hyperlink data type and use Visual Basic to work with the records as if they were a collection. For example, you can loop through the records in a table to work with the properties of a field. The following procedure works with the Suppliers table in the Northwind sample database. If a field is a Hyperlink field, the procedure loops through all the records in the table. If a field is not null (empty), it displays the record number, field name, and displayed value in the Debug window.

Sub HyperlinkRecordset()
Dim dbs As Database
Dim rstSuppliers As Recordset
Dim fldField As Field

' Return reference to current database.
Set dbs = CurrentDb
' Create dynaset-type Recordset object.
Set rstSuppliers = dbs.OpenRecordset("Suppliers", dbOpenDynaset)

' Print displayed value for fields containing hyperlinks.
For Each fldField In rstSuppliers.Fields
If (fldField.Attributes And dbHyperlinkField) Then
With rstSuppliers
Do While Not .EOF
If Not IsNull(fldField.Value) Then
Debug.Print rstSuppliers.AbsolutePosition + 1 & " " & _
fldField.Name & " " & _
HyperlinkPart(fldField.Value, acDisplayedValue)
End If
.MoveNext
Loop
.MoveFirst
End With
End If
Next fldField
' Free all object variables.
rstSuppliers.Close
Set dbs = Nothing
End Sub

For more information about Hyperlink fields, see "Storing Hyperlinks in Microsoft Access Tables" later in this chapter.

The following table summarizes the methods and properties you can use to work with hyperlinks in Visual Basic.

Method or property name	Description
Hyperlink property	Returns a reference to a hyperlink object in code.
Follow method	Follows a hyperlink defined by an existing Hyperlink object. The Follow method has the same effect as clicking the hyperlink.
FollowHyperlink method	Follows a hyperlink address specified in code or passed to the method from a text box. For example, you can prompt a user to type a hyperlink address in a dialog box or form, and then use the FollowHyperlink method to go to that address.
ExtraInfoRequired property (Word only)	A read-only property that returns True if extra information is required to resolve the specified hyperlink. You can specify extra information, such as a file name or a query string, by using the extrainfo argument with the Follow or FollowHyperlink methods.
AddToFavorites method	Adds a shortcut to the Favorites folder. The AddToFavorites method can reference a Hyperlink object or the current document (Microsoft Access database, Microsoft Excel workbook, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, or Microsoft Word document).
Address property	Returns the address of the specified hyperlink. This property is read/write, except in Word, where it is read-only.
Subaddress property	Returns a named location in the destination of the specified hyperlink. The named location can be a bookmark (Microsoft Word), a named cell or cell reference (Microsoft Excel), a database object (Microsoft Access), or a slide number (Microsoft PowerPoint). This property is read/write, except in Word, where it is read-only.
Type property (Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint only)	Returns the type of object the hyperlink is associated with. Can be one of the following constants: msoHyperlinkInlineShape (Word only) msoHyperlinkRange msoHyperlinkShape
HyperlinkAddress property (Microsoft Access only)	Sets or returns the address of a hyperlink for a label, image control, or command button. The HyperlinkAddress property is equivalent to setting or returning the Address property for the control in Visual Basic; for example, object.HyperlinkAddress is equivalent to object.Hyperlink.Address. You can also set the HyperlinkAddress property in the control's property sheet.
HyperlinkSubAddress property (Microsoft Access only)	Sets or returns the location within the Office document or object specified by the HyperlinkAddress property. When no HyperlinkAddress property is specified, HyperlinkSubAddress specifies a database object in the current database. The HyperlinkSubAddress property is equivalent to setting or returning the SubAddress property for the control in Visual Basic; for example, object.HyperlinkSubAddress is equivalent to object.Hyperlink.SubAddress. You can also set the HyperlinkSubAddress property in the control's property sheet.

For more information about these methods and properties, search Help in the appropriate application for the name of the method or property.

The Follow Method

The Follow method follows a hyperlink defined by an existing Hyperlink object, and has the same effect as clicking the hyperlink. The Follow method downloads the document or Web page specified by the hyperlink address associated with a Hyperlink object and opens it in the appropriate application. If the hyperlink refers to a file system path or uses the File protocol, the Follow method opens the document instead of downloading it.

The syntax for the Follow method is: expression.Follow(newwindow, addhistory, extrainfo, method, headerinfo)

The following table describes the arguments of the Follow method.

Argument	Description
expression	Required. An expression that returns a Hyperlink object.
newwindow	Optional. A Boolean value where True ( – 1) opens the document in a new window and False (0) opens the document in the current window. The default value is False.
addhistory	Optional. A Boolean value where True ( – 1) adds the hyperlink to the History folder and False (0) doesn't add the hyperlink to the History folder. The default value is True.
extrainfo	Optional. A string or an array of Byte data that specifies additional information for HTTP to use to resolve the hyperlink. For example, you can use the extrainfo argument to specify the coordinates of an image map or the contents of a form. The string is either appended or posted, depending on the value of the method argument. In Word, you can use the ExtraInfoRequired property to determine whether extra information is required.
method	Optional. Specifies the way the extrainfo argument is handled. You can set the method argument to msoMethodGet or msoMethodPost.
headerinfo	Optional. A string that specifies header information for the HTTP request. The default value is a zero-length string (" "). You can combine several header lines into a single string by using the following syntax: "string1" & vbCr & "string2" The specified string is automatically converted into ANSI characters. Note that the headerinfo argument may overwrite default HTTP header fields.

For the method argument of the Follow method, you can specify one of the constants described in the following table.

Constant	Description
msoMethodGet	The extrainfo argument is a string that's appended to the URL, separated by a question mark, when you use the HTTP GET method from an HTML form. For example, you can submit a query to an HTTP server by using an address in the following format: http://www.web.com/cgi-bin/srch?item1+item2 item1+item2 is the extra information that's passed to the srch program on the HTTP server.
msoMethodPost	The extrainfo argument is posted to the server as a string or a byte array when you use the HTTP POST method. For example, data from a form is typically submitted to an HTTP server with a series of name/value pairs in the following format: name1=value1&name2=value2 This data can be submitted as either a string or byte array, depending on what format the program on the server has been programmed to use. Use the HTTP POST method to submit extra information if the program on the HTTP server is reading the form's data from the standard input stream (STDIN).

For examples that illustrate uses of the Follow method, see the code samples in previous sections of this chapter.

The FollowHyperlink Method

The FollowHyperlink method follows a hyperlink address specified in code or passed to the method from a variable or object. For example, you can prompt a user to type a hyperlink address in a dialog box, and then use the FollowHyperlink method to go to that address. The FollowHyperlink method downloads the document or Web page specified by the hyperlink address associated with a Hyperlink object and opens it in the appropriate application. If the address refers to a file system path or uses the File protocol, the FollowHyperlink method opens the document instead of downloading it.

The syntax for the FollowHyperlink method is: expression.FollowHyperlink(address, subaddress, newwindow, addhistory, extrainfo, method, headerinfo)

The following table describes the arguments of the FollowHyperlink method.

Argument	Description
expression	Required. An expression that returns one of the following objects: Microsoft Word Document object Microsoft Excel Workbook object Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation object Microsoft Access Application object
address	A string expression that evaluates to a valid hyperlink address.
subaddress	A string expression that evaluates to a named location in the document specified by the address argument. The default is a zero-length string (" "). If no address is specified, subaddress specifies a named location in the document or database.

For information about the newwindow, addhistory, extrainfo, method, and headerinfo arguments, see the preceding section, "The Follow Method."

Microsoft Word Examples

This example follows the specified URL and displays the Microsoft home page in a new window.

ActiveDocument.FollowHyperlink Address:="http://www.microsoft.com", _
NewWindow:=True, AddHistory:=True

This example opens the HTML document named Default.htm directly from the local hard disk.

ActiveDocument.FollowHyperlink Address:="file://C:\Pages\Default.htm"

Microsoft Excel Example

This example follows the specified URL address and displays the names of all the topics related to opera.

ActiveWorkbook.FollowHyperlink Address:="http://search.Yahoo.com/bin/search", _
AddHistory:=False, Method:=msoMethodGet, ExtraInfo:="p=Opera"

Microsoft PowerPoint Example

This example loads the document at www.gohere.com in a new window and adds it to the History folder.

Application.ActivePresentation.FollowHyperlink _
Address:="http://www.gohere.com", NewWindow:=True, AddToHistory:=True

Microsoft Access Examples

The following function prompts a user for a hyperlink address and then follows the hyperlink.

Function GetUserAddress() As Boolean
Dim strInput As String

On Error GoTo Error_GetUserAddress
strInput = InputBox("Enter a valid address")
Application.FollowHyperlink strInput, , True
GetUserAddress = True

Exit_GetUserAddress:
Exit Function

Error_GetUserAddress:
MsgBox Err & ": " & Err.Description
GetUserAddress = False
Resume Exit_GetUserAddress
End Function

You can call this function with a procedure such as the following.

Sub CallGetUserAddress()
If GetUserAddress = True Then
MsgBox "Successfully followed hyperlink."
Else
MsgBox "Could not follow hyperlink."
End If
End Sub

In Microsoft Access, you can also use the FollowHyperlink method to specify a hyperlink for controls that don't support the HyperlinkAddress or HyperlinkSubAddress properties (controls other than labels, image controls, and command buttons, or text boxes bound to Hyperlink fields).

This example uses the FollowHyperlink method to add hyperlink behavior to an unbound object frame control. Add the following code to the Click event of an unbound object frame named OLEUnbound1 to start a Web browser and open the specified hyperlink address when you click the image.

Note You can use similar code in Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint to create a command button that follows a hyperlink. To do so, add a command button by using the Control Toolbox, and then define a Click event procedure for the button. For more information, see "Creating a Hyperlink Associated with a Command Button" earlier in this chapter.

Private Sub OLEUnbound1_Click()
Dim strAddress As String

On Error GoTo Error_OLEUnbound1

' Set reference to hyperlink address.
strAddress = "http://www.microsoft.com/"

' Follow hyperlink address.
Application.FollowHyperlink strAddress, , True

Exit_OLEUnbound1:
Exit Sub

Error_OLEUnbound1:
MsgBox Err & ": " & Err.Description
Resume Exit_OLEUnbound1
End Sub

Tip Using the FollowHyperlink method to add hyperlinks to controls that don't support the HyperlinkAddress or HyperlinkSubAddress properties doesn't provide any feedback to the user to indicate that the control can follow a hyperlink. One way to inform a user that the control contains a hyperlink is to set the control's ControlTipText property so that a text message appears when the user rests the pointer on the control.

Handling Hyperlink Errors

If an error occurs when using the Follow or FollowHyperlink methods in Visual Basic, an Automation error is displayed that contains only an error number in both decimal and hexadecimal format. For example, if xyz.htm doesn't exist, and you run the following code in Microsoft Access:

Application.FollowHyperlink "http://www.microsoft.com/xyz.htm"

the error message shown in the following illustration occurs.

This error number indicates that the requested item could not be found.

You can prevent these error messages from being displayed to users of your application. To do so, check the Number property of the Err object against a decimal value in the table that follows. Then handle the error by either returning an appropriate message or performing a suitable action. If you want to be certain that all errors are handled, write an error handler that traps the entire set of error numbers.

Function GetUserAddress() As Boolean
Dim strInput As String
Dim lngErrNumber As Long

On Error GoTo Error_GetUserAddress
strInput = InputBox("Enter a valid address")
Application.FollowHyperlink strInput, , True
GetUserAddress = True

Exit_GetUserAddress:
Exit Function

Error_GetUserAddress:
' Set variable equal to error number.
lngErrNumber = Err.Number
' Check variable against all possible error numbers.
Select Case lngErrNumber
Case -2146697211
MsgBox "Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server."
Case -2146697210
MsgBox "The site reports that the item you requested " _
& "could not be found. (HTTP/1.0 404)"
.
. ' Repeat for all possible error numbers.
.
End Select
GetUserAddress = False
Resume Exit_GetUserAddress
End Function

The following table lists the error numbers and descriptions for all errors that can occur when using the Follow and FollowHyperlink methods.

Decimal error number	Hexadecimal error number	Description
– 2146697214, – 2147221020 and – 2147012891	0x800C0002, 0x800401E4 and 0x80072EE5	The address of this site is not valid. Check the address and try again.
– 2146697213	0x800C0003	Cannot start an Internet session.
– 2146697212 and – 2147012867	0x800C0004 and 0x80072EFD	Cannot connect to the Internet server.
– 2146697211	0x800C0005	Cannot locate the Internet server or proxy server.
– 2146697210 and – 2147012868	0x800C0006 and 0x80072EFC	The site reports that the item you requested could not be found. (HTTP/1.0 404)
– 2146697209	0x800C0007	The Internet site reports that a connection was established but the data is not available.
– 2146697208	0x800C0008	Cannot download the information you requested.
– 2146697207	0x800C0009	The item you requested requires proper authentication. (HTTP/1.0 401)
– 2146697206	0x800C000A	The Internet site cannot return the object you requested. (HTTP/1.0 403)
– 2146697205 and – 2147012894	0x800C000B and 0x80072EE2	The connection to this Internet site took longer than the allotted time.
– 2146697204	0x800C000C	The site reports that the request is not valid.
– 2146697203 and – 2147012888	0x800C000D and 0x80072EE8	The required Internet protocol is not installed on your computer, or the Internet address you requested may not be valid.
– 2146697202	0x800C000E	A security problem has occurred.
– 2146697201 and – 2147221014	0x800C000F and 0x800401EA	Cannot open the specified file.
– 2146697200	0x800C0010	Cannot start the program needed to open this file.
– 2147221018 and – 2147221164	0x800401E6 and 0x80040154	No program is registered to open this file.
– 2147467260	0x80004004	The hyperlink cannot be followed to the destination.

Note In PowerPoint, one error number is returned for all Follow or FollowHyperlink method errors: – 2147467259 (0x80004005).

The AddToFavorites Method

The AddToFavorites method adds a shortcut to the Favorites folder in the Windows program folder.

The syntax for the AddToFavorites method is: expression.AddToFavorites

Expression is an expression that returns either a Hyperlink object or one of the objects listed in the following table.

Application	Object
Microsoft Word	Document
Microsoft Excel	Workbook
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation
Microsoft Access	Application

When referring to a Hyperlink object, the shortcut is the friendly name of the document. The friendly name is determined by the text in the <TITLE> HTML tag. If the document doesn't have a friendly name, the shortcut name is resolved by the application. If there is an existing shortcut of the same name, it is overwritten without notification.

Microsoft Word Examples

In Word, the shortcut created by the AddToFavorites method can refer to a Document object or to a Hyperlink object.

The following example creates a shortcut to Sales.doc and adds it to the Favorites folder. If Sales.doc isn't currently open, Word opens it from the C:\My Documents folder.

Sub AddDocument()
Dim isOpen As Boolean, doc As Document

For Each doc In Documents
If LCase(doc.Name) = "Sales.doc" Then isOpen = True
Next doc
If isOpen <> True Then Documents.Open _
FileName:="C:\My Documents\Sales.doc"
Documents("Sales.doc").AddToFavorites
End Sub

To add an existing hyperlink in the document to the Favorites folder, you must refer to the document's Hyperlinks collection. The following example adds all of the hyperlinks in the document to the Favorites folder.

Sub AddHyperlinks()
Dim H As Hyperlink
Dim Hlinks As Hyperlinks

Set Hlinks = ActiveDocument.Hyperlinks

For Each H In Hlinks
H.AddToFavorites
Next H
End Sub

Microsoft Excel Examples

In Microsoft Excel, the shortcut created by the AddToFavorites method can refer to a Workbook object or to a Hyperlink object.

To create a shortcut to the current workbook and add it to the Favorites folder, use the following code.

ActiveWorkbook.AddToFavorites

To add an existing hyperlink in the current workbook to the Favorites folder, you must refer to the workbook's Hyperlinks collection. For example, to create a shortcut to the address in the first hyperlink in the active workbook and add it to the Favorites folder, use the following code.

ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Hyperlinks(1).AddToFavorites

Microsoft PowerPoint Examples

In PowerPoint, the shortcut created by the AddToFavorites method can refer to a Presentation object or to a Hyperlink object.

To add a shortcut to the current presentation, use the following code.

Application.ActivePresentation.AddToFavorites

To add a hyperlink in the current slide to the Favorites folder, you must refer to the slide's Hyperlinks collection. The following example adds all of the hyperlinks on the first slide of the current presentation to the Favorites folder.

Sub AddHyperlinks()
Dim H As Hyperlink
Dim Hlinks As Hyperlinks

Set Hlinks = ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Hyperlinks

For Each H In Hlinks
H.AddToFavorites
Next H
End Sub

Microsoft Access Examples

In Microsoft Access, the shortcut created by the AddToFavorites method can refer to the Application object, which represents the current database, or to a hyperlink associated with a Control object.

To create a shortcut to the current database and add it to the Favorites folder, use the following code.

Application.AddToFavorites

To refer to a hyperlink associated with a Control object, you must use the Hyperlink property to access the Hyperlink object. For example, to create a shortcut to a hyperlink defined for a command button named Command0 on the current form and add it to the Favorites folder, use the following code.

Me!Command0.Hyperlink.AddToFavorites

In Microsoft Access 97, you can create a field with the Hyperlink data type to store hyperlink addresses in a table. You can follow a hyperlink stored in a Microsoft Access table by clicking it in the table. However, typically the field is bound to a text box, list box, or combo box control on a form. Like other bound fields, as the user moves from record to record, the value in the control changes to display the current record's hyperlink value. For example, you can use hyperlinks in this way to create an application in which users can go to Web pages, or to other content on the Internet or an intranet, from a predefined list of addresses.

In addition to storing hyperlinks to Internet addresses, you can also use hyperlinks in Microsoft Access to go to database objects and other Office documents. For example, you could create a document management application that uses a Hyperlink field to store paths to Word documents on a network. Users of such an application could add records to track new documents, or click the hyperlink in a previously added record to open the specified document.

To create a Hyperlink field, add a field in table Design view and set its DataType property to Hyperlink. You can also create a Hyperlink field in table Datasheet view by clicking Hyperlink Column on the Insert menu.

The Hyperlink Field Storage Format

In Microsoft Access, a Hyperlink field stores up to three pieces of information: the displaytext, the address, and the subaddress. Each piece is separated by a pound sign (#), in the following format: displaytext#address#subaddress

The following table describes each piece of the Hyperlink field storage format.

Piece	Description	Required?
displaytext	The text the user sees in the Hyperlink field in a table, or in a text box bound to the Hyperlink field. You can set the display text to any text string. For example, you may want the display text to be a descriptive name for the Web site or object specified by the address and subaddress. If you do not specify display text, Microsoft Access displays the value of address, or subaddress if address is also not specified.	No
address	A valid URL that points to a page or file on the Internet or an intranet, or the path to a file on a local hard disk or LAN. If you enter a path on a LAN, you can omit a mapped drive letter and use the universal naming convention (UNC) format: \\server\share\path\filename. This prevents the path from becoming invalid if the database is later copied to another computer's hard disk or into a shared network folder.	Yes, unless subaddress points to an object in the current database (.mdb) file.
subaddress	The location within a file or document; for example, a database object, such as a form or report. When referring to a database object, the name of the object should be preceded by its type: Table, Query, Form, Report, Macro, or Module. Other possible values for subaddress include a bookmark in a Word document, a NAME anchor tag in an HTML document, a PowerPoint slide, or a cell in a Microsoft Excel worksheet.	No

Each piece of the Hyperlink field storage format can be up to 2,000 characters. The maximum length of the entire Hyperlink field value is 6,000 characters.

The following table gives examples of valid Hyperlink field values.

Hyperlink field value	Goes to
Cajun Delights#http://www. cajundelights.com/cajun.htm#	The Cajun Delights Web page. Only the words "Cajun Delights" are displayed in the field or control.
#http://www.cajundelights.com/cajun.htm#	The Cajun Delights Web page. The text "http://www.cajundelights.com" appears in the field or control because no display text is specified.
#http://www.cajundelights. com/cajun.htm#Price	The HTML anchor with the NAME attribute Price on the Cajun Delights Web page. The text "http://www.cajundelights. com/cajun.htm" is displayed.
Resume#c:\windows\personal\resume.doc#	A Microsoft Word file named Resume.doc located in the \Windows\Personal folder. Only the word "Resume" is displayed in the field or control.
#c:\windows\personal\resume.doc#	A Microsoft Word file named Resume.doc located in the \Windows\Personal folder. The text "c:\windows\personal\resume.doc" appears in the field or control because no display text is specified.
#c:\windows\personal\resume. doc#Qualifications	The section in the Resume.doc Word file marked with the bookmark name Qualifications. The text "c:\windows\personal\resume.doc" is displayed.
#\\databases\samples\northwind.mdb#Form Suppliers	The Suppliers form in the Northwind sample application located in the Samples share on the Databases server on a LAN (UNC format path). The text "\\databases\samples\northwind.mdb" is displayed.
Suppliers Form##Form Suppliers	The Suppliers form in the current database. The words "Suppliers Form" are displayed in the field or control.
#c:\windows\personal\1996 Sales.ppt#13	Slide 13 in the 1996 Sales PowerPoint presentation located in the \Windows\Personal folder. The text "c:\windows\personal\1996 Sales.ppt" is displayed.
#c:\windows\personal\budget.xls#Sheet1!A2	The A2 cell in Sheet1 of the Budget.xls file located in the \Windows\Personal folder. The text "c:\windows\personal\budget.xls" is displayed.

You can enter data in a Hyperlink field in three ways: by using the Insert Hyperlink dialog box (available through the Hyperlink command on the Insert menu), by typing an address directly into a Hyperlink field, or by using Data Access Objects (DAO) methods in Visual Basic code. When you use the Insert Hyperlink dialog box or type directly into a Hyperlink field, Microsoft Access adds the two pound signs (#) that delimit the parts of the hyperlink data. When you use DAO methods, your code must include the two pound signs to delimit the parts of the hyperlink data.

You can display the stored hyperlink format in a table by moving the insertion point into a Hyperlink field using the keyboard, and then pressing F2. You can edit the stored hyperlink in this form, but be careful to enter pound signs in the appropriate locations. You can add or edit the displaytext part of a Hyperlink field by right-clicking a hyperlink in a table, pointing to Hyperlink on the shortcut menu, and then typing the display text in the Display Text box. You can add or edit the address or subaddress part of a Hyperlink field by right-clicking a hyperlink in a table, pointing to Hyperlink on the shortcut menu, and then selecting Edit Hyperlink.

The HyperlinkPart Function

The HyperlinkPart function returns information about data stored in a Hyperlink field. The syntax for the HyperlinkPart function is: object.HyperlinkPart(hyperlink As Variant, part As Integer)

The following table describes the arguments of the HyperlinkPart function.

Argument	Description
object	Optional. The Application object.
hyperlink	Required. A Variant that represents the data stored in a Hyperlink field.
part	Optional. The value for the part argument is an intrinsic constant that represents the information you want returned by the HyperlinkPart function.

You can set the part argument to the following constants.

Constant	Value	Description
acDisplayedValue	0	(Default) The underlined text displayed in a hyperlink.
acDisplayText	1	The displaytext part of a Hyperlink field.
acAddress	2	The address part of a Hyperlink field.
acSubAddress	3	The subaddress part of a Hyperlink field.

Note If you use the HyperlinkPart function in an SQL statement or a query, the part argument is required and you can't set it to the constants listed in the preceding table — you must use the value instead.

You use the HyperlinkPart function to return one of three values stored in a Hyperlink field (displaytext, address, or subaddress) or the displayed value. The value returned depends on the setting of the part argument. If you don't use the part argument, the HyperlinkPart function returns the value Microsoft Access displays for the hyperlink (which corresponds to the acDisplayedValue setting for the part argument).

When a value is provided in the displaytext part of a Hyperlink field, the value displayed by Microsoft Access will be the same as the displaytext setting. When there's no value in the displaytext part of a Hyperlink field, Microsoft Access displays the value of the address or subaddress part of the Hyperlink field, depending on which value is first present in the field.

The following table shows the values returned by the HyperlinkPart function for data stored in a Hyperlink field.

Hyperlink field data	HyperlinkPart function returned values
#http://www.microsoft.com/#	acDisplayedValue: http://www.microsoft.com/ acDisplayText: No value returned. acAddress: http://www.microsoft.com/ acSubAddress: No value returned.
Microsoft#http://www.microsoft.com/#	acDisplayedValue: Microsoft acDisplayText: Microsoft acAddress: http://www.microsoft.com/ acSubAddress: No value returned.
Customers##Form Customers	acDisplayedValue: Customers acDisplayText: Customers acAddress: No value returned. acSubAddress: Form Customers
##Form Customers	acDisplayedValue: Form Customers acDisplayText: No value returned. acAddress: No value returned. acSubAddress: Form Customers

The following example uses all four of the part argument constants to display information returned by the HyperlinkPart function for each record in a table containing a Hyperlink field. To try this example, paste the DisplayHyperlinkParts procedure into the Declarations section of a module. You can call the DisplayHyperlinkParts procedure from the Debug window, passing to it the name of a table that contains hyperlinks and the name of the field that contains Hyperlink data, as shown in the following example.

DisplayHyperlinkParts "MyHyperlinkTableName", "MyHyperlinkFieldName"

Sub DisplayHyperlinkParts(strTable As String, strField As String)
Dim dbs As Database, rst As Recordset
Dim strMsg As String

Set dbs = CurrentDb
Set rst = dbs.OpenRecordset(strTable)

While Not rst.EOF ' For each record in table.
strMsg = "DisplayValue = " & HyperlinkPart(rst(strField), acDisplayedValue) _
& vbCrLf & "DisplayText = " & HyperlinkPart(rst(strField), acDisplayText) _
& vbCrLf & "Address = " & HyperlinkPart(rst(strField), acAddress) _
& vbCrLf & "SubAddress = " & HyperlinkPart(rst(strField), acSubAddress)
' Show parts returned by HyperlinkPart function.
MsgBox strMsg
rst.MoveNext
Wend
End Sub

When you use the HyperlinkPart function in a query, the part argument is required. For example, the following SQL statement uses the HyperlinkPart function to return information about data stored as a Hyperlink data type in the URL field of the Links table:

SELECT Links.URL, HyperlinkPart([URL],0)
AS Display, HyperlinkPart([URL],1)
AS Name, HyperlinkPart([URL],2)
AS Addr, HyperlinkPart([URL],3) AS SubAddr
FROM Links;

For another example of using the HyperlinkPart function, see "Displaying a Document in the WebBrowser Control by Using a Hyperlink Stored in a Table" later in this chapter.

Following a Hyperlink in a Text Box Bound to a Hyperlink Field

When you use the Follow method in Microsoft Access, you don't need to know the address specified by a control's HyperlinkAddress or HyperlinkSubAddress property, or by the Hyperlink field that is bound to a text box, list box, or combo box control. You only need to know the name of the control that contains the hyperlink.

This example uses the Follow method to automatically open the Web page specified in a text box bound to a Hyperlink field on a form whenever the user moves to a new record. Add the following code to the OnCurrent event of a form.

Private Sub Form_Current()
Dim txt As TextBox

On Error GoTo Error_Form1

' Set reference to the txtAddress text box bound to a Hyperlink field.
Set txt = txtAddress

' Follow the hyperlink.
txt.Hyperlink.Follow

Exit_Form1:
Exit Sub

Error_Form1:
MsgBox Err & ": " & Err.Description
Resume Exit_Form1
End Sub

For another example of following a hyperlink stored in a table, see "Displaying a Document in the WebBrowser Control by Using a Hyperlink Stored in a Table" later in this chapter.

Creating a Hyperlink Field with Visual Basic

You can use Data Access Objects (DAO) code to create a field with the Hyperlink field type. To do so, you must first create a field with the Memo data type and then set the Attributes property of the field to dbHyperlinkField. The following example creates a table named Hyperlinks that contains a Text field and a Hyperlink field.

Sub CreateHyperlinkField()
Dim db As Database
Dim tbl As TableDef

Set db = CurrentDb()

Set tbl = db.CreateTableDef("Hyperlinks")

With tbl
.Fields.Append .CreateField("Text", dbText)
.Fields.Append .CreateField("Hyperlink", dbMemo)
.Fields("Hyperlink").Attributes = dbHyperlinkField
End With

db.TableDefs.Append tbl
RefreshDatabaseWindow
End Sub

Saving Documents and Objects as HTML

All of the Office 97 applications provide ways to save their data as HTML documents. Microsoft Access and Word provide ways of doing so by using Visual Basic.

Microsoft Access has five ways to save data from your database as HTML documents:

Save data as static HTML documents You can create static HTML documents from table, query, and form datasheets, and from reports. When you save data as static HTML documents, the resulting pages reflect the state of the data at the time it was saved, like a snapshot. If your data changes, you must save the pages again to share the new data.

Save table, query, and form datasheets as IDC/HTX files You can save your table, query, and form datasheets as Internet Database Connector/HTML extension (IDC/HTX) files that generate HTML documents by querying a copy of your database located on a Web server for current data.

Save forms and datasheets as Active Server Pages You can save your forms as Active Server Pages (ASP) that emulate most of the functionality of your forms and display data from a database located on a Web server. You can also save table, query, and form datasheets as Active Server Pages that display current data from a copy of your database located on a Web server.

Automate the publishing of dynamic and static HTML documents by using the Publish to the Web Wizard You can use the Publish to the Web Wizard to automate the process of saving multiple objects to any combination of all three file types. In the Publish to the Web Wizard, IDC/HTX files and Active Server Pages (ASP) files are collectively referred to as dynamic Web pages because these file types create HTML documents by querying the database to include current data.

Automate the publishing of dynamic and static HTML documents by using the OutputTo method or action You can use the OutputTo method in Visual Basic and the OutputTo action in macros to automate the process of saving objects to any of the three file types.

The following sections discuss each of these options in more detail.

Saving Data as Static HTML Documents

With Microsoft Access, you can save table, query, and form datasheets, and reports as static HTML documents.

To save a table, query, or form datasheet, or a report as a static HTML document

1. In the Database window, click the table, query, form, or report you want to save.
2. On the File menu, click Save As/Export.
3. In the Save As dialog box, click To an External File or Database, and then click OK.
4. In the Save as type box, click HTML Documents (*.html; *.htm).
5. If you want to preserve formatting, select the Save Formatted check box. To automatically open the resulting HTML document in your Web browser, select the Autostart check box.
6. Specify the file name and location to save the file, and then click Export.
7. In the HTML Output Options dialog box, if you want Microsoft Access to merge an HTML template with the resulting HTML document, specify that as well, and then click OK.

   For information about HTML templates, see "Using an HTML Template When You Save Data as HTML Documents" later in this chapter.

You can also save data as static HTML documents by using the Publish to the Web Wizard (available through the Save As HTML command on the File menu), the OutputTo method in code, or the OutputTo action in macros. For information about using the OutputTo method, see "Saving HTML Documents by Using the OutputTo Method" later in this chapter.

When saving table, query, and form datasheets, Microsoft Access saves each datasheet to a single HTML file. Microsoft Access saves reports as multiple HTML documents, with one HTML file per printed page. To name each page, Microsoft Access uses the name of the object and appends _Pagenn to the end of each page's file name after the first page; for example, ProductList.htm, ProductList_Page2.htm, ProductList_Page3.htm, and so on.

Saving Table, Query, and Form Datasheets as Static HTML Documents

When you save a table, query, or form datasheet as an HTML document, the HTML document generated is based on the table or query associated with the datasheet, including the current setting of the OrderBy or Filter property of the table or query. If the datasheet contains a parameter query, Microsoft Access first prompts you for the parameter values, then exports the results.

If you select the Save Formatted check box, the HTML document contains an HTML table that reflects as closely as possible the appearance of the datasheet by using the appropriate HTML tags to specify color, font, and alignment. The HTML document follows as closely as possible the page orientation and margins of the datasheet. Whenever you want to use settings that are different from the default orientation and margins for a datasheet, you must first open the datasheet, and then use the Page Setup command (File menu) to change settings before you save the datasheet as an HTML document.

If you select the Save Formatted check box, and a field has a Format or InputMask property setting, those settings are reflected in the data in the HTML document. For example, if a field's Format property is set to Currency, the data in the HTML document is formatted with a dollar sign, a comma as the thousand separator, and two decimal places; for example, $1,123.45.

Saving Reports as Static HTML Documents

When you save a report as HTML documents, the series of HTML documents generated is based on the report's underlying table or query, including the current OrderBy or Filter property settings of the table or query. If the report contains a parameter query, Microsoft Access first prompts you for the parameter values, then exports the results.

The HTML documents simulate as closely as possible the appearance of the report by creating the appropriate HTML tags to retain attributes such as color, font, and alignment. The proportions and layout of the actual report follow as closely as possible the page orientation and margins set for the report. To change the page orientation and margins, open the report in Print Preview, and then use the Page Setup command to change settings before you save the report as HTML documents. These settings are saved from session to session for reports, so if you change them once, they will be used the next time you save the form or report as HTML documents.

Most controls and features of a report, including subreports, are supported except the following: lines, rectangles, OLE objects, and subforms. However, you can use an HTML template file to include report header and footer images in your output files. For an example, see the Nwindtem.htm template file in the C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Samples folder.

Navigation Controls When Saving Multiple HTML Documents Per Object

If you specify an HTML template that contains placeholders for navigation controls when you save a report as multiple HTML documents, Microsoft Access creates hyperlinks that the user can use to go to the first, previous, next, and last pages in the publication. Where Microsoft Access places the hyperlinks depends on where you locate the placeholders in the HTML template. For information about HTML templates and placeholders, see "Using an HTML Template When You Save Data as HTML Documents" later in this chapter.

How Microsoft Access Saves Data Types in HTML Format

When you save data as static HTML documents, Microsoft Access saves values from most data types as strings and formats them as closely as possible to their appearance in the datasheet or report. All unformatted data types, except Text and Memo, are saved with right alignment as the default. Text and Memo fields are saved with left alignment by default.

There are two exceptions:

• OLE Object fields are not saved.
• Hyperlink field values are saved as hyperlinks in the HTML document. The hyperlinks use HTML anchor tags with an HREF attribute, as described in the following table.

Microsoft Access determines the displaytext, address, and subaddress values by parsing the value stored in the Hyperlink field. For information about the displaytext, address, and subaddress values, see "The Hyperlink Field Storage Format" earlier in this chapter.

Using an HTML Template When You Save Data as HTML Documents

When you save data as HTML documents, you can use an HTML template to give a consistent look to the HTML documents you create. For example, you can include your company's logo, name, and address in the page's header, use the background that is used throughout your company, or include standard text in the header or footer of the HTML document.

Note You can use an HTML template when you save data as static HTML documents, when you save datasheets as IDC/HTX files, when you save a form or datasheet as an Active Server Page, and when you use the Publish to the Web Wizard.

The HTML template can be any HTML document; that is, a text file that includes HTML tags and user-specified text and references. In addition, the HTML template can include placeholders that tell Microsoft Access where to insert certain pieces of data in the HTML documents. When data is saved as HTML documents, the placeholders are replaced with data. The following table describes each of the placeholders that you can use in an HTML template.

Placeholder	Description	Location
<!--AccessTemplate_Title-->	The name of the object being saved	Between <TITLE> and </TITLE>
<!--AccessTemplate_Body-->	The data or object being saved	Between <BODY> and </BODY>
<!--AccessTemplate_FirstPage-->	An anchor tag to the first page	Between <BODY> and </BODY> or after </BODY>
<!--AccessTemplate_PreviousPage-->	An anchor tag to the previous page	Between <BODY> and </BODY> or after </BODY>
<!--AccessTemplate_NextPage-->	An anchor tag to the next page	Between <BODY> and </BODY> or after </BODY>
<!--AccessTemplate_LastPage-->	An anchor tag to the last page	Between <BODY> and </BODY> or after </BODY>
<!--AccessTemplate_PageNumber-->	The current page number	Between <BODY> and </BODY> or after </BODY>

When you install Microsoft Access, sample HTML template files and graphics files are installed in the Access subfolder of the Templates folder. The default location of this folder is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\Access.

Saving Table, Query, and Form Datasheets as IDC/HTX Files

With Microsoft Access, you can save a table, query, or form datasheet as Internet Database Connector/HTML extension (IDC/HTX) files that generate HTML documents by querying a copy of your database located on a Web server. In contrast to static HTML documents, which contain the data that was current at the time the HTML document was created, IDC/HTX files generate an HTML page with current data from your database; therefore, the HTML documents that they generate are called dynamic.

To save a table, query, or form datasheet as IDC/HTX files

1. In the Database window, click the table, query, or form you want to save.
2. On the File menu, click Save As/Export.
3. In the Save As dialog box, click To an External File or Database, and then click OK.
4. In the Save as type box, click Microsoft IIS 1-2 (*.htx;*.idc).
5. Specify the file name and location to save the files, and then click Export.

   In the HTX/IDC Output Options dialog box, specify:

   • The data source name that will be used for the database.
   • A user name and password, if required to open the database.
   • An HTML template, if you want Microsoft Access to merge one with the HTML extension (HTX) file.

   Note You can specify any of these items later, except the HTML template, by editing the resulting IDC file in a text editor such as Notepad.

6. Click OK.

If the datasheet contains a parameter query, Microsoft Access simulates the Enter Parameter Value dialog box by creating an additional HTML parameter page that contains an HTML form text box control to enter the parameter value and a button to run the query. You must display this HTML parameter page before you display the datasheet HTML page in your Web application. If you use the Publish to the Web Wizard and you specify a switchboard page, the HTML parameter page is added to the switchboard page. When you export, Microsoft Access runs the query and displays the Enter Parameter Value dialog box. You don't need to enter values in this dialog box — just click OK to continue.

You can also save a table, query, or form datasheet as IDC/HTX files by using the Publish to the Web Wizard (available through the Save As HTML command on the File menu), the OutputTo method in code, or the OutputTo action in macros. For information about using the OutputTo method, see "Saving HTML Documents by Using the OutputTo Method" later in this chapter.

How the Internet Database Connector Works

When you save a table, form, or query datasheet as Internet Connector files, Microsoft Access creates two files: an Internet Database Connector (IDC) file and HTML extension (HTX) file. These files are used to generate a Web page that displays current data from your database.

An IDC file contains the necessary information to connect to a specified Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data source and to run an SQL statement that queries the database. The information needed to connect to the database includes the data source name, and if user-level security is established for the database, the user name and password required to open the database. For example, if you save the Current Product List query datasheet from the Northwind sample application as IDC/HTX files, Microsoft Access creates the following IDC file:

Datasource:Northwind
Template:Current Product List.htx
SQLStatement:SELECT [Product List].ProductID, [Product List].ProductName
+FROM Products AS [Product List]
+WHERE ((([Product List].Discontinued)=No))
+ORDER BY [Product List].ProductName;

Password:
Username:

An IDC file also contains the name and location of an HTML extension (HTX) file. The HTX file is a template for the HTML document; it contains field merge codes that indicate where the values returned by the SQL statement should be inserted. For example, if you save the Current Product List query datasheet from the Northwind sample application as IDC/HTX files, Microsoft Access creates the following HTX file:

<HTML>
<TITLE>Current Product List</TITLE>
<BODY>
<TABLE BORDER=1 BGCOLOR=#ffffff><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR=#000000>
<CAPTION><B>Current Product List</B></CAPTION>
<THEAD>
<TR>
<TD><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial" COLOR=#000000>Product ID</FONT></TD>
<TD><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial" COLOR=#000000>Product Name</FONT></TD>
</TR>
</THEAD>
<TBODY>
<%BeginDetail%>
<TR Vvalign=top>
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial" COLOR=#000000><%ProductID%><BR></FONT></TD>
<TD><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial" COLOR=#000000><%ProductName%><BR></FONT></TD>
</TR>
<%EndDetail%>
</TBODY>
<TFOOT></TFOOT>
</BODY>
</HTML>

Microsoft Access saves the HTX file to be used with an IDC file with the same name as the IDC file, except with an .htx file name extension rather than an .idc file name extension. After the database information has been merged into the HTML document, it is returned to the Web browser.

If you open Current Product List.idc from a Microsoft Internet Information Server that has an appropriately defined Northwind data source name (DSN), the Web page shown in the following illustration is generated.

Note You can also reference an HTML template when you create IDC and HTX files. An HTML template contains additional HTML code to enhance the appearance of the resulting pages. If you specify an HTML template, it is merged with the HTX file. For information about the format of an HTML template, see "Using an HTML Template When You Save Data as HTML Documents" earlier in this chapter.

Requirements for Using IDC/HTX Files

To use IDC/HTX files, your database and the IDC/HTX files must reside on a computer running one of the following operating systems and Internet server platforms:

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51 or 4.0 running Microsoft Internet Information Server version 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 and Microsoft Peer Web Services
• Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Personal Web Server

Microsoft Internet Information Server, Microsoft Peer Web Services, and Microsoft Personal Web Server use a component called the Internet Database Connector (Httpodbc.dll) to generate dynamic Web pages from IDC/HTX files.

The Internet Database Connector component requires ODBC drivers to access a database. To access a Microsoft Access database, the Microsoft Access Desktop driver (Odbcjt32.dll) must be installed on your Web server. This driver is installed when you install Microsoft Internet Information Server if you select the ODBC Drivers And Administration check box during Setup.

However, the Microsoft Access Desktop driver isn't installed with Microsoft Personal Web Server. If Microsoft Access is installed on the computer you are using to run Microsoft Personal Web Server, and if you selected the driver when you installed Microsoft Access, the driver is already available. If you don't have Microsoft Access installed on the computer you are using to run Microsoft Personal Web Server, you must install the Microsoft Access Desktop driver.

To install the Microsoft Access Desktop driver

1. Run the Microsoft Office or Microsoft Access Setup program.
2. If you are running Setup for the first time, click Custom.

   If you are not running Setup for the first time, click Add/Remove.

3. Select the Data Access Controls check box, and then click Change Option.

   Important The Microsoft Access check box must also be selected or the driver will not be installed.

4. Select the Database Drivers check box, and then click Change Option.
5. Select the Microsoft Access Driver check box, and then click OK.
6. Click Continue, and follow the instructions in the remaining Setup dialog boxes.

After the Microsoft Access Desktop driver is installed, you must create either a system DSN or a file DSN that specifies the name and connection information for each database you want to use on the server. You then specify that DSN when you generate the IDC/HTX files.

For information about how to define a system DSN or a file DSN, search the Microsoft Access Help index for "ODBC, setting up data sources." For more information about Microsoft Internet Information Server, see the Microsoft Internet Information Server Web site, located at http://www.microsoft.com/infoserv/iisinfo.htm. For more information about using IDC/HTX files, search the Microsoft Internet Information Server Help index for "database connector."

Tip You can learn more about applications that use IDC/HTX files by reading about the Job Forum application. For information about the Job Forum application, see the Job Forum white paper, located at http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/accwhite/jobforpa.htm. For applications that require many users to access the database simultaneously, you should consider upsizing the Microsoft Access database back-end server to Microsoft SQL Server. For information about upsizing a Microsoft Access Web application to Microsoft SQL Server, see http://www.microsoft.com/accessdev/accwhite/upsizeweb.htm.

Saving Forms and Datasheets as Active Server Pages

With Microsoft Access, you can save a form as an Active Server Page (ASP) that emulates much of the functionality of your form. When saving a form as an Active Server Page, Microsoft Access saves most, but not all, controls on the form as ActiveX controls that perform the same or similar functions. Microsoft Access doesn't save or run Visual Basic code behind the form or controls. To copy the layout of your form as closely as possible, Microsoft Access uses the Microsoft HTML Layout control to position the controls on Active Server Pages. The resulting page uses ActiveX Scripting and ActiveX Data Objects to connect the control on the page to a copy of your database on an Internet server. For information about the Microsoft HTML Layout control, see http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/author/layout/layout.htm.

Users who open a form saved as an Active Server Page can browse records, update or delete existing records, and add new records by using a Web browser.

You can also save table, query, and form datasheets as Active Server Pages. When you open a datasheet saved as an ASP, Microsoft Access displays current data from a copy of your database located on an Internet server, much like IDC/HTX files do. However, unlike IDC/HTX files, Active Server Pages require only one file per datasheet. The ASP file uses scripting to establish a connection to the database on the server, and contains information that it uses to format the datasheet. Unlike a form saved as an Active Server Page, users can't update existing records in or add new records to a datasheet saved as an Active Server Page.

To save a form or datasheet as an Active Server Page

1. In the Database window, click the form or datasheet you want to save.
2. On the File menu, click Save As/Export.
3. In the Save As dialog box, click To an External File or Database, and then click OK.
4. In the Save as type box, click Microsoft Active Server Page (*.asp).
5. Specify the file name and location to save the file, and then click Export.

   In the Active Server Page Output Options dialog box, specify:

   • The data source name that will be used for a copy of the current database (required).
   • A user name and password, if required to open the database.
   • An HTML template, if you want Microsoft Access to merge one with the Active Server Page.

   For information about HTML templates, see "Using an HTML Template When You Save Data as HTML Documents" earlier in this chapter.

   • The URL for the server where the Active Server Page will reside.
   • The Session timeout setting, which determines how long a connection to the server is maintained after the user stops working with the Active Server Page (optional).
6. Click OK.

You can also save forms and datasheets as Active Server Pages by using the Publish to the Web Wizard (available through the Save As HTML command on the File menu), the OutputTo method in code, or the OutputTo action in macros. For information about using the OutputTo method, see "Saving HTML Documents by Using the OutputTo Method" later in this chapter.

Form Views Supported for Active Server Pages

If the form you save as an Active Server Page has its DefaultView property set to Single Form or Continuous Forms, the Active Server Page displays as a single form, unless it is open in Datasheet view when you use the Save As/Export command (File menu). If the form has its DefaultView property set to Datasheet, the Active Server Page displays as a datasheet. Subforms always display as datasheets, regardless of their DefaultView property setting. All field data types are saved unformatted, that is, Format and InputMask property settings aren't saved.

Control Types Supported for Active Server Pages

When Microsoft Access saves a form as an Active Server Page, it replaces Microsoft Access controls with ActiveX controls, as described in the following table.

Microsoft Access control	ActiveX control
Text box	Text box.
Text box control bound to a Hyperlink field	Text box that displays the hyperlink text, but the hyperlink can't be followed.
List box	List box.
Combo box	Combo box.
Label	Label. If the label has HyperlinkAddress and/or HyperlinkSubAddress properties set, an HTML hyperlink is created for the label.
Command button	Command button, but any code behind the button isn't saved. If the command button has HyperlinkAddress and/or HyperlinkSubAddress properties set, an HTML hyperlink is created for the button.
Option group	Option group, but without a group frame.
Option button	Option button.
Check box	Check box.
Toggle button	Toggle button.
ActiveX control	ActiveX control, but any code behind the control isn't saved.
Subform	Subform as datasheet only.

Microsoft Access doesn't support the following controls when saving a form as an Active Server Page:

• Tab control, and anything on a tab control
• Rectangle
• Line
• Page break
• Unbound object frame
• Bound object frame
• Image control
• The background of a form set with the Picture property

Note You can simulate a rectangle or a line by using a Label control without a caption.

Requirements for Using Active Server Pages

To display and use an Active Server Page, a copy of your database and Active Server Pages must reside on a computer running one of the following operating systems and Internet server platforms:

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51 or 4.0 running Microsoft Internet Information Server version 3.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 and Microsoft Peer Web Services with the Active Server Pages components installed
• Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Personal Web Server with the Active Server Pages components installed

The Microsoft HTML Layout control must be installed on the computer opening the Active Server Page. For more information about installing the Active Server Pages components for Peer Web Services and Personal Web Server, see http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/. Active Server Pages also require the Microsoft Access Desktop driver and a valid DSN to access a database. For information about installing the Microsoft Access Desktop driver and defining DSNs, see "Requirements for Using IDC/HTX Files" earlier in this chapter.

Using the Publish to the Web Wizard

With the Publish to the Web Wizard, you can publish a set of Microsoft Access database objects to any combination of static HTML documents, IDC/HTX files, or Active Server Pages (ASP). By using the wizard, you can:

• Pick any combination of tables, queries, forms, or reports to save.
• Specify an HTML template to use for the selected objects.
• Select any combination of static HTML documents, IDC/HTX files, or Active Server Pages.
• Create a home page to tie together the Web pages you create.
• Specify the folder where you save your files.
• Use the Web Publishing Wizard to move the files created by the Publish to the Web Wizard to a Web server.
• Save the answers you provide the wizard as a Web publication profile, and then select that profile the next time you use the wizard. This saves you from having to answer the wizard's questions again.

To run the Publish to the Web Wizard, click Save As HTML on the File menu. For more information about using the Publish to the Web Wizard, search the Microsoft Access Help index for "Saving database objects, saving in Internet/Web formats."

Saving HTML Documents by Using the OutputTo Method

You can use the OutputTo method to save Microsoft Access database objects in the HTML formats described in the previous sections: static HTML documents, IDC/HTX files, or Active Server Pages (ASP).

The syntax of the OutputTo method is: DoCmd.OutputTo objecttype, objectname, outputformat, outputfile, autostart, templatefile

The following table describes the arguments of the OutputTo method.

Argument	Description
objecttype	Required. Specifies the type of database object you are going to output. You can use one of the following constants for the objecttype argument: acOutputForm acOutputQuery acOutputReport acOutputTable
objectname	Optional. A string expression that's the valid name of an object of the type specified in the objecttype argument. If you want to output the active object, specify the object's type for the objecttype argument and leave this argument blank. If you run Visual Basic code that contains the OutputTo method in a library database, Microsoft Access looks for the object with this name first in the library database, then in the current database.
outputformat	Optional. Specifies whether to save the database object as an HTML document, IDC/HTX file, or Active Server Page. You can use one of the following constants for the outputformat argument: acFormatHTML acFormatIIS acFormatASP If you leave this argument blank, Microsoft Access prompts you for the output format.
outputfile	Optional. A string expression that's the full name, including the path, of the file you want to output the object to. You can include the standard file name extension (.asp, .htm, .html, or .htx,) for the output format you select with the outputformat argument, but it's not required. If you output to IDC/HTX or ASP files, Microsoft Access always creates files with the standard .htx and .idc or .asp file name extensions. If you leave this argument blank, Microsoft Access prompts you for an output file name.
autostart	Optional. Use True ( – 1) to start a Web browser immediately to open the static HTML document specified by the outputfile argument. Use False (0) if you don't want to start the application. This argument is ignored for IDC/HTX and ASP files. If you leave this argument blank, Microsoft Access uses the default value (False).
templatefile	Optional. A string expression that's the full name, including the path, of the file you want to use as a template for an HTML, IDC/HTX, or ASP file.

Microsoft Internet Information Server and Microsoft Active Server Pages formats are available only for tables, queries, and forms, so if you specify acFormatIIS or acFormatASP for the outputformat argument, you must specify acOutputTable, acOutputQuery, or acOutputForm for the objecttype argument.

You can leave an optional argument blank in the middle of the syntax, but you must include the argument's comma. If you leave a trailing argument blank, don't use a comma following the last argument you specify.

You can't specify the HTML template, data source name, user name and password, server URL, or Session timeout setting when you use the OutputTo method. Microsoft Access uses the values specified on the Hyperlinks/HTML tab of the Options dialog box (Tools menu) by default. However, you can use the SetOption method in your code to temporarily change these settings. For information about using the SetOption method, search the Microsoft Access Help index for "SetOption method."

Examples

The following example outputs the Employees table in static HTML document format to the Employee.htm file and immediately opens the file in the default Web browser.

DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputTable, "Employees", acFormatHTML, "Employee.htm", True

The following example outputs the Employees table in IDC/HTX format to two files named Employee.htx and Employee.idc. It merges the Mc.htm template file into the Employee.htx file.

DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputTable, "Employees", acFormatIIS, "Employee",, _
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\Access\Mc.htm"

The following example outputs the Products form in Active Server Page format to the Products.asp file. It merges the Stones.htm template file into the Products.asp file.

DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputFor
321m, "Products", acFormatASP, "Products",, _
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\Access\Stones.htm"

You can save an existing Word document to HTML format by using the Save As command (File menu) or by using Visual Basic code. The following example saves the active document as an HTML document.

Sub SaveAsHTML
Dim intFormat As Integer

intFormat = FileConverters("HTML").SaveFormat
myDocName = ActiveDocument.Name
pos = InStr(myDocName, ".")
If pos > 0 Then
myDocName = Left(myDocName, pos -1)
myDocName = myDocName & ".html"
ActiveDocument.SaveAs FileName:=myDocName, FileFormat:=intFormat
End If
End Sub

When you save an existing Word document to HTML format, formatting and other items that aren't supported by HTML or the Word Web page authoring environment are removed from the file. For more information about what happens when you save a Word document as a Web page, search Word Help. Instead of saving existing documents as HTML, you may want to create new HTML documents with Microsoft Word Web authoring tools.

Word 97 has many powerful features for creating HTML documents, such as the following:

Word Editing and Formatting Features Take advantage of advanced Word editing and formatting features — rich-text formatting, spelling and grammar checking, and automatic text correction — when you work with Word Web authoring tools. When you use a Word Web template, you can easily create and format popular Web page items — such as tables, bulleted or numbered lists, and graphic objects — just as you can with a regular Word document.

Word Web Templates Use the Web Page Wizard or the Blank Web Page template to create new Web pages. The Web Page Wizard gives you different layouts and color themes to choose from, such as a personal home page, a table of contents, a survey, or a registration form. To use the wizard or the template, click New on the File menu, click the Web Pages tab, and then double-click Web Page Wizard or Blank Web Page. There are several additional Web templates that you can download from the Microsoft Word Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/word/. When you download these templates, they are installed in the same folder as the existing Web templates.

Hyperlinks, Bullets, and Horizontal Lines By using the Insert Hyperlink button on the Standard toolbar, you can quickly create hyperlinks on your Web page to link related information in different locations. The hyperlink text is usually blue and underlined. You can also quickly create special graphical bulleted lists and horizontal lines for your Web page. To add a new bullet for selected text, click Bullets and Numbering on the Format menu, and then select the bullet you want. To add the default bullet to selected text, click Bullets on the Formatting toolbar. To add a new horizontal line, click Horizontal Line on the Insert menu, and then select the line style you want.

Forms You can use forms to collect and present data on your Web page. For example, you can publish a form that collects user feedback or registration information. You can store the input data in a database or a text file for future use. You can quickly create a form by selecting a sample form and then modifying it for your needs by using the Forms toolbar. To select a sample form, click New on the File menu, click the Web Pages tab, and then select the sample form you want. To display the Control Toolbox, click Form Design Mode on the Standard toolbar. Use the Web form tools just as you use the regular Word form tools to insert form elements.

To make your Microsoft Excel data available to users on your intranet or the World Wide Web, use the Internet Assistant add-in program to convert worksheet data or charts to HTML Web pages (Save As HTML command, File menu). Microsoft Excel doesn't support using Visual Basic to save data as HTML documents.

To make your Microsoft PowerPoint data available to users on your intranet or the World Wide Web, use the Internet Assistant add-in program to convert presentations to HTML Web pages (Save As HTML command, File menu). Microsoft PowerPoint doesn't support using Visual Basic to save data as HTML documents.

Opening and Importing HTML Data

Each Office application provides features that you can use to open and import HTML data. You can also use Office applications to open documents and files in a variety formats on your company's intranet. If you have a connection to the Internet, you can open or import data in most of these same formats on Internet sites such as FTP and HTTP servers.

Note In all Office applications except Outlook, you can use Data Access Objects (DAO) code in Visual Basic to access and manipulate data in a variety of formats, including HTML. For more information about using DAO, see Chapter 11, "Data Access Objects."

To open HTML documents in Microsoft Word with Visual Basic, use the Open method. By default, the Open method tries each available file converter until it succeeds. For this reason, as long as the HTML Document converter is installed, the following example opens an HTML document on a local drive.

Documents.Open "C:\My Documents\My Document.htm"

Similarly, you can specify a URL to open a file located on an HTTP server, as follows.

Documents.Open "http://myserver.com/default.htm"

To improve performance, you can specify the file converter to use by referring to it in the FileConverters collection, as follows.

Sub OpenHTML()
Dim intFormat As Integer

intFormat = FileConverters("HTML").OpenFormat
Documents.Open "http://myserver.com/default.htm", Format:=intFormat
End Sub

To open HTML documents in Microsoft Excel with Visual Basic, use the Open method. You don't need to specify the file converter to use, because the Open method tries each available file converter until it succeeds. The following example opens an HTML document on a local drive.

Workbooks.Open "C:\My Documents\Product List.htm"

Similarly, you can specify a URL to open a file located on an HTTP server, as follows.

Workbooks.Open "http://myserver.com/default.htm"

You can also get data from an intranet site or from HTTP, FTP, or Gopher sites on the World Wide Web by running a Web query. To run a Web query, point to Get External Data on the Data menu, and then click Run Web Query. For more information about running Web queries, see http://www.microsoft.com/excel/webquery/.

To open HTML documents in PowerPoint with Visual Basic, use the Open method. By default, the Open method tries each available file converter until it succeeds. For this reason, as long as the HTML Document converter is installed, the following line of code will open an HTML document on a local drive:

Presentations.Open "C:\My Documents\My Document.htm"

Similarly, you can specify a URL to open a file located on an HTTP server:

Presentations.Open "http://myserver.com/default.htm"

With Microsoft Access, you can import or link data from HTML tables or other data sources on an Internet server. For more information about importing, exporting, and linking HTML data and other data formats on Internet servers, see "Working with HTML Files" in Chapter 18 and "Importing, Linking, and Exporting Data on the Internet" in Chapter 21 in Building Applications with Microsoft Access 97.

Using the WebBrowser Control

The Microsoft WebBrowser control is an ActiveX control that you can use to browse Web sites, view Web pages and other documents, and download data located on the Internet from your applications. The WebBrowser control is useful in situations where you don't want to disrupt the work flow in your application by switching to a Web browser or other document-viewing application.

The WebBrowser control can display any Web page that Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 can display. For example, the WebBrowser control can display pages that include any of the following features:

• Standard HTML and most HTML enhancements, such as floating frames and cascading style sheets
• Other ActiveX controls
• Most Netscape plug-ins
• Scripting, such as Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) or JavaScript
• Java applets
• Multimedia content, such as video and audio playback
• Three-dimensional virtual worlds created with Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

With the WebBrowser control, users of your application can browse sites on the World Wide Web, as well as folders on a local hard disk and on a local area network. Users can follow hyperlinks by clicking them or by typing a URL into a text box. Also, the WebBrowser control maintains a history list that users can browse through to view previously browsed sites, folders, and documents.

In addition to opening Web pages, both Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 and the WebBrowser control can open any ActiveX document, which includes most Office documents. For example, if Office is installed on a user's computer, an application that uses the WebBrowser control can open and edit Microsoft Excel workbooks, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations from within the control. Similarly, if Microsoft Excel Viewer, Word Viewer, or PowerPoint Viewer is installed, users can open those documents within the WebBrowser control, but they cannot edit them.

You can't open and edit a Microsoft Access database as an ActiveX document within Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 or the WebBrowser control, but a Web page can contain a hyperlink to a Microsoft Access database. Clicking the hyperlink downloads a copy of the database and starts a session of Microsoft Access to open it. Additionally, if you have the server software that supports Internet Database Connector/HTML extension (IDC/HTX) files or Active Server Pages (ASP), you can create Web pages that act as a front-end to an ODBC data source such as a Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL Server database. For more information about creating IDC/HTX or ASP files, see "Saving Microsoft Access Data as HTML Documents" earlier in this chapter.

Before you can use the WebBrowser control, you must have Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 installed.

If you purchased Microsoft Office 97 on CD-ROM, you can install Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 by running Msie30.exe from the Iexplore subfolder in the ValuPack folder.

If you prefer to install from the Web, you can download and install Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 from http://www.microsoft.com/ie/download/.

Once you have Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 installed, the WebBrowser control is automatically registered and is available in form Design view (Microsoft Access) and in Design mode (Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).

To add the WebBrowser control to a document or form

1. In Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, open the document or form. In Microsoft Access, open the form in Design view.
2. In Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, right-click the menu bar and then click Control Toolbox. In Microsoft Access, right-click the menu bar and then click Toolbox.
3. In the toolbox, click the More Controls tool.

   A menu appears that lists all the registered ActiveX controls in your system.

4. On the menu of ActiveX controls, click Microsoft WebBrowser Control.
5. On the document or form, click where you want to place the control.
6. Move and size the control to the area you want to display.

In Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, you can also add the WebBrowser control to UserForms created with the Visual Basic editor.

To add the WebBrowser control to a UserForm created with the Visual Basic Editor

1. Open a Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint document.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.

   This starts the Visual Basic Editor or switches to its window if it's already open.

3. On the Insert menu, click UserForm.

   A blank form is created and the toolbox is displayed.

4. Right-click the toolbox, and then click Additional Controls.

   The Additional Controls dialog box is displayed.

5. In the Available Controls box, select Microsoft WebBrowser Control, and then click OK.

   A tool icon is added to the toolbox for the WebBrowser Control. You don't need to repeat steps 4 and 5 the next time you use the toolbox.

6. Click the new tool, and then click the form where you want to place the control.

For more information about UserForms, see Chapter 12, "ActiveX Controls and Dialog Boxes."

Tip If the WebBrowser control can't display the full width or height of a Web page or document, it automatically displays scroll bars. However, in most cases, make the control wide enough to display the full width of a typical Web page so that users of your application don't have to scroll horizontally.

To display a Web page or document in the WebBrowser control, use the Navigate method in Visual Basic. The syntax for the Navigate method is: object.Navigate URL

Object is either the name of the WebBrowser control on your form or an object variable that refers to it, and URL is a string expression that evaluates to a valid URL or path. URL can refer to a Web page or other content on the Internet or an intranet, as well as to an Office document, such as a Word document.

If URL refers to an Internet protocol and a location on the Internet, the WebBrowser control must establish a connection before is can display the document. If the computer running your application is connected to a proxy server (a secure connection to the Internet through a LAN), or if it has a direct connection to the Internet, the WebBrowser control downloads and displays the Web page or other Internet content immediately. If the computer running your application uses a modem and dial-up connection to the Internet, and that connection hasn't been established beforehand, the WebBrowser control initiates the connection. For example, if the user's computer uses a modem and The Microsoft Network to connect to the Internet, the Sign In dialog box is displayed to establish the connection to the Internet before the WebBrowser control can display Internet content.

If URL refers to an Internet protocol and a location on an intranet server, the computer running your application must be connected to the intranet and have permission to access that server.

If URL refers to a standard file system path on a local hard disk or LAN, the WebBrowser control opens the document and displays it immediately. The WebBrowser control can open Office documents (except Microsoft Access databases), text files, and HTML documents that don't require features supported only by an Internet/intranet server. For example, the WebBrowser control can't open and run IDC/HTX files or ASP files from the standard file system, but it can open HTML documents that contain only the HTML tags supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0.

Note If URL refers to a path in the standard file system that doesn't refer to a file name (for example, C:\Windows\System\), the WebBrowser control displays the file system itself, much like My Computer.

The examples and code in the following sections are specific to developing an application that uses the WebBrowser control in Microsoft Access; however, in most cases, you can apply the same basic principles and techniques to using the WebBrowser control in applications developed with other Office applications.

Displaying a Document in the WebBrowser Control by Using an Address in a Text Box

By using the WebBrowser control, you can create a Microsoft Access form that performs most of the functions of Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0. For example, the following illustration shows the Custom Browse form (WebBrowseWeb) in the Developer Solutions sample application.

When a user types a valid URL in the text box at the top of the form (txtLinks) and presses ENTER, the WebBrowser control (ActiveXCtl1) displays the Web page or document. Pressing ENTER triggers the AfterUpdate event of the txtLinks text box; the AfterUpdate event contains the following code, which goes to the address specified in the URL that the user entered.

Private Sub txtLinks_AfterUpdate()
On Error Resume Next
' If the user has entered an address (URL) in this control,
' attempt to go to the address.
If Len(Me!txtLinks) > 0 Then
Me!ActiveXCtl1.Navigate Me!txtLinks
End If
End Sub

Error handling is passed to the control itself because it displays the same error messages displayed by Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0.

If you prefer to start navigation by clicking a command button instead pressing ENTER, you can use similar code in the button's Click event.

The Home, Back, Forward, Refresh, and Search buttons on the Custom Browse form use the corresponding GoHome, GoBack, GoForward, Refresh, and GoSearch methods of the WebBrowser control. For information about how to view brief descriptions about the properties, methods, and events of the WebBrowser control, see "Viewing Descriptions of the Properties, Methods, and Events of the WebBrowser Control" later in this chapter.

With the Save Location button on the Custom Browse form, you can save the address and a description of the current document to the Links table in the Developer Solutions sample application. When you click the Save Location button, Microsoft Access checks to see if the URL has been saved previously, and if not, uses the following statement to open the Save Location To Table dialog box.

DoCmd.OpenForm "frmSaveURLDialog", acWindowNormal, , , acFormEdit, acDialog, _ ctlHyper.LocationName & ";" & ctlHyper.LocationURL

The last argument of this statement (ctlHyper.LocationName & ";" & ctlHyper.LocationURL) sets the OpenArgs property to a concatenated string that contains the two values returned by the LocationName and LocationURL properties of the document currently displayed in the Custom Browse form. When the Save Location To Table dialog box opens, code in its Load event parses the OpenArgs property value back into two parts and displays them as the default description and address. When the user clicks OK, the description and address in the Save Location To Table dialog box form are saved in the Hyperlink and Description fields in the Links table.

For more information about the Custom Browse form, open the Developer Solutions sample application located in the Samples subfolder of your Office folder. To view the Developer Solutions sample application, you must click Custom when you install Microsoft Access and then choose to install all sample databases.

Displaying a Document in the WebBrowser Control by Using a Hyperlink Stored in a Table

By using the WebBrowser control, you can create a Microsoft Access form that displays documents specified in hyperlinks stored in a table. For example, the following illustration shows the Browse Saved Hyperlinks form (WebBrowseTable) in the Developer Solutions sample application. You can use the Browse Saved Hyperlinks form to browse addresses saved in the Links table.

When a user clicks a record navigation button at the bottom of the form to move to a new record, the following code in the form's Current event displays the Web page or document whose address is stored in the current record.

Private Sub Form_Current()
Dim varFull As Variant, varDescription As Variant
Dim HyperlinkAddress As String, HyperlinkSubAddress As String
Dim msg1 As String, msg2 As String, rst As Recordset, strDisplay As String

On Error Resume Next

Set rst = Me.RecordsetClone
rst.Bookmark = Me.Bookmark
varFull = rst!HyperLink

If IsNull(varFull) Then GoTo Current_Err
varDescription = rst!Description
Me!ActiveXCtl1.Navigate HyperlinkPart(varFull, acAddress)

If Err = 438 Then Exit Sub

gvarBookMark = Me.Bookmark

Current_Bye:
Exit Sub
Current_Err:

msg1 = "Invalid hyperlink address. Remove the record described as '"
msg2 = "' from the Links table or edit the hyperlink to supply a valid address."

MsgBox msg1 & rst!Description & msg2

Me.Bookmark = gvarBookMark
Exit Sub
End Sub

This procedure uses the Navigate method of the WebBrowser control to display the next hyperlink address. However, don't pass the contents of a Hyperlink field directly to the Navigate method. If a user enters or edits data stored in a Hyperlink field from a datasheet or form, it may contain up to three parts of information separated by the pound sign (#). Even if the user doesn't enter all three parts in the datasheet or form, Microsoft Access automatically stores pound signs in the field. If there are pound signs in the Hyperlink field, passing the data from the field directly to the Navigate method generates an error. To handle this, the stored value is passed to the HyperlinkPart function to extract just the address portion of the saved hyperlink, which is then passed to the Navigate method. If navigation is successful, the form's Bookmark property value is stored in a public variable. This public variable is used to return to the last record if subsequent navigation fails.

Using code to save data in a Hyperlink field doesn't automatically save pound signs in the field. To preserve the proper functioning of a Hyperlink field in other contexts, you may want to write your code to save pound signs before and after a hyperlink address. To see an example of how to do this, view the event procedure set for the Click event of the Save Location button (cmdSaveLocation) on the Custom Browse form.

Note You don't have to store addresses in a Hyperlink field if you don't need users to be able to navigate to addresses by clicking them in datasheets or forms, or if you don't need to save addresses as HTML anchor tags when saving as HTML. As long as an address doesn't exceed 255 characters, you can store it in a Text field. If an address exceeds 255 characters, you can store it in a Memo field. In either case, you can pass the value stored in the field directly to the Navigate method.

For more information about the Browse Saved Hyperlinks form, open the Developer Solutions sample application located in the Samples subfolder of your Office folder. For more information about the format of data stored in a Hyperlink field, see "The Hyperlink Field Storage Format" earlier in this chapter.

Like built-in Office objects, the WebBrowser control has properties that your application can set or read to determine the control's characteristics, methods that your application can use to perform operations on the control, and events your application can respond to. You can view brief descriptions of the properties, methods, and events of the WebBrowser control by using the Object Browser.

Important In order for these properties, methods, and events to appear in the Object Browser, a reference must be set to the Microsoft Internet Controls object library. To set this reference, open a module (Microsoft Access) or open the Visual Basic Editor (Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint), click References on the Tools menu, and select the Microsoft Internet Controls check box in the Available References box.

To view descriptions of the WebBrowser control's methods, properties, and events

1. In Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, open the Visual Basic Editor. In Microsoft Access, open a module.
2. On the View menu, click Object Browser.
3. In the Project/Library box, click SHDocVw.
4. In the Classes box, click WebBrowser.

   The Members Of box lists the methods, properties, and events associated with the WebBrowser control.

For more information about the methods, properties, and events of the WebBrowser control, see http://www.microsoft.com/intdev/sdk/docs/iexplore/. If you purchased Microsoft Office 97 on CD-ROM, you can open a Help file named Iexplore.hlp that contains this information in the \ValuPack\Access\WebHelp folder on the CD-ROM.

Unlike most other ActiveX controls, you can't install the WebBrowser control by itself. For an application that uses the WebBrowser control to work, Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 must also be installed on the computer. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0 can be distributed freely, and doesn't require the payment of royalties or other licensing fees. For information about installing Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0, see "Adding the WebBrowser Control to a Form" earlier in this chapter.

Using the Internet Transfer Control

Microsoft Office 97, Developer Edition provides the Internet Transfer control (Msinet.ocx), which you can use to connect to and retrieve files from any Web site that uses either Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or File Transfer Protocol (FTP). For example, you could use the Internet Transfer control to:

• Add an FTP browser to any application.
• Create an application that automatically downloads files from a public FTP site.
• Search a World Wide Web site for references to graphics and download only the graphics.
• Retrieve specific pieces of information from a Web page.

Because HTTP and FTP work differently, the operations you can perform with the Internet Transfer control depend on which protocol you are using. For example, the GetHeader method only works with HTTP (HTML documents). However, there are a few operations that you can perform with either protocol:

• Set the AccessType property of the Internet Transfer control to a valid proxy server.
• Use the OpenURL method with a valid URL.
• Use the Execute method with a valid URL and command appropriate to the protocol and then use the GetChunk method to retrieve data from the buffer.

Tip The Internet Transfer control automatically sets itself to the correct protocol, as determined by the protocol portion of the URL. Therefore, when you use the OpenURL or Execute method, you don't need set the Protocol property.

In Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, you can add the Internet Transfer control to a UserForm you create with the Visual Basic Editor. Although the Internet Transfer control is available in the toolbox in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, you can't add the control directly to their documents. In Microsoft Access, you can add the Internet Transfer control to a form in Design view. The Internet Transfer control doesn't display when your application is running.

To add the Internet Transfer control to a Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint UserForm created with the Visual Basic Editor

1. Open a Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint document.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.

   This starts the Visual Basic Editor or switches to its window if it's already open.

3. On the Insert menu, click UserForm.

   A blank form is created and the toolbox is displayed.

4. Right-click the toolbox, and then click Additional Controls.

   The Additional Controls dialog box is displayed.

5. In the Available Controls box, select MSInet Control, version 5.0, and then click OK.

   A tool icon is added to the toolbox for the Internet Transfer control. You don't need to repeat steps 4 and 5 the next time you use the toolbox.

6. Click the new tool, and then click the form where you want to place the control.

   By default, the new control is named Inetn, where n is some number.

To add the Internet Transfer control to a Microsoft Access form

1. Open the form in Design view.
2. In the toolbox, click the More Controls tool.

   A menu appears that lists all the registered ActiveX controls in your system.

3. On the menu of ActiveX controls, click MSInet Control.
4. On the form, click where you want to place the control.

   By default, the new control is named ActiveXctln, where n is some number.

In order to make any kind of connection to the Internet, you must determine how your computer is connected to the Internet. If you are on an intranet you will probably be connected to the Internet through a proxy server.

When using a proxy server, all computers on an intranet that need to connect to the Internet must do so through the proxy server. By using a proxy server, sometimes called a firewall, you can protect your local area network from being accessed by others on the Internet. The proxy server acts as a one-way barrier between your internal network and the Internet, preventing others on the Internet from accessing confidential information on your internal network.

To determine the proxy server settings on your computer

Note The following steps apply only to computers running Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation version 4.0.

1. On the Taskbar of your computer, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Internet icon.
3. In the Internet Properties dialog box, click the Connection tab.
4. If the Connect through a proxy server check box is selected, click Settings.
5. The Proxy Settings dialog box shows the name of your intranet's proxy server. If no proxy server is defined, contact your workgroup administrator for available proxy servers.

If you want to use a proxy server other than that named in the Proxy Settings dialog box, set the AccessType property of the Internet Transfer control to icNamedProxy (2). Then set the Proxy property to the name of the proxy server you want to use.

If you prefer to use the default proxy server, set the AccessType property to icUseDefault (0). You don't need to set the Proxy property when you use the default proxy server.

The following table describes the settings for the AccessType property.

Constant	Value	Description
icUseDefault	0	(Default) The control uses default proxy server settings found in the Windows registry.
IcDirect	1	The control has a direct connection to the Internet.
IcNamedProxy	2	The control uses the proxy server specified in the Proxy property.

After you have set the AccessType property, the most basic operation is to use the OpenURL method with a valid URL to retrieve data on the Internet. When you use the OpenURL method, the result depends on the target URL. The following example returns the HTML document found on the Microsoft home page at http://www.microsoft.com to a text box named Text1.

' A TextBox control named Text1 contains the
' return result of the method. The Internet Transfer
' control is named Inet1.
Text1.Text = Inet1.OpenURL("http://www.microsoft.com/")

In Microsoft Access, a value assigned to the Text property can't be longer than 1,024 characters. Substitute the following line of code that sets the Value property of the text box instead.

Text1.Value = ActiveXCtl0.OpenURL("http://www.microsoft.com/")

As a result, the text box displays the HTML source code from the Web site, which may resemble the following illustration.

In this case, the default action was to return the HTML document located at the URL. However, if the URL specifies a particular text file, the OpenURL method retrieves the actual file. For example, the following code:

' In Microsoft Access, substitute Text1.Value
' for Text1.Text in the following line.
Text1.Text = Inet1. OpenURL("ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/disclaimer.txt")

retrieves the actual text of the file, as shown in the following illustration.

Finally, you can use the OpenURL method with a URL that includes extra data appended to it. For example, many Web sites offer the ability to search a database. To search a database from a Web site, you can send a URL that includes the search criteria. The following example uses the search engine at the www.yahoo.com site with the search criteria p=maui.

Dim strURL As String

strURL = "http://www.yahoo.com/bin/search.exe?p=maui"
' In Microsoft Access, substitute Text1.Value
' for Text1.Text in the following line.
Text1.Text = Inet1.OpenURL(strURL)

If the search engine finds a match for the criteria, the server returns an HTML document that contains the appropriate information.

Saving Text to a File by Using the OpenURL Method

If you want to save retrieved text to a file, use the OpenURL method with the Open, Write, and Close statements, as shown in the following example.

Dim strURL As String
Dim intFile As Integer

IntFile = FreeFile()
strURL = "http://www.microsoft.com/"
Open "MSsource.txt" For Output As #IntFile
Write #IntFile, Inet1.OpenURL(strURL)
Close #IntFile

You can't save binary files to disk by using the OpenURL method. You must use the Execute method in conjunction with the GetChunk method as described later in this chapter.

The OpenURL method results in a synchronous transmission of data. In this context, synchronous means that the transfer operation occurs before any other procedures are run. Thus the data transfer must be completed before you can run any other code.

The Execute method, on the other hand, results in an asynchronous transmission. When you use the Execute method, the transfer operation occurs independently of other procedures. Thus, after the Execute method is initiated, other code can run while data is received in the background.

Using the OpenURL method results in a direct stream of data that you can save to disk, or view directly in a TextBox control (if the data was text). On the other hand, if you are using the Execute method to retrieve data, you must monitor the control's connection state by using the StateChanged event. When the appropriate state is reached, use the GetChunk method to retrieve data from the control's buffer. This operation is discussed in greater detail in the sections that follow.

You can use the Execute method with the FTP and the HTTP protocols to retrieve data or perform operations on Internet servers. The syntax for the Execute method is: controlname.Execute url, operation, data, requestheaders

The following table describes the arguments of the Execute method.

Argument	Description
controlname	Required. The name of the Internet Transfer control you are working with.
url	Optional. Specifies the URL that you want to connect to.
operation	Optional. Specifies the type of operation to perform.
data	Optional. Specifies additional information needed for HTTP GET, HEAD, POST, and PUT methods.
requestheaders	Optional. Specifies additional headers to be sent from the remote server.

Using the Execute Method with the FTP Protocol

When using the Execute method with the FTP protocol, you only use the operation argument, and optionally, the url argument. The url argument is optional because after the first time you invoke the Execute method with the url argument, the FTP connection remains open. You can perform additional Execute method operations on the same URL until a new URL is specified, or until you perform the CLOSE operation. The following example retrieves a file from a remote computer.

Inet1.Execute "FTP://ftp.microsoft.com", _
"GET disclaimer.txt c:\temp\disclaimer.txt"

For FTP operations, you do not use the data and requestheaders arguments. You pass all of the operations and their parameters as a single string in the operation argument, with parameters separated by a space, as follows: operationname parameter1 parameter2

For example, to retrieve a file, the following code includes the operation name (GET), and the two file names required by the operation.

' Get the file named Disclaimer.txt and copy it to the
' location C:\Temp\Disclaimer.txt.
Inet1.Execute, "GET Disclaimer.txt C:\Temp\Disclaimer.txt"

The operationname part of the operation argument is an FTP command. If you have used FTP to retrieve files from anonymous FTP servers, you are familiar with commands used to navigate through server trees, and to retrieve files to a local hard disk. For example, to change to a different directory with the FTP protocol, you use the "CD" command with the path to the directory you want to change to.

For the most common operations, such as putting a file on a server and retrieving a file from a server, the Internet Transfer control uses the same or a similar command with the Execute method. The following example uses the "CD" command as an argument of the Execute method to change to a different directory.

' The txtURL text box contains the path to open. The txtRemotePath
' text box contains the path to change to.
Inet1.Execute txtURL.Text, "CD " & txtRemotePath.Text

The following table lists the FTP commands that you can use in the operation argument of the Execute method.

FTP command	Description	Example
CD path	Change Directory. Changes to the directory specified in path.	Inet1.Execute , "CD docs\mydocs"
CDUP	Changes to parent directory. Same as "CD .."	Inet1.Execute , "CDUP"
CLOSE	Closes the current FTP connection.	Inet.Execute , "CLOSE"
DELETE file	Deletes the file specified in file.	Inet1.Execute , _ "DELETE discard.txt"
DIR path	Searches the directory specified in path. If path isn't supplied, the current working directory is searched. Use the GetChunk method to return the directory listing.	Inet1.Execute , "DIR /mydocs"
GET file1 file2	Retrieves the remote file specified in file1, and creates a new local file specified in file2.	Inet1.Execute , _ "GET getme.txt C:\gotme.txt"
MKDIR path	Creates a directory as specified in path. Success is dependent on user privileges on the remote host.	Inet1.Execute , "MKDIR /myDir"
PUT file1 file2	Copies a local file specified in file1 to the remote host specified in file2.	Inet1.Execute , _ "PUT C:\putme.txt /putme.txt"
PWD	Print Working Directory. Returns the current directory name. Use the GetChunk method to return the directory name.	Inet1.Execute , "PWD"
QUIT	Terminate current connection	Inet1.Execute , "QUIT"
RECV file1 file2	Same as GET.	Inet1.Execute , _ "RECV getme.txt C:\gotme.txt"
RENAME file1 file2	Renames a file. Success is dependent on user privileges on the remote host.	Inet1.Execute , _ "RENAME old.txt new.txt
RMDIR path	Removes a directory. Success is dependent on user privileges on the remote host.	Inet1.Execute , "RMDIR oldDir"
SEND file	Copies a file to the remote host. (same as PUT.)	Inet1.Execute , _ "SEND C:\putme.txt /putme.txt"
SIZE file	Returns the size of the file specified in file.	Inet1.Execute _ "SIZE /largefile.txt"

Important If your proxy server is a CERN proxy server, you cannot make direct FTP connections by using the Execute method. In that case, to get a file, use the OpenURL method with the Open, Put, and Close statements, as described in "Saving Text to a File by Using the OpenURL Method" earlier in this chapter. You can also use the OpenURL method to get a directory listing by invoking the method and specifying the target directory as the URL.

Logging On to FTP Servers

FTP servers can be either public or private. Anyone can log on to a public server. To log on to a private server, on the other hand, you must be a registered user of the server. In either case, the FTP protocol requires that you supply a user name and a password.

When logging on to public servers, it is common practice to log on as "anonymous," (UserName = "anonymous") and use your e-mail name as the password. With the Internet Transfer control, the process of logging on is simplified even further. By default, if you do not specify values for the UserName and Password properties, the Internet Transfer control uses "anonymous" as your user name, and your e-mail name as the password.

If you are logging on to a private server, set the UserName, Password, and URL properties to appropriate values, and use the Execute method, as shown in the following example.

With Inet1
.URL = "ftp://ftp.someFTPSite.com"
.UserName = "John Smith"
.Password = "mAuI&9$6"
.Execute ,"DIR" ' Returns the directory.
.Execute ,"CLOSE" ' Close the connection.
End With

After you invoke the Execute method, the FTP connection remains open. You can then continue to use the Execute method to perform other FTP operations such as CD and GET. When you have completed the session, close the connection by using the Execute method with the CLOSE operation. You can also close the connection automatically by changing the URL property, and invoking either the OpenURL or Execute method; this closes the current FTP connection and opens the new URL.

Using the Execute Method with the HTTP Protocol

When you use the Execute method with the HTTP protocol to request data from the server, you use the GET, HEAD, POST, and PUT methods in the operation argument. You can use these methods with the Execute method, as shown in the following table.

HTTP method	Description	Example
GET	Retrieves the file specified in the url argument.	Inet1.Execute _ "http://www.microsoft.com" & _ "/default.htm", "GET"
HEAD	Retrieves only the headers of the file specified in the url argument.	Inet1.Execute , "HEAD"
POST	Provides additional data to support a request to the remote host.	Inet1.Execute , "POST", strFormData
PUT	Replaces data at the specified URL.	Inet1.Execute , "PUT", "replace.htm"

Using the Execute Method with the Common Gateway Interface

On many World Wide Web sites, you can search a database for criteria that you specify. Most Web sites accomplish this by using the HTTP protocol, which can send queries that use the Common Gateway Interface (CGI).

It is not in the scope of this section to explain the CGI; however, if you are familiar with the CGI, you can use the Execute method to construct an application that simulates the search behavior of these Web sites. The following example shows a typical CGI query string.

http://www.yippee.com/cgi-bin/find.exe?find=Hangzhou

You could send this same query by using the Execute method, as follows.

Dim strURL As String, strFormData As String

strURL = "//www.yippee.com/cgi-bin/find.exe"
strFormData = "find=Hangzhou"
Inet1.Execute strURL, "POST", strFormData

To retrieve resulting data from a server, you must use the GetChunk method, as described in the following section.

Using the GetChunk Method

When you download data from a remote computer by using the Execute method, an asynchronous connection is made. For example, if you use the Execute method with the HTTP GET method, the server retrieves the requested file. When the entire file has been retrieved, the StateChanged event returns icResponseCompleted (12). At that point, you can use the GetChunk method to retrieve the data from the buffer. This is shown in the following example.

Private Sub Inet1_StateChanged(ByVal State As Integer)
Dim vtData As Variant ' Data variable.
Dim intFile As Integer ' File number variable.

intFile = FreeFile() ' Get free file number.
Select Case State
.
. ' Other cases not shown.
.
Case icResponseCompleted
' Open a file to write to.
Open "test.txt" For Binary Access _
Write As #intFile

' Get the first chunk. NOTE: specify a byte
' array (icByteArray) to retrieve a binary file.
vtData = Inet1.GetChunk(1024, icString)

Do While LenB(vtData) > 0
Put #intFile, , vtData
' Get next chunk.
vtData = Inet1.GetChunk(1024, icString)
Loop
Put #intFile, , vtData
Close #intFile

End Select
End Sub

Using the WinSock Control

Microsoft Office 97, Developer Edition also provides the WinSock control, which you can use to connect to a remote computer and exchange data. You use the WinSock control with either the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). You can use both protocols to create client and server applications. The WinSock control doesn't have a visible interface at run time.

You can use the WinSock control to:

• Create a client application that collects user information before sending it to a central server.
• Create a server application that functions as a central collection point for data from several users.
• Create an application in which uses can exchange messages in real time, or "chat" with each other.

To use the WinSock control, you must first decide which protocol to use. The major difference between TCP and UDP is their connection state:

• The TCP protocol requires a persistent connection. It is analogous to a telephone — the user must establish a connection before proceeding.
• The UDP protocol is a connectionless protocol. The transaction between two computers is like passing a note — a message is sent from one computer to another, but there is no persistent connection between the two.

Here are a few questions that may help you determine which protocol to use:

• Will the application require acknowledgment from the server or client when data is sent or received? If so, use the TCP protocol because it requires an explicit connection before sending or receiving data.
• Is the integrity of your data critical? If so, use the TCP protocol. Once a connection has been made, the TCP protocol maintains the connection and ensures the integrity of the data. If the integrity of your data is not critical, you can improve performance by using the UDP protocol. Using the UDP protocol can be faster and uses less network bandwidth, but you may experience a certain amount of data loss. However, when transmitting an image or a sound file, the data loss may not even be noticeable.
• Will the data be sent intermittently or in one session? If the data will be sent intermittently, you may want to use the UDP protocol because it requires fewer network resources. For example, use the UDP protocol if you are creating an application that notifies specific computers when certain tasks have completed. If you want the data to be sent in one session, use the TCP protocol because it maintains a persistent connection to the network.

In Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, you can add the WinSock control to a UserForm you create with the Visual Basic Editor. Although the WinSock control is available in the Control Toolbox in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, you can't add the control directly to their documents. In Microsoft Access, you can add the WinSock control to a form in Design view. The WinSock control doesn't display when your application is running.

To add the WinSock control to a Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint UserForm created with the Visual Basic Editor

1. Open a Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint document.
2. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor.

   This starts the Visual Basic Editor or switches to its window if it's already open.

3. On the Insert menu, click UserForm.

   A blank form is created and the toolbox is displayed.

4. Right-click the toolbox, and then click Additional Controls.

   The Additional Controls dialog box is displayed.

5. In the Available Controls box, select WinSock Control, version 5.0, and then click OK.

   A tool icon is added to the toolbox for the WinSock control. You don't need to repeat steps 4 and 5 the next time you use the toolbox.

6. Click the new tool, and then click the form where you want to place the control.

   By default, the new control is named Winsockn, where n is some number.

To add the WinSock control to a Microsoft Access form

1. Open the form in Design view.
2. In the toolbox, click the More Controls tool.

   A menu appears that lists all the registered ActiveX controls in your system.

3. On the menu of ActiveX controls, click WinSock Control, version 5.0.
4. On the form, click where you want to place the control.

   By default, the new control is named ActiveXctln, where n is some number.

After you add the WinSock control to your form, you specify which protocol you are going to use. If you want to use the UDP protocol, set the Protocol property to sckUDPProtocol. The default setting of the Protocol property is sckTCPProtocol. You can set the Protocol property in the property sheet or in Visual Basic code, as follows.

Winsock1.Protocol = sckUDPProtocol

To connect to a remote computer, you must know either its Internet Protocol (IP) address or its "friendly name." The IP address is a series of three digit numbers separated by periods (nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn). It's much easier to remember the friendly name of a computer.

To determine the name of a computer

1. On the Taskbar of your computer, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Network icon.
3. Click the Identification tab.
4. The name of your computer is in the Computer name box.

After you have determined a computer's name, you can use it as the value for the RemoteHost property of a WinSock control, as shown in the examples later in this section.

When creating an application that uses the TCP protocol, you must first decide if your application will be a client or a server. The client makes a connection request, which the server can then accept to complete the connection. After the connection is complete, the client and server can freely communicate with each other.

To create a TCP server

1. Create a Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint document or a Microsoft Access database.
2. Create a form and name it frmServer.
3. Set the Caption property of the form to TCP Server.
4. Add a WinSock control to the form and set its Name property to tcpServer.
5. Add two text box controls to the form. Name the first txtSendData, and the second txtOutput.
6. Add the following code to the form.

   Private Sub Form_Load()
   ' Set the LocalPort property to an integer.
   ' Then invoke the Listen method.
   tcpServer.LocalPort = 1001
   tcpServer.Listen
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub tcpServer_ConnectionRequest (ByVal requestID As Long)
   ' Check if the value of the control's State property
   ' is closed. If not, close the connection before
   ' accepting the new connection.
   If tcpServer.State <> sckClosed Then tcpServer.Close
   ' Accept the request with the requestID parameter.
   tcpServer.Accept requestID
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub txtSendData_Change()
   ' The TextBox control named txtSendData
   ' contains the data to be sent. Whenever the user
   ' types into the textbox, the string is sent
   ' using the SendData method.
   tcpServer.SendData txtSendData.Text
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub tcpServer_DataArrival (ByVal bytesTotal As Long)
   ' Declare a variable for the incoming data.
   ' Use the GetData method and set the Text
   ' property of a TextBox named txtOutput to
   ' the data.
   Dim strData As String
   tcpServer.GetData strData
   ' In Microsoft Access, substitute txtOutput.Value
   ' for txtOutput.Text in the following line.
   txtOutput.Text = strData
   End Sub

These procedures create a simple server application. To complete the scenario, you must also create a client application.

To create a TCP client

1. Create a form and name it frmClient.
2. Set the Caption property of the form to TCP Client.
3. Add a WinSock control to the form and set its Name property to tcpClient.
4. Add two text box controls to the form. Name the first txtSendData, and the second txtOutput.
5. Add a command button control to the form and name it cmdConnect.
6. Set the Caption property of the command button control to Connect.
7. Add the following code to the form.

Important Set the value of the RemoteHost property to the name of your computer.

Private Sub Form_Load()
' The name of the Winsock control is tcpClient.
' Note: To specify a remote host, you can use
' either the IP address (ex: "121.111.1.1") or
' the computer's friendly name, as shown here.
tcpClient.RemoteHost = "RemoteComputerName"
tcpClient.RemotePort = 1001
End Sub

Private Sub cmdConnect_Click()
' Invoke the Connect method to initiate a
' connection.
tcpClient.Connect
End Sub

Private Sub txtSendData_Change()
tcpClient.SendData txtSendData.Text
End Sub

Private Sub tcpClient_DataArrival _
(ByVal bytesTotal As Long)
Dim strData As String
tcpClient.GetData strData
' In Microsoft Access, substitute txtOutput.Value
' for txtOutput.Text in the following line.
txtOutput.Text = strData
End Sub

The preceding code creates a simple client/server application. To try the two together, make a copy of the application and put it on another computer. Open the client on one computer and open the server on the other computer. Then click Connect on the client form. When you type text into the txtSendData text box on either form, the same text appears in the txtOutput text box on the other form.

Accepting More Than One Connection Request

With Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Access forms, you can only create a server that accepts only one connection request. However, you can use Microsoft Visual Basic version 4.0 or later to create a server application that accepts several connection requests by using the same control. To do so, you create a new instance of the control by setting its Index property; this creates a control array. Then you invoke the Accept method on the new instance. You do not need to close the connection.

The following code assumes there is a WinSock control on a form named sckServer, and that its Index property has been set to 0; thus the control is part of a control array. In the Declarations section, a module-level variable intMax is declared. In the form's Load event, intMax is set to 0, and the LocalPort property for the first control in the array is set to 1001. Then the Listen method is invoked for the control, making it the control that receives connection requests. As each connection request arrives, the code tests it to see if the Index property is 0 (the value of the "listening" control). If so, the listening control increments intMax, and uses that number to create a new control instance. The new control instance then accepts the connection request.

Private intMax As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()
intMax = 0
sckServer(0).LocalPort = 1001
sckServer(0).Listen
End Sub

Private Sub sckServer_ConnectionRequest _
(Index As Integer, ByVal requestID As Long)
If Index = 0 Then
intMax = intMax + 1
Load sckServer(intMax)
sckServer(intMax).LocalPort = 0
sckServer(intMax).Accept requestID
Load txtData(intMax)
End If
End Sub

Creating a UDP application is even simpler than creating a TCP application because the UDP protocol doesn't require a connection. After you create the forms, add the WinSock controls, and set the Protocol property to UDPProtocol, you add code on both computers that performs the following steps:

1. Set the RemoteHost property of the WinSock control to the name of the other computer.
2. Set the RemotePort property of the WinSock control to the LocalPort property of the other WinSock control.
3. Use the Bind method to specify the local port to be used by the WinSock control.

The Bind method reserves a local port for use by the WinSock control. For example, when you bind the control to port number 1001, no other application can use that port to receive connection requests. This may be useful if you want to prevent another application from using that port.

If there is more than one network adapter on the machine, you can specify which adapter to use in the LocalIP argument the Bind method. If you do not specify which network adapter to use, the control uses the first adapter listed in the Network dialog box, which is available through the computer's Control Panel.

When using the UDP protocol, you can change the setting of the RemoteHost and RemotePort properties while remaining bound to the same local port. However, with the TCP protocol, you must close the connection before changing the RemoteHost and RemotePort properties.

In the TCP application created in the previous section, you must set the WinSock control on the client to receive connection requests, and the WinSock control on the server must initiate a connection. In contrast, the two computers in a UDP application do not have such restrictive roles. Both computers can send and receive messages. Because both computers can be considered equal in the relationship, a UDP application is sometimes called a peer-to-peer application.

The following procedures create a UDP application that two people can use to exchange messages in real time, or "talk" to each other.

To create a UDP Peer

1. Create a document in Microsoft Excel, Word, or PowerPoint, or create a database in Microsoft Access.
2. Create a form and name it frmPeerA.
3. Set the Caption property of the form to Peer A.
4. Add a WinSock control to the form and set its Name property to udpPeerA.
5. Set the Protocol property to UDPProtocol.
6. Add two text box controls to the form. Name the first txtSendData, and the second txtOutput.
7. Add the following code to the form.

   Private Sub Form_Load()
   ' The control's name is udpPeerA.
   With udpPeerA
   .Protocol = sckUDPProtocol ' Set the control to UDP protocol.
   .RemoteHost= "PeerB" ' Set RemoteHost property to the
   ' name of the other computer.
   .RemotePort = 1001 ' Port to connect to.
   .Bind 1002 ' Bind to the local port.
   End With
   frmPeerB.Show ' Show second form.
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub txtSendData_Change()
   ' Send text as soon as it's typed.
   udpPeerA.SendData txtSendData.Text
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub udpPeerA_DataArrival (ByVal bytesTotal As Long)
   Dim strData As String
   
   udpPeerA.GetData strData
   ' In Microsoft Access, substitute txtOutput.Value
   ' for txtOutput.Text in the following line.
   txtOutput.Text = strData
   End Sub

To create a second UDP Peer

1. Create a form and name it frmPeerB.
2. Set the Caption property of the form to Peer B.
3. Add a WinSock control to the form and set its Name property to udpPeerB.
4. Set the Protocol property to UDPProtocol.
5. Add two text box controls to the form. Name the first txtSendData, and the second txtOutput.
6. Add the following code to the form.

   Private Sub Form_Load()
   ' The control's name is udpPeerB.
   With udpPeerB
   .Protocol = sckUDPProtocol ' Set the control to UDP protocol.
   .RemoteHost= "PeerA" ' Set RemoteHost property to the
   ' name of the other computer.
   .RemotePort = 1002 ' Port to connect to.
   .Bind 1001 ' Bind to the local port.
   End With
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub txtSendData_Change()
   ' Send text as soon as it's typed.
   udpPeerB.SendData txtSendData.Text
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub udpPeerB_DataArrival (ByVal bytesTotal As Long)
   Dim strData As String
   
   udpPeerB.GetData strData
   ' In Microsoft Access, substitute txtOutput.Value
   ' for txtOutput.Text in the following line.
   txtOutput.Text = strData
   End Sub

To try this example, make a copy of the application and put it on another computer. Open the first peer on one computer and open the second peer on the other computer. When you type text into the txtSendData text box on either form, the same text appears in the txtOutput text box on the other form.

Setting Up a Personal Web Server

Microsoft provides two products that make it easy to create a personal Web server on your computer for low-volume Web publishing: Microsoft Personal Web Server and Microsoft Peer Web Services. These products are ideal for publishing departmental home pages, personal home pages, or small-scale Web applications on your company's intranet.

Although Personal Web Server and Peer Web Services are intended for small-scale Web publishing, they provide most of the same services and features as Microsoft Internet Information Server, a robust Web server intended for high-volume Web publishing. You can use Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services to develop and test Web applications, and then transfer them to a Web server running Microsoft Internet Information Server.

Both Personal Web Server and Peer Web Services can:

• Publish Web pages on the Internet or over a LAN on an intranet by using the HTTP service.
• Support Microsoft ActiveX controls.
• Transmit or receive files by using the FTP service.
• Run Internet Server API (ISAPI) and Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts.
• Send queries to ODBC data sources by using the Internet Database Connector component (Httpodbc.dll).
• Support the Secure Sockets Layer.

In addition, Peer Web Services can:

• Use pass-through security to Windows NT Server and Novell NetWare.
• Use local-user security if Microsoft File and Print Sharing are not installed.
• Perform remote administration by using a Web-based application.
• Distribute documents by using the Gopher service.

To run Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services, you must meet the following installation requirements.

Personal Web Server

• A computer with Windows 95 installed.
• A CD-ROM drive for the installation compact disc.
• Adequate disk space for your information content.

Peer Web Services

• A computer with Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 installed.
• A CD-ROM drive for the installation compact disc.
• Adequate disk space for your information content. It is recommended that all drives used with Peer Web Services be formatted with the Windows NT File System (NTFS).

When using Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services, each computer you want to access the server must have Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) installed. The TCP/IP protocol is included with Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation version 4.0. To install and configure the TCP/IP protocol and related components, double-click the Network icon in Control Panel. Each system must meet additional requirements depending on whether you want to use the server on an intranet or the Internet.

Intranet Publication Requirements

• A network adapter card and local area network (LAN) connection.
• The Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server or the Domain Name System (DNS) server installed on a computer in your intranet. WINS and DNS run only on Windows NT Server. This step is optional, but it does allow users to use "friendly names" instead of IP addresses when connecting to your server.

Internet Publication Requirements

• An Internet connection and Internet Protocol (IP) address from your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
• DNS registration for that IP address. This step is optional, but it does allow users to use "friendly names" instead of IP addresses when connecting to your server. For example, "microsoft.com" is the friendly domain name registered to Microsoft. Within the microsoft.com domain, Microsoft has named its World Wide Web (WWW) server "www.microsoft.com." Most ISPs can register your domain names for you.
• A network adapter card suitable for your connection to the Internet.

The Setup file for the Personal Web Server is available on the Web. To download the Setup program for Personal Web Server for Windows 95, connect to the Microsoft Personal Web Server home page at:

http://www.microsoft.com/ie/iesk/pws.htm

You can install Personal Web Server if you are running Windows 95 or Windows NT Workstation version 4.0. However, if you are using Windows NT, it is recommended that you install Peer Web Services instead.

To install Personal Web Server from the ValuPack

1. Connect to the Personal Web Server home page on the Web and download PWS10a.exe.
2. Double-click PWS10a.exe.

   This starts the installation process. You may be required to supply additional files from your Windows 95 Setup disks.

3. When installation is finished, the Setup program asks if you want to restart your computer. Click Yes.

The files to install Peer Web Services are provided on the Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 Setup CD-ROM.

To install Peer Web Services

1. Open Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
2. Click the Services tab, and then click Add.
3. In the Network Service list, double-click Peer Web Services.

   This starts the installation process. You may be required to supply additional files from your Windows NT Setup disks.

4. In the first Microsoft Peer Web Services Setup dialog box, click OK.
5. In the second Microsoft Peer Web Services Setup dialog box, select which services you want to install, and then click OK.
6. In the Publishing Directories dialog box, specify the directories you want to use for each service, or accept the default directories, and then click OK.

For more information about Using Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services, you can refer to their online documentation, which is available once installation is complete.

To view documentation for Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services

1. Start your Web browser.
2. To view the documentation for Personal Web Server, in your browser's address box, type:

   http://MyServer/docs/default.htm

   To view the documentation for Peer Web Services, in your browser's address box, type:

   http://MyServer/iisadmin/htmldocs/inetdocs.htm

   where MyServer is the name of the computer on which you installed Personal Web Server or Peer Web Services. To determine the name of the computer, open Control Panel, double-click the Network icon, and then click the Identification tab.

3. Press ENTER.