Access™ 2007 Bible

Chapter 30. Using the Windows API

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Understanding what the Windows API is

• Learning when you'll use the Windows API

• Looking at API documentation sources

• Knowing the data types used in API calls

• Writing API function declarations

• Writing API wrapper procedures

• Identifying useful API functions for Access developers

Access and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) help you develop powerful applications. Using the Windows application program interface (API), you can take full advantage of the Windows graphical user interface (GUI) to create your own windows (forms), dialog boxes (message boxes), list boxes, combo boxes, command buttons, and so on. These objects make your application a Windows application. And that's what this chapter is all about.

Although this chapter concentrates on the API included with Windows, the concepts are applicable to other APIs as well, such as the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) API, the Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), and the Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI).

What Is the Windows API?

The Windows API is a set of built-in code libraries extending the Windows interface. Access makes these code libraries available to you and simplifies their use. The API libraries include functions that allow you to create windows, check systems resources, work with communications ports, send messages to applications, control .ini files, and access the Registry, among other things.

These functions hook directly into the internal workings ...