Differences Between VB 3.0 and Applications Edition

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In general, the Applications Edition of the Visual Basic Programming System helps you customize the applications that support it: Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project. In contrast, Visual Basic 3.0 allows you to create independent applications.

Because the Applications Edition of Visual Basic must operate within an application that supports it, there are some differences in what you can and cannot control.

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Dialog Box Controls

The Applications Edition in Microsoft Excel has a limited set of object properties for dialog box controls. You cannot format or align text, and the events that you can use for dialog box controls are limited to OnClick, OnChange, and OnShow. Visual Basic 3.0 events such as Focus, Keydown, and Mousedown are not available.

Database Connectivity

Using Visual Basic, Applications Edition in Microsoft Excel, limited database connectivity is supported through Microsoft Query. A feature in both the Standard and Professional Editions of Visual Basic is the Microsoft Access 1.1 Database Engine. The database engine provides direct access to Microsoft Access, Microsoft FoxPro, Borland dBASE, Borland Paradox, and Novell Btrieve. The Professional Edition offers full Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) support.

Using .VBX Files

You cannot use custom controls (.VBX files) with Visual Basic, Applications Edition. While .VBX files enhance the functionality of Visual Basic version 3.0, objects in Visual Basic, Applications Edition offer similar enhancements.

Visual Basic 3.0, Professional Edition provides .VBX files for such things as grids and charts, while in Microsoft Excel, you have objects such as worksheets and charts that provide this functionality. Using Visual Basic, Applications Edition with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project objects offers certain advantages. For example, these objects have greater functionality and there are many objects for which there are no comparable .VBX files, such as Pivot Tables.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: