How to Convert Dll to ActiveX
By Lora Covrett
An ActiveX control is a unit of code that you can reuse easily. This helps make common functionality consistent and saves coding time. You can reference or code one or more dlls into an ActiveX component. ActiveX components are visual or nonvisual. However, the nonvisual ActiveX components that you download from the Internet could have potentially dangerous code in them.
Start a new Visual Basic project by opening "Visual Basic" and selecting "File," "New Project." Select "ActiveX Control" from the "New Project" window. This will create a new, blank control called "UserControl1." You are free to rename the control whatever you like.
Begin adding code to the new ActiveX project. If you have a dll that you have already coded, begin moving the classes from that program into new classes in the ActiveX project. If you are going to be combining functionality with one or more dlls into this project, go to the menu and select "Project," "References."
Scroll through the available references until you locate the dll that you are searching for and click the check box next to it. Click "OK" to save the dll as a reference in this project.
Make your ocx control by selecting "File," "Make" from the menu. Next to "Make" will be the name of the project. This will also be the name of your ActiveX ocx control. If your project is named "MyProject," your control will be "MyProject.ocx." After you select "Make," you can change the name of the ocx file in the "Make Project" window that opens next.
Add your ActiveX control to your new project by selecting "Project," "Components" from the menu. Locate the name of the ocx file that you just created, and click the check box next to it. Click "OK" to save your changes. You will see the ActiveX control show up in your "Toolbox" window if you have that window open. You may now add this control to your form and reuse this same control in other programs.
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Writer Bio
Lora Covrett has been writing professionally since 2006. She has published a humor book, as well as articles for various online publications. Covrett is an IBM-certified database administrator and solution expert. She completed her Bachelor of Science in computer information systems at Devry University.