Can't compile a VB program because of $Left

**deadweasel** · 01-09-2004, 10:47 PM

I have to throw this one out to the VB6 peeps out there. In my app, I'm using a function to detect the current Windows version that's running on the machine the app is installed on. I didn't design the function, but it IS freeware, for those who might be sticklers about such things.

My problem resides in the following code, with the offending statement in red:
=======================

Public Declare Function GetVersionEx Lib "kernel32" _
Alias "GetVersionExA" _
(lpVersionInformation As OSVERSIONINFO) As Long
_________________________________________

Public Function GetWinVersion(WIN As RGB_WINVER) As String

'returns a structure (RGB_WINVER)
'filled with OS information

#If Win32 Then

Dim OSV As OSVERSIONINFO
Dim pos As Integer
Dim sVer As String
Dim sBuild As String

OSV.OSVSize = Len(OSV)

If GetVersionEx(OSV) = 1 Then

'PlatformId contains a value representing the OS
WIN.PlatformID = OSV.PlatformID

Select Case OSV.PlatformID
Case VER_PLATFORM_WIN32s: WIN.VersionName = "Win32s"
Case VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT: WIN.VersionName = "Windows NT"

Select Case OSV.dwVerMajor
Case 4: WIN.VersionName = "Windows NT"
Case 5:
Select Case OSV.dwVerMinor
Case 0: WIN.VersionName = "Windows 2000"
Case 1: WIN.VersionName = "Windows XP"
End Select
End Select

Case VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_WINDOWS:

'The dwVerMinor bit tells if its 95 or 98.
Select Case OSV.dwVerMinor
Case 0: WIN.VersionName = "Windows 95"
Case 90: WIN.VersionName = "Windows ME"
Case Else: WIN.VersionName = "Windows 98"
End Select

End Select

'Get the version number
WIN.VersionNo = OSV.dwVerMajor & "." & OSV.dwVerMinor

'Get the build
WIN.BuildNo = (OSV.dwBuildNumber And &HFFFF&)

'Any additional info. In Win9x, this can be
'"any arbitrary string" provided by the
'manufacturer. In NT, this is the service pack.
pos = InStr(OSV.szCSDVersion, Chr$(0))
If pos Then
WIN.ServicePack = Left$(OSV.szCSDVersion, pos - 1)
End If

End If

#Else

'can only return that this does not
'support the 32 bit call, so must be Win3x
WIN.VersionName = "Windows 3.x"
#End If

End Function
================

Okay, so apparently that Left$ is preventing the program from compiling, giving me a "Type-declaration character does not match declared data type" error. I don't actually NEED this portion of the function, since it reports the particular service pack installed on an NT/2K/XP machine, but I have run into this problem before, and I suspect it's because of interference from the WinampCOM plugin that's running, since as soon as I disable it, the program compiles just fine.

It's easy enough to comment or delete this portion out and have it compile and run exactly as expected, but I would sure be interested in knowing why that particular object is no longer valid as long as I'm running that plugin. What could possibly be going on to make a VB object unusable?!?

Any ideas?

**aultl** · 01-10-2004, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by deadweasel

<snip>
'Any additional info. In Win9x, this can be
'"any arbitrary string" provided by the
'manufacturer. In NT, this is the service pack.
pos = InStr(OSV.szCSDVersion, Chr$(0))
If pos Then
WIN.ServicePack = Left$(OSV.szCSDVersion, pos - 1)
End If

End If

<snip>

"Type-declaration character does not match declared data type" error... and I suspect it's because of interference from the WinampCOM plugin that's running, since as soon as I disable it, the program compiles just fine.
Any ideas?

Due to the error, it sounds like you have a variable or function in your WinampCOM plugin that is named "Left" or somewhere in that plugin VB is overloading the declared type. Or maybe I should say VB THINKS you want to overload that type declaration, think misspelled variable or function. I would lean more towards a variable as the error would say something more along the lines of "Too many arguments" or "Not enough arguments" if it was a sub or function.

**deadweasel** · 01-10-2004, 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by aultl

Due to the error, it sounds like you have a variable or function in your WinampCOM plugin that is named "Left" or somewhere in that plugin VB is overloading the declared type. Or maybe I should say VB THINKS you want to overload that type declaration, think misspelled variable or function. I would lean more towards a variable as the error would say something more along the lines of "Too many arguments" or "Not enough arguments" if it was a sub or function.

That makes sense. Unfortunately, I really have no way to check it out for myself, since this plugin is already compiled and the source is not being released. I had a bit of a lengthy chat with Frodo over this, and he showed me some interesting methods to get around the problem. Bear in mind that this is all pretty much academic anyhow, since I have no use for the portion of the routine that is causing the trouble. Oh well.