Using Visual Basic with AutoCAD

Now in an all-new second edition, Using Visual Basic with AutoCAD continues to encourage readers to explore the customization power they can unleash using Visual Basic to automate AutoCAD 2000. Over 500 pages - featuring a wealth of step-by-step examples presented in the book and on the companion CD-ROM - offer expert instruction in using both Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and stand-alone Visual Basic (VB). Ideal for programmers of all abilities;, from the novice through the expert, Using Visual Basic with AutoCAD provides unparalleled coverage of topics ranging from simple customization of AutoCAD commands, to building impressive stand-alone applications, through debugging programs.

Part of the popular Programmer's Reference Series from Autodesk Press, Using Visual Basic with AutoCAD begins by familiarizing readers with Visual Basic environment and then delves immediately into creating and modifying objects as well as extracting data from drawings. Subsequent chapters illustrate how to create and distribute real-world applications; how to communicate with other applications using dynamic data exchange (DDE) and object linking and embedding (OLE); how to exchange AutoCAD data with popular spreadsheet, word-processing and database applications; and how to debug programs. (Note: While prior knowledge of AutoCAD is assumed, no previous Visual Basic experience is required to use this book successfully)

• 1 Why use Visual Basic with AutoCAD? 1
• 2 Getting Started 15
• 3 Visual Basic Fundamentals 37
• 4 Advanced Visual Basic Topics 77
• 5 Tapping into the AutoCAD Object Model: Creating Objects 123
• 6 Modifying Objects 149
• 7 Extracting Information from Drawings 175
• 8 Viewing, Plotting, and Saving Drawings 197
• 9 Building Real-World Applications 223
• 10 Communicating with other Applications 259
• 11 Exchanging Spreadsheet Data with AutoCAD 291
• 12 Exchanging Word-Processing Information with AutoCAD 319
• 13 Exchanging Database Information with AutoCAD 343
• 14 Crossing Application Boundaries 387
• 15 Debugging Programs 433
• App. A AutoCAD Objects 449
• App. B AutoCAD Methods 493
• App. C AutoCAD Properties 501
• App. D AutoCAD Constants and Events 517
• Index