Win API calls work in Visual Basic 6 IDE but not in EXE file

AlanMiller · Jul 5, 2006

I have a program written in Visual Basic 6. It uses Win API calls for serial port communication using CreateFile, WriteFile, ReadFile, etc calls from the Win API. It works fine when in the IDE. When I make an EXE file and run it, the program crashes. The WriteFile and ReadFile calls seem to be the problem. Can anyone give me a possible reason for this?
Thanks.

ArkM · Jul 5, 2006

Add return codes handling in your code, print proper diagnostic messages. Check file names in you code - have you full or relative only paths to processed files?

LazyMe · Jul 7, 2006

Since the progam seems to crash, I don't think a return code will be possible to obtain.

Crashing usually means memory/stack corruption. You may want to check the parameters to these funtions. Are these of the correct type and size? Are you maybe specifying an empty stringbuffer to readfile, etc. etc.

Greetings,
Rick

AlanMiller · Jul 7, 2006

Thanks for your help. I found the problem. I was passing a variable as byVal when it should been byRef instead.
Al

chiph · Jul 10, 2006

Yup. Passing a string to a Win32 API function will do that to you every time, if you don't use ByRef.

Chip H.

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Win API calls work in Visual Basic 6 IDE but not in EXE file

AlanMiller

Programmer

ArkM

IS-IT--Management

LazyMe

Programmer

AlanMiller

Programmer

chiph

Programmer

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