Visual Basic Concepts

Finding Out About Objects

The Object Browser is based on type libraries, resources that contain detailed descriptions of classes, including properties, methods, events, named constants, and more.

Visual Basic creates type library information for the classes you create, provides type libraries for the objects it includes, and lets you access the type libraries provided by other applications.

You can use the Object Browser to display the classes available in projects and libraries, including the classes you've defined. The objects you create from those classes will have the same members — properties, methods, and events — that you see in the Object Browser.

Figure 9.1   The Object Browser

To display the Object Browser

• From the View menu, choose Object Browser.

  -or-

  Press F2.

  -or-

  Click the Object Browser button on the toolbar.

By default, the Object Browser cannot be docked to other windows. This allows you to move between the Object Browser and code windows using CTRL+TAB. You can change this by right-clicking the Object Browser to open its context menu, and clicking Dockable.

Note   When the Object Browser is dockable, you cannot use CTRL+TAB to move to it from your code windows.

The following topics detail features of the Object Browser.

• Contents of the Object Browser   The object browser shows classes and their members. Description strings remind you what objects are for, and show function templates.

• Finding and Browsing Objects   You can locate objects and their members, even if you only remember part of a name.

• Adding Descriptions for Your Objects   Descriptions you add to your classes and their members may assist you when using your classes.

• Moving Between Procedures   You can locate modules and procedures in your projects, and jump to the code for them.

• Browsing Objects from Other Applications   You can use objects from other applications in your program; the Object Browser shows you the Automation objects other applications provide.