VB3: VB Articles on ftp.microsoft.com on the Internet

- Standard and Professional Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic for

  Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

All Microsoft Visual Basic Knowledge Base articles and Microsoft Software Library (MSL) files are available for downloading from the Internet by using an FTP service (ftp.microsoft.com). The MSL file tree contains drivers, patches, and other support files from Microsoft Technical Support.

MORE INFORMATION

How to Open a Connection to the Microsoft FTP Site

Connection to the Microsoft Internet server requires a "live" session to the Internet by way of an FTP (File Transfer Program) service provider.

1. Log on to your Internet account.

2. At the Internet prompt, type:

         open ftp.microsoft.com
   

   or use the IP address:

         open 198.105.232.1
   

3. When prompted for a user name, type:

         anonymous
   

4. When asked for a password, type your full e-mail address, for example:

         johndoe@test.com
   

How to Download Individual Visual Basic Knowledge Base Articles

This example includes downloading an actual article (Q100369) that contains all the documentation errors for Visual Basic version 3.0. Microsoft Knowledge Base articles are stored in a directory tree by their unique identification number also known as their Q number.

1. After logging onto the FTP server, use the CD command at the FTP prompt to change to the correct directory:

         cd/developr/devutil/kb
   

2. Use the GET command to retrieve the README.TXT and INDEX.TXT files. The INDEX.TXT file contains a complete list of all the article titles and their Q numbers. If you already know the Q number you want, you don't need to look in the INDEX.TXT file. To download these files, type the following from the FTP prompt:

         get readme.txt
         get index.txt
   

3. Once you have the Q number (for example Q100369), use the GET command to download the Knowledge Base article.

   Knowledge Base articles are stored in a directory tree structure with each Q number represented as two subdirectories and a two-digit file name. This method avoids storing thousands of articles in one subdirectory; that would slow server performance.

   You can translate the Q number into a GET command. There are three parts to each Q number. Reading backwards, the file name is the last two characters plus a .TXT extension. For example, the file name for Q100369 is 69.TXT. The sub area is the first digit to the left of the file name (3 in this example), and the primary area is the remaining characters to the left including the Q (Q100 in this example).

   In the GET command, place a forward slash (/) between the file name,

      sub area, and primary area (primary/sub/filename). For example, a
      six-digit Q number translates to:
   
         Q99704 = Q99/7/04.TXT
   
      A seven-digit Q number translates to:
   
         Q100369 = Q100/3/69.TXT
   
      Use the GET command from the FTP prompt to download the article:
   
         get Q99/7/04.TXT Q99704.TXT
         get Q100/3/69.TXT Q100369.TXT
   
      The "Q100369.TXT" part at the end is the destination name for the
      file -- the name of the file as it will appear on your hard drive.
   
   

4. To close the connection with the server for most FTP clients type the following from the FTP prompt:

         bye
   

REFERENCES

For additional information on obtaining Visual Basic articles on the Internet, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: