Some languages and development tools do not have built-in support for ActiveX controls, but are able to make calls to 32-bit DLLs through a DLL's exported interface. The Xceed Zip Compression Library ActiveX control can also be accessed through direct DLL API calls. This section of the manual describes how to use Xceed Zip v5.0 via direct DLL API calls. See the Samples section if you want commented source code showing how to use the DLL API with various languages.
All of the Xceed Zip and Xceed Compression control properties, methods and events described in this manual can be accessed through the exported DLL API, including the Self-Extractor Module's functionality.
Properties: Properties can be accessed by calling the API's "Get" and "Set" functions. API functions starting with "XzGet" and "XzSet" let you read and write the Xceed Zip control's properties. API functions starting with "XcGet" and "XcSet" let you read and write the Xceed Compression control's properties. The list of properties can be found in the DLL API function list topic.
Methods: The Xceed Zip control's methods can be executed by calling the API functions starting with "Xz". The Xceed Compression control's methods can be executed by calling the API functions starting with "Xc". The list of properties can be found in the DLL API function list topic.
Events: Events can be handled either by callback functions or by windows messages. A list of events can be found in the DLL API Event list.
In order to be able to access the Xceed Zip or Xceed Compression control's functionality via the DLL API, you must first call the DLL's initialization function, and then instantiate either the Xceed Zip control or the Xceed Compression control (or both). See the Initialization and Instantiation topic for details.
For C/C++ users, two files, one named XCEEDZIPAPI.H, and one named XCEEDZIP.LIB are included in the "DLL API" folder where you installed Xceed Zip v5.0. The first file, XCEEDZIPAPI.H contains all the function and event declarations for the DLL API, and the second file, XCEEDZIP.LIB, is Visual C++ library file you can add to your project to avoid having to import all the function names into your project.
It is recommended that VB users use the ActiveX interface – however, complete support for using the DLL API with VB is included. The XCDDLLAPI.BAS file included in the "DLL API" folder where you installed Xceed Zip v5.0 contains all the function, event and constant declarations for using the DLL API in VB 4, 5 and 6. This file must be included in your project so that you can make easy calls to the API functions. A sample application that demonstrates using the DLL API in VB is included in the SAMPLES\DLL API\VB folder where you installed Xceed Zip v5.0.
See the Additional notes on the DLL API for VB users topic.
If you can't link with the xceedzip.lib file, you must manually obtain the address of each Xceed Zip property or method you need to use. The recommended technique for doing this is presented in the exported functions structure topic.
All exported API calls come in single (ANSI) and wide character (UNICODE) versions. This applies both to the DLL API's functions as well as its events. Function and event structure names that end with an "A" use ANSI (8-bit per character) strings in all function and event parameters. Function and event structure names that end with a capital "W" use UNICODE (16-bit per character) wide strings in all function and event parameters.
C/C++ users that use the XCEEDZIPAPI.H file can omit the "A" or "W" at the end of the function name, because a #define has been added in order to automatically choose the ANSI or UNICODE version of the function, depending on whether or not you are compiling with the "UNICODE" symbol defined.
See the deploying section's When using the DLL API for information on how to deploy applications that use the XCEEDZIP.DLL through it's DLL API.