The Novell Controls for ActiveX and Visual Basic:
Installing the Novell Controls for ActiveX

You can download the Novell Controls for ActiveX from the DeveloperNet web page: http://developer.novell.com/ndk/activex-index.htm. If you have an older version of the controls installed on your computer, you should run the UNREGOCX.BAT batch program that came with the controls to remove references to them from the Windows Registry, then use "Add/Remove Programs" in the Windows Control Panel to remove the older version of the controls before installing the latest version.

The install program for the Novell Controls for ActiveX is called OCX.EXE, and uses the familiar InstallShield interface. You should probably install the controls in a directory on your workstation's hard drive (not a network drive). If the controls are on a local drive, the controls will be available for your programs to use before you are logged in to NDS. You can use the Session control, for example, to develop a custom login interface if the control is installed on the workstation's local hard drive.

The Novell Controls install program puts the controls into the directory you specify (default name, ActiveX). In this directory, there is a batch program called REGOCX.BAT, which you should run to register the Novell Controls.

You can verify that the Novell Controls have been installed and registered correctly by doing the following.

1. Run Visual Basic.

2. Select "Components" from the Project Menu.

3. Scroll down the list of controls displayed in the Components dialog box and verify that the 11 Novell controls are in the list (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Novell Controls in the Visual Basic components list.

An Overview of the Controls

There are 11 controls included in the Novell Controls for ActiveX. A brief description of each of the controls follows. Future articles in this series will focus on the controls used for NDS programming, the Directory and Session controls.

Application Administration
The Application Administration Control provides features to set up and manage the Application Management and Distribution features in Z.E.N.works. It installs new applications and updates existing applications with personalized information stored in the directory.

Bindery
The Bindery Control accesses the NetWare Bindery to manage backup, search, and restore functions on a server and administrates network entries (users, groups, printers). It also lets you add a new entry class (a layout) and describe the Bindery field.

Directory
The Directory Control accesses Novell Directory Services (NDS), allowing you to add, delete, search, and manage directory entries, and extend and manage the Directory schema. It allows you to easily access, add, delete, view or modify NDS trees.

Internet Directory
The Internet Directory Control allows you to create network applications that access the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), a protocol for accessing Internet directory services.

Print Queue Administration
The Print Queue Administration Control provides features to manage NetWare print queues, including properties to view and manage print jobs, set update intervals, and display the print job status.

Print Server Administration
The Print Server Administration Control is used to set up and control a print server and its associated printers from a remote workstation.

Session
The Session Control abstracts features of a network session, allowing you to log in using the NetWare Client32 dialog box, list current drive maps, and run user-specific login scripts.

Server Socket and Client Socket
The Server Socket and Client Socket controls let you design applications that communicate using either TCP or SPX protocols, allowing you to integrate low-level communication functionality into your applications.

Server Administration
The Server Administration Control provides features to manage NetWare servers. It contains properties and methods to view or edit primary server parameters and feature settings.

Volume Administration
The Volume Administration Control provides features to manage a NetWare volume, letting you view and modify volume information (disk space, namespaces, modification dates), and manage directories and files.