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Files included in exicon.exe

1. readme.txt   - this file
2. exticons.exe - the executable, for users who aren't programmers
3. exticons.frm - the main & only form/module
4. exticons.frx - contains the forms' icon
5. exticons.mak - the VB make file

If you don't have VB 3.0, you will need VBRUN300.DLL just to run the
program.  Get it from the lib's in the MSBASIC forum on CompuServe.
(Search for VBRUN3.EXE)

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*** Description ***

EXTICONS extracts all icons from one or more Source files (.exe's, .dll's,
.vbx's, .drv's, & possibly other file types) to individual icon files in a
user selected directory, giving each icon file a unique name based on the 
name of the source file.

It can search recursively through subdirectories, extracting all icons
in all files.

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Example 1:

Source File = c:\win31\moricons.dll
Destination Directory = c:\exticons

Search Subdirectories not checked
     
===>  Extracts all icons from moricons.dll and saves them in directory
      c:\exticons with file names moric001.ico, moric002.ico, etc.

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Example 2:

Source File = c:\*.*
Destination Directory = c:\exticons

Search Subdirectories checked

===> Extracts all icons from all files in all directories on drive c:

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*** Interesting/useful techniques for programmers: ***

1. It's my impression that most icon extracting programs use the BitBlt 
   function, a la IconWorks (the icon editor that comes with VB).  This
   program doesn't.  Check out the vbIconCopy subroutine to see how it's 
   done using the hmemcpy, GlobalLock, & GlobalUnlock Win API functions.
   I discovered this technique myself.  Maybe others have come up with
   something similar, but I've not seen anything like it mentioned
   elsewhere.
   
2. See the SearchSubdirectories subroutine if you are interested in a 
   routine for (DUH!) searching subdirectories recursively.

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*** Limitations: ***

1. uses hmemcpy API, so it requires Windows 3.1 - won't work with Windows 3.0

2. can't extract monochrome (2 color) icons - (I seem to have encountered
   about a dozen on 2 hard disks and 1 CD)

3. it doesn't extract icons from *.ico files.  I didn't see any sense in doing
   so, but if you want it to, just comment out a couple of lines in one 
   subroutine (I'll let you track them down.)

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*** Request ***

I've been able to test the program on 16 and 256 color video drivers.
I would like to know if it works with 32k/64k/16m color drivers.

If you use such drivers, could you post a message to the MSBASIC forum
on CompuServe informing me of either success or failure?

Email might be better, just in case I get a lot more responses than I
actually expect.

Thanks much,
Hope you find it useful

Charles Mulks, 70612,1117         (CompuServe)
               21667cfm@msu.edu   (Internet)