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Q159498: HOWTO: Call LanMan Services from 32-bit Visual Basic Apps

Article: Q159498
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork kbAPI kbSDKPlatform kbVBp400 kbNetAPI kbGrpDSVBDB kbGrpDSNet kb32bitOnly
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article demonstrates how to call various LanMan services from 32-bit Visual
Basic 4.0 applications. The sample code also applies to applications which use
the 32-bit VBA engine. An example of such an application is Microsoft Excel 97.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Windows NT and Windows 2000 exposes LanMan 32-bit Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs) to provide network services. These APIs are called only from
32-bit programs running on a Windows NT or Windows 2000 and are used to control
both the local and remote Windows NT (or Windows 2000) machines that you have
permission to access.

Note: While Windows 2000 supports LanMan APIs for backwards compatibility, it is
recommended that ADSI be used instead for most of the functions below. For more
information about ADSI, search for Active Directory Services Interface or ADSI
in the Microsoft Knowledge Base or MSDN.

This article contains code examples of using the following LanMan APIs:

  NetGetDCName
  NetUserDel
  NetGroupAddUser
  NetGroupDelUser
  NetUserAdd        (using Level 1 structure)
  NetUserEnum       (using Level 0 structure)
  NetGroupEnumUsers (using Level 0 structure)
  NetGroupEnum      (using Level 0 structure)
  NetUserGetGroups  (using Level 0 structure)
  NetAPIBufferFree
  NetAPIBufferAllocate

Although, Visual Basic stores strings internally as UNICODE, it converts them to
ANSI when it calls APIs. Normally this isn't a problem because most 32-bit APIs
have both an ANSI and a UNICODE version. However, LanMan APIs only support
UNICODE. The code snippet below demonstrates how to use Byte arrays to pass
UNICODE parameters.

Instead of using strings, for example:

     "X = My_ANSI_API("Some String")"

use Byte arrays, such the one below, because they aren't converted to ANSI:

     Dim Temp() As Byte, Message As String
     Message = "Some String"
     Temp = Message & vbNullChar     '
     MyUnicodeAPI Temp(0)
     Message = Temp                  ' modified me

Declarations and Sample Code
----------------------------

WARNING: ANY USE BY YOU OF THE CODE PROVIDED IN THIS ARTICLE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Microsoft provides this macro code "as is" without warranty of any kind, either
express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. Microsoft provides
examples of Visual Basic procedures for illustration only, without warranty
either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to the implied
warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. The
Visual Basic procedures in this article are provided 'as is' and Microsoft does
not guarantee that they can be used in all situations. While Microsoft Support
professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, they
will not modify these examples to provide added functionality, nor will they
help you construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited
programming experience, you may want to consult one of the Microsoft Solution
Providers. Solution Providers offer a wide range of fee-based services,
including creating custom procedures. For more information about Microsoft
Solution Providers, call Microsoft Customer Information Service at (800)
426-9400.

     Option Explicit
     Option Base 0     ' Important assumption for this code

     Type MungeLong
       X As Long
       Dummy As Integer
     End Type

     Type MungeInt
       XLo As Integer
       XHi As Integer
       Dummy As Integer
     End Type

     Type TUser0                    ' Level 0
       ptrName As Long
     End Type

     Type TUser1                    ' Level 1
       ptrName As Long
       ptrPassword As Long
       dwPasswordAge As Long
       dwPriv As Long
       ptrHomeDir As Long
       ptrComment As Long
       dwFlags As Long
       ptrScriptPath As Long
     End Type

     '
     ' for dwPriv
     '
     Const USER_PRIV_MASK = &H3
     Const USER_PRIV_GUEST = &H0
     Const USER_PRIV_USER = &H1
     Const USER_PRIV_ADMIN = &H2

     '
     ' for dwFlags
     '
     Const UF_SCRIPT = &H1
     Const UF_ACCOUNTDISABLE = &H2
     Const UF_HOMEDIR_REQUIRED = &H8
     Const UF_LOCKOUT = &H10
     Const UF_PASSWD_NOTREQD = &H20
     Const UF_PASSWD_CANT_CHANGE = &H40
     Const UF_NORMAL_ACCOUNT = &H200     ' Needs to be ORed with the
                                         ' other flags

     '
     ' for lFilter
     '
     Const FILTER_NORMAL_ACCOUNT = &H2

     Declare Function NetGetDCName Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" (ServerName As Byte, _
     DomainName As Byte, DCNPtr As Long) As Long

     Declare Function NetUserDel Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" (ServerName As Byte, _
     UserName As Byte) As Long

     Declare Function NetGroupAddUser Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" (ServerName As _
     Byte, GroupName As Byte, UserName As Byte) As Long

     Declare Function NetGroupDelUser Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" (ServerName As _
     Byte, GroupName As Byte, UserName As Byte) As Long

     ' Add using Level 1 user structure
     Declare Function NetUserAdd1 Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias "NetUserAdd" _
     (ServerName As Byte, ByVal Level As Long, Buffer As TUser1, ParmError _
     As Long) As Long

     ' Enumerate using Level 0 user structure
     Declare Function NetUserEnum0 Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias "NetUserEnum" _
     (ServerName As Byte, ByVal Level As Long, ByVal lFilter As Long, _
     Buffer As Long, ByVal PrefMaxLen As Long, EntriesRead As Long, _
     TotalEntries As Long, ResumeHandle As Long) As Long

     Declare Function NetGroupEnumUsers0 Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias _
     "NetGroupGetUsers" (ServerName As Byte, GroupName As Byte, _
     ByVal Level As Long, Buffer As Long, ByVal PrefMaxLen As Long, _
     EntriesRead As Long, TotalEntries As Long, ResumeHandle As Long) As Long

     Declare Function NetGroupEnum0 Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias "NetGroupEnum" _
     (ServerName As Byte, ByVal Level As Long, Buffer As Long, ByVal _
     PrefMaxLen As Long, EntriesRead As Long, TotalEntries As Long, _
     ResumeHandle As Long) As Long

     Declare Function NetUserGetGroups0 Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias _
     "NetUserGetGroups" (ServerName As Byte, UserName As Byte, _
     ByVal Level As Long, Buffer As Long, ByVal PrefMaxLen As Long, _
     EntriesRead As Long, TotalEntries As Long) As Long

     Declare Function NetAPIBufferFree Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias _
     "NetApiBufferFree" (ByVal Ptr As Long) As Long

     Declare Function NetAPIBufferAllocate Lib "NETAPI32.DLL" Alias _
     "NetApiBufferAllocate" (ByVal ByteCount As Long, Ptr As Long) As Long

     Declare Function PtrToStr Lib "Kernel32" Alias "lstrcpyW" _
     (RetVal As Byte, ByVal Ptr As Long) As Long

     Declare Function StrToPtr Lib "Kernel32" Alias "lstrcpyW" _
     (ByVal Ptr As Long, Source As Byte) As Long

     Declare Function PtrToInt Lib "Kernel32" Alias "lstrcpynW" _
     (RetVal As Any, ByVal Ptr As Long, ByVal nCharCount As Long) As Long

     Declare Function StrLen Lib "Kernel32" Alias "lstrlenW" _
     (ByVal Ptr As Long) As Long

     Function AddUserToGroup(ByVal SName As String, _
     ByVal GName As String, ByVal UName As String) As Long
     '
     ' This only adds users to global groups - not to local groups
     '
     Dim SNArray() As Byte, GNArray() As Byte, UNArray() As Byte, _
     Result As Long
       SNArray = SName & vbNullChar
       GNArray = GName & vbNullChar
       UNArray = UName & vbNullChar
       Result = NetGroupAddUser(SNArray(0), GNArray(0), UNArray(0))
       If Result = 2220 Then Debug.Print _
     "There is no **GLOBAL** group '" & GName & "'"
       AddUserToGroup = Result
     End Function

     Function DelUser(ByVal SName As String, ByVal UName As String) As Long
     Dim UNArray() As Byte, SNArray() As Byte
       UNArray = UName & vbNullChar
       SNArray = SName & vbNullChar
       DelUser = NetUserDel(SNArray(0), UNArray(0))
     End Function

     Function DelUserFromGroup(ByVal SName As String, _
     ByVal GName As String, ByVal UName As String) As Long
     '
     ' This only deletes users from global groups - not local groups
     '
     Dim SNArray() As Byte, GNArray() As Byte, UNArray() As Byte, _
     Result As Long
       SNArray = SName & vbNullChar
       GNArray = GName & vbNullChar
       UNArray = UName & vbNullChar
       Result = NetGroupDelUser(SNArray(0), GNArray(0), UNArray(0))
       If Result = 2220 Then Debug.Print _
     "There is no **GLOBAL** group '" & GName & "'"
       DelUserFromGroup = Result
     End Function

     Function EnumerateGroups(ByVal SName As String, _
     ByVal UName As String) As Long
     '
     ' Enumerates global groups only - not local groups
     '
     ' The buffer is filled from the left with pointers to user names that
     ' are filled from the right side. For example:
     '
     '     ptr1|ptr2|...|ptrn|<garbage>|strn|...|str2|str1
     '     ^-------------- BufPtr buffer ----------------^
     '
     ' On NT, TotalEntries is the number of entries left to be read including
     ' the currently read entries.
     '
     ' On LanMan and OS/2, it is the total number of entries, period. Code
     ' would have to be changed to reflect this if the Domain controller
     ' wasn't an NT machine.
     '
     ' BufPtr gets the address of the buffer (or ptr1 - add 4 to BufPtr for
     ' each additional pointer)
     '
     Dim Result As Long, BufPtr As Long, EntriesRead As Long, _
     TotalEntries As Long, ResumeHandle As Long, BufLen As Long, _
     SNArray() As Byte, GNArray(99) As Byte, UNArray() As Byte, _
     GName As String, I As Integer, UNPtr As Long, _
     TempPtr As MungeLong, TempStr As MungeInt

       SNArray = SName & vbNullChar       ' Move to byte array
       UNArray = UName & vbNullChar       ' Move to Byte array
       BufLen = 255                       ' Buffer size
       ResumeHandle = 0                   ' Start with the first entry

       Do
         If UName = "" Then
           Result = NetGroupEnum0(SNArray(0), 0, BufPtr, BufLen, _
     EntriesRead, TotalEntries, ResumeHandle)
         Else
           Result = NetUserGetGroups0(SNArray(0), UNArray(0), 0, BufPtr, _
     BufLen, EntriesRead, TotalEntries)
         End If
         EnumerateGroups = Result
         If Result <> 0 And Result <> 234 Then    ' 234 means multiple reads
                                                  ' required
           Debug.Print "Error " & Result & " enumerating group " & _
     EntriesRead & " of " & TotalEntries
           Exit Function
         End If
         For I = 1 To EntriesRead
           ' Get pointer to string from beginning of buffer
           ' Copy 4 byte block of memory in 2 steps
           Result = PtrToInt(TempStr.XLo, BufPtr + (I - 1) * 4, 2)
           Result = PtrToInt(TempStr.XHi, BufPtr + (I - 1) * 4 + 2, 2)
           LSet TempPtr = TempStr ' munge 2 Integers to a Long
           ' Copy string to array and convert to a string
           Result = PtrToStr(GNArray(0), TempPtr.X)
           GName = Left(GNArray, StrLen(TempPtr.X))
           Debug.Print "Group: " & GName
         Next I
       Loop Until EntriesRead = TotalEntries
     ' The above condition only valid for reading accounts on NT
     ' but not OK for OS/2 or LanMan

       Result = NetAPIBufferFree(BufPtr)         ' Don't leak memory

     End Function

     Function EnumerateUsers(ByVal SName As String, ByVal GName As String) _
     As Long
     '
     ' If a group name is specified, it must be a global group
     ' and not a local group.
     '
     ' The buffer is filled from the left with pointers to user names that
     ' are filled from the right side. For example:
     '
     '     ptr1|ptr2|...|ptrn|<garbage>|strn|...|str2|str1
     '     ^-------------- BufPtr buffer ----------------^
     '
     ' On Windows NT, TotalEntries is the number of entries left to be read,
     ' including the currently read entries.
     ' On LanMan and OS/2, it is the total number of entries, period.  Code
     ' would have to be changed to reflect this if the Domain controller
     ' wasn't an NT machine.
     '
     ' BufPtr gets the address of the buffer (or ptr1 - add 4 to BufPtr for
     ' each additional pointer)
     '
     ' SName should be "\\servername"
     '
     Dim Result As Long, BufPtr As Long, EntriesRead As Long, _
     TotalEntries As Long, ResumeHandle As Long, BufLen As Long, _
     SNArray() As Byte, GNArray() As Byte, UNArray(99) As Byte, _
     UName As String, I As Integer, UNPtr As Long, TempPtr As MungeLong, _
     TempStr As MungeInt

       SNArray = SName & vbNullChar       ' Move to byte array
       GNArray = GName & vbNullChar       ' Move to Byte array
       BufLen = 255                       ' Buffer size
       ResumeHandle = 0                   ' Start with the first entry

       Do
         If GName = "" Then
           Result = NetUserEnum0(SNArray(0), 0, FILTER_NORMAL_ACCOUNT, _
     BufPtr, BufLen, EntriesRead, TotalEntries, ResumeHandle)
         Else
           Result = NetGroupEnumUsers0(SNArray(0), GNArray(0), 0, BufPtr, _
     BufLen, EntriesRead, TotalEntries, ResumeHandle)
         End If
         EnumerateUsers = Result
         If Result <> 0 And Result <> 234 Then    ' 234 means multiple reads
                                                  ' required
           Debug.Print "Error " & Result & " enumerating user " _
     & EntriesRead & " of " & TotalEntries
           If Result = 2220 Then Debug.Print _
     "There is no **GLOBAL** group '" & GName & "'"
           Exit Function
         End If
         For I = 1 To EntriesRead
           ' Get pointer to string from beginning of buffer
           ' Copy 4-byte block of memory in 2 steps
           Result = PtrToInt(TempStr.XLo, BufPtr + (I - 1) * 4, 2)
           Result = PtrToInt(TempStr.XHi, BufPtr + (I - 1) * 4 + 2, 2)
           LSet TempPtr = TempStr ' munge 2 integers into a Long
           ' Copy string to array
           Result = PtrToStr(UNArray(0), TempPtr.X)
           UName = Left(UNArray, StrLen(TempPtr.X))
           Debug.Print "User: " & UName
         Next I
       Loop Until EntriesRead = TotalEntries
     ' The above condition is only valid for reading accounts on Windows NT,
     ' but is not OK for OS/2 or LanMan

       Result = NetAPIBufferFree(BufPtr)         ' Don't leak memory

     End Function

     Function GetPrimaryDCName(ByVal MName As String, _
     ByVal DName As String) As String
     Dim Result As Long, DCName As String, DCNPtr As Long
     Dim DNArray() As Byte, MNArray() As Byte, DCNArray(100) As Byte
       MNArray = MName & vbNullChar
       DNArray = DName & vbNullChar
       Result = NetGetDCName(MNArray(0), DNArray(0), DCNPtr)
       If Result <> 0 Then
         Debug.Print "Error: " & Result
         Exit Function
       End If
       Result = PtrToStr(DCNArray(0), DCNPtr)
       Result = NetAPIBufferFree(DCNPtr)
       DCName = DCNArray()
       GetPrimaryDCName = DCName
     End Function

     Function AddUser(ByVal SName As String, ByVal UName As String, _
     ByVal PWD As String) As Long
     Dim Result As Long, UNPtr As Long, PWDPtr As Long, ParmError As Long
     Dim SNArray() As Byte, UNArray() As Byte, PWDArray() As Byte
     Dim UserStruct As TUser1
     '
     ' Move to byte arrays
     '
       SNArray = SName & vbNullChar
       UNArray = UName & vbNullChar
       PWDArray = PWD & vbNullChar
     '
     ' Allocate buffer space
     '
       Result = NetAPIBufferAllocate(UBound(UNArray) + 1, UNPtr)
       Result = NetAPIBufferAllocate(UBound(PWDArray) + 1, PWDPtr)
     '
     ' Copy arrays to the buffer
     '
       Result = StrToPtr(UNPtr, UNArray(0))
       Result = StrToPtr(PWDPtr, PWDArray(0))
     '
     ' Fill the structure
     '
       With UserStruct
         .ptrName = UNPtr
         .ptrPassword = PWDPtr
         .dwPasswordAge = 3
         .dwPriv = USER_PRIV_USER
         .ptrHomeDir = 0
         .ptrComment = 0
         .dwFlags = UF_NORMAL_ACCOUNT Or UF_SCRIPT
         .ptrScriptPath = 0
       End With
     '
     ' Add the user
     '
       Result = NetUserAdd1(SNArray(0), 1, UserStruct, ParmError)
       AddUser = Result
       If Result <> 0 Then
         Debug.Print "Error " & Result & " in parameter " & ParmError _
     & " when adding user " & UName
       End If
     '
     ' Release buffers from memory
     '
       Result = NetAPIBufferFree(UNPtr)
       Result = NetAPIBufferFree(PWDPtr)

     End Function

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbnetwork kbAPI kbSDKPlatform kbVBp400 kbNetAPI kbGrpDSVBDB kbGrpDSNet kb32bitOnly 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbVB400Search kbVB400
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

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