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Q244675: HOWTO:Use Windows Scripting Host to Read, Write, Delete Registry

Article: Q244675
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): 3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbvfp300 kbvfp300b kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 kbWSH kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport kbCodeSnippe
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry.
Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you
understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information
about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following
article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

The Microsoft Windows Script Host (WSH) is a tool that allows you to run
Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition and Microsoft JScript natively within
the base operating system, either on Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows
NT 4.0. It also includes several COM automation methods that allow you to do
several handy tasks easily through the Windows Script Host Object Model.

The Microsoft Windows Script Host is integrated in Windows 98. It is available
for Windows NT 4.0 from within the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack. It is also
available for download from the following site:

  Http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/scripting/

The Windows Script Host provides several useful methods to read, write, and
delete registry keys easily. The RegWrite function's third parameter allows the
programmer to specify the type of data added to the registry. RegWrite supports
strType as REG_SZ, REG_EXPAND_SZ, REG_DWORD and REG_BINARY. If another data type
is passed as strType, RegWrite returns E_INVALIDARG.


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

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

The Microsoft Visual FoxPro code below demonstrates several examples of reading,
writing, and deleting registry keys and values.

  WSHShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
   
  *!* Create Registry Keys
  WSHShell.Popup( "Create key HKCU\MyRegKey with value 'Top level key'")
  WSHShell.RegWrite( "HKCU\MyRegKey\", "Top level key")
   
  WSHShell.Popup( "Create key HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry with value 'Second level key'")
  WSHShell.RegWrite( "HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\", "Second level key")
   
  WSHShell.Popup( "Set value HKCU\MyRegKey\Value to REG_SZ 1")
  WSHShell.RegWrite ("HKCU\MyRegKey\Value", 1)
   
  WSHShell.Popup( "Set value HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry to REG_DWORD 2")
  WSHShell.RegWrite( "HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry", 2, "REG_DWORD")
   
  WSHShell.Popup( "Set value HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\Value1 to REG_BINARY 3")
  WSHShell.RegWrite( "HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\Value1", 3, "REG_BINARY")
   
   
  *!* Read Registry Keys
  lcValue1 = WSHShell.RegRead("HKCU\MyRegKey\")
  WSHShell.Popup("Value of HKCU\MyRegKey: " + lcValue1)
   
  lcValue2 = WSHShell.RegRead("HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\")
  WSHShell.Popup("Value of HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\: " + lcValue2)
   
  lcValue3 = WSHShell.RegRead("HKCU\MyRegKey\Value")
  WSHShell.Popup("Value of HKCU\MyRegKey\Value: " + lcValue3)
   
  lnValue1 = WSHShell.RegRead("HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry")
  WSHShell.Popup("Value of HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry: " + ALLTRIM(STR(lnValue1)))
   
  lnValue3 = WSHShell.RegRead("HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\Value1")
  WSHShell.Popup("Value of HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\Value1: " + ALLTRIM(STR(lnValue3(1))))
   
   
  *!* Delete Registry Keys
  WSHShell.Popup( "Delete value HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\Value1")
  WSHShell.RegDelete( "HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\Value1")
   
  WSHShell.Popup ("Delete key HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry")
  WSHShell.RegDelete( "HKCU\MyRegKey\Entry\") 
   
  WSHShell.Popup ("Delete key HKCU\MyRegKey")
  WSHShell.RegDelete( "HKCU\MyRegKey\")

REFERENCES
==========

You can find the papers below on the following Web site:

  Http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/scripting/

White paper: Windows Script Host: A Universal Scripting Host for Scripting
Languages

Technical Paper: Windows Script Host Programmer's Reference

For additional information about using Visual FoxPro and the Windows Script Host,
please click the article numbers below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q244677 HOWTO: Create a Desktop Shortcut Using the Windows Script Host

  Q244676 HOWTO: Map, Delete and Enumerate Network Drives Using the Windows
  Script Host

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbvfp300 kbvfp300b kbvfp500 kbvfp500a kbvfp600 kbWSH kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport kbCodeSnippet 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300 kbVFP300b kbVFP500 kbVFP600 kbVFP500a
Version           : :3.0,3.0b,5.0,5.0a,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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