Total Access Components Tour: Registry

The Windows registry is a structured database of settings that is intended to replace the text INI file. It is used to store setting and configuration information for the Windows operating system, and for the applications that run under Windows.

The Registry control allows you to work with registry values by reading and writing data.

To use the Registry control, you need a basic understanding of the Windows Registry. In 32-bit versions of Windows, such as Windows 95, the registry is organized in various top level (or root) keys. Each of these root keys contains sub-keys, which can themselves contain sub-keys and values. Each value in a key has data associated with it. A value is identified by three pieces of information: the root key, the key name, and the value name.

Using the Registry Control

Since Windows determines the location of the registry, you do not need to specify the name or location of the registry when working with the Registry control. There are no properties for this control, only methods.

The following root keys are available:

Using the Register Method

The Register method is provided for applications that need to register OLE servers. You can use this method to easily register an OLE server by providing the file name of the server. The control automatically updates the registry with all appropriate entries.

Registry Methods