Get Error Messages Directly from the System

Here is a routine used to get error messages directly from the system instead of
hard-coding them :

Sample :

       Call APIError

       ' *** Or
       Debug.Print ReturnAPIError(53)
       ' *** Return : The network path was not found.

' #VBIDEUtils#**************************************************
' * Programmer Name  : Waty Thierry
' * Web Site	 : www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/6311/
' * E-Mail		 : waty.thierry@usa.net
' * Date		 : 12/10/1998
' * Time		 : 20:20
' * Module Name	 : APIError_Module
' * Module Filename  : APIError.bas
' **************************************************************
' * Comments	 :
' * Used to get error messages directly from the
' *   system instead of hard-coding them
' *
' *
' **************************************************************

Option Explicit

Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM = &H1000
Private Const FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS = &H200

Private Declare Function FormatMessage Lib "kernel32" _
        Alias "FormatMessageA"
(ByVal dwFlags As Long, lpSource As Any, ByVal dwMessageId As Long, _
       ByVal
dwLanguageId As Long, ByVal lpBuffer As String, ByVal nSize _
             As Long, Arguments
As Long) As Long

' *** Status Codes
Public Const INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE = -1&
Public Const ERROR_SUCCESS = 0&

Public Function ReturnAPIError(ErrorCode As Long) As String
   ' #VBIDEUtils#***********************************************
   ' * Programmer Name  : Waty Thierry
   ' * Web Site	    : www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/6311/
   ' * E-Mail	    : waty.thierry@usa.net
   ' * Date 	    : 12/10/1998
   ' * Time 	    : 20:21
   ' * Module Name	    : APIError_Module
   ' * Module Filename  : APIError.bas
   ' * Procedure Name   : ReturnAPIError
   ' * Parameters	    :
   ' *		      ErrorCode As Long
   ' ***********************************************************
   ' * Comments	    :
   ' * Takes an API error number, and returns
   ' * a descriptive text string of the error
   ' *
   ' ***********************************************************

   Dim sBuffer    As String

   ' *** Allocate the string, then get the system to
   ' *** tell us the error message associated with
   ' *** this error number

   sBuffer = String(256, 0)
   FormatMessage FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM Or _
                 FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS,
0&, ErrorCode, 0&, sBuffer, Len(sBuffer), 0&

   ' *** Strip the last null, then the last CrLf pair if it exists

   sBuffer = Left(sBuffer, InStr(sBuffer, vbNullChar) - 1)
   If Right$(sBuffer, 2) = Chr$(13) & Chr$(10) Then
	  sBuffer = Mid$(sBuffer, 1, Len(sBuffer) - 2)
   End If

   ReturnAPIError = sBuffer

End Function

Public Sub APIError()
   ' #VBIDEUtils#***********************************************
   ' * Programmer Name  : Waty Thierry
   ' * Web Site	    : www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/6311/
   ' * E-Mail	    : waty.thierry@usa.net
   ' * Date 	    : 12/10/1998
   ' * Time 	    : 20:35
   ' * Module Name	    : APIError_Module
   ' * Module Filename  : APIError.bas
   ' * Procedure Name   : APIError
   ' * Parameters	    :
   ' ***********************************************************
   ' * Comments	    :
   ' * Takes an API error number, and returns
   ' * a descriptive text string of the error
   ' *
   ' ***********************************************************

   Dim sError	As String

   On Error GoTo ERROR_APIError

   sError = InputBox("Enter the error number", _
            "Returns API error")

   If IsNumeric(sError) = False Then Exit Sub

   MsgBox ReturnAPIError(CLng(sError)), vbInformation + vbOKOnly, _
          "Error n " & sError

   Exit Sub

ERROR_APIError:
   MsgBox "Error n " & sError & vbCrLf & _
          " Invalid error number" & vbCrLf & _
          "You have to give another one", _
          vbCritical + vbOKOnly, "Error n " & sError

End Sub