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<h1 id="msgbox-function">MsgBox Function</h1>
<p>Displays a message in a dialog box, waits for the user to click a button, and returns an Integer indicating which button the user clicked.</p>
<h2 id="syntax">Syntax</h2>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">MsgBox(prompt, [buttons], [title], [helpfile], [context])</code></pre>
<h2 id="parameters">Parameters</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>prompt</strong> (Required) - String expression displayed as the message in the dialog box. Maximum length is approximately 1024 characters, depending on the width of the characters used. If prompt consists of more than one line, you can separate the lines using a carriage return character (Chr(13)), a linefeed character (Chr(10)), or a carriage return-linefeed character combination (vbCrLf) between each line.</li>
<li><strong>buttons</strong> (Optional) - Numeric expression that is the sum of values specifying the number and type of buttons to display, the icon style to use, the identity of the default button, and the modality of the message box. If omitted, the default value for buttons is 0.</li>
<li><strong>title</strong> (Optional) - String expression displayed in the title bar of the dialog box. If you omit title, the application name is placed in the title bar.</li>
<li><strong>helpfile</strong> (Optional) - String expression that identifies the Help file to use to provide context-sensitive Help for the dialog box. If helpfile is provided, context must also be provided.</li>
<li><strong>context</strong> (Optional) - Numeric expression that is the Help context number assigned to the appropriate Help topic by the Help author. If context is provided, helpfile must also be provided.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="return-value">Return Value</h2>
<p>Returns an <strong>Integer</strong> representing which button was clicked:
- <strong>vbOK (1)</strong> - OK button was clicked
- <strong>vbCancel (2)</strong> - Cancel button was clicked
- <strong>vbAbort (3)</strong> - Abort button was clicked
- <strong>vbRetry (4)</strong> - Retry button was clicked
- <strong>vbIgnore (5)</strong> - Ignore button was clicked
- <strong>vbYes (6)</strong> - Yes button was clicked
- <strong>vbNo (7)</strong> - No button was clicked</p>
<h2 id="remarks">Remarks</h2>
<p>The <code>MsgBox</code> function is one of the most commonly used VB6 functions for user interaction and debugging.
It provides a simple way to display messages, warnings, errors, and questions to the user.</p>
<h3 id="button-constants-first-group-buttons">Button Constants (First Group - Buttons):</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>vbOKOnly (0)</strong> - Display OK button only (default)</li>
<li><strong>vbOKCancel (1)</strong> - Display OK and Cancel buttons</li>
<li><strong>vbAbortRetryIgnore (2)</strong> - Display Abort, Retry, and Ignore buttons</li>
<li><strong>vbYesNoCancel (3)</strong> - Display Yes, No, and Cancel buttons</li>
<li><strong>vbYesNo (4)</strong> - Display Yes and No buttons</li>
<li><strong>vbRetryCancel (5)</strong> - Display Retry and Cancel buttons</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="icon-constants-second-group-icons">Icon Constants (Second Group - Icons):</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>vbCritical (16)</strong> - Display Critical Message icon (red X)</li>
<li><strong>vbQuestion (32)</strong> - Display Warning Query icon (question mark)</li>
<li><strong>vbExclamation (48)</strong> - Display Warning Message icon (exclamation point)</li>
<li><strong>vbInformation (64)</strong> - Display Information Message icon (lowercase i)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="default-button-constants-third-group-default-button">Default Button Constants (Third Group - Default Button):</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>vbDefaultButton1 (0)</strong> - First button is default (default)</li>
<li><strong>vbDefaultButton2 (256)</strong> - Second button is default</li>
<li><strong>vbDefaultButton3 (512)</strong> - Third button is default</li>
<li><strong>vbDefaultButton4 (768)</strong> - Fourth button is default</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="modality-constants-fourth-group-modality">Modality Constants (Fourth Group - Modality):</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>vbApplicationModal (0)</strong> - Application modal; the user must respond to the message box before continuing work in the current application (default)</li>
<li><strong>vbSystemModal (4096)</strong> - System modal; all applications are suspended until the user responds to the message box</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="other-constants-fifth-group-other">Other Constants (Fifth Group - Other):</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>vbMsgBoxHelpButton (16384)</strong> - Adds Help button to the message box</li>
<li><strong>vbMsgBoxSetForeground (65536)</strong> - Specifies the message box window as the foreground window</li>
<li><strong>vbMsgBoxRight (524288)</strong> - Text is right-aligned</li>
<li><strong>vbMsgBoxRtlReading (1048576)</strong> - Specifies text should appear as right-to-left reading on Hebrew and Arabic systems</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="key-characteristics">Key Characteristics:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Blocks execution until user responds (modal dialog)</li>
<li>Return value can be ignored if not needed</li>
<li>Can combine button constants using addition or Or operator</li>
<li>Maximum prompt length is approximately 1024 characters</li>
<li>Can display multi-line messages using vbCrLf</li>
<li>If user presses Escape key, acts as clicking Cancel button</li>
<li>Can invoke help file if helpfile and context parameters provided</li>
<li>Common for debugging with Debug.Print alternative</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="common-use-cases">Common Use Cases:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Display informational messages to users</li>
<li>Show error messages and warnings</li>
<li>Ask yes/no questions for user confirmation</li>
<li>Debugging by displaying variable values</li>
<li>Alert users of important events</li>
<li>Confirm destructive operations</li>
<li>Display results of calculations</li>
<li>Provide feedback on operation completion</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="typical-uses">Typical Uses</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Simple Messages</strong> - Display information to the user</li>
<li><strong>Error Handling</strong> - Show error messages with appropriate icons</li>
<li><strong>User Confirmation</strong> - Ask yes/no questions before proceeding</li>
<li><strong>Debugging</strong> - Display variable values during development</li>
<li><strong>Operation Feedback</strong> - Inform user of completion or status</li>
<li><strong>Validation Warnings</strong> - Alert user to invalid input</li>
<li><strong>Save Prompts</strong> - Ask user to save changes before closing</li>
<li><strong>Delete Confirmations</strong> - Verify user wants to delete items</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="basic-examples">Basic Examples</h2>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Example 1: Simple message
MsgBox "Operation completed successfully!"</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Example 2: Message with title and icon
MsgBox "File not found!", vbExclamation, "Error"</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Example 3: Yes/No question
Dim result As Integer
result = MsgBox("Do you want to save changes?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "Confirm")
If result = vbYes Then
' Save changes
End If</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Example 4: Multi-line message
MsgBox "Line 1" & vbCrLf & "Line 2" & vbCrLf & "Line 3", vbInformation, "Multi-line"</code></pre>
<h2 id="common-patterns">Common Patterns</h2>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 1: Simple error message
Sub ShowError(message As String)
MsgBox message, vbCritical, "Error"
End Sub</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 2: Confirmation with default No
Function ConfirmAction(message As String) As Boolean
Dim result As Integer
result = MsgBox(message, vbYesNo + vbQuestion + vbDefaultButton2, "Confirm")
ConfirmAction = (result = vbYes)
End Function</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 3: Save prompt
Function PromptToSave(fileName As String) As Integer
Dim msg As String
msg = "Save changes to " & fileName & "?"
PromptToSave = MsgBox(msg, vbYesNoCancel + vbQuestion, "Save Changes")
End Function</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 4: Display detailed error
Sub ShowDetailedError(errorMsg As String, errorNumber As Long)
Dim msg As String
msg = "Error #" & errorNumber & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & errorMsg
MsgBox msg, vbCritical + vbOKOnly, "Application Error"
End Sub</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 5: Information with sound
Sub ShowInfo(message As String)
MsgBox message, vbInformation + vbOKOnly, "Information"
' vbInformation plays the system information sound
End Sub</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 6: Retry/Cancel operation
Function RetryOperation(operation As String) As Boolean
Dim result As Integer
Dim msg As String
msg = "Failed to " & operation & "." & vbCrLf & "Would you like to retry?"
result = MsgBox(msg, vbRetryCancel + vbExclamation, "Operation Failed")
RetryOperation = (result = vbRetry)
End Function</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 7: Debug variable display
Sub DebugShow(variableName As String, value As Variant)
#If DEBUG_MODE Then
MsgBox variableName & " = " & CStr(value), vbInformation, "Debug"
#End If
End Sub</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 8: Abort/Retry/Ignore pattern
Function HandleError(errorMsg As String) As Integer
Dim msg As String
msg = "An error occurred:" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & errorMsg & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & _
"Abort: Stop operation" & vbCrLf & _
"Retry: Try again" & vbCrLf & _
"Ignore: Continue anyway"
HandleError = MsgBox(msg, vbAbortRetryIgnore + vbCritical, "Error")
End Function</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 9: Formatted message with details
Sub ShowOperationResult(operation As String, recordCount As Long, elapsedTime As Double)
Dim msg As String
msg = "Operation: " & operation & vbCrLf & _
"Records processed: " & recordCount & vbCrLf & _
"Time elapsed: " & Format(elapsedTime, "0.00") & " seconds"
MsgBox msg, vbInformation, "Operation Complete"
End Sub</code></pre>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Pattern 10: Custom button selection handler
Sub ProcessUserChoice(prompt As String)
Dim result As Integer
result = MsgBox(prompt, vbYesNoCancel + vbQuestion, "Choose Option")
Select Case result
Case vbYes
' Handle Yes
Case vbNo
' Handle No
Case vbCancel
' Handle Cancel
End Select
End Sub</code></pre>
<h2 id="advanced-usage">Advanced Usage</h2>
<h3 id="example-1-smart-message-box-wrapper">Example 1: Smart Message Box Wrapper</h3>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Module: SmartMessageBox
' Provides enhanced message box functionality with logging and customization
Option Explicit
Private m_logEnabled As Boolean
Private m_defaultTitle As String
Public Sub Initialize(appName As String, enableLogging As Boolean)
m_defaultTitle = appName
m_logEnabled = enableLogging
End Sub
Public Function ShowMessage(message As String, _
Optional msgType As VbMsgBoxStyle = vbInformation, _
Optional title As String = "") As Integer
Dim actualTitle As String
If Len(title) = 0 Then
actualTitle = m_defaultTitle
Else
actualTitle = title
End If
If m_logEnabled Then
LogMessage message, msgType
End If
ShowMessage = MsgBox(message, msgType, actualTitle)
End Function
Public Function Confirm(message As String, _
Optional defaultToNo As Boolean = False) As Boolean
Dim buttons As VbMsgBoxStyle
Dim result As Integer
buttons = vbYesNo + vbQuestion
If defaultToNo Then
buttons = buttons + vbDefaultButton2
End If
result = MsgBox(message, buttons, m_defaultTitle)
Confirm = (result = vbYes)
End Function
Public Sub ShowError(message As String, Optional errorNumber As Long = 0)
Dim msg As String
If errorNumber <> 0 Then
msg = "Error #" & errorNumber & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & message
Else
msg = message
End If
If m_logEnabled Then
LogMessage "ERROR: " & msg, vbCritical
End If
MsgBox msg, vbCritical, m_defaultTitle
End Sub
Public Sub ShowWarning(message As String)
If m_logEnabled Then
LogMessage "WARNING: " & message, vbExclamation
End If
MsgBox message, vbExclamation, m_defaultTitle
End Sub
Public Sub ShowInfo(message As String)
If m_logEnabled Then
LogMessage "INFO: " & message, vbInformation
End If
MsgBox message, vbInformation, m_defaultTitle
End Sub
Private Sub LogMessage(message As String, msgType As VbMsgBoxStyle)
' Log to file or debug window
Debug.Print Now & " - " & GetMessageTypeString(msgType) & ": " & message
End Sub
Private Function GetMessageTypeString(msgType As VbMsgBoxStyle) As String
If (msgType And vbCritical) = vbCritical Then
GetMessageTypeString = "ERROR"
ElseIf (msgType And vbExclamation) = vbExclamation Then
GetMessageTypeString = "WARNING"
ElseIf (msgType And vbQuestion) = vbQuestion Then
GetMessageTypeString = "QUESTION"
Else
GetMessageTypeString = "INFO"
End If
End Function</code></pre>
<h3 id="example-2-message-box-builder-class">Example 2: Message Box Builder Class</h3>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Class: MessageBoxBuilder
' Fluent interface for building complex message boxes
Option Explicit
Private m_prompt As String
Private m_title As String
Private m_buttons As VbMsgBoxStyle
Private m_icon As VbMsgBoxStyle
Private m_defaultButton As VbMsgBoxStyle
Private Sub Class_Initialize()
m_prompt = ""
m_title = ""
m_buttons = vbOKOnly
m_icon = 0
m_defaultButton = vbDefaultButton1
End Sub
Public Function WithPrompt(prompt As String) As MessageBoxBuilder
m_prompt = prompt
Set WithPrompt = Me
End Function
Public Function WithTitle(title As String) As MessageBoxBuilder
m_title = title
Set WithTitle = Me
End Function
Public Function WithButtons(buttons As VbMsgBoxStyle) As MessageBoxBuilder
m_buttons = buttons
Set WithButtons = Me
End Function
Public Function WithIcon(icon As VbMsgBoxStyle) As MessageBoxBuilder
m_icon = icon
Set WithIcon = Me
End Function
Public Function WithDefaultButton(defaultButton As VbMsgBoxStyle) As MessageBoxBuilder
m_defaultButton = defaultButton
Set WithDefaultButton = Me
End Function
Public Function AddLine(text As String) As MessageBoxBuilder
If Len(m_prompt) > 0 Then
m_prompt = m_prompt & vbCrLf
End If
m_prompt = m_prompt & text
Set AddLine = Me
End Function
Public Function Show() As Integer
Dim style As VbMsgBoxStyle
style = m_buttons Or m_icon Or m_defaultButton
Show = MsgBox(m_prompt, style, m_title)
End Function
' Convenience methods
Public Function ShowError(errorMsg As String) As Integer
Set WithPrompt(errorMsg)
Set WithIcon(vbCritical)
ShowError = Show()
End Function
Public Function AskYesNo(question As String) As Boolean
Set WithPrompt(question)
Set WithButtons(vbYesNo)
Set WithIcon(vbQuestion)
AskYesNo = (Show() = vbYes)
End Function</code></pre>
<h3 id="example-3-message-queue-manager">Example 3: Message Queue Manager</h3>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Class: MessageQueueManager
' Manages queued messages to avoid overwhelming the user
Option Explicit
Private Type QueuedMessage
prompt As String
buttons As VbMsgBoxStyle
title As String
timestamp As Date
End Type
Private m_queue As Collection
Private m_maxQueueSize As Long
Private m_autoShowDelay As Long ' milliseconds
Private Sub Class_Initialize()
Set m_queue = New Collection
m_maxQueueSize = 10
m_autoShowDelay = 1000
End Sub
Public Sub QueueMessage(prompt As String, _
Optional buttons As VbMsgBoxStyle = vbOKOnly, _
Optional title As String = "Message")
Dim msg As QueuedMessage
msg.prompt = prompt
msg.buttons = buttons
msg.title = title
msg.timestamp = Now
If m_queue.Count >= m_maxQueueSize Then
' Remove oldest message
m_queue.Remove 1
End If
m_queue.Add msg
End Sub
Public Sub ShowNextMessage() As Integer
Dim msg As QueuedMessage
If m_queue.Count > 0 Then
msg = m_queue(1)
m_queue.Remove 1
ShowNextMessage = MsgBox(msg.prompt, msg.buttons, msg.title)
End If
End Sub
Public Sub ShowAllMessages()
Dim msg As QueuedMessage
Dim i As Long
For i = 1 To m_queue.Count
msg = m_queue(i)
MsgBox msg.prompt, msg.buttons, msg.title
Next i
Set m_queue = New Collection
End Sub
Public Function GetQueuedCount() As Long
GetQueuedCount = m_queue.Count
End Function
Public Sub ShowSummary()
Dim msg As String
Dim qMsg As QueuedMessage
Dim i As Long
If m_queue.Count = 0 Then
MsgBox "No queued messages", vbInformation
Exit Sub
End If
msg = "Queued Messages (" & m_queue.Count & "):" & vbCrLf & vbCrLf
For i = 1 To m_queue.Count
qMsg = m_queue(i)
msg = msg & i & ". " & Left(qMsg.prompt, 50)
If Len(qMsg.prompt) > 50 Then msg = msg & "..."
msg = msg & vbCrLf
Next i
MsgBox msg, vbInformation, "Message Queue"
End Sub</code></pre>
<h3 id="example-4-auto-dismissing-message-box-timer-based">Example 4: Auto-Dismissing Message Box (Timer-based)</h3>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' Module: TimedMessageBox
' Shows message boxes that auto-dismiss after timeout
Option Explicit
#If Win32 Then
Private Declare Function MessageBoxTimeout Lib "user32" Alias "MessageBoxTimeoutA" ( _
ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal lpText As String, _
ByVal lpCaption As String, _
ByVal uType As Long, _
ByVal wLanguageId As Long, _
ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long
#End If
Public Function MsgBoxTimed(prompt As String, _
Optional buttons As VbMsgBoxStyle = vbOKOnly, _
Optional title As String = "", _
Optional timeout As Long = 5000) As Integer
#If Win32 Then
' Use Windows API for timed message box
MsgBoxTimed = MessageBoxTimeout(0, prompt, title, buttons, 0, timeout)
#Else
' Fallback to regular MsgBox
MsgBoxTimed = MsgBox(prompt, buttons, title)
#End If
End Function
Public Sub ShowTimedInfo(message As String, Optional seconds As Long = 3)
MsgBoxTimed message, vbInformation, "Information", seconds * 1000
End Sub
Public Sub ShowTimedWarning(message As String, Optional seconds As Long = 5)
MsgBoxTimed message, vbExclamation, "Warning", seconds * 1000
End Sub
Public Function ConfirmTimed(message As String, Optional seconds As Long = 10) As Boolean
Dim result As Integer
result = MsgBoxTimed(message, vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "Confirm", seconds * 1000)
ConfirmTimed = (result = vbYes)
End Function</code></pre>
<h2 id="error-handling">Error Handling</h2>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' MsgBox rarely fails, but handle potential issues:
On Error Resume Next
result = MsgBox(userInput, vbOKOnly, "Message")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Debug.Print "MsgBox error: " & Err.Description
' Possibly userInput was too long or contained invalid characters
End If
On Error GoTo 0</code></pre>
<h2 id="performance-considerations">Performance Considerations</h2>
<ul>
<li><code>MsgBox</code> blocks execution - not suitable for background operations</li>
<li>For debugging, consider Debug.Print as faster alternative</li>
<li>Avoid <code>MsgBox</code> in loops - very slow and annoying to users</li>
<li>For status updates, use status bar or progress form instead</li>
<li>System modal (vbSystemModal) blocks ALL applications - use sparingly</li>
<li>Long prompts may be truncated - keep messages concise</li>
<li>Each <code>MsgBox</code> call creates and destroys a window - has overhead</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="best-practices">Best Practices</h2>
<ol>
<li><strong>Keep messages concise</strong> - Users don't read long messages</li>
<li><strong>Use appropriate icons</strong> - Help users understand message severity</li>
<li><strong>Provide clear actions</strong> - Button choices should be obvious</li>
<li><strong>Use meaningful titles</strong> - Don't just say "Error" or "Message"</li>
<li><strong>Avoid <code>MsgBox</code> in loops</strong> - Queue messages or use alternative feedback</li>
<li><strong>Handle all return values</strong> - Check what button user clicked</li>
<li><strong>Use vbCrLf for readability</strong> - Multi-line messages are easier to read</li>
<li><strong>Consider default button</strong> - Make safe choice the default</li>
<li><strong>Test message length</strong> - Very long messages may not display well</li>
<li><strong>Use for errors, not debugging</strong> - Prefer Debug.Print for development</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="comparison-with-alternatives">Comparison with Alternatives</h2>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Approach</th>
<th>Pros</th>
<th>Cons</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong><code>MsgBox</code></strong></td>
<td>Simple, built-in, modal</td>
<td>Blocks execution, limited customization</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Custom Form</strong></td>
<td>Full control, rich UI</td>
<td>More code, more complex</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Debug.Print</strong></td>
<td>Non-blocking, fast</td>
<td>Not visible to end users</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Status Bar</strong></td>
<td>Non-blocking, professional</td>
<td>Limited message length, less visible</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong><code>InputBox</code></strong></td>
<td>Gets user input</td>
<td>Only single-line text input</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Notification API</strong></td>
<td>Modern, non-blocking</td>
<td>Requires Windows 10+, more complex</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2 id="statement-vs-function">Statement vs Function</h2>
<p><code>MsgBox</code> can be used as both a statement (no parentheses, no return value) and a function (with parentheses, returns value):</p>
<pre><code class="language-vbnet">' As a statement (no return value needed)
MsgBox "Hello, World!"
' As a function (capture return value)
result = MsgBox("Continue?", vbYesNo)</code></pre>
<h2 id="platform-notes">Platform Notes</h2>
<ul>
<li>Available in VBA (Excel, Access, Word, etc.)</li>
<li>Available in VB6</li>
<li>Available in <code>VBScript</code> (limited - no named constants in <code>VBScript</code>)</li>
<li>Uses Windows common dialog</li>
<li>Appearance varies by Windows version</li>
<li>Icons and sounds defined by Windows theme</li>
<li>Right-to-left reading supported on appropriate systems</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="limitations">Limitations</h2>
<ul>
<li>Blocks execution (modal)</li>
<li>Limited to approximately 1024 characters in prompt</li>
<li>Cannot customize button text (e.g., can't change "Yes" to "Accept")</li>
<li>Cannot add custom icons</li>
<li>Cannot resize or reposition the dialog</li>
<li>No timeout capability (without API calls)</li>
<li>No checkboxes or radio buttons</li>
<li>Cannot validate input (use <code>InputBox</code> or custom form for that)</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="related-functions">Related Functions</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><code>InputBox</code></strong> - Gets text input from user</li>
<li><strong>Debug.Print</strong> - Prints to Immediate window (development only)</li>
<li><strong>Shell</strong> - Runs external programs</li>
<li><strong>Beep</strong> - Plays system beep sound</li>
<li><strong><code>SendKeys</code></strong> - Sends keystrokes to active window</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="vb6-parser-notes">VB6 Parser Notes</h2>
<p><code>MsgBox</code> can be used as both a statement and a function. When used as a function (with parentheses
and capturing return value), it is parsed as a <code>CallExpression</code>. When used as a statement (without
parentheses), it may be parsed differently. This module exists primarily for documentation purposes
to provide comprehensive reference material for VB6 developers working with user interaction and
message display operations.</p>
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