[VBnet Code Library] Forms & Windows Index

	Forms & Windows Library Updated Monday December 26, 2011
Category	Topic
Backgrounds vb6 vb5 vb4-32	FillRect: Gradient Form Backgrounds Using APIs, create a horizontal, vertical or diagonal gradient background for your form. GradientFill: Gradient Form Backgrounds Using APIs, create a horizontal, vertical or diagonal gradient background for your form. Feb 17.2003 GradientFill: Triangular Gradient Form Backgrounds Using GradientFill with GRADIENT_TRIANGLE to create a triangular form or picture box fill. Feb 17.2003 Pure VB: Tile an Image as a Form Background How to tile an image across the background of any form (except MDI parents). No APIs needed.

Buttons vb6 vb5 vb4-32	Killing the Form's Close Menu Option and 'X' Button Prevent users from attempting to close an application by disabling the system menu options. July 8.1998 Killing Any Form's Close Menu Option and 'X' Button - SDI, MDIParent or MDIChild One routine to handle removal/disabling of any form's system menu Close command and form 'X' button. August 15.1999

Controlling vb6 vb5	EnumWindows: Enumerate (and Restore) a Window via Callback Using EnumWindows to obtain window information, and provide a means to restore the window regardless of its window position. Mar 01.2000 EnumWindows: Enumerate Windows via a Callback Another Enumxxx API, this one enumerates system windows using AddressOf. June 17.1998 EnumChildWindows: Enumeration of Parent and Child Windows via Callbacks Using EnumWindows and EnumChildWindows. Jan 26.2000 GetWindowThreadProcessId: Obtain the hWnd of an App Started with Shell() Use GetWindowThreadProcessId to obtain the handle to an application started with Shell. May 12.1999 SetWindowPlacement: Restore and Activate a Window via its hWnd Use the APIs to restore any window on-screen. July 17.1999

Effects vb6 vb5 vb4-32	Pure VB: Vertical Splitter Bar How to add a vertical splitter bar to resize 2 controls, like in Windows Explorer window. No APIs needed! DrawText: Adding Title Text to the Fake TitleBar (for DrawFocusRect: Simulating Non-Client Form Movement below) Using the application developed in DrawFocusRect: Simulating Non-Client Form Movement, this page adds a title to the fake title bar using the DrawText API. Pure VB: Customizable PhotoShop-Style ProgressBar Create a fully-configurable flood panel. Pure VB: Customizable PhotoShop-Style ProgressBar in a MDI App Use the flood panel from Creating a Custom PhotoShop-Style Flood Panel to create a status flood on an MDI parent window flood, exposed through common routines. SendMessage: Creating a Scrollable Viewport to Simulate a Scrollable Form Based on the MSKB article, how to create a scrollable viewport to simulate scrolling forms. July 18.2004 Pure VB: Easily Add a Raised or Etched 3D Line Beneath a Menu A two-liner to add a 3D line beneath a menu (or anywhere on the form). Mar 4.2003 InflateRect: Highlighting External Windows How to use DrawFocusRect and InflateRect to highlight main and child windows anywhere on the screen, and capture the window to a picture box (print screen). Oct 25.2004 GetSystemMetrics: How to Create a Popup Colour Selector Code to create a small popup colour selector you can assign to any toolbar button, or modify to become a floating selector. No APIs needed! ClipCursor: Restrict the Mouse to a Form's Client Area How to prevent the cursor from moving outside the form's client area. Feb 12.2000 Manifests: Make the VB IDE use Windows XP Styles How to add a manifest to cause the IDE to utilize XP-style controls Mar 4.2003 Manifests: Make the VB IDE use Windows Vista Styles How to add a manifest to cause the IDE to utilize XP-style controls Sept 7.2008 DrawFocusRect: Simulating Non-Client Form Movement API code to create a drag rectangle to move a form with no title bar. Useful for Toolbar windows, or dragging by simply clicking the form itself. GetSystemMetrics: Resizing a Form to Fit an Image How to cause a form to resize to the size of a loaded image. Updated Nov 17.2008 SendMessage: Move Controls to Simulate Form Scrolling Simple code to move controls on a form in response to a scroll bar movement to simulate the appearance of a scrollable form. July 16.2004 ReleaseCapture: Simulating a Working Size-Grip on a VB Form A label is all that's required! Jan 21.2003 Pure VB: Simulating Owned Windows for MDI Children Handy routine for providing each MDI Child window with the ability to show its own copy of a non-modal non-MDI form. Oct 2.2001

Enumeration vb6 vb5	EnumWindows: Enumerate (and Restore) a Window via Callback Using EnumWindows to obtain window information, and provide a means to restore the window regardless of its window position. Mar 01.2000 EnumWindows: Enumerate Windows via a Callback Another Enumxxx API, this one enumerates system windows using AddressOf. June 17.1998 EnumChildWindows: Enumeration of Parent and Child Windows via Callbacks Using EnumWindows and EnumChildWindows. Jan 26.2000 GetWindowThreadProcessId: Obtain the hWnd of an App Started with Shell() Use GetWindowThreadProcessId to obtain the handle to an application started with Shell. May 12.1999 SetWindowPlacement: Restore and Activate a Window via its hWnd Use the APIs to restore any window on-screen. July 17.1999

Fading vb6 vb5	SetLayeredWindowAttributes: Fading a Form In/Out Code to fade a window in or out (Windows 2000 or later). Can also be used to create semi-transparent forms as well as forms containing a knock-out. May 10.2004

Form Notifications vb6 vb5	Shell_NotifyIcon: Animate the System Tray Icon Creating a system tray icon with timed animation. Jan 29.2002 Shell_NotifyIcon: Display Systray Balloon Tips How to add Balloon Tips to a systray application running under Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Jul 07.2002 FlashWindowEx: Extended Window Notification (Flashing) Options Customize window and task bar flashing via the enhancements provided in FlashWindowEx. Oct 30 2002 FlashWindow: Timing Window Notifications using SetTimer How to flash a window on-screen or in the taskbar using FlashWindow and an API-created timer. Oct 30 2002 FlashWindow: Timing Window Notifications using VB's Timer Control How to flash a window on-screen or in the taskbar using FlashWindow using a VB timer. Oct 30 2002

keybd_event vb6 vb5 vb4-32	keybd_event: Navigate Form Controls using Enter Replace SendKeys to move through controls using Enter. Jan 01.2003

MDI Apps vb6 vb5 vb4-32	Pure VB: Simulating Owned Windows for MDI Children Handy routine for providing each MDI Child window with the ability to show its own copy of a non-modal non-MDI form. Oct 2.2001 Creating a Custom PhotoShop-Style MDI App Flood Panel Use the flood panel from Creating a Custom PhotoShop-Style Flood Panel to create a status flood on an MDI parent window flood, exposed through common routines.

Scrolling vb6 vb5 vb4-32	SendMessage: Creating a Scrollable Viewport to Simulate a Scrollable Form Based on the MSKB article, how to create a scrollable viewport to simulate scrolling forms. July 18.2004 SendMessage: Move Controls to Simulate Form Scrolling Simple code to move controls on a form in response to a scroll bar movement to simulate the appearance of a scrollable form. July 16.2004

Subclassing vb6 vb5	WM_SYSCOMMAND: Change and Respond to a Customized System Menu Modify and react to new items added to a System Menu. April 17.1999 WM_SIZING: Maintain Form Aspect Ratio During Resizing Detecting form resizing and changing the window rect to assure aspect ratio is maintained. Jan 25.2002 Subclassing Form Messages: WM_ACTIVATEAPP: Detect Application Activation State Detecting when an application gains and looses focus to another Windows app. June 6.1999 Subclassing Form Messages: WM_NCHITTEST: Simulating a Non-Client Action to Move a Form Click anywhere on the form to reposition it on screen. July 1.1998 WM_GETMINMAXINFO: Restrict Form Resizing Code to restrict resizing of a form to a size you specify. July 1.1998 WM_HOTKEY: System-Wide Keyboard Trapping Create and respond to a system-wide hotkey hook. July 16.1999

Transparency vb6 vb5	SetLayeredWindowAttributes: Fading a Form In/Out Code to fade a window in or out (Windows 2000 or later). Can also be used to create semi-transparent forms as well as forms containing a knock-out. May 10.2004