MdiForms- Form positions

I have placecd a picture box with buttons on it on a mdi parent form to act like a toolbar.

However, whenever a load a child form the child form sits behind the picture box. How can I make the new child form sit on top of the picture box.

(I have tried using 'send to back')

Ok, I took a few minute night dream (like a day dream) and I dreamed this and I think I got it.

Quote:

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pecky (I have tried using 'send to back')

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This method is exactly like the Bring To Front and Send To Back item's listed on the menu. It is called ZOrder.

Here is how it works:

Code:

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Picture1.ZOrder vbSendToBack
Childform1.ZOrder vbBringToFront

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Hope that works.

The Picture box control limits the available area for the MDI Child form in the MDI parent Form, so a "Classic" MDI child can overlap the Picturebox.
Using Windows API it is possible to modify the behaviour of MDI Child form; e.g. you can put a MDI Child in the Picture box using the SetParent API function:

Here's the code :

Code:

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In the MDIForm parent :

Private Sub MDIForm_Load()
    Form1.Show
    DoEvents
End Sub

Private Sub MDIForm_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
    Unload Form1
End Sub

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In the Child form:

Code:

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Private Sub Form_Load()

    On Error Resume Next
    DockWindow  ' Without this, crash on exit due to SetParent in DockWindow??
End Sub

Public Sub DockWindow()
    On Error Resume Next
         
    ' Some kind of problem with the Picture1.hwnd
    Call SetParent(Me.hWnd, MDIForm1.Picture1.hWnd)
    DoEvents
End Sub

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And naturally the bas module with API declaration :

Code:

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Public Declare Function SetParent Lib "user32" (ByVal hWndChild As Long,_
ByVal hWndNewParent As Long) As Long

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Dear Mil,

I tried tried this code and generally it worked well.

However, I could not give text boxes on a docked form focus by clicking on them - only by tabbing. They were otherwise locked.

I also found that VB (not my application) crashes from time to time whereas it wasn't before. This code is great for my application if I can get it to work perfectly.

Any ideas why I might be having these problems?