[RESOLVED] Different Captions For TitleBar and TaskBar

I just downloaded an awesome free icon editor from www.iconempire.com and I noticed somethin weird. Somehow they have a different caption for the titlbar than they do for the Titlebar.

Now I would hazarad a guess that it was written in C++ and had more control over lower level stuff, but shouldn't there be a way to do this with an API in VB?

I attached a screenshot. (This is the titlebar and the taskbar AT THE SAME TIME)

my friend did it once for his app in vb6 so its posible, ill try searching some APIs

Check this API i g2g so this might help you,or not


Declare Function SetLayeredWindowAttributes

try this:

VB Code:

Private Sub Form_Load()
Me.Caption = "IconMaker - Blank.ico"
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_Resize()
If Me.WindowState = 1 Then
Me.Caption = "IconMaker 2.10"
End If
If Me.WindowState = 0 Then
Me.Caption = "IconMaker - Blank.ico"
End If
End Sub

hope this helps you.............absolutely no API needed!!!!

Its probably because its a trial version. There is also a Nag screen. i would assume that if you were to purchase the product the captions would behave normally and no nag screen. You may not be able to override it it they coded it in to behave this way.

Trillian does the same thing. In the main form, it's graphical, and in the taskbar, it just says Trillian.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Its probably because its a trial version. There is also a Nag screen. i would assume that if you were to purchase the product the captions would behave normally and no nag screen. You may not be able to override it it they coded it in to behave this way.

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It leaves trial mode if you register for free (give them your email) on their website. So that is not.

I think you guys (except dglienna) might have misunderstood. That screenshot was while the app was maxmized. It doesn't do different things while maximized and minizmed. It has a different caption while maximized.

Wiz, I'll look into that and let you know if it works. Thanks.

Wiz, that link you posted is for alphablending the window. That isn't what I was after. But thanks for trying.

If you can register and get it free then why do they even try to sell it for $29.99? Maybe because of the caption bar issue?

Here's an idea... I haven't tried it, so I could be completely off base. If I understand what you're asking, you want the title bar and the window to have difering captions, right?

Why not make one form that is invisible, but appears on the title bar. Give it a gotfocus event, that checks the window state of a visible form that does not appear on the title bar, and sets it to window-state normal/ minimised as necessairy.

It may or may not work, I'll try making something right now and post it up if I can work it out.

Don't listen to me.
Surveillance.

This works:

On form1(the one to display on the screen)

VB Code:

Private Sub Form_Load()
Form2.Show
End Sub

on form2(the one to have in the start bar)

VB Code:

Private Sub Form_Load()
Me.Visible = False
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_Resize()
 
If Not Me.WindowState = 1 Then
    Me.WindowState = 1
Else
    If Form1.WindowState = 1 Then
        Form1.WindowState = 0
    Else
        Form1.WindowState = 1
    End If
End If
 
End Sub

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eyeRmonkey

Wiz, that link you posted is for alphablending the window. That isn't what I was after. But thanks for trying.

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it seems u forgot to scroll up the page :( ............i tried one for the same thing you wanted!!! Post no. - 4

neway..........i just wanted to know if i m on the right track :rolleyes: !!!!

Surveillance, that is a decent idea, but I was hoping to do it in a better way. I was hoping wiz would be able to find what he had mentioned.

Harsh Gupta, as I already mentioned, I am not trying to get different captions when it is minimized and maximized. I was different captions for the titlebar and task bar when it is maximized. That screen shot above are crops from the program IN ONE SCREENSHOT. Meaning that it had a caption in the taskbar and titlebar that were different at the same moment.

Anyone else have any imput on this?

Did you try contacting their tech support?

probably u can do that in Registry!!!!! i dont know but u can try this!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

If you can register and get it free then why do they even try to sell it for $29.99? Maybe because of the caption bar issue?

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That's not relevant at all.

eyeRmonkey's question is very interesting and it will drive me nuts until I find the solution - will let you know once I do. :wave:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Did you try contacting their tech support?

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What does that have to do with anything? Their app is working fine. I want to get the same effect for my program. I doubt Tech support knows anything about VB6.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RhinoBull

That's not relevant at all.

eyeRmonkey's question is very interesting and it will drive me nuts until I find the solution - will let you know once I do. :wave:

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Thanks!

That rules. I hope whatever you find can work in VB6. I found some stuff (well, dglienna found some stuff for me) but it is in C++ and I don't feel like compiling it or editing it or converting it or whatever. :)

did you try using spy++ to see weather its a control?

No, I'll try that when I get home.

They might have faked a titlebar but I don't know how they would have have got the XP styles to apply to it.

RhinoBull, I don't suppose you have found anything on this topic?

Yep, I did something myself (just recently got an idea :cool: ) and it seems to work. :) See attachments.

ps, KIM that it's a very very quick sample project so you might need to work with it to make it better. Anyway, enjoy it. :wave:

EDIT: for attachments see post #25.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RhinoBull

Yep, I did something myself (just recently got an idea :cool: ) and it seems to work. :) See attachments.

ps, KIM that it's a very very quick sample project so you might need to work with it to make it better. Anyway, enjoy it. :wave:

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well done RB :lol:

That was the quickest QA ... :p

Thanks.

but it has a flaw..........if frmMain is minimised then the user can understand that u have played a nice trick, n also u have to search for the minimised main form!!!!

As I said it's a very quick sample so make it better as you wish - it just gives you an idea and the rest is really upto your imagination.

Best regards.

ps, for what it's worth here is a "fixed" version.

Quote:

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you might need to work with it to make it better

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sorry......missed out this part!!!! but seriously.........cool idea!!!

Quote:

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ps, for what it's worth here is a "fixed" version

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nothing fixed....... :p :D

nice :)

Gee, that code looks mighty familiar. :D

It was my understanding that the different caption in the taskbar was changed by the icon maker code somehow or something like that?

Nevermind, I think I have dyslexia. :D I could have answered it earlier if I realized he wanted "To" change it and not prevent it. :blush:

I was thinking of something like that. Glad to see that it works.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Harsh Gupta

nothing fixed....... :p :D

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LOL, I forgot to rebuild zip file... so re-download it from post #25. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Gee, that code looks mighty familiar. :D ...

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????????

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

... I could have answered it earlier if I realized he wanted "To" change it and not prevent it. :blush:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by dglienna

I was thinking of something like that. Glad to see that it works.

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Yea, but I am the idea's Patentee. ;)

I couldnt find my posted code yet (may be an attachment) but here is one of my earlier ones from a year and a half ago.

http://www.vbforums.com/showpost.php...3&postcount=11

:D

Well, I wasn't aware of that post nor I searched forums at all - if I did I would simply provide link.

Regards.

:D Just giving you a hard time RB. ;) Its all good. :)

Also, backing myself up that if I read the Q correctly I would have answered it earlier. :)

No problem but I'm still the Patentee and not planning to sell it ... ;) :wave:

Thanks guys. But that gives a really bad effect IMO. Especially since I have the option enabled in XP to animated min/max operations. One animated its way to down by the start button and the other animated down into the task bar. The IconMaker goes into the taskbar which makes me think it ACTUALLY has different captions.

Don't suppose anyone has a clue how to get that?

Must not be in VB, I guess. You would have to hide the main form in the minimize event, and restore it when the user clicked on the taskbar.

Or in case anyone hasnt mentioned it before, its either done with subclassing the taskbar using something like moeurs C++ dll to subclass external app or its all written in C++, or even just APIs to SendMessage to the taskbar passing the WM_SETTEXT argument to change the taskbars caption for it.

That is what RB and RD posted already dglienna. Unless I misunderstood you...

Also EM, your saying that it has the same caption as the form if the window state is not maxed?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eyeRmonkey

... One animated its way to down by the start button and the other animated down into the task bar. ...

Don't suppose anyone has a clue how to get that?

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Not sure I follow you this time arround, though. You can create different animation - perhaps fading form out would work too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RhinoBull

Not sure I follow you this time arround, though. You can create different animation - perhaps fading form out would work too.

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Sorry that was confusing. You're right.

In win XP there is an option to animate the window as it is being minimized or maximized. Since I have this option on, your solution won't work RB because it looks really bad to watch 1 form (with .ShowInTaskbar = False) minimize to right above the start button and the other form (that is off the screen and invisible) minimize to the taskbar.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RobDog888

Also EM, your saying that it has the same caption as the form if the window state is not maxed?

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Not sure what you mean RD. Let me restate what I was trying to say.

Your guys' solution was with 2 forms. The IconMaker did it with 1 form. I could tell this because when I minimized the form, it animated into the taskbar where as with your guys' solution, it animates to right about the start button (since show in taskbar = false for that form).


So all in all, my question is how do I do this with an API/subclassing and no extra form?

When your form is max'ed it shows one caption on the form and another in the taskbar. What about when its in Normal window state? Does it also show the two different captions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eyeRmonkey

...So all in all, my question is how do I do this with an API/subclassing and no extra form?

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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

You might need to skin your app so you can create custom titlebar/caption but use "original" form caption for taskbar. Take a look at vbAccelerator's NeoCaption Component. I think it would be your best bet to achive this.

Seems like allot of work either way.

Seeing how nobodys asked this yet, why do you want to make them different?
Is it really going to be worth it?

I want it because I want the taskbar caption to show the name of the project that is open (like VB does - So you don't get confused about which instance of the program is which) and I want the actual titlebar to be organized like so: LightFusion - ProjectName - ChildName.

Its not that big of a deal, but it would be nice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by eyeRmonkey

I want it because I want the taskbar caption to show the name of the project that is open (like VB does - So you don't get confused about which instance of the program is which) and I want the actual titlebar to be organized like so: LightFusion - ProjectName - ChildName.

Its not that big of a deal, but it would be nice.

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Yeah, its a nice little nifty feature + a challenge is always nice :D

Has anyone made any progress on this?

Oh ya, I forgot to tell you I solved the whole thing but accidentally deleted it. :D Jk.
Actually I did get a small bit farther. The taskbar is actually a variation of the toolbar control. Each "window" that is represented in the taskbar is actually a toolbar button. So doesnt look good for using SendMessage since there are no handles for the buttons.

If anything else popups up I'll let you know.

Cool. Thanks for the update RD. :D

It doesnt look too good as the solution probably requires a c++ dll or completely written in c++. Is it really going to be worth all this work? :)

Probably not even close to worth all the work. It would be nice to find out though. A C++ DLL wouldn't be too bad, if someone already made it for us that is. :) Don't worry too much about it.

Thanks to everyone for your efforts. I will mark this resolved and if anyone figures anything out feel free to revive the thread.

PS - Congrats RD! 19,000 posts!