[RESOLVED] Showing copying progress in a Label

[rade]

Hey,

I'm making an application that copies files from one folder to another.
I want the copying progress shown in a label, just like in DOS when you copy files you'll see something like this:

folder\link.url
folder\Readme.txt
folder\setup.exe
folder\site.htm
4 file(s) copied.

I've come this far:

Option Explicit
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
Dim Destination As String
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Destination = "C:\Temp-1"
 
    b = File1.ListCount - 1
    
    For a = 0 To b
    Label1.Caption = Label1.Caption & vbCrLf & "Copying: " & File1.List(a)
    FileCopy File1.List(a), Destination & "\" & File1.List(a)
    Next
End Sub

This works fine, yes, but now the text is shown in Label1 after all files have been copied. So my question is:
How can I make it show the current file that is being copied? Like this:

(When it's copying file1.txt):
Copying: file1.txt
(When file1.txt is copied and it's copying file2.txt):
Copying: file2.txt

If I didn't explain clear enough, just ask

[Bruce Fox]

Welcome to the Forum rade

You probably need a DoEvents,try:

Option Explicit
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
Dim Destination As String
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Destination = "C:\Temp-1"
 
    b = File1.ListCount - 1
    
    For a = 0 To b
        DoEvents    '<<<<<<<<<<< Added
        Label1.Caption = Label1.Caption & vbCrLf & "Copying: " & File1.List(a)
        FileCopy File1.List(a), Destination & "\" & File1.List(a)
    Next
End Sub

This needs to be optimizd too.

[Bruce Fox]

Now, to otimize (you may need to playwith the value), try:

If a Mod 2 = 0 Then DoEvents

Note: Change the Value of 2 to suit (Eg 5)

[Frans C]

DoEvents can slow the process down, and if you use Bruce's suggestion to call DoEvents just once every x times, the label will not be refreshed every time.

If you just want the label to be repainted, use the refresh method of the label. This will also slow it down a bit, but not as much as DoEvents can do.

Option Explicit
Dim a As Integer
Dim b As Integer
Dim Destination As String
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Destination = "C:\Temp-1"
 
    b = File1.ListCount - 1
    
    For a = 0 To b
        Label1.Caption = Label1.Caption & vbCrLf & "Copying: " & File1.List(a)
        Label1.Refresh
        FileCopy File1.List(a), Destination & "\" & File1.List(a)
    Next
End Sub

EDIT: and if you want to use DoEvents, you should call it after the label's caption is changed, and not before. Otherwise the caption is displayed after the file is copied.

[rade]

Thank you both, Bruce and Frans!
Both ways work fine. I still prefer the label-refresh method I'm more familiar with it.
Now I still have one little probelm:
How do I add a scrollbar to the label? (Please don't tell it isn't possible )

[rade]

Welcome to the Forum rade

Thanks Bruce These forums seem really good and useful.

-rade

[Bruce Fox]

FransC is right, there is a place for .Refresh. There is also a place for DoEvents...
especially when you may want to abort a Loop with the click of a button - that is when it is helpful.

In any case, you have what you need, good luck with your app, and hope to see you as a regular here

[rade]

Thanks again Bruce But I think you missed my little question there:

How do I add a scrollbar to the label? (Please don't tell it isn't possible )

[Hack]

How do I add a scrollbar to the label? (Please don't tell it isn't possible )

I'm being completely serious. It isn't possible.

[rade]

I'm being completely serious. It isn't possible.

Well.. Any suggestions how I could do this? The largest amout of files that will be copied is between 10 and 15, but the label the progress is shown on only has place for 7 rows. Yes, it would be easiest to make the label higher, but then it would be all too big.

Can you come up with any way of "autoscrolling" the label or something similar? Or maybe there is another object, in which it is possible to include a scrollbar, that I could use for this instead of a label?
Any help is highly approcieted

rade

[Grimfort]

You cans use a text box instead of a label, and just disable the input for it.
Or, use a listbox to show the "history" of what you are doing.

[Hack]

The Label control is one of the most difficult controls to manipulate because it does not have a hWnd property. The functionality of a label, as it is, is what you get.

There have been a number of times when I needed more functionality that I knew I could get out of a label so I used a textbox (which does have an hWnd property). I set the textbox borderstyle to None, and its backcolor to the same backcolor as my form. This gave it the "look" of a label. But, because it was actually a textbox, I could do things with it that I couldn't with a label.

Like add scrollbars.

[rade]

Alright! Thanks a lot guys, this was really really helpful! Man I love these forums

I changed the label to a textbox => Problem Resolved

[Hack]

Alright! Thanks a lot guys, this was really really helpful! Man I love these forums

I changed the label to a textbox => Problem Resolved

A couple of additional things that you will want to do.

Set the Locked property of the textbox to True. That way, like a label, you can't actually type in it. Also, you don't want the blinking cursor to show when the textbox has focus, so use this API to hide it.

Private Declare Function HideCaret Lib "User32" (ByVal hWnd As Long) As Long
 
Private Sub Text1_GotFocus()
HideCaret Text1.hWnd
End Sub

[rade]

Okay thanks again

[Grimfort]

Give that man a rating, full of useful info !