[RESOLVED] System Menu Fonts

[wes4dbt]

I searched this forum for information on modifing system menu fonts for my vb6 app. I found references to "CoolMenu" and "Icon Menus" from vbAccelerator but I had problems with these choices.

CoolMenu would crash my VB6 IDE everytime I closed the my app.
Icon Menus wouldn't load because there was a missing "vbaIml6.ocx" file.

I found a thread on how to retrieve the system menu font using an API but it didn't reference how to set the font.

I would like to,
Save the system menu font when my app starts
Set the menu font when my app starts
Set the font back to the original setting when my app close.
I would like to keep the overhead of doing this to a minimum. I don't plan on using icons on my menus.

Could anyone provide any information on this subject?
Thanks

[Siddharth Rout]

I found this on the web. As per the author, it is a very simple code to change the system ' NONCLIENTMETRICS like the the window title font, ' the message font,menu font using VB. You can also change ' other elements like status font etc ' in your window only or all the open windows ' like PLUS! or display settings (appearance) ' also it is possible to underline, strikethru fonts in ' your window with this code. This code is very useful ' if you are coding a multi-lingual software.

Hope this is what you want....

<!--StartFragment-->'**************************************
'Windows API/Global Declarations for :Ch
'	 ange System (Message, Menu, Caption) Fon
'	 ts
'**************************************
 
 
Private Type LOGFONT
	lfHeight As Long
	lfWidth As Long
	lfEscapement As Long
	lfOrientation As Long
	lfWeight As Long
	lfItalic As Byte
	lfUnderline As Byte
	lfStrikeOut As Byte
	lfCharSet As Byte
	lfOutPrecision As Byte
	lfClipPrecision As Byte
	lfQuality As Byte
	lfPitchAndFamily As Byte
	lfFaceName(1 To 32) As Byte
	End Type
 
 
Private Type NONCLIENTMETRICS
	cbSize As Long
	iBorderWidth As Long
	iScrollWidth As Long
	iScrollHeight As Long
	iCaptionWidth As Long
	iCaptionHeight As Long
	lfCaptionFont As LOGFONT
	iSMCaptionWidth As Long
	iSMCaptionHeight As Long
	lfSMCaptionFont As LOGFONT
	iMenuWidth As Long
	iMenuHeight As Long
	lfMenuFont As LOGFONT
	lfStatusFont As LOGFONT
	lfMessageFont As LOGFONT
	End Type
 
 
Private Declare Function SystemParametersInfo Lib "user32" Alias "SystemParametersInfoA" (ByVal uAction As Long, ByVal uParam As Long, lpvParam As NONCLIENTMETRICS, ByVal fuWinIni As Long) As Long
'**************************************
 
' Inputs:ADD A COMBO BOX
'
' Returns:Changes the Message box font a
'	 nd Windows Caption Font (Title Font).
'
'Assumes:Add a Combo box.
'
'**************************************
 
 
 
Private Sub Combo1_Click()
	Dim ncm As NONCLIENTMETRICS 'NONCLIENTMETRICS to change
	Dim Orincm As NONCLIENTMETRICS 'NONCLIENTMETRICS to replace original
	Dim Returned As Long
	Dim i As Integer
	ncm.cbSize = Len(ncm)
	Returned = SystemParametersInfo(41, 0, ncm, 0) 'get the system NONCLIENTMETRICS
	Orincm = ncm 'store the value of system NONCLIENTMETRICS to use later
	'now to change the font name
	'other functions can be used to change t
	'	 he font name
	'but for simplicity i have used asc() & 
	'	 mid()
 
 
	For i = 1 To Len(Combo1.Text) 'use ncm.lfMenuFont.lfFacename(i) to change menu font
		ncm.lfMessageFont.lfFaceName(i) = Asc(Mid(Combo1.Text, i, 1))
		ncm.lfCaptionFont.lfFaceName(i) = Asc(Mid(Combo1.Text, i, 1))
	Next i
	ncm.lfMessageFont.lfFaceName(i) = 0 'add null at the end of font name
	ncm.lfCaptionFont.lfFaceName(i) = 0
	Returned = SystemParametersInfo(42, 0, ncm, &H1 Or &H2) 'remove &H2 if you don't want to affect all the open windows
	MsgBox "Message & Caption Font Changed to " & Combo1.Text, vbOKOnly, "NILESH"
	Returned = SystemParametersInfo(42, 0, Orincm, &H1 Or &H2) 'replace original font
	MsgBox "Message & Caption Font Replaced to " & StrConv(Orincm.lfCaptionFont.lfFaceName, vbUnicode), vbOKOnly, "NILESH"
End Sub
 
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
	' Heres a very simple code to change the
	'	 system
	' NONCLIENTMETRICS like the the window t
	'	 itle font,
	' the message font,menu font using VB. Y
	'	 ou can also change
	' other elements like status font etc
	' in your window only or all the open wi
	'	 ndows
	' like PLUS! or display settings (appear
	'	 ance)
	' also it is possible to underline, stri
	'	 kethru fonts in
	' your window with this code. This code 
	'	 is very useful
	' if you are coding a multi-lingual soft
	'	 ware.
	' For more info and more free code send 
	'	 e-mail.
	' code by - NILESH P KURHADE
	' email - [email protected]
	Dim i As Integer
	Show
	' to flood the combo box with first 10 f
	'	 onts
 
 
	For i = 1 To 10 ' or use For i = 1 To Screen.FontCount to flood all the fonts in your pc
		Combo1.AddItem Screen.Fonts(i)
	Next i
End Sub

[wes4dbt]

Koolsid,

thanks for the code, it works great. Is there a way to modify the font size? I didn't see how to do it.

Do you know if its possible to change the menu font size without changing the system settings? I was playing with your code and it crashed, I had to manually reset my system setting. I don't think my clients would like that, they have no sense of humor or adventure.

Thanks again.

[si_the_geek]

CoolMenu would crash my VB6 IDE everytime I closed the my app.

Based on the other code on that site, and the action required by that kind of code, I strongly suspect that subclassing (or "Hooking") is involved.. in which case, the crash is actually likely to be your fault.

I'd recommend reading (at least briefly) a couple of articles from our Classic VB FAQs:

Why is using the 'End' statement (or VB's "stop" button) a bad idea?
How should I close my form/program/class?

[wes4dbt]

si,

You were right, I forgot about the "End" I was using during development. I have never used subclassing or hooking before.

The CollMenu works but if I click the "End" button in my IDE, the IDE crashes. This is very limiting during development because I break out of my program quite often when I'm testing and debugging.

Is there some way around this problem?

Thanks for the help.

[wes4dbt]

si,

I found a download of CoolMenu 1.3 and it solved the IDE crashing prolem.
But I couldn't find any documentation on using CoolMenu.

Thanks for your input