CommonControls (Replacement of the MS common controls)

[Krool]

This is the 1.0 ActiveX Control version. (End of support)

Removed

[Romeo91]

10-Mar-2014
- Minor bugfix in the TextBoxW control.
- Some component modifications. (it is recommended to replace everything)

Krool thanks for your last update. Now there is no problem in the IDE even when opening the control and not have to constantly restart VB.

[chosk]

Hi Krool,

I understand that min WinXP SP2 is required for the all-in-one, please correct me if I am wrong. I also understand you running the controls all okay in WinXP.

I have 3 users showing the following same issues in WinXP (one of them I know is SP3):

1a) Tabstrip showing only the first tab stretched all the way horizontally.
1b) The other 11 tabs cannot be seen.
1c) The tabstrip body is shown correctly.
1d) One is using "classic" theme, the other two using "blue" XP-theme.

2a) The one using "blue" Xp-theme, all other controls showing in sexy theme but CommandButtons showing in classic.
2b) All have CommandButton showing only the icon, no text. I understand comctl32.dll 6.1 required.

I am guessing both issues could be due to not having comctl32.dll v6.1. I tried searching the Internet on how to get this version into WinXP, either a certain Windows patch or update, but unable to find any answer.

Do you or anyone knows?

[Krool]

I am guessing both issues could be due to not having comctl32.dll v6.1. I tried searching the Internet on how to get this version into WinXP, either a certain Windows patch or update, but unable to find any answer.

Do you or anyone knows?

There is no way to get comctl32.dll v6.1 on WinXP.

1a) Tabstrip showing only the first tab stretched all the way horizontally.
1b) The other 11 tabs cannot be seen.
2a) The one using "blue" Xp-theme, all other controls showing in sexy theme but CommandButtons showing in classic.

1a+b) Please provide a demo showing the issues as I cannot replicate them in WinXP.
2a) Is it a CommandButtonW control? If yes, then ensure that the "VisualStyles" property is set to True.

[chosk]

Hi Krool,

I don't have WinXP so I did a test project with the controls shown in the screenshots and sent the exe to 2 users to run and screenshot.

Beside the controls, I add all 3 modules in the Common folder and the 2 modules and 4 classes in the Build folder. VisualStyles for all controls are set to True. The only code I add is as follows and nothing else:

Private Sub Form_Load()
SetupVisualStyles Me
End Sub

Here are the screen shots I got back from 2 users of WinXP SP3.

[Krool]

As already mentioned the "PictureAndCaption" property needs at least Windows Vista.
For the other issues. Please upload the demo project in order to make tests on it.

[chosk]

Oh Windows Vista. OK I see now. Means comctl32.dll 6.1 follows the Windows versioning. 6.1 = Vista.

Attached is the test project.

[Krool]

Oh Windows Vista. OK I see now. Means comctl32.dll 6.1 follows the Windows versioning. 6.1 = Vista.

No. Vista is NT 6.0. Win7 is NT 6.1.
But the comctl32.dll version on Vista is 6.1.

[chosk]

OK. Now I know the actual details, should not have use icons by default for all the CommandButtonW. I will research whether I can check for comctl32.dll version and then Select Case either to or not to use the ".Picture" and ".PictureAndCaption" properties in Form_Load.

[Krool]

OK. Now I know the actual details, should not have use icons by default for all the CommandButtonW. I will research whether I can check for comctl32.dll version and then Select Case either to or not to use the ".Picture" and ".PictureAndCaption" properties in Form_Load.

You can use the "ComCtlsSupportLevel" function and if the result is equal or higher than 2, then you can use the "PictureAndCaption" property.

If ComCtlsSupportLevel() >= 2 Then [...]

[chosk]

Thanks. I just tested this on Win7 and it works. The CommandButtonW1 does not have a picture by default. Now it is better I fix up a WinXP box and do all the testing.

If ComCtlsSupportLevel() >= 2 Then
    CommandButtonW1.Picture = ImageList1.ListImages(1).Picture
    CommandButtonW1.PictureAndCaption = True
Else
    CommandButtonW1.PictureAndCaption = False
End If

[Krool]

I just tested on WinXP concerning the classic CommandButtonW appearance and it seems that if the ".Picture" property is used (in WinXP only) then the appearance is always classic. So this is not a bug, it is a "feature" in WinXP.

Concerning the "vertically stack" problem on the TabStrip control. I could not replicate it. Does a extra "Me.Refresh" or/and "DoEvents" in the CreateTabStrip sub solves this issue on the concerned machine?

[chosk]

Concerning the "vertically stack" problem on the TabStrip control. I could not replicate it. Does a extra "Me.Refresh" or/and "DoEvents" in the CreateTabStrip sub solves this issue on the concerned machine?

I am not sure whether I can go back and forth with them. Just receive another one, this time from the look it is either Vista or Win7. I think I have to remove the TabStrip and use another control. Maybe I try TreeView.

[Krool]

I am not sure whether I can go back and forth with them. Just receive another one, this time from the look it is either Vista or Win7. I think I have to remove the TabStrip and use another control. Maybe I try TreeView.

Please check if my suggested solution will help. Thanks

[chosk]

I put DoEvents in the first location and also after the Me.Refresh in second location. I sent the exe over to test and came back same problem.

[chosk]

The one I did not know whether Vista or Win7, it is Vista Home Premium and the test (with the DoEvents) came back Tabs stack vertically.

To retrace the issue:
1) Initially, when I tested on my Win8 with 6 tabs, no problem.
2) I increased to 12 tabs, on my Win8 they stack vertically starting from the bottom.
3) I added the Me.Refresh, problem on my Win8 solved.
4) I did not have a WinXP to test.
5) I sent out updates.
6) Problem reported on 3 WinXP (so far) and 1 Vista Home.

[chosk]

I am researching on the Internet on CreateWindowEx TabStrip and usually see the WS_EX_LEFT as an included parameter. I did a find for WS_EX_LEFT in the CreateTabStrip proceedure and did not find any.

What is this and what does it do?

[Krool]

I am researching on the Internet on CreateWindowEx TabStrip and usually see the WS_EX_LEFT as an included parameter. I did a find for WS_EX_LEFT in the CreateTabStrip proceedure and did not find any.

What is this and what does it do?

WS_EX_LEFT is default and its value is &H0, so this can not be the reason.

[chosk]

I just received another feedback the same thing happen in an Atom tablet running Windows 8.1 (non RT).

[Romeo91]

chosk,
Your mistake with the control TabStrip confirmed in a your test project (on my Win7). To solve your problem, I tried to replace a Ambient.UserMode to global variable g_mbUserMode. And it happened, the compiled project looks correct.
In the wilds of the Internet I've seen that, Ambient.UserMode not always work out.

module startup prescribed definition
Public g_mbUserMode As Boolean

and assigning a value to a variable
Sub Main ()
g_mbUserMode = True

[Krool]

Your mistake with the control TabStrip confirmed in a your test project (on my Win7). To solve your problem, I tried to replace a Ambient.UserMode to global variable g_mbUserMode. And it happened, the compiled project looks correct.
In the wilds of the Internet I've seen that, Ambient.UserMode not always work out.

module startup prescribed definition
Public g_mbUserMode As Boolean

and assigning a value to a variable
Sub Main ()
g_mbUserMode = True

You mean the reason that the tabs are vertically stacked is due to the Ambient.UserMode property?

[Romeo91]

You mean the reason that the tabs are vertically stacked is due to the Ambient.UserMode property?

Yes it is.
Depends on what I do not know, on one win7 I look normal on the second win7 tab are not just vertically, but without pictures and caption. The problem occurs only in the compiled exe.
All that i made ​​it - replaced Ambient.UserMode property, and after compiling all was well

[Krool]

Yes it is.
Depends on what I do not know, on one win7 I look normal on the second win7 tab are not just vertically, but without pictures and caption. The problem occurs only in the compiled exe.
All that i made ​​it - replaced Ambient.UserMode property, and after compiling all was well

Can you try to isolate which call to Ambient.UserMode is causing exactly the problem?

[Romeo91]

Can you try to isolate which call to Ambient.UserMode is causing exactly the problem?

I will try to identify where the problem, but it is only at home in the evening, as on all working machines I have everything works correctly (XP/7/8).

[Romeo91]

I will try to identify where the problem, but it is only at home in the evening, as on all working machines I have everything works correctly (XP/7/8).

Enough to replace one parameter
Private Sub CreateTabStrip()
....
If TabStripHandle <> 0 Then
If Ambient.UserMode = True Then Call ComCtlsSetSubclass(TabStripHandle, Me, 1)
End If
End sub

[Krool]

Enough to replace one parameter
Private Sub CreateTabStrip()
....
If TabStripHandle <> 0 Then
If Ambient.UserMode = True Then Call ComCtlsSetSubclass(TabStripHandle, Me, 1)
End If
End sub

Hmmm.. is the Ambient.UserMode property returning "False" on the effected machine?
Or does it return "True", but just the call to it will do the issue to the TabStrip?
Is this also effecting the OCX version?

[Romeo91]

Hmmm.. is the Ambient.UserMode property returning "False" on the effected machine?
Or does it return "True", but just the call to it will do the issue to the TabStrip?

Ambient.UserMode return "True" - I tested it by adding a Msgbox

By my mistake I made ​​in the variable assignment procedure sub main, and the project started with a form Form1.
As a result g_mbUserMode is always False, so the procedure call Call ComCtlsSetSubclass (TabStripHandle, Me, 1) does not occur. And then everything looks correct, but it works right? This is another question!

Is this also effecting the OCX version?

In OCX-version all is work correctly

[Krool]

Ambient.UserMode return "True" - I tested it by adding a Msgbox

By my mistake I made ​​in the variable assignment procedure sub main, and the project started with a form Form1.
As a result g_mbUserMode is always False, so the procedure call Call ComCtlsSetSubclass (TabStripHandle, Me, 1) does not occur. And then everything looks correct, but it works right? This is another question!


In OCX-version all is work correctly

So Ambient.UserMode returns the correct value. But the call to it mess up the TabStrip?
Very strange problematic...

[chosk]

Recall that I have a Win8 x64 that exhibited the problem of the vertically stacked tabs. I was thinking this seems to be a problem of not able to create the tabs with the "proper" width and instead stretched full width and stacked. So I did a test. First I REM out the earlier Me.Refresh fix so that I can replicate the problem.

Strangely this time there was a problem but not the same problem. It resembles the problem one of the user reported back on Vista Home Premium.

Previously the tabs width were Justified. Now I tried Justified and Fixed. I hope the attached picture is self-explanatory and for further input hopefully can help in tracing the problem.

[chosk]

Hi Krool,

On the Toolbar. In your demo, the Divider is set to False, I set it to True to see how it would look like.

1) With Schmidt's method of inserting manifest into VB6.exe (the normal manifest file method does not work for me):
Initially, I see a thin sunken line between the top of the Toolbar and the Form caption bar. Then I run the project from the IDE. I get artifacts when I move the mouse around the Toolbar. Then when I close the run, back to the IDE, the Toolbar become black. I close and open the demo project, the Toolbar still black.

2) With the original VB6.exe, that is no theme:
No problem in the IDE, also after close the demo project and re-open no problem. But when I compiled (with your manifest in res), the compiled exe exhibited the same artifacts problem.

Perhaps the problem have to do when the Toolbar is themed and Divider is True?

[Krool]

Perhaps the problem have to do when the Toolbar is themed and Divider is True?

That issue and one issue concerning the double-buffering are now fixed. Thanks for your report.

[Almeida]

Krool, does ListView support unicode?

[Krool]

Krool, does ListView support unicode?

Yes.

[Almeida]

Krool, thank you. i just wanted to make sure before delving into it.

[Krool]

Update released.

I have found the problem with the "vertically stacked tabs" in the TabStrip control.
Reason was that the variable PropTabMinWidth is an 'Integer' and the lParam of the SendMessage expects a 'Long' variable.
So there was actually a value problem. It took the 2 bytes from the PropTabMinWidth variable and the other 2 bytes from "somewhere else" in the memory, resulting in a nonsense value. (but not always)
The fix was simple. I just put a CLng() around it.

[Romeo91]

Krool, Once we have so much time to discussing TabsStrip, make suggestions!
Can add to your set CommonControls control SStab (TabCtl32.ocx)?
I understand there are not very many differences from TabStrip, except that each tab is a separate container, and controls can be added to any of them even in the IDE.
If interested, I have two examples of more or less working but unstable

[chosk]

Thanks Krool for the update. Very much appreciated.

[Krool]

Update released. (Thanks to Jonney for finding)

[Romeo91]

Using listview on some computers I have an incomprehensible situation. Text element is reduced to a certain size, and placed at the end ...

How can I fix this?

I use a view=2 'viewlist
Elements add the following code

With lvOptions.ListItems
If .Count = 0 Then
.Add 1, , strItemOptions1, , 1
.Add 2, , strItemOptions8, , 2
.Add 3, , strItemOptions2, , 3
.Add 4, , strItemOptions3, , 4
.Add 5, , strItemOptions4, , 5
.Add 6, , strItemOptions5, , 6
.Add 7, , strItemOptions9, , 7
.Add 8, , strItemOptions6, , 8
.Add 9, , strItemOptions10, , 9
End If
End With

[Krool]

Using listview on some computers I have an incomprehensible situation. Text element is reduced to a certain size, and placed at the end ...

How can I fix this?

I use a view=2 'viewlist
Elements add the following code

Use the 'ColumnWidth' property and set it to a higher value.