Resizable Frames

[Rockman]

Is there a VB 6.0 control that gives you resizable frames? I know there is a "frame" container in VB, but the type of framing I'm talking about is the kind that Outlook Express utilizes.

(I tried searching this site for an answer but "frames" turned up hundreds of references that didn't apply, and "resizable frames" turned up 1 instance that was not helpful)

Thanks for any help,
Jeff

[The Hobo]

I don't understand what you mean by resizable frames?

[Mc Brain]

I guess he means a frame which is resizable in run-time. But I don't see where it's used in Outlook Express.

[Rockman]

The "frames" I'm referring to are the "sub-sections" of the main window. In Outlook Express you have a frame that contains "Folder" names, a frame that contains a list of the e-mails you've received, etc... These frames are end-user resizable and a very useful GUI tool. I can't seem to find anything equivolent in Visual Basic.

[Mc Brain]

Those are not frames... are ListBox and or TreeView (or similar controls)

[Mc Brain]

Maybe this is what you're needing



Check the samples over here

[Rockman]

Mc Brain, thanks for the tip on the S-Grid but that is not the issue I'm trying to pursue here.

You are correct to state that the individual controls in Outlook Express are a ListBox and/or TreeView, but these controls occupy the window in different "frames"... such that between them there is a spine. When the cursor moves over the spine the cursor changes to a double-ended arrow and the user can resize these "frames". Perhaps a better term than "frame" would be a "pane"... in keeping with the "windows" analogy.

Thanks for the help.

[Mc Brain]

Ok.... and you've said the answer and didn't even realize.

[Mc Brain]

You have to add a picturebox (between them) and resize the object on the MouseMove of the picturebox.

[Rockman]

Interesting... I will go now and try to implement that... Thanks so much for the help!

Jeff

[Mc Brain]

Maybe this helps:

Private Moving As Boolean
Public PosX As Long
 
 
Private Sub Separator_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)
    Moving = True
End Sub
 
Private Sub Separator_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)
    If Moving Then
        PosX = Separator.Left + x
        If PosX < 0 Then PosX = 0
        If PosX > ScaleWidth Then PosX = ScaleWidth - Separator.Width
        Moving = False
        ReDrawSeparator
        Moving = True
    End If
End Sub
 
Private Sub Separator_MouseUp(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)
    Moving = False
End Sub
 
Private Sub ReDrawSeparator()
    Dim fHeight As Single
    Dim TopPos As Single
    
    If Me.WindowState = vbMinimized Then Exit Sub
    TopPos = -TBAddress.Visible * (TBAddress.Height - 60)
    TBAddress.Top = TopPos - TBAddress.Height
    fHeight = Me.Height - TopPos - TV.Top - 200
    
    TV.Move 0, TopPos + 100, PosX, fHeight
    Separator.Move PosX, TopPos + 100, ScaleX(3, vbPixels, vbTwips), fHeight
    LV.Move PosX + Separator.Width, TopPos - 10, ScaleWidth - LV.Left, fHeight + 30
    'Don't know why.. but the second time sizes the LV correctly
    LV.Move PosX + Separator.Width, TopPos + 90, ScaleWidth - LV.Left, fHeight + 30
    
    TBAddress.Move 30, TBAddress.Top, ScaleWidth - 150
    WEPath.Width = TBAddress.Width - WEPath.Left - 60
    DoEvents
    
End Sub

[Mc Brain]

Some things to know:

Separator is the picturebox between the ListView (LV) and the TreeView (TV).

TBAddress is a Frame that contains a Label (WEPath.Width) -which shows the address of the folder I was seeing-

Remember to set the property of the cursor to your picturebox, so that it show the double-ended arrow.

[Mc Brain]

Just in case you need more help..... Here's done!

[Rockman]

Thanks again Mc Brain. I futzed with the code you provided and came up with this:

Option Explicit
Dim fSpineOffset As Single  'The initial offset of the click on the spine.
    
Private Sub Form_Load()
  'Because drawing the perfect panes in design mode is not easy,
  'run the AdjustVPane routine once.  Use 0 to keep the spine in
  'the position set at design time.
  AdjustVPane 0

End Sub

Private Sub pctSpine_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
  'When the spine is initially clicked, get the X value as the offset.
  'This insures that (even on fat spines) the spine doesn't jump quickly
  'to one side or the other.
  fSpineOffset = X

End Sub

Private Sub pctSpine_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
  'If the left button is down, adjust the vertical pane.
  If Button = 1 Then AdjustVPane X

End Sub

Private Sub AdjustVPane(fScaleX As Single)
Dim fPosX As Single  'The absolute X position of the mouse on the form.
Const iMinRPaneSize = 175  'The minimum size of the right pane
Const iMinLPaneSize = 175  'The minimum size of the left pane
  'Finds the absolute X position, tests for boundaries, then draws
  'spine, left text box (txtLeft), and the right text box (txtRight).
  fPosX = pctSpine.Left + fScaleX - fSpineOffset
  If fPosX < txtLeft.Left + iMinLPaneSize Then
    fPosX = txtLeft.Left + iMinLPaneSize
  ElseIf fPosX > (txtRight.Left + txtRight.Width) - (pctSpine.Width + iMinRPaneSize) Then
    fPosX = (txtRight.Left + txtRight.Width) - (pctSpine.Width + iMinRPaneSize)
  End If
  pctSpine.Left = fPosX
  txtLeft.Width = fPosX - txtLeft.Left
  txtRight.Width = (txtRight.Left + txtRight.Width) - (fPosX + pctSpine.Width)
  txtRight.Left = fPosX + pctSpine.Width
  
End Sub

Once again this forum proves to be awesome. Thanks all for participating.

[Mc Brain]

Alright! Great you got it working!!
You're welcome