"X" box control

[CoachG]

Is there anyway that I can write code for the "X" box on my forms? I like having that border there but I really would like the "X" to be inactive or not there at all. If it has to be there I would at least like to tell it to shut down the whole program and not leave other things running. Can I do this somehow? Thanks

[Hack]

Whether you can disable the X button depends on the OS. You can trap for it however, in the form unload event.

Private Sub Form_QueryUnload(Cancel As Integer, UnloadMode As Integer)
'there are 5 unloadmode levels
        Select Case UnloadMode
            Case vbFormControlMenu 'UnloadMode 0
                 'form is being unloaded via the Close
                 'command from the System menu
                 'or from the X button
            Case vbFormCode        'UnloadMode 1
                 'Unload Me has been issued from code
            Case vbAppWindows      'UnloadMode 2
                 'Windows itself is closing
            Case vbAppTaskManager  'UnloadMode 3
                 'the Task Manager is closing the app
            Case vbFormMDIForm     'UnloadMod 4
                 'an MDI child form is closing because
                 'its parent form is closing
        End Select
End Sub

[kleinma]

easiest way would be to set controlbox property to false

you could also use the query unload event to make it useless..

there is also a way through code to remove it.. but keep the icon present (which disappears when you set controlbox = false).. but i don't have that code handy right now

[Hack]

Originally posted by kleinma
there is also a way through code to remove it.. but keep the icon present (which disappears when you set controlbox = false).. but i don't have that code handy right now

You mean this

Private Const SC_CLOSE As Long = &HF060&
Private Const MIIM_STATE As Long = &H1&
Private Const MIIM_ID As Long = &H2&
Private Const MFS_GRAYED As Long = &H3&
Private Const WM_NCACTIVATE As Long = &H86
 
Private Type MENUITEMINFO
    cbSize As Long
    fMask As Long
    fType As Long
    fState As Long
    wID As Long
    hSubMenu As Long
    hbmpChecked As Long
    hbmpUnchecked As Long
    dwItemData As Long
    dwTypeData As String
    cch As Long
End Type
 
Private Declare Function GetSystemMenu Lib "user32" ( _
    ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal bRevert As Long) As Long
 
Private Declare Function GetMenuItemInfo Lib "user32" Alias _
    "GetMenuItemInfoA" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal un As Long, _
    ByVal b As Boolean, lpMenuItemInfo As MENUITEMINFO) As Long
 
Private Declare Function SetMenuItemInfo Lib "user32" Alias _
    "SetMenuItemInfoA" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal un As Long, _
    ByVal bool As Boolean, lpcMenuItemInfo As MENUITEMINFO) As Long
 
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias _
    "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, _
    ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
 
Private Declare Function IsWindow Lib "user32" _
    (ByVal hWnd As Long) As Long
 
'*******************************************************************************
' Enables / Disables the close button on the titlebar and in the system menu
' of the form window passed.
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Return Values:
'
'    0  Close button state changed succesfully / nothing to do.
'   -1  Invalid Window Handle (hWnd argument) Passed to the function
'   -2  Failed to switch command ID of Close menu item in system menu
'   -3  Failed to switch enabled state of Close menu item in system menu
'
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Parameters:
'
'   hWnd    The window handle of the form whose close button is to be enabled/
'           disabled / greyed out.
'
'   Enable  True if the close button is to be enabled, or False if it is to
'           be disabled / greyed out.
'
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Example:
'
' Add a form window to your project, and place a button on the form. Add the
' following in the form's code window:
'
'    Option Explicit
'
'    Private m_blnCloseEnabled As Boolean
'
'    Private Sub Form_Load()
'        m_blnCloseEnabled = True
'        Command1.Caption = "Disable"
'    End Sub
'
'    Private Sub Command1_Click()
'        m_blnCloseEnabled = Not m_blnCloseEnabled
'        EnableCloseButton Me.hwnd, m_blnCloseEnabled
'
'        If m_blnCloseEnabled Then
'            Command1.Caption = "Disable"
'        Else
'            Command1.Caption = "Enable"
'        End If
'    End Sub
'
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Public Function EnableCloseButton(ByVal hWnd As Long, Enable As Boolean) _
                                                                As Integer
    Const xSC_CLOSE As Long = -10
 
    ' Check that the window handle passed is valid
    
    EnableCloseButton = -1
    If IsWindow(hWnd) = 0 Then Exit Function
    
    ' Retrieve a handle to the window's system menu
    
    Dim hMenu As Long
    hMenu = GetSystemMenu(hWnd, 0)
    
    ' Retrieve the menu item information for the close menu item/button
    
    Dim MII As MENUITEMINFO
    MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
    MII.dwTypeData = String(80, 0)
    MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
    MII.fMask = MIIM_STATE
    
    If Enable Then
        MII.wID = xSC_CLOSE
    Else
        MII.wID = SC_CLOSE
    End If
    
    EnableCloseButton = -0
    If GetMenuItemInfo(hMenu, MII.wID, False, MII) = 0 Then Exit Function
    
    ' Switch the ID of the menu item so that VB can not undo the action itself
    
    Dim lngMenuID As Long
    lngMenuID = MII.wID
    
    If Enable Then
        MII.wID = SC_CLOSE
    Else
        MII.wID = xSC_CLOSE
    End If
    
    MII.fMask = MIIM_ID
    EnableCloseButton = -2
    If SetMenuItemInfo(hMenu, lngMenuID, False, MII) = 0 Then Exit Function
    
    ' Set the enabled / disabled state of the menu item
    
    If Enable Then
        MII.fState = (MII.fState Or MFS_GRAYED)
        MII.fState = MII.fState - MFS_GRAYED
    Else
        MII.fState = (MII.fState Or MFS_GRAYED)
    End If
    
    MII.fMask = MIIM_STATE
    EnableCloseButton = -3
    If SetMenuItemInfo(hMenu, MII.wID, False, MII) = 0 Then Exit Function
    
    ' Activate the non-client area of the window to update the titlebar, and
    ' draw the close button in its new state.
    
    SendMessage hWnd, WM_NCACTIVATE, True, 0
    
    EnableCloseButton = 0
    
End Function

I am told, however, that on certain OS this does not work (like XP)

[kleinma]

ya... i don't have that handy dandy code library

by the way there isn't anything in it that would pertain to my post on taskbar height/width is there???

I think the easiest way to get rid of the X button is to can the controlbox.. if you don't need it's other features and the icon.. like an MDI child for example

[Hack]

If you just don't want it, I would agree. Some folks, however, like to be able to keep it, but manipulate it.

by the way there isn't anything in it that would pertain to my post on taskbar height/width is there???

Which one is that?

[kleinma]

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=147926