How do I stop my buttons from becoming defaults?

[hal9k]

I have a window with 2 bmp buttons on it (and some non-tech savvy users).  When a user clicks on a button, it becomes the default control.  If that user then hits the Enter key, or even the spacebar, it fires the event handler for the button.  Is there any way to turn this off?  I only want the event code to fire if the button is actually clicked.  This is causing all sorts of problems.

Thanks!

[hal9k]

The only thing I've come up with is to create a tiny (1,1), dummy button in a non-conspicuous place and then in the event handler for the real buttons I set focus to the dummy button. This seems to solve the problem, but I wish there was a way to just turn off this feature of making the last button clicked the default control.

Thanks for listening -- I feel better now.

[Rod]

An alternative is to set up one shot button presses. It can prevent the space bar and enter key from initiating duplicate handling. However it may confuse users a little as it also stops the button from repeating.

   'nomainwin
   global oldhandle$
   WindowWidth = 400
   WindowHeight = 400
   UpperLeftX = int((DisplayWidth-WindowWidth)/2)
   UpperLeftY = int((DisplayHeight-WindowHeight)/2)
   button #1.aa, "Add Engine", click, UL, 100, 100, 200,20
   button #1.ab, "Del Engine", click, UL, 100, 130,200, 20
   button #1.ac, "Add Car   ", click, UL, 100, 160, 200,20
   button #1.ad, "Del Car   ", click, UL, 100, 190,200, 20
   button #1.ae, "List Cars ", click, UL, 100, 220,200, 20
   button #1.af, "Make Train", click, UL, 100, 250,200, 20
   open "Railway Manager" for window as #1
   print #1, "trapclose [quit]"
   wait

   sub click handle$
   print handle$,oldhandle$
   if handle$<>oldhandle$ then
       print "New Button Event";handle$
       oldhandle$=handle$
   end if
   end sub


   [quit]
   close #1
   end



[hal9k]

Thanks. In my case the buttons are used repeatedly in a counting application so they need to be continuously available. However, when the user accidentally hits the space bar it overstates the total. Apparently somebody put a book down and the corner was resting on the space bar so the total was waaay off.

I think this "default" behavior is pretty weird. I would love to see a switch or some mechanism to prevent the last button used magically becoming the default control.

[Rod]

Well if they hit the space bar or enter it is going to be whatever has focus. So setting the focus to a safe, hidden button seems like a good solution.

[Chris Iverson]

Aug 17, 2022 9:36:05 GMT -5 hal9k said:

I think this "default" behavior is pretty weird. I would love to see a switch or some mechanism to prevent the last button used magically becoming the default control.

This is basically how Windows has always worked from the very beginning, and part of it is because Windows is designed to be used without a mouse, although sadly, not many companies besides Microsoft actually design and test for that anymore.

There very much are times(such as with your program) where that stuff simply gets in the way, and those cases are why you can override the system(for example, just manually setting focus like you do.)

But those conventions are there for a reason.

(Big wall of text below, nothing important, just talking about how mouse vs. keyboard input works. TL;DR: it's a very old convention, that I wish more things would follow.)



It's very consistent. The mouse pointer ALWAYS sets focus on the last (active) window object it interacted with. Very simple rule.

Click into a textbox? Focus. Click on a combobox? Focus. Click a button? Focus.


But why can buttons get focus?

Because that's how you use the system without a mouse. You can use TAB, the arrow keys, and accelerator keys to change focus to the item you want, and then spacebar or enter to "click" on it. All Windows UI elements can be navigated like this.

That's the standard of how Windows has been for 30+ years now, and I find myself often anywhere from annoyed to absolutely infuriated when something ignores those conventions, and I can no longer interact with it without a mouse. For me, moving focus using the keyboard can often be faster than a mouse for just single clicks. It slows me down to have to break out of what I'm doing, reach and grab the mouse, click once, and move back.

Also, the whole "using focus to choose what you can interact with" is what all of the accessibility tech is built on, for blind/disabled people who use things like screen readers to interact with their systems. Not that anyone ever actually seems to try to give a damn to make programs accessible.



Heck, I remember one time recently, I was trying to set up a new multi-thousand-dollar HP server for my work. It was racked in a server rack, and I was setting up the hard drives to work as a RAID array before installing the OS on it. The server only had one USB port on the front, with a couple more on the back. The problem was, with it already being in the server rack, I couldn't reach the USB ports in the back.

With only a single USB port to work with, I figured I wouldn't need a mouse(you often don't for BIOS/UEFI config stuff), so I plugged a keyboard in.

I got through the entire configuration successfully, all the way from fresh boot into BIOS/UEFI config, and then into the HP Smart RAID utility.

The utility was a full GUI utility, with a mouse cursor, but I was able to navigate through everything and get the drives successfully configured as a RAID array.

And then I had to exit the utility, and couldn't. The ONLY way to save the drive configuration and exit the Smart RAID utility was the 'X'/Close button in the upper right corner - that could NOT be navigated to by keyboard. There was no other menu option or anything(like a F-key or ESC) that could do it.

I was able to do the ENTIRE THING, but I wasn't able to SAVE IT and BOOT the stupid server without unplugging the keyboard, finding and plugging in a mouse, and CLICKING ONE BUTTON.

It was such a stupid, petty thing, but at the time, it was so infuriating that such a basic oversight was made. Even a full Windows OS install can be done without a mouse! Microsoft can get it right! Why can't anyone else?!

[Brandon Parker]

I agree with everything that has been said thus far.

Instead of a button, I would just use a StaticText that is empty, outside of the window viewing area, and of zero dimension. Just set the focus to that after every button click event.

NoMainWin
StaticText #Test.stcDummy, "", -1, -1, 0, 0
BMPButton #Test.arrow1, "bmp\arrwbttn.bmp", arrowClicked, UL, 10, 10
BMPButton #Test.arrow2, "bmp\arrwbttn.bmp", arrowClicked, UL, 35, 10
Open "Button Example" For Window As #Test
Wait

Sub arrowClicked handle$
   Notice handle$;" was clicked."
   result = SetFocus(HWnd(#Test.stcDummy))
End Sub

Sub quit handle$
   Close #handle$
   End
End Sub

   Function SetFocus(hWnd)
       CallDLL #user32, "SetFocus", hWnd       As ulong, _
                                    SetFocus   As ulong
   End Function


{:0)

Brandon Parker

[hal9k]

Thanks so much guys! I'm an old fart who did a lot of coding a few hundred years ago, but have almost no gui experience. Now that I see the explanation, it makes sense.

I like the idea of using StaticText instead of my 1 x 1 button.

Even after "seeing the light", I still wish there was a command to UNset focus so I wouldn't have to add a do-nothing control to receive the focus.

Thanks again!

[Brandon Parker]

Yeah, the problem with "unsetting" focus on a desktop environment that can literally be in any of almost infinite configurations due to user layouts and programs being used is the question of where that focus gets set to. Something has to have the focus for the keyboard navigation stuff to work as Chris pointed out. Not every person would want the same thing nor could one predict what application/configuration would be available at any given time.

At least we can devise some work-a-rounds for 99% of things that people wish for though...


{:0)

Brandon Parker

[Walt Decker]

Actually one does not have to resort to a dummy control. If the bitmap buttons are placed on separate windows and the windows are then made the CHILD of another window (parent), the focus can be set to the PARENT. If the end user then presses ENTER, SPACE, or whatever, the
event handler will not be activated until s/he clicks on a bitmap button. The following code illustrates the process:

'
WHITE = HEXDEC("&HFFFFFF")
SYSTEM.FONT         = 13

OPEN "User32.Dll" FOR DLL AS #USER
OPEN "Gdi32.Dll" FOR DLL AS #GDI

RetVal  = 0
WinHndl = 0
ChrCnt  = -1

GLOBAL SysFont, _
        LowId

DIM ChrStr$(25)

SysFont = FN.StockObj(SYSTEM.FONT)
LowId = 1000

A$ = ""

FOR I = ASC("A") TO ASC("Z")
 ChrCnt = ChrCnt + 1
 ChrStr$(ChrCnt) = FN.StrRepeat$(CHR$(I), 4)

NEXT I

RetVal = FN.CreateMemBmp(50, 50, WHITE)
RetVal = FN.SetMemBmpHndl("WHITE", RetVal)
RetVal = FN.SaveMemBmp("WHITE", "WHITE.BMP")
RetVal = FN.KillMemBmp("WHITE")

OPEN "BMPBUTTONS" FOR WINDOW AS #WIN
PRINT #WIN, "TRAPCLOSE CLOSE.WIN"

WinHndl = FN.GetHandle("#WIN")

RetVal = FN.CreateBmpButtons(WinHndl, 1000, 25, 50, 50, "WHITE.BMP")
RetVal = FN.MoveButtons(50, 50)

WAIT

END

'----------------------------------------------------------------
'----------------------------------------------------------------

SUB BTN.EVENT BtnHndl$
'##################################################
'  BITMAP BUTTON EVENT HANDLER
'##################################################

BLACK = 0
RED   = 255
GREEN = HEXDEC("&H008000")
BLUE  = HEXDEC("&HFF0000")
WHITE = HEXDEC("&HFFFFFF")

DT.CENTER      = HEXDEC("&H00000001") 'See "DrawTextA"
DT.VCENTER     = HEXDEC("&H00000004")
DT.SINGLELINE  = HEXDEC("&H00000020")
DT.TXT = DT.CENTER OR DT.VCENTER OR DT.SINGLELINE

TRANSPARENT = 1

STRUCT tRect, _
 X  AS LONG, _
 Y  AS LONG, _
 X1 AS LONG, _
 Y1 AS LONG

CtlHndl = 0
MemHndl = 0
MemFlag = 0
ChrId   = 0
ChrPos  = 0
OldBmp = 0
OldFnt = 0
OldMode= 0
OldClr = 0

Char$ = ""

ChrId = INT(RND(0) * 26)
ChrPos = INT(RND(0) * 4) + 1
Char$ = MID$(ChrStr$(ChrId), ChrPos, 1)

MemHndl = FN.LoadBmpFile("WHITE", "WHITE.BMP")

WinHndl = FN.DeskTop()
WinDc   = FN.GetDc(WinHndl)
WinCmDc = FN.CompatDc(WinDc)
WinDc = FN.DetachDc(WinHndl, WinDc)

OldMode = FN.BkgMode(WinCmDc, TRANSPARENT)

SELECT CASE ChrPos
 CASE 1
   OldClr = FN.TextColor(WinCmDc, BLACK)

 CASE 2
   OldClr = FN.TextColor(WinCmDc, RED)

 CASE 3
   OldClr = FN.TextColor(WinCmDc, GREEN)

 CASE 4
   OldClr = FN.TextColor(WinCmDc, BLUE)
END SELECT

OldBmp = FN.AttachObj(WinCmDc, MemHndl)

OldFnt = FN.AttachObj(WinCmDc, SysFont)

tRect.X.struct = 4
tRect.Y.struct = 4
tRect.X1.struct = 46
tRect.Y1.struct = 46

CALLDLL #USER, "DrawTextA", WinCmDc AS ULONG, Char$ AS PTR, 1 AS LONG, _
              tRect AS STRUCT, DT.TXT AS ULONG, RetVal AS LONG

OldBmp = FN.AttachObj(WinCmDc, OldBmp)
OldFnt = FN.AttachObj(WinCmDc, OldFnt)
OldMode = FN.BkgMode(WinCmDc, OldMode)
OldClr = FN.TextColor(WinCmDc, OldClr)

WinCmDc = FN.KillDc(WinCmDc)

PRINT #BtnHndl$, "bitmap WHITE"

WinHndl = FN.GetHandle("#WIN") '<--- REMOVE FOCUS FROM LAST BUTTON CLICKED
CALLDLL #USER, "SetFocus", WinHndl AS ULONG, WinCmDc AS VOID

END SUB

'----------------------------------------------------------------
'----------------------------------------------------------------

SUB CLOSE.WIN WinStr$

FOR I = 1 TO 25
 Title$ = "#" + STR$(I) + "BMP"
 CLOSE #Title$
NEXT I
CLOSE #USER
CLOSE #GDI
'CLOSE #NUM
CLOSE #WinStr$

END SUB

'----------------------------------------------------------------
'----------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.StrRepeat$(Char$, NumChrs)

ChrStr$ = ""

FOR I = 1 TO NumChrs
 ChrStr$ = ChrStr$ + Char$
NEXT I

FN.StrRepeat$ = ChrStr$
END FUNCTION

'----------------------------------------------------------------
'----------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.CreateBmpButtons(PrntHndl, BtnId, NumBtns, Wwide, Whigh, FileName$)

WS.CHILD        = HEXDEC("&H40000000")
WS.VISIBLE      = HEXDEC("&H10000000")
WS.CLIPCHILDREN = HEXDEC("&H02000000")
WS.TABSTOP      = HEXDEC("&H00010000")

WS.EX.TOPMOST       = HEXDEC("&H00000008")
WS.EX.CONTROLPARENT = HEXDEC("&H00010000")

GWL.STYLE         = -16
GWL.EXSTYLE       = -20

Style = WS.CHILD OR WS.VISIBLE OR WS.CLIPCHILDREN OR WS.TABSTOP
ExStyle = WS.EX.TOPMOST OR WS.EX.CONTROLPARENT

WinHndl = 0
BtnHndl = 0
RetVal =  0

DIM BtnName$(24)

FOR I = 1 TO NumBtns
 Title$ = "BMP"

 BMPBUTTON #BMP.BMP1, FileName$, BTN.EVENT, UL, 0, 0
 OPEN "DUMMY" FOR WINDOW AS #BMP

 WinHndl = FN.GetHandle("#BMP")

 CALLDLL #USER, "SetWindowLongA", WinHndl AS ULONG, GWL.STYLE AS LONG, _
                 Style AS ULONG, RetVal AS VOID
 CALLDLL #USER, "SetWindowLongA", WinHndl AS ULONG, GWL.EXSTYLE AS LONG, _
                 ExStyle AS ULONG, RetVal AS VOID

 Title$ = "#" + STR$(I) + Title$
 BtnName$(I - 1) = Title$
 MAPHANDLE #BMP, Title$
 CALLDLL #USER, "SetParent", WinHndl AS ULONG, PrntHndl AS ULONG, RetVal AS VOID
NEXT I

END FUNCTION

'----------------------------------------------------------------
'----------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.MoveButtons(Wwide, Whigh)

Xoffs = 3
Yoffs = 3

I = 0
J = 0

Count = -1

WinHndl = 0

Title$ = ""

FOR I = 1 TO 5
 FOR J = 1 TO 5
   Count = Count + 1
   Title$ = BtnName$(Count)
   WinHndl = FN.GetHandle(Title$)
   CALLDLL #USER, "MoveWindow", WinHndl AS ULONG, Xoffs AS LONG, _
                  Yoffs AS LONG, Wwide AS LONG, Whigh AS LONG, _
                  1 AS LONG, RetVal AS VOID
   Xoffs = Xoffs + Wwide + 2
 NEXT J
 Xoffs = 3
 Yoffs = Yoffs + Whigh + 2
NEXT I

REDIM BtnName$(-1)
END FUNCTION

'----------------------------------------------------------------
'----------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.LoadBmpFile(Tag$, LoadName$)

BmpHndl = 0

LOADBMP Tag$, LoadName$

BmpHndl = HBMP(Tag$)

FN.LoadBmpFile = BmpHndl
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.SaveMemBmp(Tag$, SaveName$)
'###########################################################
'  Save a memory bitmap to mass storage.
'    ARGUMENTS:
'         Tag$:  String name assigned when the bitmap was
'                loaded by LOADBMP or creaged by "getbmp"
'    SaveName$:  File name to use for saving.  May include
'                a mass storage path.
'###########################################################

BMPSAVE Tag$, SaveName$

END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.KillMemBmp(Tag$)
'###########################################################
'  Remove bitmap created by Liberty Basic from memory
'    ARGUMENTS:
'       Tag$:  String name assigned to memory bitmap
'              when it was created by LOADBMP or "getbmp"
'###########################################################

UNLOADBMP Tag$

END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.SetMemBmpHndl(Tag$, BmpHndl)
'###########################################################
'  Assign a name to a memory bitmap object and set its
'  numeric handle property.
'    ARGUMENTS:
'         Tag$:  String name to assign.  EXAMPLE: Tag$ = "SPIDER".
'      BmpHndl:  Numeric handle of a memory bitmap.
'###########################################################

LOADBMP Tag$, BmpHndl

END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.CheckTag$(Tag$)

IF LEFT$(Tag$, 1) <> "#" THEN Tag$ = "#" + Tag$

FN.CheckTag$ = Tag$
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.GetHandle(WinTag$)

Handle = 0

WinTag$ = FN.CheckTag$(WinTag$)

Handle = HWND(#WinTag$)
FN.GetHandle = Handle
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.CreateMemBmp(BmpWide, BmpHigh, RgbColor)

RetVal  = 0
WinHndl = 0
MemHndl = 0
WinCmDc = 0
WinDc   = 0

OrigBmp = 0

WinHndl = FN.DeskTop()
WinDc   = FN.GetDc(WinHndl)
WinCmDc = FN.CompatDc(WinDc)
WinDc = FN.DetachDc(WinHndl, WinDc)
MemHndl = FN.CreateDIB(WinCmDc, BmpWide, BmpHigh)

OrigBmp = FN.AttachObj(WinCmDc, MemHndl)
RetVal = FN.ClearBmp(WinCmDc, RgbColor, BmpWide, BmpHigh)
RetVal = FN.Shadow(WinCmDc)
OrigBmp = FN.AttachObj(WinCmDc, OrigBmp)
WinCmDc = FN.KillDc(WinCmDc)

FN.CreateMemBmp = MemHndl
END FUNCTION

'--------------------------------------------------------------------
'--------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.DeskTop()
'######################################################################
'  Get a handle to the monitor
'######################################################################

DtHndl = 0
CALLDLL #USER, "GetDesktopWindow", DtHndl AS ULONG

FN.DeskTop = DtHndl
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.GetDc(WinHndl)
'######################################################################
'  Get a context from MSWIN for the device (form window, control,
'  printer, audio, external device).
'######################################################################

WinDc = 0
CALLDLL #USER, "GetDC", WinHndl AS ULONG, WinDc AS ULONG

FN.GetDc = WinDc
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.CompatDc(WinDc)
'######################################################################
'  Create a context compatible with a device.
'
'  ARGUMENTS:
'    WinDc:  Device context.
'            Do NOT use user32.dll ReleaseDC(), use gdi32.DLL
'            DeleteDC() instead.
'######################################################################

ComPatDc = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "CreateCompatibleDC", WinDc AS ULONG, ComPatDc AS ULONG

FN.CompatDc = ComPatDc
END FUNCTION

'-------------------------------------------------------------------
'-------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.DetachDc(WinHndl, WinDc)
'######################################################################
'    Release a device context and its resources
'
'  ARGUMENTS:
'    WinHndl:  The handle of a form window or control.
'      WinDc:  Device context obtained from GetDc().
'######################################################################

RetVal = 0
CALLDLL #USER, "ReleaseDC", WinHndl AS ULONG, WinDc AS ULONG, RetVal AS VOID
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.CreateDIB(ComPatDc, BmWide, BmHigh)

STRUCT tBITMAPINFO, _      '<--- bitmap information structure
StrSize       AS ULONG, _ '<--- size of structure
Width         AS  LONG, _ '<--- width of bitmap
Height        AS  LONG, _ '<--- height of bitmap
Planes        AS SHORT, _ '<--- number of color planes
BitCount      AS SHORT, _ '<--- number of bits to define colors
Compression   AS ULONG, _ '<--- type of compression; See Below
SizeImage     AS ULONG, _ '<--- size of image
XPelsPerMeter AS  LONG, _ '<--- number of pixels per meter
YPelsPerMeter AS  LONG, _
ClrUsed       AS ULONG, _ '<--- number of colors in the bitmap
ClrImportant  AS ULONG, _ '<--- important colors
Colors        AS ULONG    '<--- array of color in BRG format


BI.RGB       = 0 'An uncompressed format.

DIB.RGB.COLORS = 0

BmpHndl = 0

tBITMAPINFO.StrSize.struct     = LEN(tBITMAPINFO.struct)
tBITMAPINFO.Width.struct       = BmWide
tBITMAPINFO.Height.struct      = -1 * BmHigh '<--- top-down instead of bottom up
tBITMAPINFO.Planes.struct      = 1
tBITMAPINFO.BitCount.struct    = 32
tBITMAPINFO.Compression.struct = BI.RGB

CALLDLL #GDI, "CreateDIBSection", ComPatDc AS ULONG, tBITMAPINFO AS STRUCT, _
             DIB.RGB.COLORS AS LONG, 0 AS LONG, 0 AS LONG, 0 AS LONG, _
             BmpHndl AS ULONG

FN.CreateDIB = BmpHndl
END FUNCTION

'-----------------------------------------------------------
'-----------------------------------------------------------
FUNCTION FN.ClearBmp(BmpDc, RgbColor, Wide, High)
'###################################################
'  Fill a memory bitmap with color
'    ARGUMENTS:
'      BmpDc:  Compatible device context
'   RgbColor:  32-bit value defining a color
' Wide, High:  Size of bitmap
'###################################################

PS.SOLID = 0 '<--- pen style

RetVal = 0   '<--- dummy value

Brush = 0 '<--- brush handle
Pen   = 0 '<--- pen handle

OldBrsh = 0 '<--- original objects
OldPen  = 0

Wide = Wide + 1
High = High + 1

Brush = FN.SolidBrush(RgbColor)  '<--- create a brush
Pen = FN.Pen(PS.SOLID, 0, RgbColor) '<--- create a pen

OldPen = FN.AttachObj(BmpDc, Pen) '<--- make pen and brush active
OldBrsh = FN.AttachObj(BmpDc, Brush)

'<----------- color the bitmap ---------------------------------->
CALLDLL #GDI, "Rectangle", BmpDc AS ULONG, -1 AS LONG, -1 AS LONG, _
             Wide AS LONG, High AS LONG, RetVal AS VOID

OldPen = FN.AttachObj(BmpDc, OldPen)  '<--- detatch pen and brush
OldBrsh = FN.AttachObj(BmpDc, OldBrsh)

RetVal = FN.KillObj(Brush) '<--- delete brush and pen
RetVal = FN.KillObj(Pen)

END FUNCTION

'------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.AttachObj(WinDc, ThisObject)
'######################################################################
'  Make an object (pen, brush, font, bitmap) active.
'
'  ARGUMENTS:
'      WinDc:  Device context handle
' ThisObject:  Object to make active.
'######################################################################

OrgObj = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "SelectObject", WinDc AS ULONG, ThisObject AS ULONG, _
          OrgObj AS ULONG

FN.AttachObj = OrgObj
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.Pen(Pstyle, Wide, Pcolor)
'###########################################################
'  Creates a pen of the specied style, width and color.
'  If the Pstyle parameter is not PS.SOLID and the
'  Wide parmeter is greather than one, the style will
'  be PS.SOLID regardless of the style specified by
'  Pstyle
'###########################################################

PenHndl = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "CreatePen", Pstyle AS LONG, Wide AS LONG, _
             Pcolor AS ULONG, PenHndl AS ULONG

FN.Pen = PenHndl
END FUNCTION

'-------------------------------------------------------------------------
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.SolidBrush(FillColor)
'###########################################################
'  Creats a fill bitmap of the specified color
'###########################################################

BrushHndl = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "CreateSolidBrush", FillColor AS ULONG, BrushHndl AS ULONG

FN.SolidBrush = BrushHndl
END FUNCTION

'------------------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.StockObj(ObjIdx)
'####################################################################
'  Return a windows standard object
'    ARGUMENTS:
'      ObjIdx:  Index of windows standard object
'####################################################################

Object = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "GetStockObject", ObjIdx AS LONG, Object AS ULONG

FN.StockObj = Object
END FUNCTION

'------------------------------------------------------------
'------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.KillDc(WinDc)
'############################################################
'  Destroy a device context and release WIN resources
'
'  ARGUMENTS:
'    WinDc:  Device context to destroy.
'            Do NOT use this function to destroy a device
'            context obtained with the GetDC() function.
'############################################################

RetVal = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "DeleteDC", WinDc AS ULONG, RetVal AS VOID

END FUNCTION

'-----------------------------------------------------------------
'-----------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.KillObj(ThisObj)
'######################################################################
'  Destroy an object (brush, pen, font) and release its resources
'######################################################################

DeadObj = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "DeleteObject", ThisObj AS ULONG, DeadObj AS VOID

END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.MoveTo(WinDc, Xp, Yp)

RetVal = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "MoveToEx", WinDc AS ULONG, Xp AS LONG, Yp AS LONG, _
             0 AS LONG, RetVal AS VOID
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.LineTo(WinDc, Xp, Yp)

RetVal = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "LineTo", WinDc AS ULONG, Xp AS LONG, Yp AS LONG, RetVal AS VOID

END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.BkgMode(WinDc, BkMode)

OldMode = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "SetBkMode", WinDc AS ULONG, BkMode AS LONG, OldMode AS LONG

FN.BkgMode = OldMode
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.TextColor(WinDc, TxtColor)

DefColor = 0
CALLDLL #GDI, "SetTextColor", WinDc AS ULONG, TxtColor AS ULONG, _
             DefColor AS ULONG

FN.TextColor = DefColor
END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------

FUNCTION FN.Shadow(WinDc)

PS.SOLID = 0

DARKGRAY = HEXDEC("&HA9A9A9")
PAILGRAY = HEXDEC("&HDCDCDC")

OrigPen = 0
Pen     = 0

Pen = FN.Pen(PS.SOLID, 3, PAILGRAY)
OrigPen = FN.AttachObj(WinDc, Pen)
RetVal = FN.MoveTo(WinDc, 0, 1)
RetVal = FN.LineTo(WinDc, 47, 1)
RetVal = FN.MoveTo(WinDc, 0, 1)
RetVal = FN.LineTo(WinDc, 0, 47)
RetVal = FN.AttachObj(WinDc, OrigPen)
RetVal = FN.KillObj(Pen)

Pen = FN.Pen(PS.SOLID, 3, DARKGRAY)
OrigPen = FN.AttachObj(WinDc, Pen)
RetVal = FN.MoveTo(WinDc, 48, 0)
RetVal = FN.LineTo(WinDc, 48, 50)
RetVal = FN.MoveTo(WinDc, 0, 48)
RetVal = FN.LineTo(WinDc, 50, 48)

OrigPen = FN.AttachObj(WinDc, OrigPen)
Pen = FN.KillObj(Pen)

END FUNCTION

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
'---------------------------------------------------------------------


'

[hal9k]

Thanks Walt. That code is way beyond my newbie understanding, but I saved it to study and learn from.

I wish there was some documentation that described things like this. I've read the book and the help text, but there are so many things I see referenced on this board that I can't find documentation for.

Sigh

[Walt Decker]

Thanks Walt. That code is way beyond my newbie understanding, but I saved it to study and learn from.

I expected that. Most of the code in that demo can be found in "Things you don't want to know ..." in the General Discussion thread. If you have questions about the little demo or about anything in "Things you don't want to know ..." please ask.

[hal9k]

I just copied them.

Thanks so much for all the effort that must have taken.