ID Number: Q78478
1.00
WINDOWS
Summary:
Command buttons in Visual Basic are limited to a single line of text
and one background color (gray). Visual Basic offers no provision for
changing colors or displaying bitmaps within a command button to alter
its appearance. However, by using a picture control and manipulating
the DrawMode in conjunction with the Line method, you can create the
look and feel of a command button. Using a picture control also allows
you to display the "command button" in any color with multiple lines
of caption text.
This information applies to Microsoft Visual Basic programming system
version 1.0 for Windows.
More Information:
The technique (demonstrated further below) simulates the effect of
pressing a command button by using the Line method with the BF option
(Box Fill) in invert mode each time a MouseUp or MouseDown event
occurs for the picture control. To add multiline text to the "button,"
either print to the picture box or add the text permanently to the
bitmap.
The steps to create a customized "command button" are as follows:
1. Start Visual Basic, or choose New Project from the File menu (ALT,
F, N) if Visual Basic is already running. Form1 will be created by
default.
2. Put a picture control (Picture1) on Form1.
3. Set the properties for Picture1 as given in the chart below:
Property Value
-------- -----
AutoRedraw True
AutoSize True
BorderStyle 0-None
DrawMode 6-Invert
4. Assign the Picture property of Picture1 to the bitmap of your
choice. For example, choose ARW01DN.ICO from the ARROWS
subdirectory of the ICONS directory shipped with Visual Basic.
This is a good example of a bitmap with a three dimensional
appearance.
5. Enter the following code in the Picture1_DblClick event procedure
of Picture1:
Sub Picture1_DblClick ()
Picture1.Line (0, 0)-(Picture1.width, Picture1.height), , BF
End Sub
Note: This code is necessary to avoid getting the bitmap stuck in
an inverted state because of Mouse messages being processed out of
order or from piling up due to fast clicking.
6. Enter the following code in the Picture1_MouseDown event procedure
of Picture1:
Sub Picture1_MouseDown (Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As
Single, Y As Single) ' Append to above line
Picture1.Line (0, 0)-(Picture1.width, Picture1.height), , BF
End Sub
7. Enter the following code in the Picture1_MouseUp event procedure of
Picture1:
Sub Picture1_MouseUp (Button As Integer, Shift As Integer,
X As Single, Y As Single) ' Append to above line
Picture1.Line (0, 0)-(Picture1.width, Picture1.height), , BF
End Sub
8. Add the following code to the Picture1_KeyUp event procedure for
Picture1:
Sub Picture1_KeyUp (KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
'* Check to see if the ENTER key was pressed. If so, restore
'* the picture image
If KeyCode = 13 Then
Picture1.Line (0, 0)-(Picture1.width, Picture1.height), , BF
End If
End Sub
9. Add the following code to the Picture1_KeyDown event procedure for
Picture1:
Sub Picture1_KeyDown (KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
'* Check to see if the ENTER key was pressed. If so, invert
'* the picture image
If KeyCode = 13 Then
Picture1.Line (0, 0)-(Picture1.width, Picture1.height), , BF
End If
End Sub
10. From the Run menu, choose Start. Click on the picture box. The
image of the picture should be inverted while the mouse button is
down, giving the visual effect of a button press.
Additional reference words: 1.00