PRB: .Msk File Not Recognized in Windows 95

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SYMPTOMS

Bitmaps appear transparent when placed on a control of a form, even after following the directions on page 304 of the Developer's Guide to create a mask file.

CAUSE

The default extension for a bitmap is .bmp. When you save a bitmap in Paintbrush in Windows 95, the resulting file automatically has the .bmp extension. Therefore, if you save a file as either New or New.bmp will save the bitmap to a file named New.bmp. But if you attempt to save the file as New.msk, Windows 95 creates a file named New.Msk.bmp. Note that the full file name might not be visible when examining files in Windows 95.

RESOLUTION

Rename the file through the Windows Explorer or by using another method.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Follow the directions on page 304 of the Developer's Guide under "Using Picture Masks" to create a mask for a bitmap. A sample bitmap that needs a mask file is New.bmp in the Samples\Controls\Events subdirectory. Before trying to reproduce this behavior, make sure the file New.msk does not already exist in that directory.

1. Open the New.bmp file in Paint.

2. Blacken the inside of the picture.

3. Save the image as New.msk.

4. Try to use the bitmap on a command button on a Visual FoxPro form. Note that the bitmap is still transparent.

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: If the user has set Windows 95 to "Hide MS-DOS file extensions for file types that are registered," the file New.msk.bmp will appear as New.msk because Windows 95 recognizes it as a bitmap. Make sure that the user is not hiding the file extensions by changing the options under the View menu option on the Windows Explorer.