BUG: The Coolbar ActiveX Control Does Not Work in VFP

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 6.0

SYMPTOMS

The Coolbar ActiveX control works with products such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Visual C++, and Visual Basic. Unfortunately, this ActiveX control does not work in Visual FoxPro.

RESOLUTION

Do not use the Coolbar ActiveX control in Visual FoxPro.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

The Coolbar ActiveX control is a container control that consists of a collection of "Band" objects used to create a configurable toolbar that is associated with a form. A Coolbar control typically contains two or more Bands, which the user may resize and rearrange. Each of these Bands contains a single child control. The problems occur because Visual FoxPro can not process the messages from these child controls in the Band; therefore, erratic responses occur. In fact, Visual FoxPro cannot handle any ActiveX controls that support containership.

Some symptoms of the erratic behavior exhibited by the Coolbar control when used in Visual FoxPro are:

1. The Coolbar control appears on a form at design time but is invisible at run-time. Although the Coolbar control is invisible at run-time, any FoxPro controls that you place in the Coolbar control appear on the form at run-time.



2. Dropping a FoxPro control that contains "white space", such as a text box, combo box, or spinner, onto the Coolbar control while the control is in Edit mode, causes the FoxPro control to flash in design mode. The flashing does not occur at run-time.



3. Dropping a FoxPro control that has a caption on it, such as a command button, check box, or option group, results in the caption becoming invisible at both design time and run-time. You must access the Coolbar control's Property sheet at least once to see this behavior. If you have never opened the Coolbar control's property sheet, the captions will be visible.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Create a form in Visual FoxPro and add the FoxPro OLE Container control.



2. In the Insert Object dialog box, select the "Create Control" option button, choose the Microsoft Coolbar control from the list and then press OK.



3. Select the FoxPro check box control located on the Form Control's toolbar. Next, click inside the Coolbar control's body to add the check box to the Coolbar control. Note that the check box flashes inside the Coolbar control while you are modifying the form.



4. Run the form. Note that the check box control does not flash at run- time and that the Coolbar control is invisible at run-time.



5. Modify the form and right-click the Coolbar control. From the shortcut menu select "Microsoft Coolbar control properties". Click OK to close the Property sheet. Note that the caption of the check box is not visible in either design or run-time.

Additional query words: kbvfp600

Keywords : FxinteropOcx FxtoolFormdes
Version : WINDOWS:6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug