| Description | The DBPush command button control emulates the 3D command button control (SSCommand) supplied with Visual Basic Professional Edition 3.0. In addition it supports several enhancements to SSCommand. |
| File Name | DBPUSH.VBX |
| Object Type | DBPush |
| Remarks | This document describes only the properties where DBPush differs from SSCommand. |
| About | This control was developed by Dan Byström. For more information, contact me at e-mail: "dan.bystrom@visual-design.se", phone: +46 708 68 65 78 (no support calls, please) or fax +46 457 274 81. I would be happy to discuss development of customised VBX'es or OCX'es for you. |
| Distribution | You have the right to do whatever you want with DBPush, as long
as you don't attempt to modify any of its code. "Do whatever you
want" includes using DBPush in your own commercial applications and
distributing it for free.
When the control is loaded in design mode a message is sometimes displayed. This message may not be removed or changed in any way. Anyway, the message won't ever appear at run-time. I'm giving DBPush away for free. If you should decide to use it in an application of yours, this means that I have saved you a whole lot of trouble, time and $$$ doing it yourself. Therefore I think a nice gesture would be to include some sort of credit in your application's about box and/or documentation. You could include the name of the VBX, my name and my e-mail address. I would be glad if you did this. Anyway - happy VB programming with DBPush! |
| When the control is loaded in design mode a message is sometimes displayed. This message may not be removed or changed in any way. Anyway, the message won't ever appear at run-time. |
Revision history
| Oct 94: | Beta release. |
| Nov 94: | BUGFIX: Right mouse button no longer generates a Click event. |
| Library name changed from PUSH to DBPUSH. | |
| Version info is now included in the VBX. | |
| New property added: ForceDown. | |
| New property added: CornerColor. | |
| v1.1: | New property added: ForceUp. |
| New property added: WasDblClick. | |
| New property added: VertAlignment. | |
| v1.2: | A minor error in the default setting of VertAlignment was fixed. |
| Placement may now be "Text on top of picture" as well. | |
| v1.3: | New property added: PictureDisabled. |
| New property added: ForeColorDisabled. | |
| New property added: Font3DDisabled. | |
| Added exported function for easy version control. | |
| v1.4: | New property added: Style. |
| New property added: CustomCursor. | |
| v1.5: | BUGFIX: Two pictures (if used) were not released from memory. |
| New property added: FocusRect. | |
| New property added: OutlineSize. | |
| The property Outline is superseded and doesn't show up in design mode. | |
| New property added: Transparent. | |
| New property added: TransColor. | |
| The button is now first drawn in an off-screen buffer to prevent flicker. | |
| Double pipe characters may now be used instead of CRLF in caption. | |
| v1.6: | BUGFIX: 256-color pictures were handled incorrectly in v1.5. |
| New property added: PictureFromEdge. | |
| New property added: PredefPicture. | |
| Added new Style: elliptical buttons. | |
| v1.7: | Some minor glitches were fixed. |
| An about box was finally added. | |
| v1.8: | On-line help was added, thanks to David A. Karp. |
| New property added: AutoPictureDisabled. | |
| v1.9: | Added four more styles for AutoPictureDisabled. |
| Added two more predefined pictures. | |
| v2.0: | Long forgotten property added: HelpContextID. |
| New property added: DropShadow. | |
| v2.1: | New property added: LightColor. |
| New property added: DarkColor. | |
| New property added: PaletteAware. | |
| BUGFIX: The DLL was marked to be fixed in memory. It's not fixed now! | |
| It's now possible to use system color values, like &H80000005&. | |
| v2.2: | Finally 256 color palettes seems to work. |
Properties
| *Alignment | *AutoPictureDisabled | *BackColor | *BackColorDown |
| *BevelWidth | *Caption | *CornerColor | *CustomCursor |
| *DarkColor | DragIcon | *DropShadow | DragMode |
| Enabled | *FocusRect | *Font3D | *Font3DDisabled |
| FontBold | FontItalic | FontName | FontSize |
| FontStrikethru | FontUnderline | *ForceDown | *ForceUp |
| ForeColor | *ForeColorDisabled | Height | HelpContextID |
| hWnd | Index | Left | *LightColor |
| MousePointer | Name | *OutlineSize | *PaletteAware |
| Parent | *Picture | *PictureDisabled | *PictureDown |
| *PictureFromEdge | *Placement | *PredefPicture | *Style |
| TabIndex | TabStop | Tag | *Top |
| *TransColor | *Transparent | *VertAlignment | Visible |
| *WasDblClick | Width |
* = The property applies only to DBPush (or offers some improvement,
like the Caption property).
Alignment Property
Description
Determines the alignment of the caption text within the push button.
Remarks
The Alignment property settings are:
| Setting | Description |
| 0 | The caption text appears left-justified. |
| 1 | The caption text appears right-justified. |
| 2 | (Default) The caption text appears (horizontally) centered. |
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
AutoPictureDisabled Property
Description
Attempts to automatically give the picture (if any) a "disabled"
look when the Enabled property is set to False.
Remarks
The AutoPictureDisabled property settings are:
| Setting | Description |
| 0 | (Default) No attempt is made to give any picture a disabled look. |
| 1 | The picture's outer contour appears inset on the screen. |
| 2 | The picture's outer contour appears raised off the screen. |
| 3 | The picture itself appears inset on the screen. |
| 4 | The picture itself appears raised the screen. |
| 5 | All contours appears inset on the screen. Some contours will be two pixels thick. |
| 6 | All contours appears raised off the screen. Some contours will be two pixels thick. |
| 7 | All contours appears inset on the screen. Some contours will disappear. |
| 8 | All contours appears raised off the screen. Some contours will disappear. |
The first four styles (operating on the whole picture) requires the TransColor property to be set to the picture's background color, even if the transparent feature isn't used (this isn't necessary for icons, however).
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
BackColor Property
Description
Determines the background color of the button.
Remarks
This property is set to light gray by default and it probably looks
best that way.
Data Type
Long
BackColorDown Property
Description
Determines the background color of the button when the button is
depressed.
Remarks
This property is set to light gray by default and it probably looks
best that way, unless you want to use the button as a two-state button.
Data Type
Long
BevelWidth Property
Description
Sets or returns the width of the bevel along the four sides of
the command button to determine the height of the three-dimensional shadow
effect.
Remarks
The setting for this property determines the number of pixels used
to draw the bevel that surrounds the command button.
Data Type
Integer
Caption Property
Description
The button's caption text.
Remarks
Unlike SSCommand, DBPush is able to display several lines of caption
text. If the caption text doesn't fit on one line (or if it contains CRLF
breaks) it is automatically wrapped onto several lines. Beginning with
DBPush v1.5, a pair of pipe characters (or "vertical bars") may
be used instead of CRLF. This makes it possible to create hard line breaks
in design mode.
Data Type
String
CornerColor Property
Description
Determines the color of the corners on the outline. Instead of
implementing a RoundedCorners property like SSCommand (which always
uses light gray to draw smooth corners), DBPush lets you decide what color
to use.
Remarks
This property is set to black by default which means that the control
appears to have sharp edges. To mimic a RoundedCorners property,
set CornerColor to the same value as the parent form's background
color.
Data Type
Long
CustomCursor Property
Description
Sets a custom cursor shape to use when the mouse is moved over
the button. CustomCursor takes precedence over the MousePointer
property.
Remarks
Just like the DragIcon property, the cursors must be saved
as icons in an .ICO file. This is because VB handles .ICO files by default,
but not .CUR files. This property is somewhat more restrictive than DragIcon;
only the white color in the icon translates to white color in the cursor
- all other colors translate to black.
Data Type
Picture (Icon only)
DarkColor Property
Description
Sets the dark color used to create 3D-effects.
Remarks
By default, this color is dark grey, which goes best with normal,
light grey, buttons.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
DBPushVersion Function
Description
This function may be used to investigate the version of the system's
DBPUSH.VBX and supplying the user with an appropriate error message if
an old version is found.
Remarks
The major version number is returned in the high byte and the minor
version number is returned in the low byte. For an example, refer to the
last section of this document.
Data Type
Integer
DropShadow Property
Description
Creates a drop shadow effect on the picture when the button is
depressed.
Remarks
When this feature is in effect, the picture will appear to hang
above the button surface when the button is depressed, casting a
shadow on the button surface. If the picture is a bitmap, then the TransColor
property must also be used.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
Enabled Property
Description
Determines whether the control is enabled or not.
Remarks
The caption text is not grayed like normal buttons when
the control is disabled. Instead, the properties Font3DDisabled,
ForeColorDisabled and PictureDisabled may assist you in presenting
an alternate disabled look.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
Font3D Property
Description
Sets or returns the three-dimensional style of the command button
caption.
Remarks
The following table lists the Font3D property settings for
the 3D command button control:
| Setting | Description |
| 0 | (Delault) No shading. Caption is displayed flat (not three-dimensional). |
| 1 | Raised with light shading. Caption appears raised off the screen. |
| 2 | Raised with heavy shading. Caption appears more raised. |
| 3 | Inset with light shading. Caption appears inset on the screen. |
| 4 | Inset with heavy shading. Caption appears more inset. |
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
Font3DDisabled Property
Description
Determines the 3D style of the caption when the button is in a
disabled state.
Remarks
Try to set ForeColorDisabled to dark gray and Font3DDisabled
to "3 - Inset with light shading".
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
FocusRect Property
Description
Determines whether a focus rectangle shall be drawn when the button
gets focus.
Remarks
This property is True by default.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
ForceDown Propert
Description
Forces the button to be drawn in a depressed state.
Remarks
This property may be used to mimic the behaviour of a check button.
Just toggle the property value (DBPush1.ForceDown = Not DBPush1.ForceDown)
in the Click event.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
ForceUp Property
Description
Forces the button to always be drawn in up state.
Remarks
By enabling this property the button no longer behaves like a command
button, but more like a specialised picture control. When this property
is set, no focus rectangle is drawn around the picture or the caption.
This property does not affect the events the button receives in any way.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
ForeColorDisabled Property
Description
Determines the caption color when the button is in a disabled state.
Remarks
Try to set ForeColor to dark gray and Font3DDisabled
to "3 - Inset with light shading".
Data Type
Long
LightColor Property
Description
Sets the light color used to create 3D-effects.
Remarks
By default, this color is white, which goes best with normal, light
grey, buttons.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
OutlineSize Property
Description
Determines the size of the black outline (or border) around the
button. Set this property to zero to remove the outline.
Remarks
This property may be used to indicate a default button (by setting
OutlineSize to two).
Data Type
Integer
PaletteAware Property
Description
Determines if DBPush shall realize 256 color palettes.
Remarks
This property is new for version 2.1, and for backward compatibility
it is set to False by default.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
Picture Property
Description
Specifies a bitmap or an icon to display on the command button.
Remarks
The Placement property determines where the picture will
be placed with respect to the caption.
Data Type
Picture
PictureDisabled Property
Description
Determines the picture to be displayed when the button is disabled.
Remarks
If no picture is assigned to this property, the Picture
property is used for the disabled button as well.
Data Type
Picture
PictureDown Property
Description
Determines the picture to be displayed when the button is depressed.
Remarks
If no picture is assigned to this property, the Picture
property is used for the depressed button as well.
Data Type
Picture
PictureFromEdge Property
Description
Determines the distance between the button's edge and the picture
given in pixels.
Remarks
The distance may be a negative number.
Data Type
Integer
Placement Property
Description
Determines the placement of the picture with respect to the caption
text.
Remarks
The Placement property settings are:
| Setting | Description |
| 0 | (Default) The picture appears horizontally centred at the top of the button and the caption text appears below. |
| 1 | The picture appears vertically centred at the right of the button and the caption text appears to the left. |
| 2 | The picture appears horizontally centred at the bottom of the button and the caption text appears above. |
| 3 | The picture appears vertically centred at the left of the button and the caption text to the right. |
| 4 | The picture appears both vertically and horizontally centred and the caption will be drawn on top of the picture if necessary. |
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
PredefPicture Property
Description
Selects one of three predefined pictures.
Remarks
The PredefPicture property settings are:
| Setting | Description |
| 0 | (Default) No predefined picture. |
| 1 | OK. |
| 2 | Cancel. |
| 3 | Help. |
| 4 | Yes. |
| 5 | No. |
Each setting has three associated pictures: up, down and disabled. Any picture specified by Picture, PictureDown or PictureDisabled takes precedence over PredefPicture. The "down" pictures are only used if BevelWidth is two or less, otherwise the "up" picture is used!
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
Style Property
Description
Gives the button a different style than normal command buttons.
Remarks
The Style property settings are:
| Setting | Description | |
| 0
|
(Default) Normal. | |
| 1 | Sink deep. When the button is depressed it appears to sink below the surface of the form. This works best if OutlineSize is zero. | |
| 2 | Elliptical button. (The CornerColor property must be set to the form's background color.) | |
| 3 | Elliptical button with "sink deep" style. |
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
TransColor Property
Description
This property is used to make one color of a picture transparent,
which means that this particular color is replaced with the button's background
color.
Remarks
For this property to have any effect, the Transparent property
must be enabled. Instead of using this feature you may consider repainting
the picture, since both extra execution time and system resources are needed
each time the button is repainted. This property is however useful when
the button uses a different background color when in a depressed state
(using the BackColorDown property).
Data Type
Long
Transparent Property
Description
This property is used to enable the TransColor property.
Remarks
See the TransColor property.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
VertAlignment Property
Description
Aligns the caption text vertically within the area not occupied
by a picture.
Remarks
The VertAlignment property settings are:
| Setting | Description |
| 0 | Caption is aligned at the top. |
| 1 | Caption is aligned at the bottom. |
| 2 | Caption is centred vertically |
Every time the Picture property or the Placement property is altered, this property changes to the (static) alignment used before version 1.1. This is done purely to ensure version compatibility. Beware!
Data Type
Integer (enumerated)
WasDblClick Property
Description
In the Click event, this property may be used to determine if the
Click originated from a DblClick.
Remarks
Command buttons should normally not respond to DblClicks, but this
is nevertheless a method to do it.
Data Type
Integer (Boolean)
It is possible to use DBPush as a group push button. If you want only one button in a group to be down at the same time, just make a control array out of the buttons of a group and include the following code in the click event:
Sub DBPush1_Click (Index As Integer)
If Index <> nCurrentButtonDown Then
DBPush1(Index).ForceDown = True
DBPush1(Index).Refresh
DBPush1(nCurrentButtonDown).ForceDown = False
nCurrentButtonDown = Index
End If
End Sub
Also declare this somewhere (in the form or a module):
Dim nCurrentButtonDown As Integer
You may also want to set the BackColorDown property to &H00E0E0E0& in buttons used as group push buttons.
The standard VB command button have the Cancel and Default properties which can't(?) be mimicked by a custom control. A simple solution is to check for Enter and Esc in the Form's KeyPress event.
Sub Form_KeyPress (KeyAscii As Integer)
Select Case KeyAscii
Case 13: If cmdOK.Enabled Then KeyAscii = 0:
cmdOK_Click
Case 27: If cmdCancel.Enabled Then KeyAscii
= 0: cmdCancel_Click
End Select
End Sub
The following code shows an easy way to check the version of DBPUSH.VBX before its properties are accessed by VB. In a global module, put the following declaration:
Declare Function DBPushVersion Lib "dbpush.vbx" () As Integer
Then use a Sub Main() as your program's entry point:
Sub Main()
If DBPushVersion() < &H0220& Then
MsgBox "Your DBPUSH.VBX is too old for
this application!", 16
End
End If
'Load your main form here
End Sub