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**John McWilliams** · 13 Nov 2007, 06:11 PM

Take a look at Wink (http://www.debugmode.com/wink/)

**Michael Mattias** · 14 Nov 2007, 08:18 AM

WM_MENUSELECT is a notification message... it tells you what has happened, it does not make something happen.

I think what might work is simulating the keystrokes the user would hit to show the various memus and submenus... eg.
Alt+F ==> shows "File" Menu
then "M" ==> shows the popop "More" menu

(Assumes menu is built with accelerators defined , eg "&File" and "&More")

See Keybd_event function in your WinAPI reference to simulate a keystroke.

**Cliff Nichols** · 14 Nov 2007, 03:10 PM

I had not thought about keyboard strokes, but that would mean putting accelerators on all the menu items.

What I am more thinking is just like when a mouse moves over the top menu, that menu is highlighted. Then if I click a top menu, the menu drops down, and each each highlights as you move over them.

Pseudo-code

Code:

     Highlight "Edit"
     Click "Edit" (Edit menu drops down)
     Highlight each item until I reach "Copy"
     Click "Copy" (Edit menu items roll back up out of sight)

Just as if I had moved the mouse to do it, it would show the same sequence

**Michael Mattias** · 14 Nov 2007, 04:13 PM

So use Alt+F, down arrow, down arrow, <enter> or whatever.

AFAIK, if you want what happens on keystrokes or mouse clicks to happen, you need either real or simulated keystrokes or mouse clicks.

FWIW, There is a "mouse_event" API function which can simulate the mouse moving...but I would not want to calculate all those movements in pixels.

And BTW...
>but that would mean putting accelerators on all the menu items

A. You don't already create your menus with Hot keys? How is the "mouse-challenged but really good with the keyboard user" supposed to use your software?

B. Is it really too much work to change the text from "File" to "&File" ???? That's all you have to do, put the ampersand into the text string!

MCM

**Pierre Bellisle** · 14 Nov 2007, 04:46 PM

Hi Cliff,

Here is a demo based on "PostMessage %WM_SYSCOMMAND, %SC_KEYMENU",
thank to Börje Hagsten and Dominic Mitchell.

Code:

#COMPILE EXE '#Win 8.04#
#DIM ALL
#INCLUDE "Win32Api.inc" '#2005-01-27#
 
%ButtonTest  = 101
%ButtonQuit  = 102
%MenuOpen    = 201
%MenuExit    = 202
%MenuOption1 = 203
%MenuOption2 = 204
%MenuHelp    = 205
%MenuAbout   = 206
%TimerOne    = 301
'______________________________________________________________________________
 
CALLBACK FUNCTION DlgProc()
 STATIC NextStep AS LONG
 
 SELECT CASE CBMSG
 
   CASE %WM_COMMAND
     SELECT CASE LOWRD(CBWPARAM)
 
       CASE %ButtonTest
         IF NextStep = 0 THEN
           SetTimer CBHNDL, %TimerOne, 500, BYVAL %NULL
           NextStep = 1
           CONTROL SET TEXT CBHNDL, %ButtonTest, "&Stop"
         ELSE
           KillTimer CBHNDL, %TimerOne
           NextStep = 0
           CONTROL SET TEXT CBHNDL, %ButtonTest, "&Start"
         END IF
 
       CASE %MenuOpen TO %MenuAbout
        ' MessageBox CBHNDL, BYCOPY "%Menu id" & STR$(CBWPARAM), _
        '   BYCOPY "Pop menu", %MB_ICONINFORMATION OR %MB_OK
 
       CASE %ButtonQuit
         DIALOG END CBHNDL, 0
 
     END SELECT
 
   CASE %WM_TIMER
     IF CBWPARAM = %TimerOne THEN
       IF NextStep >= 1 THEN
         SELECT CASE NextStep
           CASE  1 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_SYSCOMMAND, %SC_KEYMENU, %VK_F 'ALT-F
           CASE  2 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_M, 0              'M key
           CASE  3 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_DOWN, 0           'Down arrow
           CASE  4 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_LEFT, 0           'Left arrow
           CASE  5 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_UP, 0             'Up arrow
           CASE  6 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_MENU, 0           'A second ALT key to exit menu
           CASE  7 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_SYSCOMMAND, %SC_KEYMENU, %VK_H 'ALT-H
           CASE  8 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_DOWN, 0           'Down arrow
           CASE  9 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_UP, 0             'Up arrow
           CASE 10 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_DOWN, 0           'Down arrow
           CASE 11 : PostMessage CBHNDL, %WM_KEYDOWN, %VK_A, 0              'A key
           CASE 12 : 'Do a half seconds pause
           CASE ELSE : NextStep = 0
         END SELECT
         INCR NextStep
       END IF
     END IF
 
   CASE %WM_ENTERSIZEMOVE
     IF NextStep >= 1 THEN
       NextStep = -1
     END IF
 
   CASE %WM_EXITSIZEMOVE
     IF NextStep = -1 THEN
       NextStep = 1
     END IF
 
   CASE %WM_NCACTIVATE
     IF CBWPARAM THEN 'Application is getting focus
       IF NextStep = -1 THEN
         NextStep = 1
       END IF
     ELSE 'Application is about to loose focus
       IF NextStep THEN
         NextStep = -1
       END IF
     END IF
 
   CASE %WM_DESTROY
     IF NextStep THEN KillTimer CBHNDL, %TimerOne
 
 END SELECT
 
END FUNCTION
'______________________________________________________________________________
 
FUNCTION PBMAIN () AS LONG
 LOCAL hDlg    AS DWORD
 LOCAL hMenu   AS DWORD
 LOCAL hPopup1 AS DWORD
 LOCAL hPopup2 AS DWORD
 LOCAL hPopup3 AS DWORD
 
 MENU NEW BAR TO hMenu
 
 MENU NEW POPUP TO hPopup1
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup1, "&Open", %MenuOpen, %MF_ENABLED
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup1, "&Exit", %MenuExit, %MF_ENABLED
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup1, "-",      0, 0
 MENU ADD POPUP, hMenu, "&File", hPopup1, %MF_ENABLED
 
 MENU NEW POPUP TO hPopup2
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup2, "Option &1", %MenuOption1, %MF_ENABLED
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup2, "Option &2", %MenuOption2, %MF_ENABLED
 
 MENU ADD POPUP, hPopup1, "&More Options", hPopup2, %MF_ENABLED
 
 MENU NEW BAR TO hPopup3
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup3, "&Help", %MenuHelp, %MF_ENABLED
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup3, "-",      0, 0
 MENU ADD STRING, hPopup3, "&About", %MenuAbout, %MF_ENABLED
 
 MENU ADD POPUP, hMenu, "&Help", hPopup3, %MF_ENABLED
 
 DIALOG NEW %HWND_DESKTOP, "Provoke menu", , ,160, 80, _
   %DS_CENTER OR %WS_SYSMENU OR %WS_MINIMIZEBOX TO hDlg
 
 SetClassLong hDlg, %GCL_HICON, LoadIcon(BYVAL %NULL, BYVAL %IDI_INFORMATION) 'Set a nice icon
 
 MENU ATTACH hMenu, hDlg
 
 CONTROL ADD BUTTON, hDlg, %ButtonTest, "&Start", 110, 8, 40, 14
 CONTROL ADD BUTTON, hDlg, %ButtonQuit, "&Quit", 110, 28, 40, 14, 0
 
 DIALOG SHOW MODAL hDlg, CALL DlgProc
 
END FUNCTION
'______________________________________________________________________________

**Cliff Nichols** · 14 Nov 2007, 06:29 PM

Thank You Pierre!!!!!!!!!!!

Also thax to your posting where you got bits and bites from so thank you to Börje Hagsten and Dominic Mitchell.

1st 10 second test...does EXACTLY

what I want to do.
In the morning I will break it all down but the best lead yet

MCM...
The whole reason I was avoiding "Hot Keys" is that only those that are used to the program and how it works, would tend to use "Hot Keys" (and in 99.9% of those cases they would NOT be using my code, but use their own to achieve equal or better results)

(Although I will be the 1st to admit that depending on the program I fall into that trap as well, and yesterday watched a new user wonder why F1 did not bring up a help file)

________________________________________________________________

Anyways adding in "Hot Keys" is not a bad thing, but I do not want to fall into the trap of ("What I think should be a hot-key, may not be intuitive to the user")
case in point...if you look at Mozilla Firefox...what would you think "Page S<underline>ource" key would be? (I would think Cntrl-O or Alt-O...but noooo it is Cntrl-U)

Anyway, I think Pierre's thought is along the side of what I am trying to do. So thank you to you and all who helped you before

I guess my next question after I break things down would be for demo's or tutorials....(who would be for, or who would be against) your mouse pointer "Auto-magically" moving to each item as if you had clicked it yourself?

(I can see both sides of the argument there, but had to ask)

**Michael Mattias** · 15 Nov 2007, 07:04 AM

if you look at Mozilla Firefox...what would you think "Page S<underline>ource" key would be? (I would think Cntrl-O or Alt-O...but noooo it is Cntrl-U)

I think you may be confusing additional keyboard accelerators (Ctrl+U above) with the "hot key" used when a menu is already presented (The underlined "S").

To open a popup ("dropdown") menu, ALT+underlined key works; to select any item on that popup menu all you need to type is the letter itself.

In this example, Ctrl+U directly selects an item on the popup menu without the need to first show that menu with Alt+(P?)

Also in this example, Ctrl+U would not exactly be an informative demo... since the viewer would not see you "type" Ctrl+U.

Unless.. (and wouldn't this be a cool demo?) you showed a little window with a picture of a keyboard, and highlighted the keys being 'pressed'........

**Edwin Knoppert** · 15 Nov 2007, 07:25 AM

Here is an alternative.. note that i will wait until a menu is clicked.

Code:

    Local hMenu As Long
    Local R As RECT    
    Local hSubMenu As Long
    
    hMenu = GetMenu( nCbHndl )
    hSubMenu = GetSubmenu( hMenu, 1 )
    
    HiliteMenuItem( nCbHndl, hMenu, 1, %MF_BYPOSITION Or %MF_HILITE )

    GetMenuItemRect( nCbHndl, hMenu, 1, R )
    
    TrackPopupMenu( hSubMenu, %TPM_LEFTALIGN, R.nLeft, R.nBottom, 0, nCbHndl, ByVal 0& )

    HiliteMenuItem( nCbHndl, hMenu, 1, %MF_BYPOSITION Or %MF_UNHILITE )

**Cliff Nichols** · 15 Nov 2007, 05:59 PM

MCM....Funny you mentioned this

Unless.. (and wouldn't this be a cool demo?) you showed a little window with a picture of a keyboard, and highlighted the keys being 'pressed'........

cause one example I did do (not relative to the menu's) but the keys to hit for the demo you see the key pressed whether you click the key with the mouse, or press the key on the keyboard

I thought it pretty cool even though it did bloat my 32K app to a whopping 782K or so, but did not care since it still fit on a floppy and "A picture is worth a 1000 words" so it was a fair trade-off

Maybe I should keep it in for future tutorials since just the user manual is wayyyy bigger than that, its a small price to pay for size for the return on "Showing is doing"

**Michael Mattias** · 16 Nov 2007, 08:14 AM

"For What It's Worth...."

My most recent demo shows menu hot keys in action. Just run the executable: a link is provided with the source code at Add a 'Favorite Files' menu to your application 10-25-07

You'll see how you just hit the letter code once the popup menu is shown (I used 'A' thru 'Z' ; and I thought of that all by myself).

But I like Edwin's idea of using TrackPopupMenu for this particular application.... the menu will stay in place regardless of external actions until the user does something. 'Regular' popup menus seem to disappear if you move the mouse anywhere.

**Michael Mattias** · 16 Nov 2007, 08:56 AM

but the keys to hit for the demo you see the key pressed whether you click the key with the mouse, or press the key on the keyboard...

I thought it pretty cool...
Maybe I should keep it in for future tutorials ...

Or maybe, just maybe, you can express your appreciation to Forum Members for their help on your other challenges by cleaning it up, adding a few comments and posting it in the source code forum for all to use.

MCM

**Cliff Nichols** · 16 Nov 2007, 02:17 PM

Or maybe, just maybe, you can express your appreciation to Forum Members for their help on your other challenges by cleaning it up, adding a few comments and posting it in the source code forum for all to use.

Not a bad idea

It's not often that I have some small piece that I could contribute. I guess I had not thought of it since its part of a larger application.

I noticed on your posted code you had embedded hex for a resource, and thanx to your acknowledgment notes, I tracked down binbas (which I am playing with now since I usually shy away from these types of examples, just because I am too busy at the time I first see them. so this will give me the incentive to "Just Try it")

**Gösta H. Lovgren-2** · 29 Mar 2008, 09:37 PM

Originally posted by Pierre Bellisle View Post

Hi Cliff,

Here is a demo based on "PostMessage %WM_SYSCOMMAND, %SC_KEYMENU",

Pierre,

Just tried your code. It compiles but does not display (JFPro). I've had this before but forget if it's a setting in JFP or it's something in the program itself.

========================================================
"It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to."
W. C. Fields
========================================================

[quote]

**Gösta H. Lovgren-2** · 29 Mar 2008, 10:01 PM

Originally posted by Edwin Knoppert View Post

Here is an alternative.. note that i will wait until a menu is clicked.

EXACTLY what I was looking for, Edwin. Thx a load.

=============================================
"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
Sun Tzu
=============================================

**Pierre Bellisle** · 30 Mar 2008, 01:35 AM

About JFPro,
I think you had to remove any remark on the #Compile line...

Code:

Change
#COMPILE EXE '#Win 8.04#
 
to
#COMPILE EXE

**Gösta H. Lovgren-2** · 30 Mar 2008, 07:52 AM

Originally posted by Pierre Bellisle View Post

About JFPro,
I think you had to remove any remark on the #Compile line...

Code:

Change
#COMPILE EXE '#Win 8.04#
 
to
#COMPILE EXE

Right on, mon frere.

==============================================
"Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
==============================================

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