What is a Frame

[Semen Matusovski]

Because of palette, I decided to write "replacements" for label & Frame.
With first was very simple (de-facto, simple TextOut), but Frame confuses me.

The easiest solution - to FillRect whole client area and then to draw.
But inside frame are located another childs.

As I understand, if to create a "frame" first and then other childs, redrawing will be correct.

Better to avoid filling "internals" of frame.
Guys, any ideas, how to do this (without regions) ?

(BTW, somehow demonstrated advantages of WS_EX_TRANSPARENT; probably, this way ?)

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[Aldo Cavini]

Semen,

may be it is a stupid suggestion, but why don't you substitute the frame with a label and a few lines? I've read in MSDN there can be some problems with frames (as I remember in Windows CE the frame must be drawn after che childs and not before ... or vice-versa?).

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[This message has been edited by Aldo Cavini (edited April 04, 2001).]

[Borje Hagsten]

Looking in Spy++, a Frame is a "Button" with BS_GROUPBOX style.

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[Aldo Cavini]

Borje,

I know it (it is explained in the Win32Api.Hlp - CreateWindow) - I use this flag when I create my dialog boxes via DialogBoxIndirect). I can't understand why a frame is considered a button instead of a static control. May be I miss some information... or this is only one of the many Windows's mysterious ways.

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[This message has been edited by Aldo Cavini (edited April 04, 2001).]

[Semen Matusovski]

Guys --
remember Tab-Control (which also confuses me). It and pages are childs of the same parent.

If to declare textboxes, labels and , placed on frame, as child of this frame - here all is clear and exactly there are no troubles and it's possible and necessary to update whole client area.
But I don't like this way.

Lines with label ... In program I permanently change a title (and it's length). To re-create windows is not nice for performance + flickering.

[This message has been edited by Semen Matusovski (edited April 04, 2001).]

[Aldo Cavini]

Semen,

When changing the text you need to redraw the top line only. I think this will not be as slower as a complete frame redrawing. You can redraw the text and the line for the space left free. If the text is longer, you will not see the flicker at all. If it is shorter the line drawing will overlap the old text - I think you will not see the flicker too.

Another solution: to draw the text in such a way you must not redraw the lines. I mean, a text that is above the lines.

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[Jules Marchildon]

Semen;

Show me what you need. I spent about 8 months working with Frames of
sorts maybe I can offer you something.

Regards,
Jules

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[Semen Matusovski]

Jules --
I need to understand, how to prevent filling areas, which belong to windows inside frame.
Just now I fill whole client area and this works in current program, because I located Control Add in certain order.
But clear, it's not a good solution.

Probably, easiest solution is to build a region. What do you do ?




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[Lance Edmonds]

Semen, maybe I'm still not clear on what you want... does %WS_CLIPSIBLINGS not fill this void?

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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Semen Matusovski]

Lance --
Probably, yes, but I don't exactly understand, how this style works internally.

WS_CLIPSIBLINGS
Clips child windows relative to each other; that is, when a particular child window receives a paint message, the WS_CLIPSIBLINGS style clips all other overlapped child windows out of the region of the child window to be updated. (If WS_CLIPSIBLINGS is not given and child windows overlap, when you draw within the client area of a child window, it is possible to draw within the client area of a neighboring child window.)
For use with the WS_CHILD style only

If frame has WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, should I paint using BeginPaint only ?
Have I right to fill whole client area, for example, in ERASEBKGND ?

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[Patrice Terrier]

Semen

The solution could be to build a mask on the fly that will match the holes.
Then paint the background using the mask.


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Patrice Terrier
mailto[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Lance Edmonds]

Sure, BeginPaint() only.

Patrice's idea would do exactly what %WS_CLIPSIBLINGS should do for you.

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Lance
PowerBASIC Support
mailto:[email protected][email protected]</A>

[Jules Marchildon]

Poof! (now imagine a cloud of smoke)

[This message has been edited by Jules Marchildon (edited April 06, 2001).]

[Semen Matusovski]

Thanx, guys. I'll cut a code from real program and will post.

Jules --
The reason, why I refused from frame (BUTTON, GROUPBOX) is a palette.
Let's say that background color should be RGB(172, 160, 84).
If to create SolidBrush and to use in true-color regime, it will be correct color.
But in 256-colors mode you will see wrong color.

Unf. it's not possible to create a palette once and to select it into hDC.
It's necessary to do exactly before drawing operations - between BeginPaint and EndPaint.
Because this part is hidden, alone way (as I understand) to draw by yourself.


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[Aldo Cavini]

Semen, I hope not to annoy you - I already told you about this topics.

The program I'm working on does the following:

1- Draws ownerdrawn menu-bar items with custom colors
2- Draws ownerdrawn buttons inside dialogs with custom colors
3- Uses bitblt to show bitmaps 8 bit with custom colors

All these work fine on 256 colors screen. Create a palette and select it into every device context you use. I use this way also inside a beginpaint - endpaint block. One trick: to use brushes load PALETTEINDEX colors (color index OR &H01000000). This is for not to get dithered colors.
Another obvious trick: you can refuse the default background behavior - on the %WM_ERASEBKGND put FUNCTION = %true and then EXIT FUNCTION. You will paint the background on the WM_PAINT message.

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[Jules Marchildon]

Semen;

Instead of a Child window container and having it parent several
other controls, why not just paint two non-fill squares, first color
raised and second color (offset by 1x and 1y) for highlight. You can
use the label to act as the caption as you already are using. This
avoids any clipping issue and Frame Erase Background issue. All this
can be done inside of your paint handler. I think this is the direction
you are heading anyway.

(Sorry, just trying to get back into the swing of things again.)

Jules

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Draw Frame with etched highlight...
'-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNCTION  DrawMyFrame( ByVal hDC AS LONG, ByVal x AS LONG, ByVal y AS LONG, ByVal cx AS LONG,ByVal cy AS LONG ) AS LONG
 
    LOCAL rc AS RECT
 
    rc.nLeft   = x
    rc.nTop    = y
    rc.nRight  = x + cx
    rc.nBottom = y + cy
 
    lResutlt& = DrawEdge( hDC,rc,  %EDGE_ETCHED, %BF_RECT)
 
    FUNCTION = lResult&
END FUNCTION
              
 '...
  
  
 CASE %WM_PAINT
         hDC = BeginPaint(hWnd, ps)
         '---
         DrawMyFrame hDC, 200,10,200,200
         '---
         szInfo = Str$(nCount)
         hOldFont& = SelectObject(hDC, GetStockObject(%SYSTEM_FIXED_FONT))
         SetBkMode hDC,%TRANSPARENT
         SetTextColor hDC, RGB(255,0,0)
         TextOut hDC, 280 , 100 , szInfo, LEN(szInfo)
         SelectObject hDC,hOldFont&
         ReleaseDC hWnd, hDC
         EndPaint hWnd,ps

[This message has been edited by Jules Marchildon (edited April 06, 2001).]