"Of The Bay"

[Patrice Terrier]

Version 1.50 (big step forward)

This one is another big step forward with the introduction of the "OfTheBay.OTB" file, that allows you to fully customize the dockbar.

OfTheBay.OTB is a plain ASCII text file that looks like this:

'+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
'|                               Of The Bay                                 |
'|                                                                          |
'|                         User shorcut definition                          |
'|                                                                          |
'+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
'|                                                                          |
'|                         Author Patrice TERRIER                           |
'|                            copyright(c) 2008                             |
'|                           www.zapsolution.com                            |
'|                         [email protected]                          |
'|                                                                          |
'+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
'|                  Project started on : 11-20-2008 (MM-DD-YYYY)            |
'|                        Last revised : 11-20-2008 (MM-DD-YYYY)            |
'+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

'Use @[email protected] to match either the OfTheBay.EXE path or the ShellTo target path

'Icon:
'Use either 32x32 or larger (will be converted to 48x48)
'in case of 32x32 the program adds the active icon background else not.

'"ShellTo, UseLabel, IconName, WorkDir, CmdLine"

'"C:\travail\sdk\template\BassBox24\BassBox.exe, BassBox24, @[email protected]\Solid edge.png,     @[email protected],  "
"C:\travail\sdk\template\BassBox24\BassBox.exe, BassBox24, @[email protected]\Woofer256x256.png,   @[email protected],  "
"C:\travail\sdk\template\MovieBox2\MovieBox.exe, MovieBox, @[email protected]\MovieProjector.png,  @[email protected],  "

Each line defines a specific shortcut with five parameters:
1 - "ShellTo" is the shorcut target.
2 - "UseLabel" is the name to display below the icon.
3 - "IconName" is the full path name to the image you want to use as icon (any supported graphic format).
4 - "WorkDir" is the working directory to use for the shortcut, @[email protected] means use EXE's folder.
5 - "CmdLine" an optional command line to pass to the shortcut.

About the image being used to create the icon, PNG is the best format because it has built-in alpha channel.
You can use image of any size, but the rule is:
IF the size of the image is larger than 32x32 then
it will be resized to 48x48 and shown without the icon frame background.
ELSE IF the size is 32x32 then
it will be drawn the standard way with a frame background.

The program allows you to redefine a shorcut that already exists on the Windows desktop, then it will use the parameters of the OTB file.

NOTE: Better to put all the image you want to use into a dedicated folder, i am using myself a subfolder named: UserIcon

Here is an example of the result you can get:



As you can see, i have replaced both the "BassBox" and "MovieBox" icon with larger one, that are stored in the "UserIcon" folder.

The OTB file could also be used as "super menu" to navigate between the different popup windows of a large project.

The latest public version is there

That's all for now.

...

[Roger Garstang]

No more Doc Watson Error on exit. I did have it exit the app/crash upon displaying the dialog for selecting a background once...thus leaving my desktop without icons until it was started/exited again. Springing above the taskbar is nice...although it has a small delay or doesn't do until mouse movement or mousing over it. It would probably work better to spring above the bar as soon as mouse is released on move...or actually on the end of move if moved by keyboard, etc.

[Patrice Terrier]

Updated to version 1.30

Version 1.30 is a major revision.

• The DockBar doesn't use anymore the WS_EX_TOPMOST style, to be less invasive.
• If the DockBar is dropped behind the taskbar, then it is moved just above it, to always enable the use of the popup contextual popup menu.
• If the Dockbar is hidden behind another window, clicking anywhere on the desktop will bring it up in the foreground.

Screen shot of the current version using the "rainbow" dockbar:



If ever you encounter a problem with this version please let me know.

Thank you!

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[Patrice Terrier]

Roger,

To get the file icon i am not using SHGEtFileInfo but the ExtractIconEx API

FUNCTION CreateBarIcon(lpszFile AS ASCIIZ, nItem AS LONG) AS LONG
    LOCAL hIcon, hIconLarge, hIconSmall AS DWORD
    LOCAL IsBatchFile, DoIt AS LONG
    LOCAL ii AS ICONINFO

    IF LCASE$(RIGHT$(lpszFile, 4)) = ".bat" THEN IsBatchFile = -1
    IF LCASE$(RIGHT$(lpszFile, 4)) = ".png" THEN IsBatchFile = 1
    IF IsBatchFile = 0 THEN
       DoIt = ExtractIconEx(lpszFile, -1, 0, 0, 0)
       IF DoIt THEN
          CALL ExtractIconEx(lpszFile, 0, hIconLarge, hIconSmall, 1)
          IF hIconLarge THEN
             CALL GetIconInfo(hIconLarge, ii)
          ELSE
             CALL GetIconInfo(hIconSmall, ii)
          END IF
       END IF 
    END IF
etc.

By the way the full "Of The Bay" project source code is available on José Roca's forum. I can't post it there because this forum is too rectrictive for image and ZIP file size. And i have my own dedicated section on José's forum that makes easier the leading of a specific project.

[Roger Garstang]

Very cool. I love the new Rainbow and the Black Crome background. So, what do you use to get the file icons? I notice in some cases it isn't getting the icon for the app/folder/shortcut. Did you try the SHGetFileInfo API calls? You can pass them a file and get the index within the system list using the %SHGFI_SYSICONINDEX Or %SHGFI_SMALLICON/LARGEICON flags. It will save a lot of resources and usually always gets the correct icon for a file. For some reason on exit Dr. Watson tries to step in too...could be the animate window addition...Win XP SP2.

[Patrice Terrier]

version 1.25

It has been updated to version 1.25

With new AnimateWindow during start/close of the application, and now the icon text location changes to follow the mouse move.

...

[Patrice Terrier]

"Of The Bay" version 1.24 (Center common dialog in multiple display mode)

I have been able to work arround the Microsoft bug that exists in all Windows version, when trying to set the location of a common FileOpen/FileSave dialog on a second monitor in multiple display mode.

You can't imagine what i had to do to solve this "simple" problem ...

-- Roger: By the way the common dialog are now centered to the display instead of the DockBar.

Previous link is still accurate to download the latest public version.

...

[Patrice Terrier]

Version 1.23

Updated to version 1.23

Official logo + OTB.ico + minor changes.

...

[Roger Garstang]

A Basic Snap To Effect. I have code somewhere at home to use I'll post if you need it. If I recall it used 10 pixel as the jump point (Within 10 pixels and it snaps to edge of screen/taskbar, or if you move more than 10 pixels again you can move it again from the snap to point, etc.) Just a reference, any other number that works well can be used.

[Patrice Terrier]

updated to version 1.22

A 10 pixel snap to effect when moving it would be cool too

Sorry, but i do not understand what you mean there?



By the way "Of The Bay" has been updated to version 1.22.

- I have added special "text contrast" to increase readability while hover a white background.

...

[Roger Garstang]

Wow, this looks really cool and runs pretty well. Only enhancements I'd see is making the Open Dialog for background and icon frame open centered to Desktop and not to the bar. A 10 pixel snap to effect when moving it would be cool too.

[Patrice Terrier]

Laurence

I did it, and i have updated the zip file, thank you for the feedback.

...

[Laurence Jackson]

Thanks Patrice. I only mentioned it in case you didn't know. It's not that important - the scheme I have adopted on the desktop is more appropriate to the 'Programs' menu anyway - only the more frequently used items should be directly on the desktop (or on OTB) . It's a wonderful piece of work - thanks for sharing it with us.

[Patrice Terrier]

the "Desktop" folder has sub-folders

If you look at the project source code (José Roca's forum) then you will understand why i can't detect this case yet.

But you can ask "OfTheBay" to show the shorcuts instead of hidding them.
See in the popup contextual menu options.

Added:
will think of it ...

[Laurence Jackson]

It means that the "Desktop" folder has sub-folders. The names of these folders appear on the desktop as shortcuts (they show as folder icons unless another icon is assigned to them). When the folder shortcut is clicked, an explorer window opens up to show shortcuts contained in the sub-folder (kinda like Windows 3.1 used to be organized).

I started organizing my desktop like this when the number of desktop shortcuts go out of hand. It helps to have the shortcuts arranged in categories also - I can find them quicker.

[Patrice Terrier]

Sorry, but i don't know what a "group (folder) shortcuts" means/is

[Laurence Jackson]

Patrice, this is really beautiful! However, it doesn't seem to work with group (folder) shortcuts. That is, they disappear from the desktop, but they don't show up on the bar. This is preventing me from using it. XP pro, SP3.

[Patrice Terrier]

OTB has been updated to version 1.20

"OfTheBay" has been updated with some new subtle theme like this very diaphane glass one:




The lattest public version is there

[Dominique Bodin]

Great

Thank's

it works great on vista.

Dominique

[Patrice Terrier]

I heard you!

Petr, Dominique,

I heard you!

Here is "Of The Bay" version 1.20, with drag and drop and smooth scrolling.

• Drag and drop
  Now you can start BassBox and MovieBox just as you did with the standard desktop icon.

• Smooth scrolling
  Starts when the mouse hover either the left or right arrow, if you click on the arrow you scroll the content either from the start or to the end.

The new zip file is available from the link in the first post of this thread.

...