Simple Spruce Up to the Appearance of Windows

questions
1

I maintain a legacy app for a couple of clients. They’re very utilitarian. Consequently, their apps are very vanilla looking. I remember an app setting from years back that would spruce up the appearance a bit, but I can no longer find it anywhere in the settings and don’t even know what to look for in the docs. I thought it had to do with manifests, but the manifest information in the docs doesn’t mention it. Was I dreaming that? If not, give me a clue.

2

Pretty sure that Noyantis has a skinning addon, requiring a CodeJock OCX.

Capesoft has MakeOver.

I don’t have experience with either.

1 Like
3

In the APP’s Global Properties > App Settings, there are “Application Manifest”, “Extended UI” and “Visual indicators” settings…

2 Likes
4

Depends on what you mean by “spruce up”. If you set the manifest properly, the application controls (buttons, check, entry, text controls) will take the theming from the current operating system.

1 Like
5

I think that’s what I’m remembering. Thanks, Rick.

6

IIRC a GROUP without (‘Text’) will align noticably differently so need an adjustment to the AT(). You can search for “GROUP,AT” to see if you have any of these, then check your running program to see if the window looks ok.

Other controls may be a pixel or two different and need adjustment. You’ll want to check your important/ most used windows.

The Window Designer has a button on the Toolbar to use Visual Styles controls for design. That also causes the Preview button to generate the preview program with Visual Styles so you are seeing exactly what your program will look like at runtime (the designer is not always 100% accurate).

1 Like
7

A Visual Styles LIST control has Headers that are White and flat. They cannot have properties set to change their color or appearance.

You can set ?List{PROP:NoTheme}=True to turn off Styles for that one control. That PROP also works for SHEET to allow setting colors.

1 Like
8

Oooo. That’s good to know! That’s what prompted the sprucing up. I was getting tired of looking at list boxes where the header looked like it was the first one in the list.