Target platforms

• Delphi 1.0
• Delphi 2.0
• C++ Builder 1.0

Description

TExplorerButton is a new button created from scratch. It provides the same functionality and look-and-feel as the buttons found in the Internet Explorer 3.0 - and that will obviously become a standard, as it is used in Office 97.

It is great for end-user products or programs designed for children, as it provides a good feedback on which button will be pressed.

Its main features are:

• it is transparent. It allows you to put a picture of your mum under yours buttons... Great!
• the outline of the button is shown only when it has the mouse focus. It provides thus a clear feedback on which button will be activated if the user presses the mouse button;
• when the button has not the mouse focus, the bitmap is rendered in shades based on the system colors which provides a consistent whichever color scheme is installed on the system. However, you can still provide the non-focus bitmap;
• you can link a TPopupMenu with the button. This popup will be displayed under the button when the user presses on it;
• you can control the layout of the button.
• you can provide a non-focus bitmap, if the shading does not please you;
• you can control the type of shading (light, medium or dark).
• you can provide a disabled bitmap, if the default disabling does not please you.
• wordwrapping.
• checked buttons can have a pattern.
• You can link a TExplorerPopup to a button, providing the same functionality as in Office 97.

Installation

To install the components

1. Choose the Install option from the component menu.
2. Press the Add Button
3. Select the correct EXPLBTN.DCU (Delphi) or EXPLBTN.OBJ (C++ Builder) changing the path if necessary.
4. Press OK twice.
5. The component is now installed in a new 'Shareware' tab.

To install the help file (Delphi)

1. Copy the correct EXPLBTN.KWF and EXPLBTN.HLP to \HELP.
2. Run HelpInst from your Delphi folder.
3. Use File|Open to open \BIN\DELPHI.HDX.
4. Use Keywords|Add Keyword File to add \HELP\EXPLBTN.KWF.
5. Use File|Save to Compile and save the new HDX file.
6. Online help is now installed.

To install the help file (C++ Builder)

1. Run OpenHelp from your C++ Builder sub-menu.
2. Click on the 'Add' button, in the lower-left panel of the first tab.
3. Select explbtn.hlp from the C++ Builder version folder.
4. Add it to the selection by pushing twice on '->' (OpenHelp bug)
5. Save and exit OpenHelp.
6. Online help is now installed (you have to restart C++ Builder if it was opened).

Troubleshooting

Q. My bitmap looks awful!

1. you used a 256 colors bitmap. Be careful with that. Try to minimize the number of colors, and to use a common palette for all the buttons & bitmaps appearing on the form.
2. do not forget that the transparency color is the color of the pixel at coordinates 0,0. It means that all the pixels on the bitmap having the same color as the pixel at (0,0) will be transparent. Verify your bitmap.

Q. I've created a series of buttons, but the text is not well vertically aligned!

Disclaimer

Known bugs & problems

1. When the Windows color scheme is changed by the user and the button is transparent, the transparency is not correctly regenerated.

Contact and registration

If you find these components useful or use them in an application, please take the time to register. It will help me to better support you and continue developping components.

Registration entitles you to:

1. the registered version sent by e-mail
2. e-mail support
3. unlimited free upgrades

Registration possibilities: