OLEDragDrop

Random_Task00

09-05-2001, 02:51 AM

If i have a form which contains several command buttons, which when clicked open a different program (eg, Word, Excel, Explorer etc), what VB code would i use so when a user dragged and dropped a shortcut/icon onto the form it would add the shortcut to that program (with that icon possibly) onto the form permanently? I've got so far as to know ill have to use OLEDragDrop Event, but ive no idea how to...help?

Thanks

Laurent

09-05-2001, 05:56 AM

i'm realy not sure if this can be done because once the programm is compiled yopu can change the interface unless you recompile it??? if there's a way i would like to know

I'll be among the best soon, very soon!!!

Random_Task00

09-05-2001, 08:01 AM

billsoo said by adding file paths into an ini file, or into a registry setting or something you could do it...though that just confused matters for me...apparently it can be done, though no idea how ;-)

Edited by Random_Task00 on 09/05/01 09:03 AM.

BillSoo

09-05-2001, 09:14 AM

You can use the registry to save application information. For instance, many programs save things like "last files opened" or "window size and position" etc. You could use the registry to store the files that make up your buttons. Use the GetSetting and SaveSetting commands. (I think that's the function names; I don't use the registry much since I prefer INI files).

"I have a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!" - Edmund Blackadder

Mill

09-05-2001, 09:33 AM

If you know how to drag the shortcut onto your application during run-time, then you could re-load the form in its present state by saving it to the registry or an ini file like Bill Soo said. If this is the case, then we can help you with that specifically.

If dragging the shortcuts onto your form is where you're having problems, then that's a different issue. If you already know how to do this, could you post the code that you're using for that so that others could benefit?

"The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face." - Jack Handy

BillSoo

09-05-2001, 11:15 AM

Here is a quick example to get you started. However, it only works for EXE files. If you copy links, or help files or documents, you should use the SHELLEXECUTE API call instead of SHELL.

<pre>Option Explicit
Dim nButtons As Integer 'number of button controls

Private Sub Command1_Click(Index As Integer)
Shell Command1(Index).Tag, vbNormalFocus
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
'me.oledropmode is set to 1 (Manual)
'command1.index is set to 0
'command1.visible is set to FALSE
'command1.style is set to 1 (Graphical)
Dim i As Integer
Dim n As Integer
Dim fn As String

n = CInt(GetSetting("FileLauncher", "Init", "nButtons", "0"))
nButtons = 0
For i = 1 To n
fn = Trim$(GetSetting("FileLauncher", "File" & CStr(i), "Path", vbNullString))
If Len(fn) Then LoadButton fn
Next i
End Sub

Private Sub Form_OLEDragDrop(Data As DataObject, Effect As Long, Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, X As Single, Y As Single)
Dim fn As String
fn = Data.Files(1) 'get the name of the file that was dropped...
LoadButton fn
End Sub

Private Sub LoadButton(ByVal fn As String)
'loads a button with filename fn. Will create and move the button if required
Dim i As Integer

If nButtons Then 'create a new button and place it below the others
Load Command1(nButtons)
Command1(nButtons).Top = Command1(nButtons - 1).Top + Command1(nButtons - 1).Height
End If
i = InStrRev(fn, "\")
If i Then Command1(nButtons).Caption = Mid$(fn, i + 1) Else Command1(nButtons).Caption = fn
Command1(nButtons).Tag = fn
Command1(nButtons).Visible = True
nButtons = nButtons + 1
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
Dim i As Integer
SaveSetting "FileLauncher", "Init", "nButtons", CStr(nButtons)
For i = 1 To nButtons
SaveSetting "FileLauncher", "File" & CStr(i), "Path", CStr(Command1(i - 1).Tag)
Next i
End Sub

</pre>

"I have a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!" - Edmund Blackadder

Mill

09-05-2001, 12:48 PM

Whoah! That's pretty cool. I've never used the OLEDragDrop event before mainly because I'm usually working on either engineering type applications or personal applications. I added code to put the icon into the button, but it only works for EXE files, not shortcuts or non-exe files (I used ShellExecute instead of Shell). I guess I'd have to get the application that's associated with the file or read the pathname from the shortcut, but right now I don't have enough curiousity to do either. images/icons/laugh.gif

Thanks again, Bill.

"The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face." - Jack Handy

Mill

09-06-2001, 09:03 AM

Here's what I came up with. Note that this was just something I did to educate myself, so it could probably use some extra comments, some error-trapping, and a few other extras that I haven't put in partly out of laziness and partly because I've already spent more time on this than I could justify to myself since I'm doing this at workimages/icons/laugh.gif.

Anyway, the main form acts as a sort of "virtual desktop". You can drag icons from the real desktop onto the form and they auto-arrange in the order that you added them.

Double-clicking on an icon or the description (a picturebox & label, respectively) will launch the file, as will hitting the Enter key with one of the icons selected. You can tab through the icons as well.

You can't drag the icons around the form, however, like you can on the real desktop, partly because I wanted the ability to rearrange the icons when you resize the form.

Feel free to use the code in any way, shape, or form.

"The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face." - Jack Handy

Random_Task00

09-07-2001, 06:56 PM

Heh, to be as knowledgeable as you guys ;-)..thankyou very much for your help :-)