I have a really solid computer program that was written for Windows XP. The program still works great and I would like to update the look and feel of the user interface.
At this time, I would like to give the buttons etc. a more sleek, contemporary look. Much better would be to allow functionality of touch and swipe etc. for tablets and such.
Can anyone tell me what tools in Delphi are used to accomplish this? For instance, do I need to change every button and object manually through object inspector or can I update/modify all objects objects within a project using a single set of commands?
You can start by enabling Windows themes, using Project->Options->Appearance from the IDE's main menu. It's on by default since D2007, but won't be on because your app is coming from Delphi 5. (New projects have it turned on by default, but the IDE can't know if you want it enabled or not when importing older projects.)
You can then start looking at adding gesture support by looking into the documentation for TGestureManager and TGesture. There's a TGestureManager for both VCL and FireMonkey (FMX) applications.
Note that for cross-platform support (Android, iOS, and OS X) you'll need to port your application from the VCL to FMX.
Related
I have an instance of C++Builder XE5, which was installed years ago and hasn't been touched for quite a while. I need to create a new application and have forgotten everything about how to get a project up. The help documentation for that platform isn't the easiest to navigate, to say the least.
The closest I've come to is a demo on Youtube, that says to create a VCL Application - on my installation that isn't available, only a VCL Forms Application. I've tried to find out what a VCL Forms Application is, but once again the IDE help system just seems to assume that you already know that.
So, my question is simple: Will a VCL Forms Application do what I want, which is to create a basic GUI screen and run some C++ code behind it?
Also, what's the essential difference between the two project types?
The closest I've come to is a demo on Youtube, that says to create a VCL Application - on my installation that isn't available, only a VCL Forms Application.
They are the same thing.
Will a VCL Forms Application do what I want, which is to create a basic GUI screen and run some C++ code behind it?
Yes. It will create a VCL-based project with a default MainForm added to it, which you can then customize as needed.
Also, what's the essential difference between the two project types?
Well, since there is no `VCL Application" project type, the question is moot.
Ok, so I downloaded a .zip file of all different kinds of examples from embarcadero... the way the buttons look and among other things are completely different from when I just create an application within my Delphi 7. I believe these examples were made for or made at a new time... because the button look way different from the way the button when I put them on my application. the buttons from the example look very modern and sleek and have mouse over effects (This applies for all the examples..its not a custom component ) I was wondering I can get this effect in my own applications within Delphi 7.. I can do this by opening one of the examples and just erasing all the code... but that's not what im trying to do..im wondering how I can accomplish these styles.. how come the examples have these nice looking buttons and such..but when I make an app within D7 its much older looking and such..
I apologize if my question is hard to understand.. and I appreciate any help on this.
Thank you in advance.. I appreciate it.
If I understand your question correctly, you're asking about the native control appearance changes that were added by the addition of Windows Themes in Windows XP.
Delphi 7 supported themes by use of the XPManifest component, which does nothing but add a manifest to your application which tells Windows your app is theme-aware and therefore it should load a more recent version of the common controls library. You can find the XPManifest component in the VCL component palette on the Win32 tab, or simply add the XPMan.pas unit to your uses clause. Note that the themed drawing does not work for all controls (grids, for instance, are not drawn using themes, and IIRC neither is TSpeedButton - it's been a long time since I used D7, so I'm not sure exactly what is and isn't supported, but the support is limited).
Starting with Delphi 2007, there is built-in support for Windows Themes, which is available by default in new projects. It can also be enabled in older projects using a checkbox in the Project->Options->Application dialog.
(Of course the real answer is that if you want your app to have the features included in modern versions of Windows, you should upgrade from your Windows-95 era version of Delphi to one that is more recent.)
Some people are saying that I must update the controls in Win3.1 palette (especially TFilterComboBox) with modern ones. But does Delphi provide such new controls?
I need to create a GUI (somehow similar to Windows Explorer, consisting in a DirectoryListBox, FileListBox and a FilterComboBox) where I allow the user to easily explore for files of a specific type. Since the interface is centered around this Explorer, a TOpenDialog will be like hitting the customer with a hammer in the middle of his head. I need an 'easy to use' solution.
Unfortunately Shell Controls are not stable enough to be used as replacement.
The Shell Controls that come as a demo with Delphi only have to be installed, and you'll have some nice shell controls. There is, IMO, no big need to get 3rd party components for that.
Look for ShellCtls (or similar, can't check right now) in your demos folder. That Demos folder can be accessed from the Windows Start menu for your version of Delphi.
Update
They are not in a Demos folder, it is called Samples now. They can be found in Samples\Delphi\VCL\ShellControls. Install vclshlctrls.dproj first and then dclshlctrls.dproj.
In our application we use tpShellShock which works rather well. You may need to tweak it a little for Unicode Delphi, but if I recall correctly that was pretty simple to do.
Here's what it looks like:
I currently have an SDI application that is build with Delphi 7, I want the final user to choose the type of interface between SDI and MDI at runtime. my question is how can I change the behavior of the application between SDI and MDI at runtime?
Currently I know a couple of applications build with delphi that allow this: EMS SQL Manager and TOAD.
thanks in advance.
Download the Jedi JVCL and install it and look at the Demos for JvDocking "docking in code". They do this exactly.
They mean that you do not actually use the FormStyle=fsMDIChild unless you want lots of problems. MDI is "emulated" when you need it by docking in code.
Do not convert windows into frames. This is a bad solution.
For an MDI-like environment, that does not have the MDI problems, use a docking solution (components either commercial or open source that support docking). I use JvDocking which is included in the JEDI JVCL, which is free and open source.
You use your forms in both "docked" and "undocked" (floating) modes, and this gives you a docked IDE look and feel (VIsual Studio and RAD Studio), and an undocked IDE Look and feel (RAD Studio in undocked, or classic delphi 7).
I would convert my current windows into frames and put these frames with align=alClient into either mdi child windows or normal windows as configured.
But beware: I have never actually done this, so there might be problems that I don't know about.
At runtime set TForm.FormStyle either to fsNormal or fsMDIChild depending on if you want SDI or MDI.
Like #WarrenP's solution, I strongly recommend a docking-based solution. It should be said that you don't need to use Jedi VCL to achieve this. As an example, here's a very simple (all-native-vcl) component I've produced which allows you to simply drop on as many instances to your form(s) and set their alignment to enable docking (and tabbed docking) in those regions.
MDI itself is an accident waiting for a place to happen. There are solutions available to achieve the "MDI look and feel" without using MDI itself, though I've yet to encounter one I'd consider "neat" (probably for a lack of looking).
Ultimately you should probably question the wisdom in providing MDI as an option. Docking (with or without the ability to undock, and especially when Tabbed Docking is a user-determined choice) feels more modern, and (done properly) can be far more flexible and intuitive than MDI ever was.
Just my 2-pence worth.
I developed an application using also third party components (developed on D7, WinXP).
When I deploy this application on XP everything works fine. When I run it on Vista, the application cease to work properly:
Toolbuttons on Toolbar does not size equally, when I switch visibility on/off, thats why (third party) skins are not properly nested and then it looks ugly. It bothers, it's annoying but it is not fatal as the next point.
Third party text processing component cease to write. I wrote some routines, which allows writing on this component under certain circumstances. It was a big shock to find out, that I can not write anything (probably these routines return false for writing, but I do not see any reason, why on XP it should work fine, but on Vista not).
The application runs (at last), but not in the way, like it supposed to !!!!
I would like to debug it, but how?
Should I install Delphi 7 on this problematic Vista computer and compile project on it? (this is it, what I am going to do...)
Is it problem of third party components?
Is there any possibility to use some compiler directives to ensure, that application will run on Vista flawless ? (be honest I do not know if Vista is to claim in general).
Is Delphi 7 too old for Vista?
NOTE:
When I run the same application on Win98, I get error message about invalid floating point operation...
Has anybody solved such problem?
Thanks
If Delphi 7 is compatible with Windows Vista, it only really means one or both of the following:
You can run Delphi 7 on Windows Vista
Delphi 7 can be used to write programs that can run on Windows Vista
It does not automatically mean that
All programs I create in Delphi 7 runs on Windows Vista
All programs I create in Delphi 7 runs properly on Windows Vista
Let me give you an analogy: That you can use a hammer to get a nail into your wall without hurting yourself does not mean that no matter what you do, you won't hurt yourself.
If your program, either in your own code, or as part of the third party components you use, use parts of Windows that has changed or possibly even been removed (although that's far less), then you need to fix your program, there's no way around it.
There's no silver bullet either, so no compiler directives or whatnot. The most I can think of is that perhaps Windows Vista has some compatibility settings for the shortcuts that might turn on some XP-compatibility layer in Vista that fixes the particular issues you have.
However, the only long-term solution is to change your program so that it is properly compatible with Windows Vista, and probably Windows 7 as well.
Since you say you're using third-party components, have you verified if the particular versions of them that you use happen to be Vista-compatible? You need to go check on the websites of the authors to find that. Perhaps it can be solved by simply upgrading those components.
However, it might also be that you need to make changes to your own code.
The best way to move forward is to install Vista and possibly Windows 7 and start debugging to try to find the underlying cause of the problems.
Note that just installing Delphi 7 on Vista and recompiling will not fix anything. The compiler does not produce a different program if you compile it on a particular Windows version. Only changes to the code will apply the necessary changes.
The easiest solution is to make sure your Delphi version and 3rd party components are Vista compatible.
Delphi versions since 2007 are.
Recent TMS, DevExpress and Raize components are.
The hard solution is to do all the changes yourself.
Be prepared to modify the VCL sources from 2002, carefully modify them to bring them up to Delphi 2007 level.
Then do the same for your 3rd party components.
--jeroen
I never really investigated, but I noted that in some apps that I have, in all skinned modes (XP-teletubbie, and Vista/W7 non classic) I had paint artifacts with all delphi verrsions if I put buttons and labels directly on tframes or ttabsheets.
The problems went away when I inserted a panel inbetween.