Windows XP Themes and Office Com Add ins

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Windows XP Themes and Office Com Add ins
Windows XP Themes and Office Com Add ins 
Daniel McPherson


Guest


Hi Folks,

Any plans to include functionality that would allow you to apply the "Windows XP" theme to your COM Add ins. The below KB talks about how to do it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;830033

Let me know,
Daniel
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 03:17:14 Top
Sergey Grischenko


Add-in Express team


Posts: 7233
 Joined: 2004-07-05
Hi Daniel,

At the moment we are not planning to add the above mentioned functionality.
I think it is better to leave for developers to decide.
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 06:19:26 Top
Sven Heitmann




Posts: 193
 Joined: 2004-08-23
I do agree with Sergey, this should be something the developer has to choose by himself.

ADX is not using any Control/Form you would use in you Addin, so it makes no sence at least to implement this in ADX.

I am using a third party theme and as far as I see I do not miss this "functionality" because all colors and styles of the theme (like the small buttons of the form) are used.

I'am not sure what this "functionality" is (in it's sum) but when I remember right you get something like round borders for TitledBorders and some eyecatches like this.

Nothing really important. ;)
Best regards,

Sven Heitmann
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 07:17:22 Top
Daniel McPherson


Guest


Thanks Sergey/Sven.

Couple of points:
1. I agree that it's the developers choice, but I would see the implementation being a property on the ADXAddIn component "Use XP Themes?"
2. I think this is important for Add-ins, particulary when used with the later versions of office. Without theme addins look like bolt-ons rather than seamless additional product functionality.
3. By enabling this developers would not have to license or use third party controls, the standard controls would do the trick.

Thanks,
Daniel
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 07:30:21 Top
Eugene Starostin


Guest


Hi Sven,
Hi Daniel,

I'm glad to hear from you in our forum :-)

Ok, we will study the problem with XP theming. But up to the moment we cannot see where theming can be turned on in ADX source code. In any case I will let you know about the results.
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 08:00:17 Top
Daniel McPherson


Guest


Thanks Eugene, pretty sure that KB article contains everything you need...look forward to hearing the results.

Daniel
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 08:39:52 Top
Eugene Starostin


Guest


Daniel,

Yes, the article shows all we need but it also shows that we can enable the theming for all add-ins if we enable the theming within AddiInitialize. As I understood from the article we should enable the theming when we create forms and controls. Sure, we haven't examined the problem thoroughly enough but if I am right we will refuse from theming in ADX.

Generally, we need some time and we will get the time after publishing ADX.NET 2.2 and ADX.VCL 2.3 :-)
Posted 08 Dec, 2004 08:46:32 Top