Thread: Graphical user interface not look like windows

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    11

    Graphical user interface not look like windows

    Hi,
    I want to create a user interface with a menu system that looks like the ones found in stationary DVD-players where the menus are browsed through by arrow buttons rather than having a mouse move over the button and then a mouseclick. Is it possible to create such interface in VC++?

    Thanks,
    Kristian

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    847
    I think what you want to do for this is create a custom control. Each control in windows like menu bars and menus are a window and you can create your own custom controls by creating windows that are then used as child windows.

    You would draw the menu items yourself and then change the selected item yourself in response to WM_KEYDOWN messages.

  3. #3
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    768
    Simple to be said than done.
    I suggest you find an MFC class for skining your window and it's controls;
    And maybe modify it alittle.
    "I don't suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it" - Edgar Allen Poe

    http://www.Bloodware.net - Developing free software for the community.

  4. #4
    MFC killed my cat! manutd's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Boston, Massachusetts
    Posts
    870
    Check out this win32 article.
    Silence is better than unmeaning words.
    - Pythagoras
    My blog

  5. #5
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    768
    Quote Originally Posted by manutd
    Check out this win32 article.
    This will only give the window a custom shape, what about the controllers?!
    It will burn him endless hours to develope his own library, why reinvent the wheel?!
    "I don't suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it" - Edgar Allen Poe

    http://www.Bloodware.net - Developing free software for the community.

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    11
    Ok. thanks for the replies. I think I start from an ordinary windows look to get everything working and then look deeper into skinning.

  7. #7
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    768
    Quote Originally Posted by xkrja
    Ok. thanks for the replies. I think I start from an ordinary windows look to get everything working and then look deeper into skinning.
    I don't think it's a good idea, you might have a real mess.
    I would look into the skinning a little more before writting the window and it's controllers;
    You never know if you're really going to use the same functions to create the windows/controllers.

    If I'm not mistaken, a good example is the XP look controllers (you know, like the Office Outlook2003).

    Anyway, goodluck.
    "I don't suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it" - Edgar Allen Poe

    http://www.Bloodware.net - Developing free software for the community.

  8. #8
    Reverse Engineer maxorator's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Estonia
    Posts
    2,318
    Simple to be said than done.
    I suggest you find an MFC class for skining your window and it's controls;
    And maybe modify it alittle.
    Maybe he doesn't want to pay enormous amounts of money just to buy a compiler that can compile MFC.
    "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it." - John Gilmore

  9. #9
    * Death to Visual Basic * Devil Panther's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    768
    Quote Originally Posted by maxorator
    Maybe he doesn't want to pay enormous amounts of money just to buy a compiler that can compile MFC.
    First, you don't know that!
    Second, there are other FREE libs, the MFC was just an example.
    "I don't suffer from insanity but enjoy every minute of it" - Edgar Allen Poe

    http://www.Bloodware.net - Developing free software for the community.

Popular pages Recent additions subscribe to a feed

Similar Threads

  1. Interface with external windows
    By Thornsten in forum Windows Programming
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 01-21-2007, 06:24 PM
  2. Script errors - bool unrecognized and struct issues
    By ulillillia in forum Windows Programming
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 12-18-2006, 04:44 AM
  3. Console User Interface : A Project
    By ra21vi in forum Projects and Job Recruitment
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 02-01-2006, 01:41 PM
  4. GUI (Graphical User Interface) Help Needed
    By Unregistered in forum C++ Programming
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 10-11-2001, 10:35 AM
  5. Non-Standard User Interface
    By Eugene in forum Windows Programming
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 08-29-2001, 09:43 AM