XP Style Buttons. How to?

[Chet Sapino]

I would like all of my buttons styled as XP. I have yet to figure out how this is done. All xdialog windows are styled in XP and I want consistency in my apps. I don't want xp style buttons on xdialog windows, lookups, etc., and square win 98 style buttons elsewhere. It appears "unprofessional" to the end user.

If I set the style as XP in the button properties, and try to find the gold/orange/whatever it is highlight color in the flyover effects, and blue when pressed effect, I can't seem to duplicate the XP flyover effect.

So what are the settings?

In reality, this should be the default style if the default style in all dialog windows is XPstyle. Apps should be consistent in style. At worst case, it should just involve a checkbox on or off.

[Rayr]

I would like all of my buttons styled as XP. I have yet to figure out how this is done. All xdialog windows are styled in XP and I want consistency in my apps. I don't want xp style buttons on xdialog windows, lookups, etc., and square win 98 style buttons elsewhere. It appears "unprofessional" to the end user.

If I set the style as XP in the button properties, and try to find the gold/orange/whatever it is highlight color in the flyover effects, and blue when pressed effect, I can't seem to duplicate the XP flyover effect.

So what are the settings?

In reality, this should be the default style if the default style in all dialog windows is XPstyle. Apps should be consistent in style. At worst case, it should just involve a checkbox on or off.

Chet.
Open your form then right click on the button you want to create WinXP look
then select border style then select WinXP. Thats it now you have WinXP look for your button, you can do the same thing for any object that has borders, Fields, text boxes, ect.

Hope this helps,
Ray

[Chet Sapino]

Win XP Buttons

Not quite. There are no flyover effects, no "gold" border, or blue on push.

[Dan Blank]

Hi Chet,

Have you gone to View|Settings? Then under Settings select Preferences. In the List Box scroll down and select XP Themes. Click on the + and then enable and set the value to Yes.

Hope that helps.

[Chet Sapino]

Xp Themes on buttons

Like I said earlier, setting themes to XP does nothing to the button as far as flyover effects are concerned - either the View | Settings dialog, or setting XP settings on the button properties sheet.

When you "flyover" an xp button such as in an xdialog or a lookup, or in any other MODERN development software system or finished product, the button is highlighted in some type of gold color, and when you press the button it turns some type of blue color. That is called XP Manifest in other development languages, and is set up in these other development systems with a single mouse click globally. Furthermore, tabs are also highlighted this way in XP. I haven't checked out tabs yet.

I have not been able to duplicate this effect in Alpha 5 V7 with any setting involving button properties. Perhaps there is some magical combination. If so, I would like to know what it is instead of reinventing the wheel.

If this effect is not available, then it should be with a single mouse click globally! After all, it is 2006 and XP has been around "forever."

[Chet Sapino]

XP Style Buttons. If possible, how?

Does anyone here know how to create an XP style button with gold flyover effect exactly like buttons on XDialog windows, or buttons on field lookup windows?

I would like consistency in window design. I don't like mixed button styles all over an application. It looks klunky and unprofessional.

Please provide exact instructions if you know how to do it. I have tried just about everything with no success. I'm tired of guessing.

I cannot believe this effect is not available with a couple of mouse clicks.

This effect should also be available on tabs.

[Edward Larrabee]

XP style is enabled by selecting View > Settings > Preferences > XP Themes > Enable > Yes.

[trackmanpete]

Unless I did something wrong, the flyover style doesn't work on a form for the XP Style Button when setting Enable to Yes.

Pete Schuder

[Chet Sapino]

XP style is enabled by selecting View > Settings > Preferences > XP Themes > Enable > Yes.

1). Enabling XP Themes does absolutely nothing as far as a button is concerned!

2). And enabling XP style on the button properties has no effect on flyover, and there is no flyover setting to duplicate the XP button effect.

3). Conclusion: V7 cannot duplicate an XP button. Too bad. It is 2006 you know!

4). It would be nice if a person replying to an issue/problem would test things out beforehand and offer a step-by-step solution. It would save us immesurable time.

[kiewal]

I'm just a newbie, but for the "flyover" effect don't you need to go to Properties > Setup > Flyover Effect then use the tab "help entry" tab and type in the text you want on "flyover"?

Just a newbie....so excuse me if i'm wrong.

[trackmanpete]

Does not provide answer

Again, I may be wrong, but there does not seem to be an easy combination that creates the nice change in color along the border, etc. that XP Style provides within Alpha internal setup buttons by following your suggestions for the flyover. I, too, would like to know the "secret" to how or whether it can be done for custom application forms.

This issue has on the boards since 1/16 without a concrete answer, unfortuately. I was hoping that some one from Alpha would address this question directly for it doesn't seem to be coming from the forum itself. So far no one has done so. Is that because it can't be done or it's an easy task that those of us not in the know should know?

Unfortunately, the original poster seems to be quite frustrated, but posting negatively to people who have been very generous with their time in trying to help new people (me included) are not the ones that should be getting a negative post. I know that sometimes it seems a bit frustrating learning Alpha and posting questions sometimes is a bit intimidating (How many times do you see the same question over and over?). Often I feel perhaps I am being "stupid" to ask or did not search hard enough, but this is still the best forum for help I have seen for any product, particularly database design products.

I do hope that some of the veterans see this issue as a legitimate question and can provide some insight or someone from Alpha could come to the "rescue".

Having the buttons look and perform like any XP button (particularly similar to MSAcess buttons) would be a very nice addition to my custom program. So far the initial look is there done by the suggestions offered by the veterans and by Ed Larrabee. However, it is the flyover issue that still remains a mystery.

Again, I hope this is not one of the posts that belongs in the "stupid" category.

Thanks for your help.

Pete Schuder

[Tom Cone Jr]

Pete,

While messages in this forum are often read by Alpha staff, this is a peer support message board. I believe the correct way to report a bug is to use the Send a bug report option on the Alpha Five Help menu. It is my understanding that this will get an issue officially logged. It does not mean that an individual response will be forthcoming, or that a particular issue will be given top priority automatically.

When reporting a bug it's useful to make it easy for the staff at Alpha to be able to see the problem. The best way to do this is to give them a working model or example, with step by step instructions for them to follow to see the problem actually occur.

If one is uncertain whether the behavior they're seeing is actually a bug asking others whether they see the same thing on their machines, through this forum, is entirely appropriate.

In some cases what we see as a "bug" results from a misunderstanding of how something was designed to work. It could be working as designed, and misdescribed in the docs, for example. Suggestions to Ed Larrabee to extend the discussion to include limitations or to correct errors in the docs are welcomed. Creating a new thread over in the Features Wishlist forum is the way to ask Alpha to revisit the design.

Multiple posts by the same person, on the same issue, is not helpful.

I think folks would be slower to criticize the efforts of responders if they themselves spent some time helping others. By the time you try to help a hundred different people you develop an appreciation of how easy it can be to misunderstand a question, or to offer advice that turns out to be well intentioned but wrong.

-- tom

[trackmanpete]

Tom:
My interest in the issue of the XP type button was self serving in that I, too, would like my buttons to work as Chet is trying to get them to work. I saw how Chet became frustrated and seemed to be critical of the responses, thus I tried to soften that approach a bit. I am not sure this is an issue of a "bug" rather than my not understanding Alpha. Ed Larrabee's response did not change the outcome of the button flyover for me, but my lack of "real" knowledge with Alpha is the problem, I would think. I hope my last post did not come across as someone who is angry with this forum, far from that. I really do appreciate how often you and Stan and others come on and provide help, especially so very early in the morning. :)

I too hope I am capable enough someday to help answer questions for others on the forum, but I am still a long way from understanding all of the dynamics of Alpha.

Pete Schuder

[Chet Sapino]

Tom:
My interest in the issue of the XP type button was self serving in that I, too, would like my buttons to work as Chet is trying to get them to work. I saw how Chet became frustrated and seemed to be critical of the responses, thus I tried to soften that approach a bit. I am not sure this is an issue of a "bug" rather than my not understanding Alpha. Ed Larrabee's response did not change the outcome of the button flyover for me, but my lack of "real" knowledge with Alpha is the problem, I would think. I hope my last post did not come across as someone who is angry with this forum, far from that. I really do appreciate how often you and Stan and others come on and provide help, especially so very early in the morning. :)

I too hope I am capable enough someday to help answer questions for others on the forum, but I am still a long way from understanding all of the dynamics of Alpha.

Pete Schuder

It isn't a bug. It's simply lack of the feature. I would almost bet money it can't be done in this version/patch, since I have tried just about every combination of settings to no avail and noone has come up with the answer.

I also wouldn't consider my posts negative posts. People on these software forums throw out suggestions without ever checking them out, which leads some of us down the garden path to significant wasted time.

I believe if you are going to answer a post that appears to be quite trivial, such as my original post, that the person answering the question might take the time to provide a step-by-step answer, rather than a suggestion that doesn't work.

Now on a complex problem that might have a complex solution, I can see people offering suggestions, particularly if they have not addressed the problem which is posted.

But I consider this issue trivial and thought it had a trivial solution. However, I was wrong. There isn't a solution that's trivial, and the solution doesn't exist in this version. I base this on the fact that no one has provided the solution including someone from Alpha.

So I will send an email to Alpha directly and call it a "bug" , or lack of a feature and see what happens.

[Ohlen Cartmell]

Chet,
There is a section on the forum for submitting ideas for new features. Might want to put it there.