Part 23 - Toolbar ZoomCombo

Originally published December 2002 on DoItIn.net using VB7.0/2002. Updated for VB7.1 February 2005
Links for compiled demo versions, all required resources and source code are included at the end of this article.

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23) The toolbar ZoomCombo

We'll need a way to specify the zoom amount and instead of dealing with the annoyance of validating freeform text we'll let the user pick from values in a combo. Add a combobox to our toolbar is a piece of cake but it's a drag that so many controls don't automatically use the XP flat style with flyover color changing.

Rather than jumping through the hoops of COMCTL swapping with a manifest pointing to COMCTL6, I prefer a usercontrol that lets me change all the properties AND that looks flat on any version of Windows. The code for mine is here on Smithvoice.com, it's an old fashioned VB constituent control ported up from VB5 and it works just fine ;-).

Add a new usercontrol named "svFlatDropDownCombo" and paste in the code from that page. Rebuild the project so the usercontrol is available for use and update the AddxxxToolbarButtons subs to stick an instance in between the down and up zoom buttons (note the added labels for spacing):

...

        ctl = New Button
        ctl.Name = "butZoomMinus"
        ctl.Text = "zoom out"
        ctl.Width = 23
        CType(ctl, Button).FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Popup
        CType(ctl, Button).ImageList = ilToolbars
        CType(ctl, Button).ImageIndex = ToolbarIconIndexes.ZoomMinus
        .Controls.Add(ctl)

'Combobox starts here

        'spacers are just labels
        ctl = New Label
        ctl.Width = 2
        CType(ctl, Label).BorderStyle = BorderStyle.None
        .Controls.Add(ctl)

        ctl = New svFlatDropDownCombo
        ctl.Name = "svcboZooms"
        ctl.Text = "0"
        ctl.Width = 40
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItemsClear()
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItems.Add("5")
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItems.Add("10")
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItems.Add("20")
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItems.Add("50")
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItems.Add("75")
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).DropBoxItems.Add("100")
        CType(ctl, svFlatDropDownCombo).Text = "20"
        .Controls.Add(ctl)

        'spacers are just labels
        ctl = New Label
        ctl.Width = 2
        CType(ctl, Label).BorderStyle = BorderStyle.None
        tbrSource.Controls.Add(ctl)
        'Combobox ends here

        ctl = New Button
        ctl.Name = "butZoomPlus"
        ctl.Text = "zoom in"
        ctl.Width = 23
        CType(ctl, Button).FlatStyle = FlatStyle.Popup
        CType(ctl, Button).ImageList = ilToolbars
        CType(ctl, Button).ImageIndex = ToolbarIconIndexes.ZoomPlus
        .Controls.Add(ctl)

...

F5 and test...

Next: Back to VB3, hooking up widgets

Robert Smith
Kirkland, WA

added to smithvoice march 2005