"Of The Bay"

[Patrice Terrier]

Thank you Bud!

I am glad to read that it runs also on your XP SP3 computer.

I did it, because i like to use a nice picture for my desktop background, but with all these icons spread out over it, it looks more like a teenager bed room than my wife's lounge. But now with DockBar, everything has been clean up to please her.

The idea behind Dockbar is to use it also like a super-menu to start your own applications without resorting on shortcuts, and reading what to do from a disk file working like a playlist.

Example of script file:
(ApplicationFullPathName, WorkingDir, CmdLine, IconToUse)

"C:\MyApplications\BassBox24\BassBox.exe","","D:\Audio\PlayList.bbp","C:\MyApplications\DockBar\FolderIcon\BassBox.png"
"C:\MyApplications\MovieBox\MovieBox.exe","","","C:\MyApplications\DockBar\FolderIcon\MovieBox.png"
"D:\SED\SED_116.exe","","",C:\MyApplications\DockBar\FolderIcon\PowerBASIC.png"
"C:\WinDev12\Programmes\WinDev12.exe","@EXEPATH@","","@EXEICON@"
etc.

[Patrice Terrier]

In AERO DockBar, each icon (32x32) is being drawn on a frame (48x48) named "Back.png" located in the "Resource" sub-folder.

Thus you can use your own frame if you replace "Back.png" with another PNG using a size of 48x48.

See the attached example (save first the current "Back.png" to later restore it)

 

[Patrice Terrier]

I like these two

[Emil Weiss]

i have XP sp2 only what i can show is in Attached Pic

greets Emil

[Patrice Terrier]

Emil,

Do you have any shortcuts on your desktop (apart "tray" and "computer") ?

...

[Emil Weiss]

Emil,

Do you have any shortcuts on your desktop (apart "tray" and "computer") ?

...

Arbeitsplatz; Netzwerk; Papierkorb

greets Emil

[Patrice Terrier]

Then add a few more shortcuts 

...

[Patrice Terrier]

This new version allows you to change on the fly (from the poup menu) the icon's frame background.

It is provided with several PNG files that are stored in the \Resource\IconFrame sub-folder.

The new ZIP file is attached to the first post of this thread.

 

[Emil Weiss]

Then add a few more shortcuts 

...

Hmm i think a Dockbar has no effect when paste many Icons on my Desktop
i'm use a Dockbar that i have a clean Desktop with no Icons

greets Emil

[Patrice Terrier]

Emil,

If you have a clean desktop, i mean with only "Arbeitsplatz, Netzwerk, Papierkorb" (poste de traval, réseau, corbeille), then you don't need "AERO DockBar", because this one will no find anything to populate the bar with icons.

In such a case i could display a message like this one:
"You have a neat clear desktop, "AERO DockBar" is unable to clean it up" 

By the way I did not find yet the best way to detect, and use those special shortcuts matching "computer, network, tray, etc.", it is on my "todo list".

 

[Patrice Terrier]

The shortcut detection has been enhanced to resolve missing virtual lnk files.

Code:

FUNCTION ResolveShortcutName(zLnk AS ASCIIZ) AS STRING
    LOCAL sUseIcon AS STRING

    IF zLnk = ShortCutDisplayName(%CSIDL_BITBUCKET) THEN sUseIcon = "RecycleBin.png":          GOTO ExitLnk
    IF zLnk = ShortCutDisplayName(%CSIDL_DRIVES)    THEN sUseIcon = "MyComputer.png":          GOTO ExitLnk
    IF zLnk = ShortCutDisplayName(%CSIDL_NETWORK)   THEN sUseIcon = "NetworkNeighborhood.png": GOTO ExitLnk
    IF zLnk = ShortCutDisplayName(%CSIDL_PERSONAL)  THEN sUseIcon = "MyDocuments.png":         GOTO ExitLnk
    IF zLnk = ShortCutDisplayName(%CSIDL_MYVIDEO)   THEN sUseIcon = "MyVideo.png":             GOTO ExitLnk
    IF zLnk = ShortCutDisplayName(%CSIDL_MYMUSIC)   THEN sUseIcon = "MyMusic.png":             GOTO ExitLnk
    EXIT FUNCTION

ExitLnk:
    FUNCTION = sUseIcon
END FUNCTION

You can even change the related icons and use your own as a replacement for those provided in the resource folder, the only mandatory is to respect the file name for the PNG files, or to edit the ResolveShortcutName function to use the new name.

I have also added .cpl file extension detection because the ISHellFolder interface is unable to handle them correctly.

Now Emil, you should see something...

 

[Patrice Terrier]

This new version introduces a new flare effect and some new menu options

The shorcut firing has been also reworked for better differentiation between EXE and virtual links.

The latest version is attached to the first post of this thread.

 

[Patrice Terrier]

"Of The Bay" is the successor of the DockBar project with these new features:
- Enhanced flare effect.
- Hability to change the layer being used to display the icons.
- And further CPU % reduction.

The new ZIP file is attached to the first post of this thread

[Petr Schreiber]

Hi Patrice,

great job as usual - works well on my PC ( AMD Sempron 3400+, 1GB RAM, GeForce 6150LE, WinXP SP2+Updates CZ ).
One thing - it would be nice if I could drag some file on the dockbar ( document, program, ... ) from Windows Explorer for example.

This way it would not double desktop and it would add new dimension of usability.

The CPU usage is exemplary - 0 to 2%.


Thanks,
Petr

[Patrice Terrier]

it would be nice if I could drag some file on the dockbar

Hi Petr,

That's a good suggestion.

Here are a few guidances if anybody wants to do it

Step 1: declaration section

Code:

%WM_DROPFILES = &H233
DECLARE SUB DragAcceptFiles LIB "SHELL32.DLL" ALIAS "DragAcceptFiles" (BYVAL hwnd AS DWORD, BYVAL fAccept AS LONG)
DECLARE SUB DragFinish LIB "SHELL32.DLL" ALIAS "DragFinish" (BYVAL hDrop AS DWORD)
DECLARE FUNCTION DragQueryFile LIB "SHELL32.DLL" ALIAS "DragQueryFileA" (BYVAL hDrop AS DWORD, BYVAL uiFile AS DWORD, lpStr AS ASCIIZ, BYVAL cch AS DWORD) AS DWORD

Step 2 To put in the main code section before entering the message pump

Code:

          CALL DragAcceptFiles(hMain, %TRUE)

Step 3 To put in the window proc

Code:

    CASE %WM_DROPFILES '// Drag & drop
         nFilesDropped = DragQueryFile(wParam, -1, "", 0)
         szFileName = ""
         nCount = 0
         IF nFilesDropped > 0 THEN
'            Put your code there
         END IF
         CALL DragFinish(wParam)