Comments on: MS Access: Modal Dialogs with Transparent Backgrounds (redux) http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/ Just another programming weblog Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:30:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Edwin Blancovitch http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8578 Edwin Blancovitch Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:52:10 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8578 <p>Renaud . . .</p> <p>i have 2 questions.</p> <p>a) did you saw lebans code for conditional formmating? b) i love excel conditional formatting specially with the icons and all that stuff . . ., do you think we can use that in access 2007?</p> Renaud . . .

i have 2 questions.

a) did you saw lebans code for conditional formmating? b) i love excel conditional formatting specially with the icons and all that stuff . . ., do you think we can use that in access 2007?

]]> By: Renaud http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8441 Renaud Sun, 18 May 2008 11:08:36 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8441 <p>@Phil: I can't replicate that behaviour on Vista and the main sample database included in this page seems to be working fine for me. Did you try the sample databases or did you implement it yourself? Have you found where the issue could come from? I'd like to know if this is really a bug or something else.</p> @Phil: I can’t replicate that behaviour on Vista and the main sample database included in this page seems to be working fine for me. Did you try the sample databases or did you implement it yourself? Have you found where the issue could come from? I’d like to know if this is really a bug or something else.

]]> By: Phil http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8415 Phil Thu, 15 May 2008 17:33:14 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8415 <p>Both options fade the whole screen on my Vista SP1 machine.</p> <p>Nice Gentoo logo placement</p> Both options fade the whole screen on my Vista SP1 machine.

Nice Gentoo logo placement

]]> By: Renaud http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8401 Renaud Tue, 13 May 2008 02:00:50 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8401 <p>Hi Edwin. Thanks for the vote of confidence :-) I'll look into Stephan Leban's code and see if there is something to expand on there. The issue with taking row highlighting and conditional formatting further is that Access doesn't expose a lot of its internal functionalities. One of the problems is that controls like textboxes are not really normal windows controls (with a few exceptions). These lightweight controls are rendered internally by Access as images on the form until the focus moves to them. The OnPaint event is also fairly limited and only exists at the form section level and not the control level. So extending Access' behaviour in that regard is probably too hard to be worth the time, especially when you consider that whatever you do may be rendered useless or incompatible by the next version of Access. Also to consider is that when more features are needed, it is probably better and easier to just include managed components in your forms: with the Form Interop Toolkit you can use .Net controls in Access. It requires some work and it's not as tightly integrated or as easy as I'd want but it's possible. By doing that you could include just about anything in your forms, and you open your application to a world of more interesting controls than the limited ones provided in Access. I plan to make a series of articles on that subject in the next few weeks.</p> Hi Edwin. Thanks for the vote of confidence :-) I’ll look into Stephan Leban’s code and see if there is something to expand on there. The issue with taking row highlighting and conditional formatting further is that Access doesn’t expose a lot of its internal functionalities. One of the problems is that controls like textboxes are not really normal windows controls (with a few exceptions). These lightweight controls are rendered internally by Access as images on the form until the focus moves to them. The OnPaint event is also fairly limited and only exists at the form section level and not the control level. So extending Access’ behaviour in that regard is probably too hard to be worth the time, especially when you consider that whatever you do may be rendered useless or incompatible by the next version of Access. Also to consider is that when more features are needed, it is probably better and easier to just include managed components in your forms: with the Form Interop Toolkit you can use .Net controls in Access. It requires some work and it’s not as tightly integrated or as easy as I’d want but it’s possible. By doing that you could include just about anything in your forms, and you open your application to a world of more interesting controls than the limited ones provided in Access. I plan to make a series of articles on that subject in the next few weeks.

]]> By: Edwin Blancovitch http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8398 Edwin Blancovitch Mon, 12 May 2008 16:20:44 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8398 <p>Thanks for your answer, i was reading the comments on microsoft rss, and i think you are the appropiate guy so i can ask this question.</p> <p>I used to have code from lebans.com to highlight the current row in datasheet or continuos form, also to highlight the row based on some conditions, (the access embeed conditional format only supports 3)</p> <p>lebans created a solution for this, but now is outdated, i think you can revise the api's and create a new solution(maybe give it to microsoft :-) )</p> <p>The thing is that if you look into excel you have a great conditional formatting options even with icons and all that stuff, but that doesnt exist for excel.</p> <p>What do you say, can you do it?</p> Thanks for your answer, i was reading the comments on microsoft rss, and i think you are the appropiate guy so i can ask this question.

I used to have code from lebans.com to highlight the current row in datasheet or continuos form, also to highlight the row based on some conditions, (the access embeed conditional format only supports 3)

lebans created a solution for this, but now is outdated, i think you can revise the api’s and create a new solution(maybe give it to microsoft :-) )

The thing is that if you look into excel you have a great conditional formatting options even with icons and all that stuff, but that doesnt exist for excel.

What do you say, can you do it?

]]> By: Renaud http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8378 Renaud Thu, 08 May 2008 23:47:09 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8378 <p><strong>@Edwin:</strong> I agree that the version with the Class is actually a bit more complex but it's still quite educational and it nicely encapsulate the functionality. You end-up using only one global property (<code>LightboxForm</code>) to manage all layer functions. Whether you prefer one version or the other is up to you, that's why I left both samples.</p> <p>Regarding the colour formatting of the code, I'm afraid that it just looks that way because I use a <a href="/2006/wordpress-formating-and-colouring-code/" rel="nofollow">code syntax highlighter</a> in my web pages...</p> @Edwin: I agree that the version with the Class is actually a bit more complex but it’s still quite educational and it nicely encapsulate the functionality. You end-up using only one global property (LightboxForm) to manage all layer functions. Whether you prefer one version or the other is up to you, that’s why I left both samples.

Regarding the colour formatting of the code, I’m afraid that it just looks that way because I use a code syntax highlighter in my web pages…

]]> By: Edwin Blancovitch http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8376 Edwin Blancovitch Thu, 08 May 2008 15:43:09 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8376 <p>Im curious:</p> <p>what editor you use for the vba editor that shows the line numbers and that alternate row hightlight.</p> <p>It looks very nice and atractive to work on that :-)</p> <p>Please share . . .</p> Im curious:

what editor you use for the vba editor that shows the line numbers and that alternate row hightlight.

It looks very nice and atractive to work on that :-)

Please share . . .

]]> By: Edwin Blancovitch http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8375 Edwin Blancovitch Thu, 08 May 2008 15:37:21 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8375 <p>I have a small question, why a class module?</p> <p>It just work with the old module like in example #1</p> <p>Why complicate your life by using a class module, for my experience the purpose of the class module is to expose functionality of your project outside your project, but why to this simple code.</p> <p>I will appreciate if you really explain.</p> <p>By the way, great work, i will definetly use this in my projects.</p> I have a small question, why a class module?

It just work with the old module like in example #1

Why complicate your life by using a class module, for my experience the purpose of the class module is to expose functionality of your project outside your project, but why to this simple code.

I will appreciate if you really explain.

By the way, great work, i will definetly use this in my projects.

]]> By: Fred Boer http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8369 Fred Boer Wed, 07 May 2008 18:03:40 +0000 http://blog.nkadesign.com/2008/ms-access-modal-dialogs-with-transparent-backgrounds/#comment-8369 <p>Thanks for posting the demo!</p> Thanks for posting the demo!

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