Topic : That Windows XP Style
Author : Barry Jacobsen
Page : 1

Okay, so you ran out and bought Windows XP on the day it came out so you could see all the nifty new GUI features - only to find out that your program still looks exactly the same!  Argh!  Well, the good news is that it's really easy to use the new features - after you download the new platform SDK (it's only 300 or so megabytes, so hop to it) from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sdkupdate/).  After you have that, just follow these few simple steps and those nifty looking buttons will be yours!

Create a plain text file called YOURAPP.exe.manifest in your programs source directory (Replacing YOURAPP with the name of your application, of course).  Put the following in that file:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
<assemblyIdentity
    version="1.0.0.0"
    processorArchitecture="X86"
    name="COMPANY.YOURAPP.VERSION"
    type="win32"
/>
<description>DESCRIPTION</description>
<dependency>
    <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity
            type="win32"
            name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
            version="6.0.0.0"
            processorArchitecture="X86"
            publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
            language="*"
        />
    </dependentAssembly>
</dependency>
</assembly>


Of course replacting COMPANY with your company name, YOURAPP with your applications name, VERSION with the programs version, and DESCRIPTION with a short description of your program.  Then, go into your resource file (in a text editor) and add the following line:


CREATEPROCESS_MANIFEST_RESOURCE_ID RT_MANIFEST "YOURAPP.exe.manifest"


Of course replacing YOURAPP with the name of your application.
After that, just recompile and enjoy that Windows XP Style.

This tutorial copyright 2001 to Barry Jacobsen (BarryJ@cpp-home.com).  All Rights Reserved.

Page : 1