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Article: Q153092
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbVBp400 kbDSupport
Last Modified: 13-JUL-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

Sometimes it is desirable to add a new menu item to a window's System menu. This
can be accomplished by using the AppendMenu API call and a Windows sub-classing
control such as Message Blaster(tm). This article explains how to implement this
action and provides a code sample.

In order to use the Message Blaster control, you can download the sample, free of
charge, from the Microsoft Download Center. The following file is available for
download from the Microsoft Download Center:

  Msgblast.exe
  (http://download.microsoft.com/download/vb30/Sample8/1/W9XNT4/EN-US/Msgblast.exe)

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click
the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of
posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure
servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Step-by-Step Example
--------------------

1. Download the Message Blaster Control.

2. Start Visual Basic, or choose New Project from the File menu if Visual Basic
  is already running. Form1 is created by default.

3. From the Tools menu, go to the Custom Controls option and add the
  MSGBLAST.VBX control to the project.

4. Place a Message Blaster Control on the form.

5. Place a Command button on Form1. Change the Caption to "&ADD."

6. Add the following code to the general declarations section of Form1:

     Option Explicit

     Private Declare Function RemoveMenu% Lib "User" (ByVal hMenu%, ByVal _
        nPosition%, ByVal wFlags%)
     Private Declare Function GetSystemMenu Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd%, ByVal _
        revert%) As Integer
     Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As _
        Integer,ByVal nIndex As Integer) As Long
     Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As _
        Integer, ByVal nIndex As Integer, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
     Private Declare Function AppendMenu Lib "User" (ByVal hMenu As _
        Integer, ByVal wFlags As Integer, ByVal wIDNewItem As Integer, _
        ByVal lpNewItem As Any) As Integer

     Private Const MF_STRING = &H0
     Private Const MF_BYCOMMAND = &H0
     Private Const WM_SYSCOMMAND = &H112

     'Enter the line below as one line of code
     Private Sub RemoveControlMenuItemByPosition(frm As Form, iPosition As
     Integer)
       Dim iHSysMenu As Integer
       Dim iReturn As Integer
       Dim lDW As Long
       Dim lRR As Long
       iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(frm.hWnd, 0)
       iReturn = RemoveMenu(iHSysMenu, iPosition, MF_BYPOSITION)
       lDW = GetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16)   'Window style
       lDW = lDW And &HFFFEFFFF    'Turn off bits for Maximize arrow button
       lRR = SetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16, lDW)
     End Sub

     Private Sub RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(frm As Form, lCommand As _
       Long)
       Dim iHSysMenu As Integer
       Dim iReturn As Integer
       Dim lDW As Long
       Dim lRR As Long
       iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(frm.hWnd, 0)
       iReturn = RemoveMenu(iHSysMenu, lCommand, MF_BYCOMMAND)
       lDW = GetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16)   'Window style
       lDW = lDW And &HFFFEFFFF    'Turn off bits for Maximize arrow button
       lRR = SetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16, lDW)
     End Sub

     Private Sub cmdRemoveMenuItems_Click()
       Call RemoveControlMenuItemByPosition(Me, 0)
     End Sub

7. Place the following code in the Form Load Event:

     Private Sub Form_Load()
       MsgBlaster1.hWndTarget = Me.hWnd
       MsgBlaster1.MsgList(0) = WM_SYSCOMMAND
     End Sub

8. Place the following code in the Message event of the Message Blaster Control:

     'Enter the line below as one line of code

     Private Sub MsgBlaster1_Message(MsgVal As Integer, wParam As Integer,
     lParam As Long, ReturnVal As Long)
       Select Case wParam
         Case 1
           MsgBox "You clicked to About"
         Case 2
           MsgBox "You clicked on Help"
         Case 3
         'This option removes the custom added menu items and the separator.
         Dim iHSysMenu As Integer
         Dim iReturn As Integer
         iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(Me.hWnd, 0)
         Call RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(Me, 1)
         Call RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(Me, 2)
         Call RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(Me, 3)
       End Select
     End Sub

9. Place the following code in the Command1 Click event:

     Private Sub Command1_Click()
       Dim iReturn As Integer
       Dim iHSysMenu As Integer
       iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(Me.hWnd, 0)
       iReturn = AppendMenu(iHSysMenu, MF_STRING, 1, "About...")
       iReturn = AppendMenu(iHSysMenu, MF_STRING, 2, "Help...")
       iReturn = AppendMenu(iHSysMenu, MF_STRING, 3, "Remove items...")
     End Sub

10. Press the F5 key or choose Start from the Run menu to run the project. Click
  the Add button. View the System menu and note that the new items have been
  added.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q110498 How to Add Items into Control Menu Box of Visual Basic Form

  Q110104 Using MSGBLAST.VBX Control to Process Windows Messages from VB

Additional query words: msgblast 4.00

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbVBp400 kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB400Search kbVB400
Version           : :4.0

=============================================================================

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Q153092: SAMPLE: How to Add New Menu Items to the System Menu