KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q309366: INFO: VB 6.0 Does Not Support Windows XP Themes or Visual Styles

Article: Q309366
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): 6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbArtTypeINF
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 6.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 6.0, used with:
   - the operating system: Microsoft Windows XP 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Microsoft Windows XP provides new themes or visual styles. In Windows XP, you
can define the visual style or appearance of controls and windows from simple
colors to textures and shapes.

However, Visual Basic 6.0 does not support themes or visual styles on Windows XP.
Although you can enable Visual Basic 6.0 applications to support a theme or
visual style on Windows XP, you may encounter unexpected behavior.

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

A visual style is included in the Windows XP release. In addition, other themes
or visual styles are available in the Windows XP Plus Pack. You can use helper
libraries and application programming interfaces (APIs) to incorporate a Windows
XP visual style into an application with few code changes.

Windows XP applies a visual style to the non-client (frame and caption) area by
default. To apply a visual style to common controls in the client area, you must
use version 6 or later of the ComCtl32.dll file. ComCtl32.dll version 6 is not a
redistributable system component. ComCtl32.dll version 6 contains both the user
controls and the common controls. By default, applications use the controls that
are defined in the User32.dll file. In addition, applications use the common
controls that are defined in ComCtl32.dll version 5 by default.

To use the Windows XP visual styles from an application, you must add an
application manifest file. This application manifest file should specify that
ComCtl32.dll version 6 be used if it is available. One of the features that is
included with this component is support for changing the appearance of controls
in a window.

Therefore, you must follow two steps to enable the Windows XP theme or visual
style in Visual Basic 6.0:

1. Call the InitCommonControls function
2. Add an application manifest file

Call the InitCommonControls Function:

You must call the InitCommonControls function in the Form_Initialize event:

  Private Declare Sub InitCommonControls Lib "comctl32.dll" ()

  Private Sub Form_Initialize()
      InitCommonControls
  End Sub

NOTE: Do not call InitCommonControls in the Form_Load event. When you call
InitCommonControls from the Form_Load event, the form cannot load.

Add an Application Manifest File:

You must add a file named <YourApp>.exe.manifest to the same folder as your
executable file. For example, if your application is named Generic.exe, include
a manifest file that is named Generic.exe.manifest. The application manifest
file has Extensible Markup Language (XML) format similar to the following:

  <?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="CompanyName.ProductName.YourApp"
      type="win32"
  />
  <description>Your application description here.</description>
  <dependency>
      <dependentAssembly>
          <assemblyIdentity
              type="win32"
              name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
              version="6.0.0.0"
              processorArchitecture="X86"
              publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
              language="*"
          />
      </dependentAssembly>
  </dependency>
  </assembly>

After you place the application manifest file in the same folder as the
executable file, you can run the compiled executable file to display the Windows
XP visual style in the application.

NOTE: You cannot view visual styles when you run the compiled executable from the
Visual Basic 6.0 Integrated Development Environment (IDE).

Enable a Theme or Visual Style in Visual Basic 6.0 on Windows XP Is Unsupported:

Although you can enable a Windows XP theme or visual style in Visual Basic 6.0 by
calling InitCommonControls and by using an application manifest file, Microsoft
does not support this feature.

If you enable a Windows XP theme in Visual Basic 6.0, you may encounter
unexpected behavior. For example, if you place option buttons on top of a Frame
control and then enable a Windows XP theme or visual style, the option buttons
on the Frame control appear as black blocks when you run the executable file.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbArtTypeINF 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2
Version           : :6.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.