[archive] XP Look and Feel

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 15 June 2005]

We have had a number of comments about our application looking a bit "old fashioned" as it does not utilise the XP Style and Themes.
I have been playing around with a wrun32.exe.manifest file which allows me to switch the controls to a more XP like look and feel. We can get this working to a point but reading Gisle's comments in a previous thread he implies the best way to do this properly is through an enhancement request (which we have filed !!).

We have MS Longhorn just round the corner (maybe!!) with it's new look at feel, so I was just wondering were acu are with there plan's to support the different look and feels of the MS operating systems to allow us to keep our COBOL applications at the cutting edge.

There were some bogus stuff in terms of the support of the new themes with XP.
This has been addressed for the 7.0.0 release, and should be included in the most recent beta build.

This still requires the use of manifest files, and, speaking thereof, changing from manifest file to built in support is not going to make any difference in the experience of it from the perspective of the users. The only difference then will be that you no longer will need the manifest file.

As of current ACUCOBOL-GT is not planned to be shipped with any official stamp saying it support XP themes, we do however accept bug reports on this and address them as we can. Which is why for instance we do not know of any known issues for 7.0.0 in regards of the XP theme support.

If there is a desire for an official statement and/or that it should be without the need for a manifest file, this has to be filed as an enhancement request. Reason for this is the obvious fact that it is not giving anything more than what is already there, and that the use of manifest files are in fact a documented and supported approach by Microsoft.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 15 June 2005]

We have had a number of comments about our application looking a bit "old fashioned" as it does not utilise the XP Style and Themes.
I have been playing around with a wrun32.exe.manifest file which allows me to switch the controls to a more XP like look and feel. We can get this working to a point but reading Gisle's comments in a previous thread he implies the best way to do this properly is through an enhancement request (which we have filed !!).

We have MS Longhorn just round the corner (maybe!!) with it's new look at feel, so I was just wondering were acu are with there plan's to support the different look and feels of the MS operating systems to allow us to keep our COBOL applications at the cutting edge.

Gisle, thanks for the quick response. I have no problems using the manifest file in order to implement the XP style, to me there is no real advantage to embedding it into the wrun32.exe.

I posted on the forum just to find out other users experiences in this area and to see if acu had any future (post 7.0) plans to change this area.

For example just define say an entry field as ENTRY-FIELD PIC X(10) USING W-FIELD1 LINE 1 COL 3 and the runtime would work out the standard way to display it based on the current machine setup. 3-D on windows 2000 blue box no 3-d on XP using the standard theme.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 15 June 2005]

We have had a number of comments about our application looking a bit "old fashioned" as it does not utilise the XP Style and Themes.
I have been playing around with a wrun32.exe.manifest file which allows me to switch the controls to a more XP like look and feel. We can get this working to a point but reading Gisle's comments in a previous thread he implies the best way to do this properly is through an enhancement request (which we have filed !!).

We have MS Longhorn just round the corner (maybe!!) with it's new look at feel, so I was just wondering were acu are with there plan's to support the different look and feels of the MS operating systems to allow us to keep our COBOL applications at the cutting edge.

You are aware that in addition to the manifest file, you must also have the XP theme enabled for your desktop?

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 15 June 2005]

We have had a number of comments about our application looking a bit "old fashioned" as it does not utilise the XP Style and Themes.
I have been playing around with a wrun32.exe.manifest file which allows me to switch the controls to a more XP like look and feel. We can get this working to a point but reading Gisle's comments in a previous thread he implies the best way to do this properly is through an enhancement request (which we have filed !!).

We have MS Longhorn just round the corner (maybe!!) with it's new look at feel, so I was just wondering were acu are with there plan's to support the different look and feels of the MS operating systems to allow us to keep our COBOL applications at the cutting edge.

Attached is a screenshot illustrating the effect the manifest file has on the prndemox.cbl program in the sample directory.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 15 June 2005]

We have had a number of comments about our application looking a bit "old fashioned" as it does not utilise the XP Style and Themes.
I have been playing around with a wrun32.exe.manifest file which allows me to switch the controls to a more XP like look and feel. We can get this working to a point but reading Gisle's comments in a previous thread he implies the best way to do this properly is through an enhancement request (which we have filed !!).

We have MS Longhorn just round the corner (maybe!!) with it's new look at feel, so I was just wondering were acu are with there plan's to support the different look and feels of the MS operating systems to allow us to keep our COBOL applications at the cutting edge.

Hi Gisle, I was aware of the need to use the XP theme to get the correct effect what I was trying to say is that the same screen section needs to work on Windows XP themed and none themed and Windows 2000.

I noticed on your attached jpg that entry fields and combo boxes are 3-d with a blue border I have managed to get rid of the 3-d effect using the unboxed property (or configuration variable).

I have written a program and got 90% of everything working OK which I have sent to technical support with a bit of detail on where things are not quite right. (ID 99-030778)

Cheers,

Richard

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 15 June 2005]

We have had a number of comments about our application looking a bit "old fashioned" as it does not utilise the XP Style and Themes.
I have been playing around with a wrun32.exe.manifest file which allows me to switch the controls to a more XP like look and feel. We can get this working to a point but reading Gisle's comments in a previous thread he implies the best way to do this properly is through an enhancement request (which we have filed !!).

We have MS Longhorn just round the corner (maybe!!) with it's new look at feel, so I was just wondering were acu are with there plan's to support the different look and feels of the MS operating systems to allow us to keep our COBOL applications at the cutting edge.

Appreciate your effort Richard, I cannot promise you a delivery date. But I am sure we will look into the problems you have found, these challenges are to be resolved, unless there is some surprising portability issues of course.