CodeProject: Collapsible, resizable and dockable XP style control bar. Free source code and programming help

Download demo project - 209 Kb

Introduction

This class can be used to create a collapsible, resizable and dockable XP style control bar with very few lines of code.
The following files must be added to your project.

CollapsiblePanel.h
CollapsiblePanel.cpp

Resources

An empty dialog to define the initial control bar size.
A bitmap image for the logo of the button (if required).
A bitmap image for the expand icon of the button.
A dialog that will be displayed by the collapsible button.

Sample code

In your

CMainFrame

header file, define a variable of the type

CCollapsiblePanel

:

CCollapsiblePanelm_wndCollapsiblePanel;

In the

CMainFrame::OnCreate()

method, create the

CDialog

corresponding to the panels of the collapsible button :

CDialog* m_wndView1 = new CDialogButton1();

Set the Collapsible control bar (dockable, color and bitmaps.) :

m_wndCollapsiblePanel.CreateTheContainer(this, IDD_PANEL, true);
m_wndCollapsiblePanel.SetTheBkColor(RGB(100, 149, 237));
//m_wndCollapsiblePanel.SetDefaultSystemColor();
m_wndCollapsiblePanel.SetExpandBitmap(IDB_BITMAP_EXPAND);

Indicate if the program uses a toolbar or a status bar.

m_wndCollapsiblePanel.SetTheControlBar(&m_wndToolBar, &m_wndStatusBar);

Finally append the buttons.

m_wndCollapsiblePanel.AppendButton("Text Button 1",
IDB_BITMAP_DW, m_wndView1, IDD_DIALOG_BUTTON1);
m_wndCollapsiblePanel.AppendButton("Text Button 2", IDB_BITMAP_FW,
m_wndView2, IDD_DIALOG_BUTTON2);
m_wndCollapsiblePanel.AppendButton("text Button 3", NULL, NULL, NULL);