   Help for Tips

Properties	Events

Registration Information

Order Form

Getting Custom Controls Written

Description

Tips provides Microsoft(r) style tool tips.  Small windows pop-up with bits of info when the user pauses the mouse over your controls.  No code required, just set the Tag properties.

File Name

TIPS1.VBX

Object Type

MabryTips

Compatibility

VB 2.0 and up

Remarks

When the Enabled property is set to True (default), Tips automatically showing tool tips.

Tips should be placed on all forms where its functionality is required (including MDI forms and children).  Tips can be placed directly on an MDI form.

At design time, Tips shows you what a tip will look like.  Set colors (BackColor and ForeColor) and font to get the look you desire.  Then, set the Tag properties of the controls you want tips for.  Tips will automatically display those Tags at run-time, when the mouse cursor pauses over the controls.

Distribution Note     When you develop and distribute an application that uses Tips, you should install the file TIPS1.VBX into the users Windows SYSTEM directory.  Tips has version information built into it.  So, during installation, you should ensure that you are not overwriting a newer version of Tips.

Usage Note     Tips does not show a help window/tool tip for Label and Image controls.  It does, however, show a tip for Picture Boxes.


Tips Properties

Properties that have special meaning for this control or that only apply to this control are marked with an asterisk (*).

Align Property

BackColor Property

Caption Property

Enabled Property (default)

FontBold Property

FontItalic Property

FontName Property

FontSize Property

FontStrikethru Property

FontUnderline Property

ForeColor Property

Height Property

Index Property

*Interval Property

*Interval2 Property

Left Property

Name Property

Parent Property

Tag Property

*TipAlignment Property

Top Property

*UseTag Property

Width Property

*XOffset Property

*YOffset Property


Tips Events

Events that have special meaning for this control or that only apply to this control are marked with an asterisk (*).

*MouseOver Event

*TipDisplay Event

*TipHide Event


Interval Property
Interval and Interval2 Properties

Description

Determines how long the mouse must not move.

Usage

[form.][control.]Interval[ = long ]

[form.][control.]Interval2[ = long ]

Remarks

Interval determines how long (in milliseconds) the mouse cursor must pause over a control before Tips displays a tip.

Interval2 determines how long (in milliseconds) the mouse must pause over a second control after the tip is displayed.  Typically this is set short to allow the user to move from one control to the next after the first tip is shown.

Data Type

Integer (long)


TipAlignment Property

See Also

Description

Determines where the tip is displayed.

Usage

[form.][control.]TipAlignment[ = integer ]

Remarks

This property determines where the tip is placed relative to the cursor or the control.  It can be one of the following values:

Value	Description

0	Cursor

1	Cursor (follow) - the tip follows the cursor

2	Upper left corner of control

3	Upper center of control

4	Upper right corner of control

5	Left side of control

6	Center of control

7	Right side of control

8	Lower left corner of control

9	Lower center of control

10	Lower right corner of control

The XOffset and YOffset properties are used to modify the placement of the tip.

Data Type

Integer (enumerated)


See Also

Events:

TipDisplay


UseTag Property

See Also

Description

Determines whether or not to use the Tag property as the default.

Usage

[form.][control.]UseTag[ = boolean ]

Remarks

If this property is True, Tips VBX uses the Tag property of the control the mouse is over as the default value to display.  If this value is false, Tips uses no default.  You may want to set this property to False if you are using other controls that require values in the Tag property.

This property defaults to True.

Data Type

Integer (Boolean)


See Also

Events:

TipDisplay

TipHide


XOffset and YOffset Properties

Description

Determines where to place the tip at run-time.

Usage

[form.][control.]XOffset[ = integer ]

[form.][control.]YOffset[ = integer ]

Remarks

These properties determine where to place the tip when it's displayed at run-time.  These values are in pixels.  The tip is placed relative to the hot-spot of the mouse cursor.

Data Type

Integer


MouseOver Event

Description

Occurs when the mouse passes over a control.

Syntax

Sub ctlname_MouseOver (ControlName As String, HelpContextID As Long, Tag As String)

Remarks

This event occurs when the mouse passes into a control.  This can be used to feed a status bar.

The argument ControlName  holds the name of the control the mouse is in.

The argument HelpContextID holds the HelpContextID property of the control selected.  This property can be set in the properties window at design-time.

If the UseTag property is True, the argument Tag holds the Tag property of the control selected.  Otherwise, the Tag argument is empty.


TipDisplay Event

See Also	Example

Description

Occurs when Tips is about to display a tip.

Syntax

Sub ctlname_TipDisplay (ControlName As String, HelpContextID As Long, Tag As String)

Remarks

This event only occurs if the Enabled property is set to True (default).  Also, this event only fires for the form that the control is on.  If there are multiple forms that need tool tips, you must place Tips on each one.

The argument ControlName  holds the name of the control the mouse has paused over.

The argument HelpContextID holds the HelpContextID property of the control selected.  This property can be set in the properties window at design-time.

If the UseTag property is True, the argument Tag holds the Tag property of the control selected.  Otherwise, the Tag argument is empty.  This is the text that Tips VBX is about to display.  You can change it to something else, if needed.  If you set it to an empty string, the tip window is not displayed.


See Also

Properties:

TipAlignemtn

UseTag

Events:

TipHide


TipHide Event

See Also

Description

Occurs when Tips removes the tip window from the screen.

Syntax

Sub ctlname_TipHide ()

Remarks

This event occurs when Tips VBX removes (hides) the tip window from the screen.


See Also

Properties:

UseTag

Events:

TipDisplay


TipDisplay Event Example

In this example, the tip displayed is the each controls name (except controls that begin with "Form"). To try this example, paste the code into the Declarations section of a form that contains a number of various controls and a Tips control.  Press F5.

Sub Tips1_TipDisplay (ControlName As String, HelpContextID As Long, Tag As String)

   If Left(ControlName,4) = "Form" Then

      Tag = ""

   Else

      Tag = ControlName

   End If

End Sub


Registration Information

Credits

Tips was written by James Shields.  Inquiries can be sent to 71231,2066 on CompuServe, or mabry@halcyon.com on Internet.  Our mailing address is:

Mabry Software, Inc.

Post Office Box 31926

Seattle, WA  98103-1926

Registration

You can register this program by sending $20 ($25 for international orders) and your address.  You can register Tips and its C source code by sending $50 ($55 for international orders).  With your order, you will receive a copy of our manual documenting all of our controls.

For your convenience, an order form has been provided that you can print out directly from this help file.

E-mail Discount

You may take a $5 discount for e-mail delivery of this package (CompuServe or Internet).  If you choose this option, please note: a printed manual is not included.  Be sure to include your full mailing address with your order.  Sometimes (on the Internet) the package cannot be e-mailed.  So, we are forced to send it through the normal mails.

CompuServe members may also take the $5 e-mail discount by registering this package in the software registration forum (GO SWREG).  Tips SWREG ID number is 3482.  The source code version's ID number is 3483.

Credit Card Orders

We accept VISA and Mastercard.  If you e-mail your order to us, please be sure to include your card number, expiration date, complete mailing address, and your phone number (in case we have any questions about your order).

© Copyright 1994-1995 by Mabry Software, Inc.


Order Form
 Tips Order Form

Use the Print Topic.. command from the File menu to print this order form.

Mail this	Mabry Software, Inc.

form to:	Post Office Box 31926

Seattle, WA  98103-1926

Phone: 206-634-1443

Fax: 206-632-0272

BBS: WinDev BBS 206-634-0783

CompuServe: 71231,2066

Internet: mabry@halcyon.com

Where did you get this copy of Tips?

____________________________________________________________________

Ship to:	____________________________________________________________________

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Phone:	_________________________________________________________________

Fax:	_________________________________________________________________

E-Mail:	_________________________________________________________________

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Disk Size:	(circle one)	 3½	5¼

qty ordered	____	REGISTRATION

$20 each, postpaid (check or money order in hard currency). Outside of North America add $5.00 shipping.

qty ordered	____	SOURCE CODE AND REGISTRATION

$50 each, postpaid (check or money order in hard currency). Outside of North America add $5.00 shipping.


Getting Custom Controls Written

If you or your organization would like to have custom controls written, you can contact me at the following:

James Shields

Mabry Software, Inc.

Post Office Box 31926

Seattle, WA  98103-1926

Phone: 206-634-1443

Fax: 206-632-0272

BBS: WinDev BBS 206-634-0783

CompuServe: 71231,2066

Internet: mabry@halcyon.com

You can also contact Zane Thomas.  He can be reached at:

Zane Thomas

Post Office Box 300

Indianola, WA  98342

CompuServe: 72060,3327