Quote
> I need code which will create a group in Program Manager and then to
> create an icon in that group.
Check the Delphi Super Page for the progmn11.zip component.
It is a subclassed DDE component - you just supply the group
name and item name (with some parameters), call a method,
and it adds the group and item to the Program Manager.
If you need to do other stuff besides creating icons, here's a
PM/DDE summary that I found on the web, plus some Delphi sample code.
==========================
Topic: Windows Program Manager and DDE commands
Thanks for the contribution from Stephen Bottomley 100237,464
#: 248167 S12/CW Adv. Features
19-Dec-95 21:26:53
Sb: #248154-ProgMan Groups & Icons
Fm: Stephen Bottomley 100237,464
The CW docs on DDE give you the basics. Here some other documentation on
Progman DDE commands (hope it formats reasonable well<g>):
--------------------------------------------------------------
Command-String Interface
Program Manager has a DDE command-string interface that allows other
applications to create, display, delete and reload groups; add items to
groups; replace items in groups; delete items from groups; and to close
Program Manager. The following commands perform these actions:
AddItem ExitProgman
CreateGroup Reload (Windows 3.1 only)
DeleteGroup ReplaceItem (Windows 3.1 only)
DeleteItem (Windows version 3.1 only) ShowGroup
The setup program for an application can use these commands, for example, to
instruct Program Manager to install the application's icon in a group.
Multiple commands may be concatenated; each command must be contained in
square brackets, and parameters must be contained in parentheses and separated
by commas. Quotation marks must be used to delimit arguments that contain
spaces, brackets, or parentheses. For example, the following set of commands
adds WINAPP.EXE to the Windows Applications group:
[CreateGroup("Windows Applications")]
[ShowGroup("MYGROUP.GRP",1)]
[AddItem(winapp.exe,Win App,winapp.exe,2)]
To use these commands, an application must first initiate a conversation with
Program Manager. The application and topic names for the conversation are both
PROGMAN. Then the application sends the WM_DDE_EXECUTE message, specifying the
appropriate command and its parameters.
Note: The user can configure Windows to use a shell other than Program
Manager as the default. As a result, you should not design an application
assuming that Program Manager will be available for a DDE conversation.
The following sections describe Program Manager DDE command strings in detail.
In the syntax blocks in the following sections, brackets enclose optional
arguments.
CreateGroup
The syntax for the CreateGroup command has this form:
CreateGroup(GroupName[,GroupPath])
The CreateGroup command instructs Program Manager to create a new group or
activate the window of an existing group.
Following are the parameters for this command:
GroupName Identifies the group to be created. This parameter is a
string. If a group already exists with the name specified by GroupName,
CreateGroup activates the group window.
GroupPath Specifies the path of the group file. If your application does
not supply this parameter, Windows uses a default filename for the group in
the Windows directory.
ShowGroup
The syntax for the ShowGroup command has this form:
ShowGroup(GroupName,ShowCommand)
The ShowGroup command instructs Program Manager to minimize, maximize, or
restore the window of an existing group.
Following are the parameters for this command:
GroupName Identifies the group window to be minimized, maximized, or
restored.
ShowCommand Specifies the action that Program Manager is to perform on the
group window. This parameter is an integer. It must have one of the following
values:
Value Meaning
1 Activates and displays the group window. If the window is minimized or
maximized, Windows restores it to its original size and position.
2 Activates the group window and displays it as an icon.
3 Activates the group window and displays it as a maximized window.
4 Displays the group window in its most recent size and position. The
window that is currently active remains active.
5 Activates the group window and displays it in its current size and
position.
6 Minimizes the group window.
7 Displays the group window as an icon. The window that is currently
active remains active.
8 Displays the group window in its current state. The window that is
currently active remains active.
DeleteGroup
The syntax for the DeleteGroup command has this form:
DeleteGroup(GroupName)
The DeleteGroup command instructs Program Manager to delete an existing group.
Following is the parameter for this command:
GroupName Identifies the group to be deleted.
Reload
The syntax for the Reload command has this form:
Reload(GroupName)
The ReloadGroup command instructs Program Manager to remove and reload an
existing group. An application that modifies group files can use this command
to cause Program Manager to update the groups when it has finished making
modifications.
Following is the parameter for this command:
GroupName Identifies the group to be removed and reloaded. If the
GroupName parameter is not specified, Program Manager unloads all groups and
reloads the [Group] section of PROGMAN.INI. The [Settings] and [Restrictions]
sections are not reread.
AddItem
The syntax for the AddItem command has this form:
AddItem(CmdLine[,
Name[,IconPath[,IconIndex[,xPos, yPos[,DefDir[,
HotKey,[,fMinimize] ] ] ] ] ] ])
The AddItem command instructs Program Manager to add an icon to an existing
group.
Following are the parameters for this command:
CmdLine Specifies the full command line required to execute the application.
This parameter is a string. At a minimum, this string is the name of the
executable file for the application. It can also include the full path of the
application and any parameters required by the application.
Name Specifies the title that is displayed below the icon in the group
window.
IconPath Identifies the filename for the icon to be displayed in the
group window. This parameter is a string. This file can be either a Windows
executable file or an icon file. If the IconPath parameter is not specified,
Program Manager uses the first icon in the file specified by the CmdLine
parameter if that file is an executable file. If CmdLine specifies an
associated file, Program Manager uses the first icon of the associated
executable file. The association is taken from the registration database. (For
more information about the registration database, see The Windows Shell
Overview.) If CmdLine specifies neither an executable file nor an associated
executable file, Program Manager uses a default icon.
IconIndex Specifies the index of the icon in the file identified by the
IconPath parameter. The IconIndex parameter is an integer. PROGMAN.EXE
contains five built-in icons that can be used for non-Windows programs.
xPos Specifies the horizontal position of the icon in the group window.
This parameter is an integer. You must use both the xPos and yPos parameters
to specify the position of the icon. If you do not specify the position,
Program Manager places the icon in the next available space.
yPos Specifies the vertical position of the icon in the group window. This
parameter is an integer. You must use both the xPos and yPos parameters to
specify the position of the icon. If you do not specify the position, Program
Manager places the icon in the next available space.
DefDir Specifies the name of the default (or working) directory. This
parameter is a string.
HotKey Identifies a hot (or shortcut) key that is specified by the user.
fMinimize Specifies whether an application window should be minimized
when it is first displayed.
ReplaceItem
The syntax for the ReplaceItem command has this form:
ReplaceItem(ItemName)
The ReplaceItem command instructs Program Manager to delete an item and record
the position of the deleted item. Program Manager will add a new item
(specified by the next AddItem command) at this recorded position.
Following is the parameter for this command:
ItemName Specifies the item to be deleted. Its position is recorded by
Program Manager.
DeleteItem
The syntax for the DeleteItem command has this form:
DeleteItem(ItemName)
The DeleteItem command instructs Program Manager to delete an item from the
currently active group.
Following is the parameter for this command:
ItemName Specifies the item to be deleted from the currently active
group.
ExitProgman
The syntax for the ExitProgman command has this form:
ExitProgman(bSaveGroups)
If Program Manager was started by another application, the ExitProgman command
instructs Program Manager to exit and, optionally, save its group information.
Following is the parameter for this command:
bSaveGroups Specifies a Boolean value that, if nonzero, causes Program
Manager to save its group information before closing. If bSaveGroups is zero,
Program Manager does not save its group information.
Steve B.
[Team Topspeed]
=========================
Here's a Delphi sample using some of these commands.
It creates/updates a PM icon that represents a saved-game file.
PmDdeClient is a DDEClientConv component with DdeAutomatic on.
procedure SetOldGamePMIcon(ThisFileName : string);
{ add/update the Program Manager icon for the given saved game }
var
MacroString, CommandLine : string;
MacroPChar : array[0..255] of Char;
begin
with MainForm, MainForm.PmDdeClient do
if SetLink('progman','progman') = false then
NormalPointerMessage('Couldn''t link to Program Manager.','Communication Error')
else
begin
{ create/activate the proper PM group }
MacroString := '[CreateGroup("My Group")]' + chr(13) + chr(10);
StrPCopy(MacroPChar,
...
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