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desktop icons - change grid offset ?



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 20th 19, 12:27 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

Hello all,

Is there a way to change the desktops icon grid ? I would like to see if
moving it a bit right and/or down (and possibly removing the right and/or
bottom rows) would look better on certain wallpapers.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


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  #2  
Old October 20th 19, 08:06 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
JJ[_11_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 744
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

On Sun, 20 Oct 2019 13:27:11 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:
Hello all,

Is there a way to change the desktops icon grid ? I would like to see if
moving it a bit right and/or down (and possibly removing the right and/or
bottom rows) would look better on certain wallpapers.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


No offset. Just spacings. Look for references to IconSpacing and
IconVerticalSpacing registry value names.
  #3  
Old October 20th 19, 08:59 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_7_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 603
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

In message , JJ
writes:
On Sun, 20 Oct 2019 13:27:11 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:
Hello all,

Is there a way to change the desktops icon grid ? I would like to see if
moving it a bit right and/or down (and possibly removing the right and/or
bottom rows) would look better on certain wallpapers.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


No offset. Just spacings. Look for references to IconSpacing and
IconVerticalSpacing registry value names.


No need to hack registry. I can't remember exactly where it is in XP,
but it's in the display settings somewhere. I think it _is_ behind an
"Advanced" button (that distinction came in, IIRR, between '95 and '98!
Windows 95 users were obviously considered competent to play with such
settings). It's the same place as the settings for header colours, icon
font, scrollbar width, menu colours, and so on.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Life, liberty and the happiness of pursuit!
  #4  
Old October 20th 19, 11:29 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Shadow
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,638
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

On Sun, 20 Oct 2019 20:59:44 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
wrote:

In message , JJ
writes:
On Sun, 20 Oct 2019 13:27:11 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:
Hello all,

Is there a way to change the desktops icon grid ? I would like to see if
moving it a bit right and/or down (and possibly removing the right and/or
bottom rows) would look better on certain wallpapers.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


No offset. Just spacings. Look for references to IconSpacing and
IconVerticalSpacing registry value names.


No need to hack registry. I can't remember exactly where it is in XP,
but it's in the display settings somewhere. I think it _is_ behind an
"Advanced" button (that distinction came in, IIRR, between '95 and '98!
Windows 95 users were obviously considered competent to play with such
settings). It's the same place as the settings for header colours, icon
font, scrollbar width, menu colours, and so on.


Right click on Desktop -- Properties -- Appearance --
Advanced.
(Drop-down menu)
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012
  #5  
Old October 21st 19, 07:56 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

JJ, John, Shadow,

Thanks for the pointer to setting the grid spacing. Alas, that one is the
"would be handy to have too" of the two - changing the offset (or border
sizes) is what I really need. Currently the left and topmost row of
icons(and ofcourse most likely the right and bottom rows too) are placed on
a drawn border in the wallpaper image.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #6  
Old October 21st 19, 08:07 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_7_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 603
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
JJ, John, Shadow,

Thanks for the pointer to setting the grid spacing. Alas, that one is the
"would be handy to have too" of the two - changing the offset (or border
sizes) is what I really need. Currently the left and topmost row of
icons(and ofcourse most likely the right and bottom rows too) are placed on
a drawn border in the wallpaper image.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


Can you not modify the image in question?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Old soldiers never die - only young ones
  #7  
Old October 21st 19, 09:06 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John

Can you not modify the image in question?


It wouldn't make a difference if I could: the "Mozilla Firefox" text below
its icon is almost flush against the left side of the screen. There is
simply no space for a border there. Same for the space above the topmost
icon.

But what I probably /can/ do is to replace the build-in icon grid with one
of my own hand. Or maybe just send some WM_xxxx messages to the dekstop
window and see if I can alter the icon grid that way.

Oh jolly, if I do not have enough hobby projects to waste my time on :-)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #8  
Old October 21st 19, 10:36 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

[Me]
Or maybe just send some WM_xxxx messages to the dekstop window and see if I
can alter the icon grid that way.


And that turns out to be rather easy: Just walk your way down the desktop
controls until you have the SysListView32 one and than use SetWindowPos to
move it around. :-)

No idea yet how long the change "sticks" though ...

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #9  
Old October 21st 19, 08:01 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_7_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 603
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

[Me]
Or maybe just send some WM_xxxx messages to the dekstop window and see if I
can alter the icon grid that way.


And that turns out to be rather easy: Just walk your way down the desktop
controls until you have the SysListView32 one and than use SetWindowPos to
move it around. :-)

No idea yet how long the change "sticks" though ...

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


That might be easy for _you_; the above means little to me (-:!
[]

(No criticism intended; I've just stopped - or rather slowed down a lot
- learning new things, at least where I'm unlikely to use them much.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

once described by Eccentrica Golumbits as the best bang since the big one ...
(first series, fit the second)
  #10  
Old October 21st 19, 09:06 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

And that turns out to be rather easy: Just walk your way down the
desktop
controls until you have the SysListView32 one and than use SetWindowPos to
move it around. :-)

....
That might be easy for _you_; the above means little to me (-:!


My apologies. For some reason I assumed you where programming too.

As for "easy", I am able to move and shrink the SysListView32 control (the
one which holds the icons), but whatever I try I cannot get it to reorder
the icons to reflect the smaller space (icons are simply pushed down-and-off
the control, rendering them invisible and unreachable). :-\

(No criticism intended; I've just stopped - or rather slowed down a lot -
learning new things, at least where I'm unlikely to use them much.)


None taken.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #11  
Old October 21st 19, 09:29 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_7_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 603
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

And that turns out to be rather easy: Just walk your way down the
desktop
controls until you have the SysListView32 one and than use SetWindowPos to
move it around. :-)

...
That might be easy for _you_; the above means little to me (-:!


My apologies. For some reason I assumed you where programming too.


Although never professionally, I dabbled with various programming
languages throughout my school and working life, so have a fair
knowledge - mainly of concepts rather than details.

As for "easy", I am able to move and shrink the SysListView32 control (the
one which holds the icons), but whatever I try I cannot get it to reorder
the icons to reflect the smaller space (icons are simply pushed down-and-off
the control, rendering them invisible and unreachable). :-\


The above sounds as if you're moving some box or control, as some part
of a GUI? The only controls for icon positions I know of are in
something I recognise, that has samples of Inactive Window, Active
Window, menu, Message Box, and Message Text, and a drop-down list headed
Item, where the default entry is Desktop; in Windows 7, it is titled
Window Color and Appearance, I can't remember if it was the same in XP.
(To get to it in 7 you have to look in a weird place: it's under Window
Color, between Desktop Background and Sounds, in Personalization.) The
drop-down list includes Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing
(Vertical). They're in pixels; another item in the list is Icon, where
you can select icon size and font. Sadly there's no Offset. Nothing that
matches the description if them being "pushed down-and-off the control",
though.
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad - I'm better! (Mae West)
  #12  
Old October 22nd 19, 07:30 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

The above sounds as if you're moving some box or control, as some part of
a GUI?


Exactly that. The control that holds the icons is part of the desktop
window. Its just a listview set to icon mode.

The drop-down list includes Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing
(Vertical). They're in pixels; another item in the list is Icon, where you
can select icon size and font.


Yep, I found those where jj, shadow and you told me.

Sadly there's no Offset.


Yup. Hence my attempt to just move-and-resize the control itself.

Nothing that matches the description if them being "pushed down-and-off
the control", though.


Maybe the description is not the best one. I'm actually pulling the bottom
of the control up, while the contents of the control (the icons) do not
move.

Its the same as what happens when you have the "file explorer" open on a
folder with more entries (files, subfolders) than it can display. When you
than move the border without the scrollbar left / up you will, at some
point, notice the icons being "cut in half" because the border is placed
ontop of it.

Thats the effect I have. But in my case without a visible border and no
scrollbars (not that enableing either of those helps, I've already tried
:-) )

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #13  
Old October 24th 19, 12:01 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_7_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 603
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

The above sounds as if you're moving some box or control, as some part of
a GUI?


Exactly that. The control that holds the icons is part of the desktop
window.


What control?

Its just a listview set to icon mode.


What's a listview? (If you mean the desktop is "just" like a view of a
folder [e. g. an open/save dialog one] but set to icon views, [a] I know
no way to change it to anything other than icon, [b] it isn't quite, in
that you can drag the icons about.)

The drop-down list includes Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing
(Vertical). They're in pixels; another item in the list is Icon, where you
can select icon size and font.


Yep, I found those where jj, shadow and you told me.

Sadly there's no Offset.


Yup. Hence my attempt to just move-and-resize the control itself.


WHAT control?

Nothing that matches the description if them being "pushed down-and-off
the control", though.


Maybe the description is not the best one. I'm actually pulling the bottom
of the control up, while the contents of the control (the icons) do not
move.


WHAT control? [(-:]

Its the same as what happens when you have the "file explorer" open on a
folder with more entries (files, subfolders) than it can display. When you
than move the border without the scrollbar left / up you will, at some
point, notice the icons being "cut in half" because the border is placed
ontop of it.


I've got that. I don't _have_ such an "edge" to my desktop, though,
unless you mean the top edge of the taskbar.

Thats the effect I have. But in my case without a visible border and no
scrollbars (not that enableing either of those helps, I've already tried
:-) )

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


2
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Quantum particles: the dreams that stuff is made of - David Moser
  #14  
Old October 24th 19, 01:16 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

Exactly that. The control that holds the icons is part of the desktop
window.


What control?

Its just a listview set to icon mode.


What's a listview?


When you open a program all the seperate thingamagotchies within its borders
are called "controls". Like the control where you type your newsgroup
reply in is called an "Edit" control. The desktop uses a control named
SysListView32 to display the icons you see at the left. The "taskbar" at
the bottom is another control, just like the "start button" on it is yet
another one.

For example, here is a program without any controls on it:
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/window.png

This is one with a single "button" control on it :
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/modelessdialog.png

This is one with an "edit" and "button" control on it:
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/editcontrol.png

And just like that button on the second image can be placed anywhere you
like (including outside of the borders of what its currently on!) the
SysListView32 (or "listview" for short) can be moved anywhere too.

Though in my case I'm doing something that normally isn't done: I'm poking
into another program and moving one of its (not mine/my current program)
controls around ...

.... which the "desktop" program didn't want to cooperate with. :-\

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #15  
Old October 24th 19, 01:32 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_7_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 603
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

Exactly that. The control that holds the icons is part of the desktop
window.


What control?

Its just a listview set to icon mode.


What's a listview?


When you open a program all the seperate thingamagotchies within its borders
are called "controls". Like the control where you type your newsgroup
reply in is called an "Edit" control. The desktop uses a control named
SysListView32 to display the icons you see at the left. The "taskbar" at
the bottom is another control, just like the "start button" on it is yet
another one.


I know what controls are. You were talking about desktop icons. "The
control that holds the icons" does not have any meaning to me, in the
context of the icons on my desktop.

Note, I'm not saying you're wrong - just that I don't get what you're
describing.

For example, here is a program without any controls on it:
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/window.png


It has four, actually: minimise, maximise, control, and top-left-click
menu. (-:

This is one with a single "button" control on it :
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/modelessdialog.png


And close.

This is one with an "edit" and "button" control on it:
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/editcontrol.png

And just like that button on the second image can be placed anywhere you
like (including outside of the borders of what its currently on!) the
SysListView32 (or "listview" for short) can be moved anywhere too.


Once again, I don't know what control you're referring to there, if
you're talking about desktop icons. Does anyone else reading this thread
know what Rudy is talking about?

Though in my case I'm doing something that normally isn't done: I'm poking
into another program and moving one of its (not mine/my current program)
controls around ...

... which the "desktop" program didn't want to cooperate with. :-\

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Get off my turf!" screamed Pooh, as he shot at Paddington.
 




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