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desktop icons - change grid offset ?



 
 
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  #16  
Old October 24th 19, 04:30 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

I know what controls are.

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


The above show you know what controls are (at least to to some extent). But
somehow you cannot grasp the idea that some controls are not readily
recognisable as such ?

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


True. I just tried to keep it simple.

Once again, I don't know what control you're referring to there


Maybe the problem is with the name "control".

How many controls do you see in the below picture - and I don't mean the
ones in the caption bar of the window itself :
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/statictext.png

Would you be surprised if I told you there is one ? Yes, the "I know you
told me ..." text is displayed by a control too. In this case the aptly
named "Static control" ('cause it does not respond to keyboard, mouse or
other input methods).

In other words, not all "controls" can be manipulated by the mouse or
keyboard (another example: a progress bar). And not all controls are
readily recognisable as such. In the above case because a static control
normally isn't given a border. In the case of the listview on the desktop
because it has been changed to /not/ to clear its background (causing it to
turn transparent) and is not given a border either.

Does that clarify it a bit ?

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


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  #17  
Old October 25th 19, 03:02 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:
John,

I know what controls are.

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

(I meant to say "close" rather than "control" for the third one.)

The above show you know what controls are (at least to to some extent). But
somehow you cannot grasp the idea that some controls are not readily
recognisable as such ?

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


True. I just tried to keep it simple.

Once again, I don't know what control you're referring to there


Maybe the problem is with the name "control".


It most definitely is, in view of what you say below.

How many controls do you see in the below picture - and I don't mean the
ones in the caption bar of the window itself :
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/statictext.png


None.

Would you be surprised if I told you there is one ? Yes, the "I know you


Yes, very.

told me ..." text is displayed by a control too. In this case the aptly
named "Static control" ('cause it does not respond to keyboard, mouse or
other input methods).


And is therefore not a "control", as most people would use the term. It
may be a control in some very limited sense for the programmer, but no
way is it a control from the user's point of view.

In other words, not all "controls" can be manipulated by the mouse or
keyboard (another example: a progress bar). And not all controls are


I don't think I know anyone who would call a progress bar a control.
Feature, perhaps, if you want a word to include both a progress bar and
the things _I_ would call controls.

readily recognisable as such. In the above case because a static control
normally isn't given a border. In the case of the listview on the desktop
because it has been changed to /not/ to clear its background (causing it to
turn transparent) and is not given a border either.

Does that clarify it a bit ?


Only very slightly. In earlier posts, you said you were moving (what
_you_ call, I now see) a "control" that contains the icons. It now
sounds as if you're referring to something transparent, and thus
probably invisible. I'm puzzled how you (a) move such a thing, (b) know
that you've done so.
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I don't like that word [atheist]; it implies that there's a god not to believe
in - Eric Idle, quoted in RT 2016/12/10-16
  #18  
Old October 25th 19, 08:23 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

How many controls do you see in the below picture - and I don't mean the
ones in the caption bar of the window itself :
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/statictext.png


None.


There you have it. A problem with the definition of the word "control".

And is therefore not a "control", as most people would use the term.


I'm not "most people", and neither are you. Both of us have done "something"
in programming, using multiple languages even. But does it really matter ?
We had a problem in communication, which now has been solved.

I don't think I know anyone who would call a progress bar a control.


Actually, you've known someone who does, and for quite a while now: me. :-)

Also everyone who designs user interfaces (read: a window/dialog with stuff
on it) will. Most definitily if he's a programmer too. Microsoft has
always called them that (guess where I got my clue from), with an example
here :
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...guide/controls

In earlier posts, you said you were moving (what _you_ call, I now see) a
"control" that contains the icons. It now sounds as if you're referring to
something transparent, and thus probably invisible.


The control has been made invisible (actually, it simply does not erase its
background and has its border-drawing disabeled, meaning that whatever
should be behind it stays visible), not its contents (the icons).

I'm puzzled how you (a) move such a thing, (b) know that you've done so.


a) You use one of Windows own functions to tell the control to position
itself somewhere else (function in case: MoveWindow. Or SetWindowPos. Both
work).

b) the icons that are placed on the control move with it. As the icons move
I know that the control must have moved. But, I've also, as a test, enabled
the controls build-in border-drawing (by flipping a single bit in its
"style" property). Seeing that border appear and change position when I
tell the control to move does give me some confidence that I actually did
so. :-)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #19  
Old October 26th 19, 12:10 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:
John,

How many controls do you see in the below picture - and I don't mean the
ones in the caption bar of the window itself :
http://zetcode.com/img/gui/winapi/statictext.png


None.


There you have it. A problem with the definition of the word "control".

And is therefore not a "control", as most people would use the term.


I'm not "most people", and neither are you. Both of us have done "something"
in programming, using multiple languages even. But does it really matter ?


Well, I think it does; when I'm talking as a programmer, I might - but
as a user, and certainly for the benefit of anyone else still reading
(sorry if that sounds like Our Dear Friend!), I wouldn't. Call it a
control, that is.

We had a problem in communication, which now has been solved.


Not entirely (-:

I don't think I know anyone who would call a progress bar a control.


Actually, you've known someone who does, and for quite a while now: me. :-)


You know what I meant!

Also everyone who designs user interfaces (read: a window/dialog with stuff
on it) will. Most definitily if he's a programmer too. Microsoft has
always called them that (guess where I got my clue from), with an example
here :
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...guide/controls


Microsoft is well-known for going their own way, and changing the name
of things depending on the colour of the moon ...

In earlier posts, you said you were moving (what _you_ call, I now see) a
"control" that contains the icons. It now sounds as if you're referring to
something transparent, and thus probably invisible.


The control has been made invisible (actually, it simply does not erase its
background and has its border-drawing disabeled, meaning that whatever
should be behind it stays visible), not its contents (the icons).

I'm puzzled how you (a) move such a thing, (b) know that you've done so.


a) You use one of Windows own functions to tell the control to position
itself somewhere else (function in case: MoveWindow. Or SetWindowPos. Both
work).


Sounds like you are doing some programming here, or something like that.
When you said you were "moving a control", especially as you talked
about "icons falling off as you move it" (or something close to that), I
assumed you were dragging something with the mouse [i. e., to avoid
ambiguity, moving the mouse pointer over it with the button held down],
or touchpad equivalent]. Not typing parameters into something.

b) the icons that are placed on the control move with it. As the icons move
I know that the control must have moved. But, I've also, as a test, enabled
the controls build-in border-drawing (by flipping a single bit in its
"style" property). Seeing that border appear and change position when I
tell the control to move does give me some confidence that I actually did
so. :-)

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


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

The first banjo solo I played was actually just a series of mistakes. In fact
it was all the mistakes I knew at the time. - Tim Dowling, RT2015/6/20-26
  #20  
Old October 26th 19, 07:48 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

I wouldn't. Call it a control, that is.


So, what /would/ you call it ? I already referred to them as
"thingamagotchies", but that is a rather long (and very underscriptive) name
.... :-)

Actually, you've known someone who does, and for quite a while now: me.
:-)


You know what I meant!


As am I sure that you know what I ment there.

Microsoft is well-known for going their own way, and changing the name of
things depending on the colour of the moon ...


That "controls" name has been in use for over 20 years. And thats just how
far back I came in contact with it (using Visual Basic v5). Also, take a
look in C:\Windows\System32. There is a file there named "ComCtl32.dll".
That stands for "COMmon ConTroLs 32bit" (the DLL which holds the code for,
among others, the ListView I've been talking about) . You can find that
file at least as far back as W95 (which would make the "controls" name for
those things almost 25 years old).

Sounds like you are doing some programming here, or something like that.


Exactly that. As I though you where a (Windows?) programmer yourself I
assumed you would know what I was talking about (even if you would not
exactly know /how/ I did it).

I assumed you were dragging something with the mouse [i. e., to avoid
ambiguity, moving the mouse pointer over it with the button held down], or
touchpad equivalent].


What did you think I ment when I said
Quote:
Originally Posted by me
Or maybe just send some WM_xxxx messages to the dekstop
window and see if I can alter the icon grid that way.
?

(I mentioned that twice)

Not typing parameters into something.


But that is exactly what the above implicated. That is, if you recognised
the "WM_xxxx" reference. Which I now think you didn't.

The thing boils down to me saying some stuff, and as I did not get any
signals of the contrary I assumed you grasped the meaning of it. That is
how it normally works, right ?

Than again, this is not a programmers newsgroup and I did use words and
wording which might only be known to them. Mea culpa.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


  #21  
Old October 26th 19, 08:46 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:
John,

I wouldn't. Call it a control, that is.


So, what /would/ you call it ? I already referred to them as
"thingamagotchies", but that is a rather long (and very underscriptive) name
... :-)


Feature, component, element ... to me, "control" implies something the
user can alter.
[]
Microsoft is well-known for going their own way, and changing the name of
things depending on the colour of the moon ...


That "controls" name has been in use for over 20 years. And thats just how
far back I came in contact with it (using Visual Basic v5). Also, take a
look in C:\Windows\System32. There is a file there named "ComCtl32.dll".
That stands for "COMmon ConTroLs 32bit" (the DLL which holds the code for,
among others, the ListView I've been talking about) . You can find that
file at least as far back as W95 (which would make the "controls" name for
those things almost 25 years old).


Yes, for programmers.

Sounds like you are doing some programming here, or something like that.


Exactly that. As I though you where a (Windows?) programmer yourself I
assumed you would know what I was talking about (even if you would not
exactly know /how/ I did it).


I've never actually programmed aspects of the Windows GUI.

I assumed you were dragging something with the mouse [i. e., to avoid
ambiguity, moving the mouse pointer over it with the button held down], or
touchpad equivalent].


What did you think I ment when I said
Quote:
Originally Posted by me
Or maybe just send some WM_xxxx messages to the dekstop
window and see if I can alter the icon grid that way.
?


I suppose I must have missed that, with your mention of (I forget your
_exact_ words) some of the icons falling off as you moved it.

(I mentioned that twice)

Not typing parameters into something.


But that is exactly what the above implicated. That is, if you recognised
the "WM_xxxx" reference. Which I now think you didn't.


If I did ascribe meaning to that, I assumed it was telling me more than
I needed to know about how parameters are passed to the relevant
function when you move a graphical control (with the mouse).

The thing boils down to me saying some stuff, and as I did not get any
signals of the contrary I assumed you grasped the meaning of it. That is
how it normally works, right ?

Than again, this is not a programmers newsgroup and I did use words and
wording which might only be known to them. Mea culpa.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

No problem.

To get back to your original query - if I remember it correctly! - you
wanted to know (if I understood you correctly) if you could change the
distance of the top or leftmost row/column of icons, from the top or
left edge. Some of us told you how to change the horizontal and vertical
"grid spacing", but none of us know of a way to change the initial
position of the first row/column in the grid. IIRR, you wanted to do
this because the line/column was over a line or similar feature in the
wallpaper you wanted to use, and for some reason you couldn't just alter
the wallpaper image (zoom it, crop it, or add a border to it).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Mike Jackson |\ _,,,---,,_
and Squeak /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ Shame there's no snooze button
[1998] |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'- on a cat who wants breakfast
zzz '---''(_/--' `-'\_)
  #22  
Old October 26th 19, 09:31 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
R.Wieser
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,302
Default desktop icons - change grid offset ?

John,

To get back to your original query

.....
none of us know of a way to change the initial position of the first
row/column in the grid.


Which is why I moved on to a posible method to get the effect anyway. And
although the moving and resizing works, another problem popped up as a
result of the resizing. Which is what I than tried to find a solution for
(possibly by telling the involved thingamagotchy to refresh itself) .

IIRR, you wanted to do this because the line/column was over a line or
similar feature in the wallpaper you wanted to use, and for some reason
you couldn't just alter the wallpaper image (zoom it, crop it, or add a
border to it).


If you have just 2...4 pixels between the leftmost point of an icon and its
accompanying text and the desktops left border, how much cropping do you
think I would need to do to get a border thats aynthing else than a straight
line just 1..2 pixels wide to fit there ? In other words, cropping isn't
the answer.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


 




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