Creating Wallpaper for Your Application

Description

What is "wallpaper" and creating wallpaper:

What is "Wallpaper"

When you run Alpha Anywhere and you have not maximized the child windows, you see a gray background behind each open window. This gray background is the application "wallpaper". Alpha Anywhere lets you design your own wallpaper by specially configuring a form to be shown as the wallpaper.

Creating Wallpaper

Alpha Anywhere allows you to enhance the presentation of your application. You can create "wallpaper" for your Alpha Anywhere application. The <FORM>.ZORDER() method, in combination with other Alpha Anywhere features, allows you to use a form (as the background for your application) that:

  • contains an image (or images)

  • contains links to URLs

  • contains an ActiveX control, such as an Internet browser

  • or any combination of the above

The technique is simple.

  1. After designing your "wallpaper" form, make the form fill the MDI client area without maximizing it. Place the following statement in the form's OnActivate event.

    topparent.window_position("fill","fill")
  2. To keep the form at the bottom of the stack when you open other windows and click on the wallpaper form, add the following statement to the form's OnDeactivate event.

    topparent.zorder("bottom")
  3. Modify the form's properties by right clicking on the form and selecting Properties ...

  4. Select the Form tab and check Hide status bar.

  5. Select the Window tab and clear all of the Window style options.

  6. Set the Frame style to "Dialog". Save your results.