This page is intended to tell software developers how to
use Mizo - XP Themer in order to add the XP view to their own applications.
I will explain using Visual Basic as an example.
First, put this code in the Declarations
section of the form you want to have the XP looks.
Private Declare Function InitCommonControls Lib
"Comctl32.dll" () As Long
Then add this code to your Form_Initialize()
section
Dim x As Long
x = InitCommonControls
After compiling your project into an .exe file, run Mizo - XP Themer and
let it theme your application.
A manifest file will be created in the same directory as your executable.
This file will be namedyourappname.exe.manifest.
Make sure you add this file to same directory with your executable file in
your distribution package.
Note: that you will only see the
changes after you compile your project. During Design time, your application
will have the old windows looks, but when you compile it to an .exe file, it
will show the Win XP Theme.
To enable Win XP Themes in visual basic at design time, you will
have to run XP Themer on visual basic itself.
To do this, first find the directory in which visual basic was
installed.
Now you should find the file vb6.exe in the unthemed list. Select
this file and press the apply theme button.
Now when you restart visual basic you will find that it has been
themed and that all of your projects will be themed at design time.
This does not mean
that you can skip the first step of theming your own application. If you
don't, your applications will just look plain normal.
Notes...
Your themed applications will run normally on any other windows other than
Win XP, but they will not show the Win XP style.
Keep this in mind if you are going to add themes to vb6.exe, because your
applications will look different on the other versions of windows.
I prefer to design my applications in the normal interface and then add
themes to the compiled .exe file.
Even if your applications look different on other versions of windows,
your applications will still run correctly, because older versions of Windows
will just ignore the manifest file.
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