XP Button Style in VB.NET

Download :

xpbutton.zip

Introduction

I was surprised to find that Visual Studio 2003 .NET, the latest and greatest Windows application development tool, doesn't include an easy way to create XP-style buttons. Then I noticed that Office XP mostly uses the old-fashioned 3D buttons, suggesting that implementing the new style is not trivial. The new buttons are mostly found in Windows XP accessories and Internet Explorer 6. As a programmer, my first reaction was to jump in and reinvent the wheel, which reminds me that I need to start waiting for my second reaction before I waste any more time.

This article describes a way to create XP-like buttons by implementing the button's Paint method. It's an (interesting, I hope) exploration of GDI+ graphics. But you don't have to go to all this trouble, nor do you have to accept less than perfect results, to achieve XP buttons. You simply need to link your Windows Form application with the latest version (6.0) of ComCtl32.

Copyright:http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cpp/XPStyleB.aspx

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