How to change the Caption of a Borderless Form while Minimized using a Timer?

[nicebasic]

I have a VB project that has a Borderless form. I'm trying to update its caption while it has been minimized, but I can't.

The code in the "Form" is is follows:

Public myCounter As Integer

Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    Me.WindowState = vbMinimized
End Sub

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
    myCounter = myCounter + 1
    Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

When I click on its "Minimized Caption Bar" or when it Loses Focus, its caption will be updated with the code in the Timer. But this is not what I'm looking for. I'd like to have it updated with the code in the Timer without gaining or losing focus.

I tested other ways. For example, I changed the code in "Sub myTimer_Timer() " to this:

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
    myCounter = myCounter + 1
    Me.Show
    Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

or even to this:

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
    myCounter = myCounter + 1
    Me.SetFocus
    Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

Using these two tricks, I can have it updated according to the Interval set for the Timer. But the problem is that its "Minmized Caption Bar" blinks and is rather annoying.

How can I have it updated "Without Blinking"?

Thank you for your help.

[Guido Geurs]

You can only change the caption if border is shown.
So if You minimize, set the border ON.
When You set the form back (resize), set the border back OFF.

Public myCounter As Integer

Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    With Me
      .WindowState = vbMinimized
      .ZOrder
      .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
   Me.BorderStyle = vbBSNone
End Sub

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
    myCounter = myCounter + 1
      Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

[nicebasic]

Thank you, Mr. Guido Geurs,

You're a great expert. I applied your code to the project. Attached to this post, you'll find the "Modified Project". But, something is wrong.

When I minimize the form, its caption will be updated as I needed. But, something really odd happens. Every time, after minimizing the form, if you double click on the minimized form to restore it, it will be restored, but, unfortunately, it shrinks and gets smaller.

If you minimize and restore the form several times, you won't see anything when restoring the form. The form vanishes.

[nicebasic]

I made some changes to the code to fix this bug. Here's the new code:

Public myCounter As Integer
Public myFormWidth As Long
Public myFormheight As Long

Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    With Me
        .WindowState = vbMinimized
        .ZOrder
        .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
    End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
    myFormWidth = Me.Width
    myFormheight = Me.Height
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Paint()
    Me.Width = myFormWidth
    Me.Height = myFormheight
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
    Me.BorderStyle = vbBSNone
End Sub

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
    myCounter = myCounter + 1
    Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

Thanks to your help, nearly 90% of the job has been done.

There is only one problem. If you minimize the form, and then, double click on the "Minimized Caption Bar" to restore the form, at first, the Caption of the Form is visible and after a very very short time, it changes to nothing and becomes invisible.

Is there any method to fix this bug? I mean, when you double click on the "Minimized Caption Bar" to restore the form, prevent the Caption of the Form to be visible even for a very very short time?

Thank you for your great help.

[Guido Geurs]

With the code=

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click() 
    With Me 
        .WindowState = vbMinimized 
        .ZOrder 
        .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle 
    End With 
End Sub 

Private Sub Form_Resize() 
    Me.BorderStyle = vbBSNone 
End Sub

When The code does a Minimize then it takes (remembers) the size of the "No border" and set then the border "FixedSingl e" with the size of "No Border".
When it Resizes, the borders will be the original min borderwidth and the titelbar !

With the code:

Public myCounter As Integer

Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    With Me
        .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
        .WindowState = vbMinimized
        .ZOrder
    End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
         Me.BorderStyle = vbBSNone
         Me.ZOrder
End Sub

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
    myCounter = myCounter + 1
    Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

It's OK : it sets first the frame back and then minimizes.

[nicebasic]

I changed the following parts of the code using your suggested code:

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    With Me
        .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
        .WindowState = vbMinimized
        .ZOrder
    End With
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_Resize()
         Me.BorderStyle = vbBSNone
         Me.ZOrder
End Sub

But, this way, the "Minimized Caption Bar" doesn't get updated. It only gets updated when losing and gaining focus.

You're a great expert. Thank you a million times for your kind help.

I'm so happy to see intelligent experts like you in Bytes.com (a really valuable and excellent website for programmers).

Best wishes for you.

[Guido Geurs]

Sorry for my inattention but I think this is finally the one:

Dim ORGWIDTH As Long
Dim ORGHEIGHT As Long
Public myCounter As Integer

Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    With Me
      .WindowState = vbMinimized
      .ZOrder
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Load()
   With Me
      ORGWIDTH = .Width
      ORGHEIGHT = .Height
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
   With Me
      If .WindowState = vbMinimized Then
         .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
      Else
         .BorderStyle = vbBSNone
         .Width = ORGWIDTH
         .Height = ORGHEIGHT
      End If
      .ZOrder
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
   myCounter = myCounter + 1
   Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

[nicebasic]

Thank you, sir.

You're so kind and attentive to this matter. I appreciate your help.

This is the code with your modifications. But, still the problem is there. When you "Double Click" on the "Minimized Caption Bar", it will be resized to the "Original Form Size", but at first, the Caption of the Form is visible. After a very short time, it disappears. This doesn't make any problems, though.

Again, thank you for your attention.

[Guido Geurs]

After a few trays I think I have found the solution for resetting the border immediately ofter maximize: Only the code "Me.Caption = Me.Caption" will rebuild the border.
Not .Refresh, ... ore anything else!

So the code must be=

Dim ORGWIDTH As Long
Dim ORGHEIGHT As Long
Public myCounter As Integer

Private Sub Form_Load()
   With Me
      ORGWIDTH = .Width
      ORGHEIGHT = .Height
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Resize()
   With Me
      If .WindowState = vbMinimized Then
         .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
      Else
         .BorderStyle = vbBSNone
         .Caption = .Caption
         .Width = ORGWIDTH
         .Height = ORGHEIGHT
      End If
      .ZOrder
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    End
End Sub

Private Sub cmdMinimize_Click()
    With Me
      .WindowState = vbMinimized
      .ZOrder
   End With
End Sub

Private Sub myTimer_Timer()
   myCounter = myCounter + 1
   Me.Caption = myCounter
End Sub

[nicebasic]

Thank you, Mr. Guido Geurs,

Honestly, I have to say that you're a really great and talented Solution Developer. I can't believe that it has been solved.

Using your incredible method to solve this problem, I added one line to your final solution.

Now, thanks to your great solution, when I click on the "Minimized Caption Bar" to restore the program to its Original Size, the problem has been fixed. But, when I click on the Minimize Button to Minimize the program, a problem still exists. I mean, if you press the Minimize Button, the program will be minimized, but for a very very short time, you can see the Minimized Caption Bar has "Windows Classic Style", even if you use "Windows XP Style" theme on your computer.

This is a modification of Sub Form_Resize():

Private Sub Form_Resize()
   With Me
      If .WindowState = vbMinimized Then
         .BorderStyle = vbFixedSingle
         .Caption = .Caption      '==> This line has been added!
      Else
         .BorderStyle = vbBSNone
         .Caption = .Caption
         .Width = ORGWIDTH
         .Height = ORGHEIGHT
      End If
      .ZOrder
   End With
End Sub

Actually, I was disappointed and I thought it wasn't possible to solve this problem. But you made it possible.

You did a great job. Thank you very much, my dear friend.