Program fine tuning: Skinning & Startup a windows forms app with only one instance like media player

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Program fine tuning: Skinning & Startup a windows forms app with only one instance like media player

I have several programs that are done in VB.NET. i want to fine tune in the following ways, i don't know how it's done. I want to be the only allowed instance of the proccess running. (ini file that just says it's running ) and exits, or is there a parameter for this is it in the registry That would contradict the following thing i want to add. How do you have your program open like when media player is open, and you double click a file it doesn't open a new instance it opens it in meida player. And i want to add a link to the quicklaunch, how do you do this, it's not hidden in the my namespace is it

1. open a file in an instance already running by double clicking the file like media player does with mp3's instead of opening another instance of media player when you double click a song.

2. only one instance allowed to be running. (can't do this with an ini file because i you would have to put a line in public shared main to check the registry and then exit, the file needs to open in the instnace that's already open) and an ini file or registry hack would make that bypass to a new instance of a program.

3. add a link to the shortcut quicklaunch menu. i found this article that doesn't cover it, but close. http://support.microsoft.com/ kbid=155303

4. does anyone know how to skin a window form like make the bg a picture

--Jay

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Program fine tuning: Skinning & Startup a windows forms app with only one instance like media player

  • shyagam

  • ernisj

    2. You can check the running processes....

    Dim proclist() As Process = Process.GetProcessesByName(processName)

    For Each p As Process In proclist

    If p.Id <> Process.GetCurrentProcess().Id Then

    ' process is already running, so tell the new copy to exit

    End If

    Next

     

    where procesName is the name of your app.

     

    1. Then in your sub main or startup project, if you're already running then you know you won't start a new copy, so then you can simply deal with the file they tried to open

    3. Quick Launch links are usually stored in C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch so I guess you could write a .lnk file there fairly easily using a shell script like CreateShellLink

    4. http://www.planet-source-code.com/vb/scripts/ShowCode.asp txtCodeId=1699&lngWId=10 might help



  • RCamiro

    This is the code i'm using.

    I searched the fourms for TransparencyKey, it's gotta be the only use for it! Then i found this post: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx PostID=452707&SiteID=1 that point to this article:

    http://www.thecodeproject.com/csharp/CustomForms.asp

    And that's where i found the code to get the mouselocation from the control class and then offset the position to move the form

    here's my code:

    Public Class Form1

    Dim mousedownvar As Boolean = False

    Dim mouseoffset As New System.Drawing.Point(0, 0)

    Private Sub PictureBox1_MouseDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles PictureBox1.MouseDown

    mousedownvar = True

    mouseoffset = New System.Drawing.Point(-e.X, -e.Y)

    Dim control As Control = sender

    'TextBox2.Text = control.MousePosition.X

    'TextBox3.Text = control.MousePosition.Y

    'TextBox4.Text = Me.Location.X

    'TextBox5.Text = Me.Location.Y

    End Sub

    Private Sub PictureBox1_MouseUp(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles PictureBox1.MouseUp

    mousedownvar = False

    End Sub

    Private Sub PictureBox1_MouseMove(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles PictureBox1.MouseMove

    Dim control As Control = sender

    'Dim xoffset = mouseoffset.X

    'Dim yoffset = mouseoffset.Y

    'TextBox2.Text = control.MousePosition.X

    'TextBox3.Text = control.MousePosition.Y

    'TextBox4.Text = Me.Location.X

    'TextBox5.Text = Me.Location.Y

    'TextBox6.Text = xoffset

    'TextBox7.Text = yoffset

    Dim mousepos As System.Drawing.Point = control.MousePosition

    mousepos.Offset(mouseoffset.X, mouseoffset.Y)

    If mousedownvar = True Then

    If e.Button = Windows.Forms.MouseButtons.Left Then

    Me.Location = mousepos

    End If

    End If

    End Sub

    End Class

    ok that's it, it's working for me.

    --Jay

  • Valery Zharkov

    http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx PostID=283136&SiteID=1 single instance and command line parameters has the answered question you need to handles a instance in Application.Designer.vb, click General DropDown list and select MyApplication Events then in Declerations click StartupNextInstance and define the code with the Microsoft.VisualBasic.Command Function to access the command line.

    TThank yu

  • Neo the 1

    4. Just set the form property BorderStyle to 'None' and set TransparencyKey to the color 'Control'. To make a picture in the bg obviously add a picturebox on the form with a gif.

    Now doess anyone know how the startDrag and stopDrag the form, I searched objectbrower but only found BeginDrag and EndDrag.. but this method does not work. I saw this in an article referencing media player once.

    Thank you

  • wukun

    If you are using VB2005, there is an option in the Application project settings to "Make single instance application". IF you are using other versions, it gets more tricky. I have an article on this at http://devauthority.com/blogs/jwooley/archive/2005/07/28/318.aspx

    Jim Wooley
    http://devauthority.com/blogs/jwooley



  • Guostong

    i forgot to make it resize, just add a label id label1 and copy and paste these events.

    Private Sub Label1_MouseDown(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Label1.MouseDown

    mousedownvar = True

    mouseoffset = New System.Drawing.Point(e.X, e.Y)

    End Sub

    Private Sub Label1_MouseUp(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Label1.MouseUp

    mousedownvar = False

    End Sub

    Private Sub Label1_MouseMove(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles Label1.MouseMove

    If mousedownvar = True Then

    Dim offsetx As Integer = e.X - mouseoffset.X

    Dim offsety As Integer = e.Y - mouseoffset.Y

    Me.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(892, Me.Size.Height + offsety)

    End If

    End Sub

    This sample uses code from a previous post so you must use both examples for it to work.
  • Program fine tuning: Skinning & Startup a windows forms app with only one instance like media player
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