SAMPLE: PEN2CTL.VBX Custom Controls for Windows 95 Pen Services

ID: Q130654

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

The PEN2CTL.VBX provides three pen edit custom controls to allow for quick development of pen-aware applications using Microsoft Windows 95 Pen Services. The application designer may substitute these custom controls for the standard input controls available in Visual Basic.

The PEN2CTL.VBX ships with version 4.0 of the Win32 SDK and is available in the Microsoft Software. It is installed along with the Pen 2.0 Samples Library.

To get PEN2CTL.VBX along with the PENVBX.HLP Help file and the sample application files discussed in this article, download PEN2CTL.EXE, a self- extracting file.

MORE INFORMATION

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library: 

 ~ PEN2CTL.VBX
For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from
               Online Services
The PEN2CTL.EXE self-extracting file contains:

1. PENVBX.HLP, a help file that fully explains all the technical issues and 

   describes how to interact with these pen-aware custom controls.
2. Several files that comprise a sample Pen application demonstrating 
   how to use all the major features of the PEN2CTL.VBX.
3. PEN2CTL.VBX, which is freely re-distributable, and implements the three 
   pen-aware custom edit controls: HEdit, BEdit, and lEdit:

    - HEdit is the handwriting edit control. It accepts free-form input.
      This control is similar to the standard Visual Basic text box except
      data can be entered using a pen in addition to the normal keyboard
      input method.

    - BEdit is the boxed edit control. It expands the properties of the
      handwriting edit control. It allows for additional manipulation of
      the writing area and provides the application with comb or box guides
      that accept pen input. Each segment or box accepts only a single
      character of input. This increases the accuracy of the recognition
      and in most cases is preferable to the handwriting edit control. The
      BEdit control also has the ability to provide a list of alternate
      words from which you may choose.

    - lEdit is the pen ink edit control. It is similar to a picture box
      control in that it allows you to draw, erase, move, resize,
      manipulate, and format pen strokes (called ink) on the control. It
      also allows you to set background pictures and grid lines as well as
      create bitmaps of the background and/or ink.
While there are many similarities between the controls provided by the Pen 1.0 VBX (PENCNTRL.VBX) and those provided by PEN2CTL.VBX, there are also many differences. Those familiar with the Pen 1.0 VBX should re-familiarize themselves with PEN2CTL.VBX and its changes.

NOTE: Neither VBX is compatible with the other but both implement some of the same custom controls, so developers should make sure the correct VBX is installed in their development environment and is distributed with their application.

Additional query words: kbfile 

Keywords          : kbSDKWin32 kbWinOS95 WpenMisc WpenVB 
Version           : 4.00
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: December 10, 1998