DOCUMENT:Q153092 13-JUL-2001 [vbwin] TITLE :SAMPLE: How to Add New Menu Items to the System Menu PRODUCT :Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows PROD/VER::4.0 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbVBp400 kbDSupport ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition for Windows, version 4.0 - Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 4.0 - Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= Sometimes it is desirable to add a new menu item to a window's System menu. This can be accomplished by using the AppendMenu API call and a Windows sub-classing control such as Message Blaster(tm). This article explains how to implement this action and provides a code sample. In order to use the Message Blaster control, you can download the sample, free of charge, from the Microsoft Download Center. The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center: Msgblast.exe (http://download.microsoft.com/download/vb30/Sample8/1/W9XNT4/EN-US/Msgblast.exe) For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services Microsoft used the most current virus detection software available on the date of posting to scan this file for viruses. Once posted, the file is housed on secure servers that prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. MORE INFORMATION ================ Step-by-Step Example -------------------- 1. Download the Message Blaster Control. 2. Start Visual Basic, or choose New Project from the File menu if Visual Basic is already running. Form1 is created by default. 3. From the Tools menu, go to the Custom Controls option and add the MSGBLAST.VBX control to the project. 4. Place a Message Blaster Control on the form. 5. Place a Command button on Form1. Change the Caption to "&ADD." 6. Add the following code to the general declarations section of Form1: Option Explicit Private Declare Function RemoveMenu% Lib "User" (ByVal hMenu%, ByVal _ nPosition%, ByVal wFlags%) Private Declare Function GetSystemMenu Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd%, ByVal _ revert%) As Integer Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As _ Integer,ByVal nIndex As Integer) As Long Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd As _ Integer, ByVal nIndex As Integer, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long Private Declare Function AppendMenu Lib "User" (ByVal hMenu As _ Integer, ByVal wFlags As Integer, ByVal wIDNewItem As Integer, _ ByVal lpNewItem As Any) As Integer Private Const MF_STRING = &H0 Private Const MF_BYCOMMAND = &H0 Private Const WM_SYSCOMMAND = &H112 'Enter the line below as one line of code Private Sub RemoveControlMenuItemByPosition(frm As Form, iPosition As Integer) Dim iHSysMenu As Integer Dim iReturn As Integer Dim lDW As Long Dim lRR As Long iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(frm.hWnd, 0) iReturn = RemoveMenu(iHSysMenu, iPosition, MF_BYPOSITION) lDW = GetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16) 'Window style lDW = lDW And &HFFFEFFFF 'Turn off bits for Maximize arrow button lRR = SetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16, lDW) End Sub Private Sub RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(frm As Form, lCommand As _ Long) Dim iHSysMenu As Integer Dim iReturn As Integer Dim lDW As Long Dim lRR As Long iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(frm.hWnd, 0) iReturn = RemoveMenu(iHSysMenu, lCommand, MF_BYCOMMAND) lDW = GetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16) 'Window style lDW = lDW And &HFFFEFFFF 'Turn off bits for Maximize arrow button lRR = SetWindowLong(frm.hWnd, -16, lDW) End Sub Private Sub cmdRemoveMenuItems_Click() Call RemoveControlMenuItemByPosition(Me, 0) End Sub 7. Place the following code in the Form Load Event: Private Sub Form_Load() MsgBlaster1.hWndTarget = Me.hWnd MsgBlaster1.MsgList(0) = WM_SYSCOMMAND End Sub 8. Place the following code in the Message event of the Message Blaster Control: 'Enter the line below as one line of code Private Sub MsgBlaster1_Message(MsgVal As Integer, wParam As Integer, lParam As Long, ReturnVal As Long) Select Case wParam Case 1 MsgBox "You clicked to About" Case 2 MsgBox "You clicked on Help" Case 3 'This option removes the custom added menu items and the separator. Dim iHSysMenu As Integer Dim iReturn As Integer iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(Me.hWnd, 0) Call RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(Me, 1) Call RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(Me, 2) Call RemoveControlMenuItemByCommand(Me, 3) End Select End Sub 9. Place the following code in the Command1 Click event: Private Sub Command1_Click() Dim iReturn As Integer Dim iHSysMenu As Integer iHSysMenu = GetSystemMenu(Me.hWnd, 0) iReturn = AppendMenu(iHSysMenu, MF_STRING, 1, "About...") iReturn = AppendMenu(iHSysMenu, MF_STRING, 2, "Help...") iReturn = AppendMenu(iHSysMenu, MF_STRING, 3, "Remove items...") End Sub 10. Press the F5 key or choose Start from the Run menu to run the project. Click the Add button. View the System menu and note that the new items have been added. REFERENCES ========== For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Q110498 How to Add Items into Control Menu Box of Visual Basic Form Q110104 Using MSGBLAST.VBX Control to Process Windows Messages from VB Additional query words: msgblast 4.00 ====================================================================== Keywords : kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbVBp400 kbDSupport Technology : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB400Search kbVB400 Version : :4.0 ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.