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SftBox/OCX 5.0 - Combo Box Control

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Upgrading to Version 5.0

Converting an Existing Application

The conversion is not automatic, but takes just a few minutes for a project.

Only a minimal conversion is required when upgrading from SftBox/OCX 4.5 to SftBox/OCX 5.0. SftBox/OCX 5.0 is virtually 100% source compatible to older releases of SftBox/OCX. Your application(s) must be recompiled to use SftBox/OCX 5.0. SftBox/OCX 5.0 and older versions of SftBox/OCX and SftBox/ATL can coexist on the same system and can be used in the same application.

Make sure to back up your current projects, before converting your projects. Please read the conversion process specific to your language carefully BEFORE converting your project. After converting, once the control saves updated property settings, you will not be able to return to SftBox/OCX 4.5.

Visual Basic
.NET (Managed Languages)
Visual C++ (Unmanaged C/C++)
HTML
Other Development Tools

Visual Basic

After installing SftBox/OCX 5.0, all your projects will continue to use SftBox/OCX 4.5 until you make the following change in each project's main VBP (Visual Basic Project) file. Before opening the project file, make sure to close the project in Visual Basic, then edit the VBP file using a text editor and make the following changes:

Existing Project File (VPB File):

Type=Exe
Form=Form1.frm
Reference=*\G{00020430-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}#2.0#0#G:\WINNT\System32\stdole2.tlb#OLE Automation
Object={AD9B5C4B-4F77-4325-9EEB-F7E2B0583BCE}#4.5#0; SftBox_IX86_U_45.ocx
IconForm="Form1"
Startup="Form1"
ExeName32="yourexe.exe"
Command32=""
Name="yourproject"

The line describing SftBox/OCX 4.5 (above, using a bold font) should be replaced with the following:

Type=Exe
Form=Form1.frm
Reference=*\G{00020430-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}#2.0#0#G:\WINNT\System32\stdole2.tlb#OLE Automation
Object={C5F14F4B-FA60-40b9-9109-609D83030E40}#5.0#0; SftBox_IX86_U_50.ocx
IconForm="Form1"
Startup="Form1"
ExeName32="yourexe.exe"
Command32=""
Name="yourproject"

You can copy this line directly from this help file or copy it from the file "Upgrade.txt" which you can find in the SftBox/OCX product directory. The line must be copied as-is, without any modifications.

Existing Forms And Modules (FRM, BAS Files):

All forms and modules must be edited using a text editor. The following changes can easily be accomplished by a global edit and replace operation:

All occurrences of "SftBoxLib45." must be replaced by "SftBoxLib50." (make sure to enter the trailing period for both strings).

Once the VBP and FRM file have been saved, you can open the project in Visual Basic. Make sure to review each form (in design mode) and save it to complete the upgrade. The controls will save updated property settings, so you will not be able to return to SftBox/OCX 4.5. Once all forms have been saved, the project is using SftBox/OCX 5.0.

.NET (Managed Languages)

While most other languages offer a fairly easy conversion, .NET and its languages require a bit more effort, but in most cases is limited to the steps documented below.

Existing Forms (FRM Files):

Updating the forms to use SftBox/OCX 5.0 is quite straightforward:

  • A reference to SftBox/OCX 5.0 needs to be added to the project. This is easily accomplished by adding a SftBox/OCX 5.0 control to any form of your project. It is located in the toolbox group Softel vdm, Inc. For information about this, please see "Using SftBox/OCX with .NET". As soon as this new control is added to your form, the references are added to your project. The Solution Explorer window now shows two new references to AxSftBoxLib50 and SftBoxLib50. Once these references are added, the new control can be deleted from your form. The references remain.
  • Add the SftHelperComponent component to your form. It is located in the toolbox group Softel vdm, Inc. For information about this, please see "Using SftBox/OCX with .NET". The SftHelperComponent component is required for GDI+/.NET Image object support using the NETImageObject property. It also eliminates the need for the OLEConvert.cs or OLEConvert.vb source files that were used in earlier releases.
  • Close all forms.
  • Open each form, one at a time, using the View Code menu entry in the Solution Explorer window. The popup menu is accessed by right-clicking on a form name. If you accidentally open a form in design mode, close it without saving, as your current combo box control settings for this form are most likely lost.
    • Edit all occurrences of SftBoxLib45. and replace them with SftBoxLib50. IMPORTANT: include trailing period for both strings. This implicitly replaces AxSftBoxLib40 with AxSftBoxLib50.
    • C#: Edit all occurrences of using OLEConvert; (if any) and replace them with using Softelvdm.OLEConvert;
    • VB: Edit all occurrences of Imports projectname.OLEConvert (if any) and replace them with Imports Softelvdm.OLEConvert
  • The existing references to SftBox/OCX 4.5 (or older) can now be removed. If the Solution Explorer window shows two references to AxSftBoxLib45 and SftBoxLib45, these can be removed.
  • If your project includes the source file OLEConvert.cs (C#) or OLEConvert.vb (VB), remove it now. It is no longer needed.

The forms can now be opened and the project uses SftBox/OCX 5.0 exclusively. You will not be able to return to SftBox/OCX 4.5.

Visual C++ (Unmanaged C/C++)

Resource Files

After installing SftBox/OCX 5.0, all your projects will continue to use SftBox/OCX 4.5 until you make the following change in each dialog resource that defines a SftBox/OCX control. Before opening the resource script (RC file), make sure to close the project in Visual C++, then edit the RC file using a text editor and make the following changes:

IDD_MFC_DIALOG DIALOGEX 0, 0, 320, 200
STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
EXSTYLE WS_EX_APPWINDOW
CAPTION "MFC"
FONT 8, "MS Sans Serif"
BEGIN
    DEFPUSHBUTTON "OK",IDOK,260,7,50,14
    PUSHBUTTON "Cancel",IDCANCEL,260,23,50,14
    CONTROL "", IDC_SFTBOX1, "{AD9B5C4A-4F77-4325-9EEB-F7E2B0583BCE}",
    WS_TABSTOP,7,41,123,12
END

The contents of the line describing SftBox/OCX 4.5 (above, using a bold font) should be replaced with the following line:

CONTROL "", IDC_SFTBOX1, "{C5F14F4A-FA60-40b9-9109-609D83030E40}",

Only change the ClassID (i.e., AD9B5C4A-4F77-4325-9EEB-F7E2B0583BCE to C5F14F4A-FA60-40b9-9109-609D83030E40), do not change the rest of the line.

You can copy this information directly from this help file or copy it from the file "Upgrade.txt" which you can find in the SftBox/OCX product directory. The ClassID must be copied as-is, without any modifications.

Make sure to change ALL occurrences of SftBox/OCX to version 4.5, otherwise you will not be able to open the resource script (RC file).

Once the RC file has been saved, you can open the project in Visual C++ and the project is now using SftBox/OCX 4.5. The controls will save updated property settings, so you will not be able to return to SftBox/OCX 4.5.

Make sure to change ALL occurrences of SftBox/OCX to version 5.0, otherwise you will not be able to open the resource script (RC file).

#import Statements

Any #import statements that are used in your application must now use the new control:

#pragma warning(disable : 4192) // automatically excluding 'Ixxx' while importing type library 'stdole2.tlb'
// For information about the following construct, please see Microsoft's
// KnowledgeBase entry Q224610
#import <SftBox_IX86_U_45.OCX> rename_namespace("SftBoxNameSpace") rename("LoadImage", "LoadImageSftBox")
#if _MSC_VER >= 1400 // need at least Visual Studio 2005
# pragma comment(lib, "comsuppw.lib") // avoid link error in VS2005
#endif
#pragma warning(default : 4192)

using namespace SftBoxNameSpace;

should be replaced with:

#pragma warning(disable : 4192) // automatically excluding 'Ixxx' while importing type library 'stdole2.tlb'
// For information about the following construct, please see Microsoft's
// KnowledgeBase entry Q224610
#import <SftBox_IX86_U_50.OCX> rename_namespace("SftBoxNameSpace") rename("LoadImage", "LoadImageSftBox")
#if _MSC_VER >= 1400 // need at least Visual Studio 2005
# pragma comment(lib, "comsuppw.lib") // avoid link error in VS2005
#endif
#pragma warning(default : 4192)

using namespace SftBoxNameSpace;

HTML

After installing SftBox/OCX 5.0, all your HTML pages will continue to use SftBox/OCX 4.5 until you make the following change in each page that uses a SftBox/OCX control.

<OBJECT ID="Combo1" WIDTH=708 HEIGHT=203
    CLASSID="CLSID:AD9B5C72-4F77-4325-9EEB-F7E2B0583BCE" CODEBASE="SftBox_IX86_I_45.cab#version=4,5,0,0">
     <PARAM NAME="PropVer" VALUE="40">
     <PARAM NAME="_Version" VALUE="262144">
     <PARAM NAME="_ExtentX" VALUE="14993">

The contents of the line describing SftBox/OCX 4.5 (above, using a bold font) should be replaced with the following:

    CLASSID="CLSID:C5F14F72-FA60-40b9-9109-609D83030E40" CODEBASE="SftBox_IX86_I_50.cab#version=5,0,0,0">

The CODEBASE argument also needs to be updated to reflect the new cabinet name and the current version number.

You can copy this information directly from this help file or copy it from the file "Upgrade.txt" which you can find in the SftBox/OCX product directory. The ClassID must be copied as-is, without any modifications.

Once the page has been saved, you can open the web page using your preferred HTML editor. The controls will save updated property settings, so you will not be able to return to SftBox/OCX 5.0.

Other Development Tools

Most development tools allow access to the ClassID used for controls on a form or dialog. Sometimes this may be accomplished by using a text editor and editing a configuration file, or possibly the development tool allows direct modification of the ClassID.

Generally, the ClassID used for the prior release AD9B5C4B-4F77-4325-9EEB-F7E2B0583BCE must be replaced with the new ClassID C5F14F4B-FA60-40b9-9109-609D83030E40. Once this step is completed, opening the project is sufficient to allow SftBox/OCX to convert the stored property settings.

For specific instructions or help, please see your development tool's documentation.

Last Updated 08/13/2020 - (email)
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