SftTabs/DLL 6.5 - Tab Control

Using Themes

With Windows XP, Windows themes were introduced. Windows themes can be selected by the user using the Control Panel.

If a theme is selected, the display of user interface controls, such as SftTabs/DLL, adapts to the current display theme. Themes can provide various display styles for the same control. With themes active, Windows renders (paints) the control:

Without themes	With Themes

By setting SFTTABS_CONTROL, fAllowThemes to TRUE, SftTabs/DLL adapts to the current theme used. If set to FALSE, themes are not honored and the control is rendered using the built-in style.

Because Windows renders controls when themes are active and because Windows offers only one tab style, themes are only supported by one tab style (SFTTABSSTYLE_MODERN_I).

SftTabs/DLL makes it easy to use the same application across all supported platforms. If Windows themes are not available, the control will simply use its built-in display style, otherwise it will fully exploit Windows themes.

To prepare an application for proper themes support, the tab control should be designed using the SftTabs/DLL Wizard under Windows XP. It should be viewed in the SftTabs/DLL Wizard both with and without themes (see the Styles tab, Use Themes (Windows XP) option) to make sure that the defined tab control is visually satisfactory in both cases.

Tab controls designed using the SftTabs/DLL Wizard for use on Windows XP with themes will work identically on all other platforms, even when themes support is not available.

Keep in mind that numerous tab definitions, particularly relating to colors, have no effect when themes are active. You can find out if a specific tab setting has any effect with themes active by consulting the tab setting's detail information in this online help.