Mark Williams

I have a custom component derived from TPanel. There are several other components included including a TToolBar. There was also a TImageList which loaded bitmaps from a resource file to provide the icons for the toolbar. I'm finally getting around to trying to update this to work with TVirtualImageList and transparent PNG files (24 x 24) rather than bitmaps. It works, but is not scaling properly. On higher resolution monitors the toolbuttons are far too small. I suspect my problem is with the scaling of the toolbar rather than the imagelist. But I'm not entirely sure that's correct or what to do about it. The relevant code is below. FImageList := TVirtualImageList.create(self); FImageList.SetSize(TargetSize, TargetSize); FImageList.ImageCollection := FImageCollection; FImageList.DisabledGrayscale := true; FImageList.Height := 24; FImageList.Width := 24; FToolBar := TToolbar.create(self); FToolBar.parent := self; with FToolBar do begin Height := 36; ButtonWidth := 35; ButtonHeight := 35; align := alTop; ShowHint := true; AutoSize := true; Wrapable := true; end;

Taken some time for me to resolve the issue. Managed to override the ChangeScale event, but still couldn't get it to work quite right. However, resolved the issue in the end by changing the component container from TPanel to TFrame. I have other components that use image resources for which the fix won't be that simple. But have dug around and discovered the TCustomForm's onBeforeMonitorDPIChanged and onAfterMonitorDPIChanged events and TWinControl's ScaleForPPI procedure. Suspect these in combination will allow me to do what's needed. I'll post back with the results when I get to it.

After two long days of updating a huge project to incorporate the latest version of the Windows Ribbon Framework (for some reason it is no longer possible to link ribbon commands with TActions), I am left with one issue I cannot resolve. Previous versions of the framework had a UseDarkMode property which put the ribbon into/out of dark mode. THis has been removed from the latest version of the ribbon. Now it just remains dull grey even if you have dark mode enabled on your PC. I have added the relevant procedure back in to UIRibbon.Pas: procedure TUIRibbon.SetDarkMode(const Value: Boolean); var PropertyStore: IPropertyStore; PropValue: TPropVariant; begin if Assigned(FRibbon) and Supports(FRibbon, IPropertyStore, PropertyStore) then begin UIInitPropertyFromBoolean(UI_PKEY_DarkModeRibbon, Value, PropValue); PropertyStore.SetValue(TPropertyKey(UI_PKEY_DarkModeRibbon), PropValue); PropertyStore.Commit; FDarkMode := True; end; end; But calling this makes no difference. All the other colouring functions have been retained and work, but not this one. Anyone have any idea how to get the ribbon into dark mode please?

As it turns out, I idiotically downloaded an older version from Sourceforge rather than the latest version from Github!

I've just updated my version to the latest and have found the the TRibbonApplicationModes set has been removed from UIRibbon.Pas. As far as I can see there is now no way of querying what ApplicationModes are currently deployed. Seems like an odd feature removal. I query these quite a lot. Presumably, you are now expected to keep track of the Application modes yourself. Am I missing something here?

I'm working on a component derived from a TTabControl. I want to manipulate the individual tabs in various ways. To do so I need to override the DrawTab event. This works well until you activate a theme and then the DrawTab event doesn't fire unless you disable seClient for styleElements., which I don't wish to do as I don't want to have to try and draw the body. If I add a TTabControl to a form and then access its OnDrawTab event, I can override the themed drawing of the tab with a theme active even though seClient styleElements is true. That seems a bit odd to me. I have tried catching various paint messages and tab drawing messages, but nothing seems to fire in my custom control with seClient set to true. Is there a way of doing this?

Thanks Peter. That worked a treat.

I am using FireDAC component within an ISAPI DLL to access a PostgreSQL database I create the FDMAnager component on startup: FDManager := TFDManager.Create(Nil); with FDManager do begin ResourceOptions.SilentMode := true; ResourceOptions.AutoReconnect := true; UpdateOptions.CheckRequired := true; UpdateOptions.CheckReadOnly := false; UpdateOptions.CheckUpdatable := false; AddConnectionDef(FD_POOLED_CONN, 'PG', oParams); FDManager.Active := true; end; Each function then creates a TFDQuery component as required and connects to the pooled connection. I then commence a series of transactions within a try...finally block with a rollback if one of the transaction fails. This works fine except I am encountering odd behaviour within one of the transactions. The connection is lost after setting the query's sql.text property even though there is no error when actually setting the query. I get an error when executing the query and this is due to my client app providing the wrong data. This I can fix. I am more concerned as to why the setting of the query property should cause the connection to be lost without without an error being triggered. The relevant code is: try With FDQuery do begin Connection.StartTransaction; if length(insertArr) > 0 then begin AddToLog('1 Before call queryConnection assigned=' + ord(assigned(Connection)).ToString, leDevelopment); ///connection assigned here try SQL.Text := 'INSERT INTO doc_cat_profiles_detail (doc_cats_id, priority, ' + 'auto_disclose, profile_id) VALUES(:DOCCAT, :PRIORITY, :AUTOD, :PROFID)'; AddToLog('SET SQL OK', leDevelopment); //quuery sets fine here except on E: Exception do AddToLog('Exception while setting SQL: ' + E.Message, leCriticalError); end; AddToLog('2 Before call query Connection assigned=' + ord(assigned(Connection)).ToString, leDevelopment); //Connection is lost here Params.BindMode := pbByNumber; Params[0].DataType := ftInteger; Params[1].DataType := ftInteger; Params[2].DataType := ftSmallInt; Params[3].DataType := ftInteger; Params.ArraySize := length(insertArr); for i := 0 to high(insertArr) do begin Params[0].AsIntegers[i] := Profile[insertArr[i]].doc_cat; Params[1].AsIntegers[i] := Profile[insertArr[i]].Priority; Params[2].AsSmallInts[i] := Profile[insertArr[i]].auto_disclose; Params[3].AsIntegers[i] := Profile[insertArr[i]].profile_id; end; try execute(Params.ArraySize); except on E: Exception do begin AddToLog('SaveCategoriesAndProfile - Failed on insert new profile detail' + '. ' + E.Message, leCriticalError); Success := false; exit; end; end; end; Success := true; finally if Success then begin Connection.Commit; SetResponse(Response, 200, 'Success'); end else begin if Connection.InTransaction then Connection.Rollback; SetResponse(Response, 500, 'Internal Server Error', 'SaveCategoriesAndProfile failed', leCriticalError); end; end; The query executes with this error: :insert or update on table "doc_cat_profiles_detail" violates foreign key constraint "ct_delete_prof_details". II am providing invalid profile-ids in the client app. This I can sort. But I can't figure out why setting the SQL.Text property is causing the connection to drop. A FireDAC trace shows nothing. The PostgreSQL log logs the error re the foreign key constraint, but mention no loss of connection. I've added code following the setting of the sql.text: if not assigned(Connection) then begin Connection := FDManager.FindConnection('pooled_connection'); // Restore the connection AddToLog('Connection re-assigned after SQL.Text!', leDevelopment); end; This appears to solve this particular issue, but I am concerned that I may encounter this issue elsewhere in my DLL (which is chunky) and, as it effectively causes the DLL to hang in terms of database communication that could be a major issue.

I posted this a day or so ago. Its disappeared! Thanks for the perseverance. I've given up hope of finding out what's causing this. The FindConnection kludge seems to do the job!

It's the default ie true

The TFDManager's resourceOptions.KeepConnection is the default, which I have tested and is true.

That makes sense. Then presumably calling execute reopens the connection, but this is not happening in this case due to the breach of the specific constraint? I haven't tried setting the SQL before starting the transaction. As there are a series of transactions with rollback on fail, it needs to come after StartTransaction. Is that not what the additional code I added (FindConnection) does? I've tried debugging, tracing, around the setting of the SQL it provides no information whatsoever. Thinking about it, it seems that the most sensible thing to do is to check in the finally block whether or not the connection has been dropped and restore it with FindConnection if needs be before calling commit or rollback, Thanks for the insight.

I cannot understand why the following code does not work: function IsOleObjectActive(OleObject: OleVariant): Boolean; begin Result := not VarIsClear(OleObject) and not VarIsEmpty(OleObject) and not VarIsNull(OleObject); end; procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject); var ServerManager: OleVariant; Site: OleVariant; AppPool: OleVariant; Security: OleVariant; begin // Initialize COM library CoInitialize(nil); try // Create an instance of the ServerManager object ServerManager := CreateOleObject ('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager'); ServerManager.CommitPath := 'MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST'; // Add a new site Site := ServerManager.GetAdminSection('system.applicationHost/sites', 'MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST'); - if IsOleObjectActive(Site) then Showmessage('Active') else exit; Site := Site.Collection.AddElement('site'); //FAILS HERE Site.Properties.Item('name').Value := trim(eSiteName.text); // Site.Properties.Item('id').Value := 2; Site.Properties.Item('physicalPath').Value := 'C:\inetpub\wwwroot\' + trim(ePhysicalPath.text); // Configure bindings Site.Bindings.Collection.AddElement('binding'); Site.Bindings.Collection.Item(0).Properties.Item('protocol').Value := 'http'; Site.Bindings.Collection.Item(0).Properties.Item('bindingInformation').Value := '*:80'; Site.Bindings.Collection.AddElement('binding'); Site.Bindings.Collection.Item(1).Properties.Item('protocol').Value := 'https'; Site.Bindings.Collection.Item(1).Properties.Item('bindingInformation').Value := '*:443'; // Add an application pool AppPool := ServerManager.GetAdminSection ('system.applicationHost/applicationPools', 'MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST'); AppPool := AppPool.Collection.AddElement('add'); AppPool.Properties.Item('name').Value := trim(eSiteName.text); AppPool.Properties.Item('managedRuntimeVersion').Value := trim(eNetFramework.text); // Assign the application pool to the site Site.Applications.Collection.Item(0).Properties.Item('applicationPool') .Value := trim(eSiteName.text); // Commit the changes ServerManager.CommitChanges; finally // Uninitialize COM library CoUninitialize; end; When I try to add the new site I get "Variant does not reference an automation object." I've tried adding the application pool first, but same problem. As far as I can see the section names are correct as per the applicationHost.config file and all functions, properties are correct as per the nativerd.dll. I've also tried running the app in elevated mode. Makes no difference.

The code I am using was an example I got off the web. Can't even remember where now! Can't fund the MS documentation for it although I can find the documentation for the Application Host Administration Interface. If I change the call as follows: Site := ServerManager.GetAdminSection('sites', 'system.applicationHost/'); I then get an error advising that the first parameter is not a valid section path in the config file. So I think the return value of an OLEVariant is okay. I think the problem lies with the parameters passed to the function. I think the first param is correct 'system.applicationHost/sites'. I think it is the second param that is causing the problem:'MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST'. The second param is already declared in the call to: ServerManager.CommitPath := 'MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST'; That is that is the path to the config file. The MS documentation for the Application Host Administration Interface states it relates to IIS7 and IIS8 and I am using IIS10, but can't find later documentation and I have tested it a little with IIS10 and seems to work. The documentation declares the GetAdminSection function as HRESULT GetAdminSection( [in, string] BSTR bstrSectionName, [in, string] BSTR bstrPath, [out, retval] IAppHostElement** ppAdminSection ); Calling the function as: GetAdminSection('system.applicationHost/', 'MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST', SitesSection); Results in a run time error that there are too many parameters. This works using thee imported type library, but not as an OLE call. That would suggest that the second parameter in the OLE call is also correct. As you can probably see I am floundering! I guess I will have to work with the rather yuk interface! Thanks for your help.

I had started to go down this route. I'm using the 64 bit type library, which is even more of a pain to use. It does seem to work however. Thanks for the reference to the dotnet wrapper.

Same result. It reports true for Server Manager, but then fails with the variant does not reference... error on the call to ServerManager.GetAdminSection.

I create a themed form on the fly. The form caption varies each time. I am trying to set the form width to a sufficient size so that the caption is displayed in full. I can't see any easy way of doing this. I'm guessing I have to analyse all the elements on the title bar and go from there. Starting with the text extent of the desired caption: var Canvas: TCanvas; s: string; r: TRect; t: TTextFormat; begin s := caption; Canvas := TCanvas.Create; try Canvas.Handle := GetDC(0); TStyleManager.ActiveStyle.GetTextExtent(Canvas.Handle, teTextLabel, s, t, r); finally ReleaseDC(0, Canvas.Handle); end; First, I cannot work out which themed element represents the title bar caption. It has to be within the range [teCategoryButtons..teTextLabel]] ie: teCategoryButtons, teCategoryPanelGroup, teCheckListBox, teControlBar, teDataNavButtons, teGrid, teHint, tePanel, teTabSet, teTextLabel, I've opted for teTextLabel, but have no idea if this is right. Secondly, the code does not compile. "No overloaded version of GetTextExtent...". I don't understand why. GetTextExtent is declared as: function GetTextExtent(DC: HDC; Details: TThemedElementDetails; const Text: string; Flags: TTextFormat; out ExtentRect: TRect): Boolean; overload; Assuming I can get this to work and correctly calculate the required text width for the title bar, I guess I then have to work out the width required for all other elements on the title bar and set form width accordingly. It will probably take me the rest of my limited remaining years to work out how to query all the other elements on the title bar. Can anyone suggest a simpler way of achieving this?

1. But that will give me the textextent of the caption as it appears on a tpanel, not as it appears on the title bar. I assume these can be different depending on the theme. 2. Can't see how TMessageForm helps. Don't see that it addresses the theming issue.

I've moved to a new laptop running Windows 11. I installed from the downloaded ISO. I'm missing the help files. When I go into Manage Platform (to try and switch off dark mode), I am told that setup cannot continue due to a corrupted installation file. How can I get the help files please and is there a way of fixing the corrupted file?

Just revisited a project after a few days away. Now, for one of the units in the project, when I toggle F12 to show its form, nothing happens. The menu item "Toggle Form/Unit is also disabled. It is only this one form and not any others that has this issue. I am not aware of any changes I may have made last time that could be causing this issue. When I view the project source, I can see that the unit is listed but it doesn't have its form listed after it like all the other project units that have associated forms. I assume that somehow the form's connection to the unit has been lost. Restore in 'Restore.pas' {frmRestore}, Reconciler in 'Reconciler.pas' {frmReconciler}, Settings in 'Settings.pas'; I have tried removing the unit and re-adding it to the project, but that does nothing. Anyone have any idea what might be causing this and how I can fix it? Thanks

That was ir. Must have inadvertently deleted it. Thanks

I have a licence for Delphi 10 through to 11.0. I haven't renewed my subscription since then. I'm trying to move my Delphi to a new laptop. When try and download any version within the above range from Embarcadero I am simply advised that I haven't renewed my subscription and the download is declined. I'm guessing there must be some way of doing this. Can anyone help please?

I need to work with a potentially large dataset in memory. It has an integer field called "document_category_id". On first loading the table it is sometimes necessary to update records in the table from one document_category_id to another. This might need to be done for several, but not all of the various document_category_ids. Trying to work out what is the most efficient way of iterating. Would it be more efficient to filter on the requored document_category_ids first and then iterate or to iterate on an unfiltered table?

Ran some tests on an in memory dataset of 25K records. Without filter 31ms to iterate the whole dataset (whilst also querying each record to see if it matched the required "document_category_id)." . Filtering first took twice as long to filter and iterate even though the resulting dataset was only 30 records. That sort of answers my question. But would this still hold true with say a million plus records?

I want to show a TabControl with tabs with different font styles. Basically, I want the font in some of the tabs to be shown in strikeout. The app uses a couple of different themes. I thought I'd use the StyleManager to achieve this with the following code: with (Control as TTabControl) do begin tabName := TTabControl(Control).Tabs[TabIndex]; if TabIndex=1 then Canvas.Font.Style:=[fsStrikeout]; Pt := TabControl2.ScreenToClient(Mouse.CursorPos); TabUnderMouse := TabControl1.IndexOfTabAt(Pt.X, Pt.Y); if Active then Details := TStyleManager.ActiveStyle.GetElementDetails(ttTabItemSelected) else if (TabUnderMouse=TabIndex) then Details := TStyleManager.ActiveStyle.GetElementDetails(ttTabItemHot) else Details := TStyleManager.ActiveStyle.GetElementDetails(ttTabItemNormal); TStyleManager.ActiveStyle.DrawElement(Canvas.Handle, Details, Rect); TStyleManager.ActiveStyle.DrawText(Canvas.Handle, Details, TabName, Rect, DT_VCENTER or DT_CENTER, Canvas.Font.Color); end; This sets the colour of the tab background perfectly depending on its state, but has no impact on the font which is always black. However, the font is always black whatever the state of the tab. The color parameter in the DrawText function does not appear to do anything. I've tried setting the canvas font color before calling Drawtext to the stylefontcolor of the tab element in its various states. It has no effect, not does entering any color whatsoever in the color parameter.