Microsoft KB Archive/153092

= SAMPLE: How to Add New Menu Items to the System Menu =

Article ID: 153092

Article Last Modified on 8/5/2004

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 Professional Edition
 * Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 Enterprise Edition

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This article was previously published under Q153092



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

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.



Step-by-Step Example
 Download the Message Blaster Control. Start Visual Basic, or choose New Project from the File menu if Visual Basic is already running. Form1 is created by default. From the Tools menu, go to the Custom Controls option and add the MSGBLAST.VBX control to the project. Place a Message Blaster Control on the form. Place a Command button on Form1. Change the Caption to "&ADD."  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

  Place the following code in the Form Load Event: Private Sub Form_Load MsgBlaster1.hWndTarget = Me.hWnd MsgBlaster1.MsgList(0) = WM_SYSCOMMAND End Sub

</li>  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

</li>  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

</li> 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.</li></ol>

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