ActiveX Controls and hWnds: Getting a Presenter "into" a Control

Hello Forum,

We have an ActiveX control that allows us to create what the software
designers have called a DialogBar (bring up any "task pane" in a
Microsoft Office application and you'll see what a DialogBar is--a cross
between a CommandBar and a Dialog).

The content of the DialogBar is defined as an hWnd reference to [what
other environments would call] a "form."  Translated into Dolphin: the
hWnd reference of a Presenter, which we know can be obtained in the
following manner:

p := ListPresenter create.
contentHandle := p asParameter asInteger.

(The DialogBar control expects the ChildHandle to be of type "long";
hence the #asInteger send).

We have no problem with the scenario above, except we seem to be unable
to obtain an hWnd without actually opening the Presenter first.  Now, we
understand that first a connection to a view must be established in
order to obtain the hWnd.  But is there a way to create a Presenter that
doesn't automatically open, yet provides a connected view?

Thanks.


Cheers,

Eric

"Eric Taylor" <[hidden email]> wrote in message
news:001c01c6d9dc$7a2cb2a0$6500a8c0@server...
Well yes, normally by using #create inside a parent that is not visible. The
reason that the presenter above is being automatically shown is because you
are creating it outside a top-level presenter, and the system "helpfully"
creates you a visible shell in order that you can use this kind of
expression for testing/investigation purposes. I suggest debugging through
'ListPresenter create' in order to see what happens - most of the action is
Presenter>>createView:

If you'd written your example like this, then the views would be created but
hidden:

s := Shell create.
p := ListPresenter createIn: s.
...

HTH

OA

Support at Object Arts,

I will give this a try later today.  What you say makes perfect sense.

Thank you.


Cheers,

Eric

software
> > designers have called a DialogBar (bring up any "task pane" in a
> > Microsoft Office application and you'll see what a DialogBar is--a
cross
> > between a CommandBar and a Dialog).
> >
> > The content of the DialogBar is defined as an hWnd reference to
[what
> > other environments would call] a "form."  Translated into Dolphin:
the unable
> > to obtain an hWnd without actually opening the Presenter first.
Now, we
> > understand that first a connection to a view must be established in
> > order to obtain the hWnd.  But is there a way to create a Presenter
that
> > doesn't automatically open, yet provides a connected view?
> > ...
>
> Well yes, normally by using #create inside a parent that is not
visible.
> The
> reason that the presenter above is being automatically shown is
because
> you
> are creating it outside a top-level presenter, and the system
"helpfully"
> creates you a visible shell in order that you can use this kind of
> expression for testing/investigation purposes. I suggest debugging
through
> 'ListPresenter create' in order to see what happens - most of the
action
> is
> Presenter>>createView:
>
> If you'd written your example like this, then the views would be
created