Create a Progress Bar using the API

Create a Progress Bar using the API

Fed up with distributing the 509KB ComCtl32.ocx with your program just for a single control? In this article, I will demonstrate how to create a progress bar using the CreateWindowEx API call. Topics such as horizontal and vertical bars, forecolour and backcolour and positioning the progress bar will be covered.

As with the status bar, a lot of the information in this article was extracted from the ComCtrl.h header file. This file is written in C++ syntax and therefore you will need to know the basics of translating C++.

Just a quick note to let you know that all the project files (a form, bas module, project and compiled exe) amount to a mere 4% of the ComCtl32.ocx!

Add a new module (modProgBar) and copy the following code into it:

Option Explicit 
 
'// Windows API Declares  
Public Declare Function CreateWindowEX Lib_
    "user32" _ 
    Alias "CreateWindowExA"_
    (ByVal dwExStyle As Long, _ 
    ByVal lpClassName As String, _ 
    ByVal lpWindowName As String, _ 
    ByVal dwStyle As Long, _ 
    ByVal x As Long, _ 
    ByVal y As Long, _ 
    ByVal nWidth As Long, _ 
    ByVal nHeight As Long, _ 
    ByVal hWndParent As Long, _ 
    ByVal hMenu As Long, _ 
    ByVal hInstance As Long, lpParam As Any)_
    As Long 
     
Public Declare Function DestroyWindow Lib_
    "user32" _ 
    (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long 
Public Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "_
    user32" _ 
    (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal x As Long, _ 
    ByVal y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, _ 
    ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal bRepaint As Long)_
    As Long 
     
Public Declare Function SetParent Lib_
    "user32" _ 
    (ByVal hWndChild As Long, _ 
    ByVal hWndNewParent As Long) As Long 
     
Public Declare Function SendMessage Lib_
    "user32" _ 
    Alias "SendMessageA"_
    (ByVal hwnd As Long, _ 
    ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam_
    As Long, lParam As Any) As Long 
 
 '// Progess bar class name  
Public Const PROGRESS_CLASS =_
   "msctls_progress32" 
 '// Windows Messages and styles  
Public Const WM_USER = &H400 
Public Const WS_VISIBLE = &H10000000 
Public Const WS_CHILD = &H40000000 
 
 '// Progress bar styles and messages  
Public Const PBS_SMOOTH = &H1 
Public Const PBS_VERTICAL = &H4 
Public Const PBM_SETRANGE = (WM_USER + 1) 
Public Const PBM_SETPOS = (WM_USER + 2) 
Public Const PBM_DELTAPOS = (WM_USER + 3) 
Public Const PBM_SETSTEP = (WM_USER + 4) 
Public Const PBM_STEPIT = (WM_USER + 5) 
Public Const PBM_SETRANGE32 = (WM_USER + 6) 
Public Const PBM_GETRANGE = (WM_USER + 7) 
Public Const PBM_GETPOS = (WM_USER + 8) 
Public Const PBM_SETBARCOLOR = (WM_USER + 9) 
 '// Common Controls messages  
Public Const CCM_FIRST = &H2000 
Public Const CCM_SETBKCOLOR = (CCM_FIRST + 1) 
Public Const SB_SETBKCOLOR = CCM_SETBKCOLOR

Add a new form (frmTest) and add six command buttons (cmdBarColour, cmdBackColour, cmdDestroy, cmdCreate, cmdCreateVert and cmdSetVal). Copy the following code into the form:

Option Explicit 
  '// Stores the progress bars window handle   
Private lnghWnd As Long 
 
Private Sub cmdBackColour_Click() 
  '// Set the backcolour   
  SendMessage lnghWnd, SB_SETBKCOLOR, 0, ByVal RGB(255,255, 255) 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub cmdBarColour_Click() 
  '// Set the bar colour   
  SendMessage lnghWnd, PBM_SETBARCOLOR, 0, ByVal RGB(0,127, 0) 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub cmdDestroy_Click() 
  '// Destroy the progress bar   
  DestroyWindow lnghWnd 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub cmdCreate_Click() 
  '// Create a horizontal progress bar   
  CreateProgress False 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub cmdSetVal_Click() 
  '//Set the position to 50   
  SendMessage lnghWnd, PBM_SETPOS, 50, 0 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub cmdCreateVert_Click() 
  '// Create a vertical progress bar   
  CreateProgress True 
End Sub 
 
Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer) 
  '// Destroy the progress bar   
  DestroyWindow lnghWnd 
End Sub 
 
Sub CreateProgress(Vertical As Boolean) 
  Dim lngType As Long 
  Dim x As Long 
  Dim y As Long 
  Dim lngHeight As Long 
  Dim lngWidth As Long 

  If Vertical = True Then 
      '// Set the style to vertical   
    lngType = PBS_VERTICAL 
    x = 250 
    y = 25 
    lngHeight = 125 
    lngWidth = 20 
  Else 
    lngType = 0 
    x = 100 
    y = 125 
    lngHeight = 20 
    lngWidth = 125 
  End If 

  '// Create the progress bar   
  lnghWnd = CreateWindowEX(0, PROGRESS_CLASS,"", WS_VISIBLE _
                          Or WS_CHILD Or lngType, 0, 0, 0, 0, Me.hwnd, _
                          0&, App.hInstance, 0&) 
  '// Set the bar's parent   
  Call SetParent(lnghWnd, Me.hwnd) 
  '// Create another window   
  lnghWnd = CreateWindowEX(0, PROGRESS_CLASS,"", WS_VISIBLE _
                           Or WS_CHILD Or lngType, 0, 0, 0, 0, Me.hwnd, _
                           0&, App.hInstance, 0&) 
  '// Move it   
  MoveWindow lnghWnd, x, y, lngWidth, lngHeight, True 
End Sub