Using Tarma ExpertInstall > Attribute panes

Frame attributes (Tarma)

Reference information
Project page Installer Dialogs
Related topics Working with attribute panes

Introduction

A Frame control can display a variety of shapes: filled rectangles, rectangle outlines, and beveled lines or frames. Frame controls are used to add background, separator lines, and other simple visual effects to a dialog.

Tip: To frame a number of other controls, you can also use a GroupBox control; this adds a caption to the frame. However, it does not support background fills.

MSI note Windows Installer does not have a full equivalent for the Frame control, but its Line control can be used for beveled horizontal lines.

Attributes

This pane contains the following attributes and options.

Attribute Description
Control ID

Select a control ID from the drop-down list or type a numerical ID to use for this control. All controls within a dialog must have different control IDs. For Frame controls, you should select Automatic.

See Dialog Control IDs for an explanation of the available control IDs and their usage.
Name Enter the internal name for the control. This name is for use in Tarma ExpertInstall only; it is not used in the installer. All control names must be unique within their parent dialog box.
Frame type

Select the desired Frame display mode from the drop-down list. The following choices are available:

Frame type Description
Black frame Displays a black rectangle outline.
Gray frame Displays a dark gray rectangle outline.
White frame Displays a white rectangle outline.
Black rectangle Displays a black filled rectangle. (On some systems, the rectangle is dark grey instead.)
Gray rectangle Displays a gray filled rectangle.
White rectangle Displays a white filled rectangle.
Etched frame Displays a rectangle outline with an "etched" border.
Etched horizontal Displays an "etched" horizontal line.
Etched vertical Displays an "etched" vertical line.
Solid color Displays a rectangle filled with a solid color. The fill color is specified in the Color field (below).
Horizontal gradient* Displays a rectangle filled with a color gradient from left to right. The starting color is specified in the Color field; the ending color in the End color field (below).
Vertical gradient* Displays a rectangle filled with a color gradient from top to bottom. The starting color is specified in the Color field; the ending color in the End color field (below).

*Gradient fills are only available on Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, and later. On earlier systems, the frame is filled as per Solid color.

Note: The actual display colors depend on the Windows' settings. If the user has selected a different color scheme, then the frame colors will use the appropriate colors from that scheme.
Color

Select the desired background color from the drop-down list. The following choices are available:

Color Description
Default Use the system color for dialog box backgrounds, usually light gray (COLOR_3DFACE).
Dark gray Use the system color for shadows, usually dark gray or black (COLOR_3DSHADOW).
Light gray Use the system color for buttons, usually light gray (COLOR_BTNFACE).
White Use the system color for window backgrounds, usually white (COLOR_WINDOW).
Caption Use the system color for window captions, usually blue (COLOR_CAPTION).
CaptionEnd Use the system end color for windows captions with a color gradient, usually light blue (COLOR_GRADIENTACTIVECAPTION).
Workspace Use the system color for application workspaces, usually dark gray (COLOR_WORKSPACE).
Desktop Use the system color for the Desktop, usually blue or green (COLOR_DESKTOP).
Info Use the system color for info tip windows, usually pale yellow (COLOR_INFOBK).
Custom color... Use a custom color. Click the ... (choose color) button to open the standard Color dialog box, where you can choose the desired color.

Note: The actual display colors depend on the Windows' settings. If the user has selected a different color scheme, then the control will use the appropriate colors from that scheme.
End color Select the desired end color for frame fills with a color gradient. The choices are the same as for Color.
Condition

Enter the display condition for the control or leave empty to display the control unconditionally. See Dialog Control Conditions for more information.

Note: This has no effect on Frame controls.
Visible
Enabled
Tab stop
Group
Border
Sunken
Client edge
Transparent
Don't mirror

These are all standard control styles; see Dialog Control Styles for a description.
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Tarma ExpertInstall User's Manual - Topic last modified on 21/01/08 11:03
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