Graphic look retouched for new version of CIS (CyberInstaller Suite), almost ready to be released, that meets the new Windows Vista and Aero GUI requirements (the previous version, 2008, was compatible only).
Let’s see the most interesting changes in CIS graphic user interface (screenshots in Italian, but final version available in English too):
1) thumbnail in task-bar even when application is minimized:
2) supported 3D tab applications switching:
3) fonts are system ones, varying upon Windows version installed. Eg.: for XP system font was Tahoma 8, while Vista uses the Segoe UI 9 (also size changes):
4) like fonts, messageboxes suit the Windows version in use:
5) again, dialog windows (Open, Save, etc.) depends on current Windows version (new functionalities under Vista):
6) tree-views are Vista-style under this Windows version:
7) lists appear with the new Vista graphic look:
These and other features will make CIS 2009 fully integrate in Vista and in the next Windows 7, thanks to full compatibility with the graphic API used by the new Microsoft operating systems.
For more advanced functionalities of CIS 2009 more articles will follow, please stay on-line!
Have you ever wished to know if and how much you working day has been productive? How long have you been distracted by email? By your instants messaging contacs? By browsing on your favourite web sites or by your beloved videogame? How much time have all this kept you off from your work? Well, CyberTaskTimer perfectly answers to this need!
CyberTaskTimer is a little freeware utility whose only target is to monitor any application is used, timing its using time. At system start-up it tasks place near the Windows clock (tray area) and it activates immediately.
Its user graphic interface (GUI) is simply made of two lists. One, the "applications log", is the history of all the used applications (or, more precisely, of all the windows brought to front, whose application they belong to will be automatically detected by CyberTaskTimer), reporting the executable file, title, date, start-up time and time of use. Two, the "statistics", activated by clicking on the same name tab, shows a classification of the most used applications, summing up the using times of all the windows belonging to the same application (so the using time will be grouped by application) and a chart of the most 10 used applications.
CyberTaskTimer may be also used to log all applications run on your own computer and even more, not only the applications, but all the windows that have been showed (even the screensaver and the browsed web-sites). This way you can detect improper use of your system/account and prohibited use of the account where CyberTaskTimer is installed to.
A note: CyberTaskTimer is able to deactivate itself automatically when current session is terminated, so not only when current user get disconnected from Windows, but even when he locks the session or uses the fast-user-change mode of Windows XP and above (<WIN> + <L> to activate it); the same when the screensaver activates. This way only the real use of the PC will be timed and not the inactivity time.
IMPORTANT: at any time you can deactivate CyberTaskTimer by clicking with right mouse button on its tray-icon, that will show up the control menu. A double click on the tray-icon will open up its main window.
PRIVACY NOTES:
CyberTaskTimer does not contain any malware at all and does not communicates in any way to any Internet server or in any other way.
The created database is placed in user Documents (in sub-folder "CyberTaskTimer", with "dat" extension, text-plain) and everything occurs hiding nothing to the user.
If you have any tips, implementation requests, or bug-reporting, please contact SilverCyberTech at the following email address: info@silvercybertech.com
The developing team will be happy to listen to you!
If you have the need to start a process (executable) with administrative rights under Windows Vista, without using the pop-up menu and the "Run as Administrator…" item, so that the user just double click on it, then it’s possible to use a manifest file with the following content:
<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″ standalone=”yes”?>
<assembly xmlns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1″ manifestVersion=”1.0″>
<assemblyIdentity version=”1.0.0.0″ processorArchitecture=”X86″ name=”isVista” type=”win32″/>
<trustInfo xmlns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2″>
<security>
<requestedPrivileges>
<requestedExecutionLevel
level=”requireAdministrator”/>
</requestedPrivileges>
</security>
</trustInfo>
</assembly>
This will automatically elevate the executable rights, but the user will be prompted for an administrator password (if he does not belong to the Administrators group).
An already compiled file can be found here. As all manifest files, it must be placed in the same folder of the .exe file and renamed in the following way:
<executable name>.exe.manifest
If you do not want the user to see the manifest file, it is possible to use MT (a Microsoft utility downloadable from here) to embed the manifest inside the executable itself. With this tool you can write the following line from the command prompt. Eg. supposing you have a test.exe file and a test.ext.manifest file you can write:
mt.exe -manifest “test.exe.manifest” -outputresource:”test.exe”
This way you will obtain a test.exe file with the manifest file embedded in it. The user will see the executable file only and he’ll just have to run it to execute the application with administrative rights (a password will be asked, of course).
More information here.
In our applications, we often feel the need to avoid controls flickering during the parent controls resizing, to make them appear more professional.
Delphi 2007, supports all the advanced and hot features of Microsoft Windows Vista Aero (natively and without adding a single line of code), but some VCL controls are not rendered correctly if placed in the transparent window area.
Both these issues are easily resolved by code-setting to TRUE the "DoubleBuffered" property of the parent control, property made available from Delphi 2005. In fact, the issues in object take place because their DoubleBuffered property is False by default and furthermore such property is not reachable from the ObjectInspector, because it’s not marked as Published.
Because of this limitation, it would be much easier an automatic way to set to True all the DoubleBuffered properties of all controls that support it, without having to manually write a bunch of code lines for each control of our form (and for the form itself, do not forget!).
The Delphi team has run in your help, writing the following code that solve all the mentioned issues:
procedure TFormMain.DoubleBufferAll();
var
i: Integer;
begin
try
Self.DoubleBuffered := True;
for i := 0 to Self.ComponentCount - 1 do begin
if Self.Components[i] is TWinControl then begin
TWinControl(Self.Components[i]).DoubleBuffered := True;
end;
end;
except
on E:Exception do begin
//
end;
end;
end;
Just call this new method (declared as private in the Private section of TFormMain class) in the OnCreate method of the form, and you are done!
A little side effect to take into consideration: with Turbo Delphi 2006 under WinXP with themes activated, the TPageControl and TTabControl are not rendered correctly: the background does not appear as gradient. The solution is simply to set their DoubleBuffered property to False.
The registration of some among the most used VB6 components, can be a real pain under Windows Vista. Trying to register the following components, in fact, Vista will answer us with a nice "nope".
Here is the list of the ActiveX that generate the issue:
- msflxgrd.ocx
- comdlg32.ocx
- msbind.dll
- mswinsck.ocx
- msderun.dll
- msinet.ocx
- mswinsck.ocx
- mscomctl.ocx
- msdatlst.ocx
- msflxgrd.ocx
- msmask32.ocx
- tabctl32.ocx
- mscomm32.ocx
- msdbrptr.dll
- msdatgrd.ocx
- mscomct2.ocx
- mshflxgd.ocx
- msadodc.ocx
- msvbvm60.dll
- olepro32.dll
- comcat.dll
- msstdfmt.dll
So, how can we use these components in our applications running under Windows Vista? Easier than you thought: just unregister the component through the command:
RegSvr32 /u <file name>
Then simply register the same components again:
RegSvr32 <file name>
Thus, for each component you wish to use, you have to unregister it before, then register it immediately after. Eg., for "msflxgrd.ocx" component, just write this in the command line prompt (choose "Run as Administrator" from the pop-up menu on the Command Prompt link):
regsvr32 /u /s msflxgrd.ocx
regsvr32 /s msflxgrd.ocx
To make things easier for you, I prepared a batch file (.bat) that will do the dirty job for you, for every component of the list. The file can be downloaded here.
And to make things even much more easier, you can use CyberInstaller Suite 2008, that can easily manage package distribution on Windows Vista (and on every else Windows version). Use it and you’ll never have to worry about anything!
Name: Sergio