Including a Manifest in the project (only exe project type)


A set of new common controls has been included from Windows XP and later versions of Windows, but they only are available to an application if the executable file includes a Manifest. A Manifest is a text file in XML format included as a resource in the executable, so that it can be able to use the new common controls (see Enabling XP themes).

From version 1.03.0.0001, Easy Code includes a feature to automatically create and include a Manifest in executable type projects (Visual executable file and Classic executable file. See STARTING EASY CODE). The created file is named Manifest.xml, placed in the Res folder and added to the Miscellaneous node of the Project Explorer, so that it can be edited in the Easy Code environment. If a file with the same name already exists in the Res folder, Easy Code will use the existing one and no new file will be created.

When a new project is created, the Manifest.xml file is generated and included in the project only if the Manifest.xml file option of the New project window is selected (see STARTING EASY CODE), and it will not be available to be edited until the project has been saved for the first time. On the other hand, if the project was already created with no Manifest, and you wish to include one, select the Manifest.xml file option in the Project properties.

The Manifest.xml file must be in the Res folder, as usual, but from version 1.04.0.0001 and later, it also has to be included in the project (that is, it has to appear in the Miscelllaneous node of the Project Explorer). If not, the built executable file will not use the new common controls. So, please remember to include the Manifest.xml file for those projects created prior to version 1.04.0.0001 of Easy Code. To do that, just select the Manifest.xml file option in the Project properties.


REMARKS: At design time, or when testing a window, all control objects will be shown with the new common controls style if the Manifest.xml file option is selected in the Project properties. Otherwise, they will be shown with the old controls style.

WARNING: Take into account that the Manifest.xml file has no effect for Windows systems prior to XP.