[emailaya]

Hi

First let me say that the Mint skin looks GREAT! specially the effects on the caption bar.

1) How can I put tabs on the caption bar? as seen in the screenshot

2) How can I put the Menu button on the caption bar? as seen in the screenshot

3) Is AC8.04 works with XE2 64bit?

4) Is AC8.04 works with devexpress 12.2.6 (latest for now)?

Thanks for such an excellent work that you do

[emailaya]

'emailaya' wrote:

Hi

First let me say that the Mint skin looks GREAT! specially the effects on the caption bar.

1) How can I put tabs on the caption bar? as seen in the screenshot

2) How can I put the Menu button on the caption bar? as seen in the screenshot

3) Is AC8.04 works with XE2 64bit?

4) Is AC8.04 works with devexpress 12.2.6 (latest for now)?

Thanks for such an excellent work that you do

I was hoping to start migrating my project to AC8.04 soon so I hope to get some answers to my above questions

Thanks!

[Hamilton]

Hi emailaya,

1&2) This is achieved with the TsTitleBar component. The demo includes source so you can see a working example of this; just take a peek at the TsTitleBar Items list (and in particular the style property) and I'm sure you'll work it out.

3&4) I *think* yes but I'm using an older version of Delphi and cxGrids personally so I can only repeat what I remember other people reporting. The quickest and best way to answer your questions with 100% certainty would be to install it and find out!

Regards,

Hamilton

[emailaya]

'Hamilton' wrote:

Hi emailaya,

1&2) This is achieved with the TsTitleBar component. The demo includes source so you can see a working example of this; just take a peek at the TsTitleBar Items list (and in particular the style property) and I'm sure you'll work it out.

3&4) I *think* yes but I'm using an older version of Delphi and cxGrids personally so I can only repeat what I remember other people reporting. The quickest and best way to answer your questions with 100% certainty would be to install it and find out!

Regards,

Hamilton

Thank you for your reply, I mainly ask these questions so I won't make a small demo, see it working OK and then when I will change my main project, things will start to be messy.

One more question if I may: I now have devexpress components all over the forms, is it recommended to switch them to AC components or staying with these components will give me the same skinning results?

Thanks!

[Hamilton]

Hi,

That last question is a bit of a tough one. Personally I use DevExpress cxGrids and the printing solution in almost all my apps and would find it hard to work in Delphi without them. Since using AC I've stopped using other DevExpress controls and would probably only consider adding very high end controls such as the calendar and gauges if/when I had need for these. For all 'common' controls I'm very comfortable with the AC alternatives and I can't recall any specific DevExpress control that I've removed that took away functionality from my apps – but you may be using the controls differently so you'll need to assess that.

If you create a simple app with a SkinManager, a SkinProvider, a DevExpress TEdit and an AC TsEdit on a form then you'll quickly see the level of skinning provided by both solutions. IIRC the skinned DevExpress component looks OK but the TsEdit is better. Is it 'better' by a sufficient margin to warrant the time to switch controls – that's up to you to decide 🙂 It would only take a few minutes to put one of each of your current controls on a form alongside the AC equivalent and test that, which is what I'd do in your position.

Another quick point – depending on the size of your app you might want to automate the conversion from DevExpress to AC. There is a tool called AlphaConvert on the AC downloads page that will convert any VCL controls in your apps to AC controls (if you have any left over VCL controls). This tool won't help with the DevExpress conversion so you'll want to find something like the free tool developed by the TBX/SPTBX community for conversion of their controls and modify that to work with AC, or a regular text replacement program like Funduc Search and Replace (my own preferred method). After doing the search/replace you'll need to open every form and ignore the properties that are no longer defined, then save the form again. You'll really want to backup your project first in case there are any breaking changes; for some controls you may need or want to convert them manually to avoid missing any important properties.

HTH

Regards,

Hamilton

[emailaya]

'Hamilton' wrote:

Hi,

That last question is a bit of a tough one. Personally I use DevExpress cxGrids and the printing solution in almost all my apps and would find it hard to work in Delphi without them. Since using AC I've stopped using other DevExpress controls and would probably only consider adding very high end controls such as the calendar and gauges if/when I had need for these. For all 'common' controls I'm very comfortable with the AC alternatives and I can't recall any specific DevExpress control that I've removed that took away functionality from my apps – but you may be using the controls differently so you'll need to assess that.

If you create a simple app with a SkinManager, a SkinProvider, a DevExpress TEdit and an AC TsEdit on a form then you'll quickly see the level of skinning provided by both solutions. IIRC the skinned DevExpress component looks OK but the TsEdit is better. Is it 'better' by a sufficient margin to warrant the time to switch controls – that's up to you to decide 🙂 It would only take a few minutes to put one of each of your current controls on a form alongside the AC equivalent and test that, which is what I'd do in your position.

Another quick point – depending on the size of your app you might want to automate the conversion from DevExpress to AC. There is a tool called AlphaConvert on the AC downloads page that will convert any VCL controls in your apps to AC controls (if you have any left over VCL controls). This tool won't help with the DevExpress conversion so you'll want to find something like the free tool developed by the TBX/SPTBX community for conversion of their controls and modify that to work with AC, or a regular text replacement program like Funduc Search and Replace (my own preferred method). After doing the search/replace you'll need to open every form and ignore the properties that are no longer defined, then save the form again. You'll really want to backup your project first in case there are any breaking changes; for some controls you may need or want to convert them manually to avoid missing any important properties.

HTH

Regards,

Hamilton

Regarding my last question: If I conclude what you are saying, it means to change all the regular components into AC ones and only the specific devex components that have additional required functionality, they should remain as devex components, fair enough.

So according to other people's reports, 12.2.6 is supported and also xe2 64bit?

[emailaya]

'emailaya' wrote:

Regarding my last question: If I conclude what you are saying, it means to change all the regular components into AC ones and only the specific devex components that have additional required functionality, they should remain as devex components, fair enough.

So according to other people's reports, 12.2.6 is supported and also xe2 64bit?

A question about the 64bit: I saw a package related to 64bit, do I just need to build it? it seems to overwrite the previous build, no?

Also in the installation file, there is this paragraph:

Using 64bit packages under Delphi XE2/XE3 :

1. Install 32bit package in the IDE. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< install 32bit or 64bit? 2. Configure an application options, define a path to 64bit units for “Win64 platform” configuration. 32bit units should be used in design-time, 64bit units should be used in run-time for an application building for Win64 platform. Where are the 64bit units?

[Support]

Hello!

If you uses the package with sources then x64 units will be created automatically in the directory defined for 64-bit mode.

Otherwise, you can download units from site, they are available.

DevEx 12.2.6 is not fully supported at moment, but will be supported very soon.

[emailaya]

'Support' wrote:

Hello!

If you uses the package with sources then x64 units will be created automatically in the directory defined for 64-bit mode.

Otherwise, you can download units from site, they are available.

DevEx 12.2.6 is not fully supported at moment, but will be supported very soon.

I do have packages with sources and I download what I get in the notification email and there I see only one set of sources, did I miss something?

Do I need to build the 64bit package or the 32bit? or both?

Regarding 12.2.6, Ok, thanks, I understand it will be fully supported in the next build?

[Support]

'emailaya' wrote:

I do have packages with sources and I download what I get in the notification email and there I see only one set of sources, did I miss something?

Do I need to build the 64bit package or the 32bit? or both?

Just define an output path for 64bit Dcu's in the IDE options and compile your application in x64 mode.

Dcu will be created automatically.

Quote:

Regarding 12.2.6, Ok, thanks, I understand it will be fully supported in the next build?

Yes.

[emailaya]

'Support' wrote:

Just define an output path for 64bit Dcu's in the IDE options and compile your application in x64 mode.

Dcu will be created automatically.

So there is nothing to be done with the 64bit dpk file? no need to install it?

Actually I have one folder for DCU so after developing a new version in 64bit (the dcu files are 64bit), I simply change the platform to 32bit, make another build (now the DCUs are 32bit) and I take the 2 executables. Regarding this process, there is no change when using AC?

[Support]

'emailaya' wrote:

So there is nothing to be done with the 64bit dpk file? no need to install it?

You are right, additional compiling of the package is not needed.

Quote:

Actually I have one folder for DCU so after developing a new version in 64bit (the dcu files are 64bit), I simply change the platform to 32bit, make another build (now the DCUs are 32bit) and I take the 2 executables. Regarding this process, there is no change when using AC?

Yes

[emailaya]

'Support' wrote:

You are right, additional compiling of the package is not needed.

Yes

Thanks, so one last questions: what the 64bit dpk file is for?

[Support]

For users who wants to have x64 dcu's without compiling of the application 🙂

You not needed this file.

[Author]

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