How to change the form buttons (minimize, maximize and close)

Question

I have a project in Delphi 2010 where you would like to change the buttons icons Minimize, Maximize, Close-up that are represented in the image below:

The icons I want to use were created by me, so I don’t want to change by options that already come with the Delphi, there is some way to do this, beyond the creation of a Panel in the Form with align to top with the buttons and passing the BorderStyle to bsNone?

If anyone can contribute anything thank you.

Answer 1

If you can’t edit Style using BitmapStyleDesigner, there is a way (Technical arrangement) to make.

You should add a TPanel with Height of +/- 32 (at your discretion) with Align = alTop.

In this Panel you will add the buttons you want (I recommend Tspeedbutton) with Align = alRight, putting the buttons always arranged on the right if hide any or resize the window they will automatically align, similar to the original.

Now define the BordeStyle of the Form as bsNone.

To close the button use the Close

For the Minimize Button use the Application.Minimize

For the Restore/Minimize:

  if (Nome_Form.WindowState = wsMaximized) then
  begin
    Nome_Form.WindowState := wsNormal;
    {altere a imagem do botão aqui para a que desejar}
  end
  else
  begin
    Nome_Form.WindowState := wsMaximized;
    {altere a imagem do botão aqui para a que desejar}
  end;

Now just add the additional buttons you want,

Laborious, but if it is the last option you will notice that the result is TOP.

Edit 01: Moving the Form:

In the Onmousedown Panel Event (which is now your Title bar):

begin
  if (Button = mbLeft) then
  begin
    ReleaseCapture;
    Perform(WM_SYSCOMMAND,$F012,0);
  end;

Edit 02: Resizing the Form:

Declare in the Private: procedure WMNCHitTest(var Msg: TWMNCHitTest); message WM_NCHITTEST;

procedure Nome_Form.WMNCHitTest(var Msg: TWMNCHitTest);
var
  ScreenPt: TPoint;
begin
  //inherited;
  ScreenPt := ScreenToClient(Point(Msg.Xpos, Msg.Ypos));
  if (ScreenPt.x < 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTLEFT
    // top side
  else if (ScreenPt.y < 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTTOP
    // right side
  else if (ScreenPt.x >= Width - 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTRIGHT
    // bottom side
  else if (ScreenPt.y >= Height - 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTBOTTOM
    // top left corner
  else if (ScreenPt.x < 5) and (ScreenPt.y < 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTTOPLEFT
    // bottom left corner
  else if (ScreenPt.x < 5) and (ScreenPt.y >= Height - 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTBOTTOMLEFT
    // top right corner
  else if (ScreenPt.x >= Width - 5) and (ScreenPt.y < 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTTOPRIGHT
    // bottom right corner
  else if (ScreenPt.x >= Width - 5) and (ScreenPt.y >= Height - 5) then
    Msg.Result := HTBOTTOMRIGHT
end;

Note: The Statement of the procedure that resizes should be like this, different from the body of the procedure, works as if sending a SendMessage to the Api windows!

That way until the Mouse Cursor will change shape when approaching the form border!

Edit 03: Container New

Now as the Form has no edge, we need to create a new Container for the components that need to be aligned using for example alClient, alLeft etc...

In the OnResize of Form:

  Panel_Principal.Left   := 5;
  Panel_Principal.Top    := 5; {observar o outro panel que é a barra de Título}
  Panel_Principal.Width  := Nome_Form.Width - 10;
  Panel_Principal.Height := Nome_Form.Height - 10;

This way the Main Panel_and the Form will create the border effect.

Important: In order not to have all this trouble in all the Foms, you must use this as a Model and the others to use as Inheritance. However, for each new form on OnResize you should re-program the same OnResize.