Custom Controls Library is organized into two main parts. Part I explains the process of custom control creation. Part II, which includes most of the book, describes the 101 custom controls provided on the CD-ROM. Each control is described in a chapter that explains the key techniques demonstrated by the control. The chapters group similar controls.

Part I. Getting Started

This part explains the custom control creation process.

1. Installing Custom Controls

Explains how to install and use custom controls in Visual Basic, Delphi, Visual C++, C++ Builder, HTML, VBScript, JavaScript, JScript, Java, and J++.

2. Visual Basic Basics

A whirlwind tour of Visual Basic for non-Visual Basic programmers. If you are experienced with another programming language, this chapter will get you up to speed quickly.

3. Using CCE

Describes the CCE programming environment. If you are an experienced Visual Basic programmer much of this will be familiar.

4. Control Creation Fundamentals

Explains the basic steps needed to create custom controls.

Part II. The Control Library

Part II, which includes most of the book, describes the 101 custom controls provided on the CD-ROM. Each control is described in a section that explains the key techniques demonstrated by the control.

The chapters group similar controls. One, two, or three asterisks indicate whether a control is straightforward, somewhat involved, or extremely complex.

In the following table, the links show images of the controls in action. Note that some of these look grainy on browsers.

Chapter 5. Labels
1. AliasLabel	***	A label with antialiasing (show me)
2. BlinkLabel	*	Blinks with specified speed and colors
3. ColumnLabel	**	Multi-column (newspaper style) label
4. DocumentLabel	*	Automatically displays the contents of a file
5. EmbossLabel	***	Uses image processing to make an embossed label (show me)
6. FlowLabel	***	Multi-column label that flows around pictures, etc. (show me)
7. Label3D	*	A simple 3-D label
8. PathLabel	***	A label that follows a path
9. StretchLabel	**	Allows you to specify the font's height and width independently (show me)
10. Ticker	*	Displays a scrolling message
11. TiltHeader	**	Multiple tilted labels suitable for a grid header
12. TiltLabel	**	A rotated label
Chapter 6. TextBoxes
13. CaseText	***	Automatically converts text to upper or lower case without context menu problems
14. DocumentText	*	Automatically displays a file for editing
15. PreviewText	***	Lets a program preview a change and accept or reject it
16. RightText	*	Right-justified single line text
17. TouchText	*	Flags fields as touched by the user
18. TypeoverText	**	Lets the user switch to typeover mode
19. UndoText	*	Provides levels of undo/redo
Chapter 7. Data Fields
20. DblText	**	A field for entering doubles
21. IntText	**	A field for entering integers
22. LikeText	**	A field for entering text matching a pattern
23. LngText	**	A field for entering long integers
24. SngText	**	A field for entering singles
Chapter 8. Shapes
25. Diamond3D	*	3-D diamond
26. Ellipse3D	*	3-D ellipse
27. Pgon	**	General polygons
28. Pgon3D	**	3-D general polygons (show me)
29. Rectangle3D	*	3-D rectangle
30. RegularPolygon	**	Regular polygons (pentagon, hexagon, etc.)
Chapter 9. Decoration
31. Hilbert	*	Draws Hilbert curves (fractals) (show me)
32. JuliaSet	***	Draws Julia sets (fractals) (show me)
33. MandelbrotSet	***	Draws Mandelbrot sets (fractals) (show me)
34. Shader	**	Draws smooth color gradients
35. Sierpinski	**	Draws Sierpinski curves (fractals)
Chapter 10. Buttons
36. BeveledButton	***	Creates a beveled button from a picture (show me)
37. PgonButton	***	Polygonal button
38. PictureButton	*	Lets you specify up, down, and disabled pictures
39. PictureCheckBox	*	A CheckBox where you specify the pictures
40. PictureOption	*	An OptionButton where you specify the pictures
41. SpinButton	*	Lets the user increment/decrement a value
Chapter 11. Lists
42. IndentList	*	The user adjusts the indentation of the items
43. OrderList	*	The user reorders the items
44. SplitList	*	The user moves items from one side of the list to the other (show me)
Chapter 12. Pictures
45. BlendedPicture	***	Overlays one picture on another smoothly (show me)
46. EllipticalPicture	*	Gives a picture an elliptical border (show me)
47. ImageSelector	**	Lets the user select an image file
48. MaskedPicture	***	Overlays one picture on another
49. PicturePopper	***	Switches images in an interesting way
50. ShapedPicture	**	Clips a picture to a polygon
51. ThumbnailSelector	**	Lets the user select an image file quickly
52. TiledPicture	*	Tiles an area with a picture (show me)
Chapter 13. Image Processing
53. CountFilterPicture	**	Uses count filtering to produce interesting images
54. EmbossPicture	**	Creates embossed images (show me)
55. FilterPicture	**	Applies various filters to an image (show me)
56. FlappingFlag	**	A flapping flag animation (show me)
57. PictureSizer	***	Resizes images without aliasing
58. PictureWarper	***	Warps images (show me)
59. RankFilterPicture	***	Uses rank filtering to produce interesting images
60. RotatedPicture	***	Rotates images
61. SpinPicture	***	Spinning picture animation
62. UnsharpMask	***	Sharpens an image
Chapter 14. Data Display and Manipulation
63. Calendar	***	Calendar (show me)
64. CheckGrid	***	A grid of boxes the user can check
65. Gauge	***	Various gauge styles
66. Graph	***	Simple graphs with statistical functions (show me)
67. LabelTree	***	A tree with labeled nodes
68. Surface	***	3-D surfaces
69. View3D	***	3-D viewing
Chapter 15. Containers
70. AttachmentWindow	***	Keeps contents fixed in relationahip to each other
71. Packer	**	Packs contents tightly
72. PanedWindow	**	(Splitter) Allows the user to resize areas (show me)
73. RowColumn	**	Arranges contents in rows and columns
74. ScrolledWindow	**	Scrolls contents
75. Stretchable	*	Stretches its contents
76. Toolbox	***	A toolbox
Chapter 16. Forms
77. FlashBar	*	Flashes the form's title bar and icon
78. FormPlacer	*	Restores a form to its previous position
79. OnTop	*	Keeps the form on top of others
80. ShapedForm	***	Polygonal form
81. Sticky	**	Sticky notes
Chapter 17. Sizing and Positioning
82. DraggableAny	**	Container the user can drag and resize
83. DraggableLabel	**	Label the user can drag and resize
84. DraggableText	**	TextBox the user can drag and resize
Chapter 18. Hints and Help
85. PopupHelp	**	Tooltip-like popup
86. StatusLabel	*	Automatically clearing status label
87. TipLabel	*	Displays tips
88. ToolTips	**	Tooltips
89. WormHole	**	Hidden detail text (show me)
Chapter 19. Time
90. Alarm	*	Triggers an alarm far in the future
91. AnalogClock	*	Analog clock (show me)
92. DigitalClock	*	Digital clock
93. DigitalDate	*	Digital calender
94. EventScheduler	**	Schedules many events far in the future
Chapter 20. System
95. AnimatedTray	****	Places animated icons in the system tray
96. DevCaps	*	Gives access to device capabilities
97. FileUpdater	*	Automatically keeps files synchronized
98. SystemColors	*	Gives access to system colors
99. SystemMetrics	*	Gives access to system metrics
100. SystemParams	*	Gives access to system parameters
101. Tray	****	Places an icon in the system tray (show me) Look for the little red book)

Appendix A. Using the CD-ROM

Appendix B. API Functions (used in the book)