Recommendations - Third Party Tab Controls

[khood]

If anyone has had a good experience (or bad) with add-in tab controls please respond. I have downloaded a demo of Farpoint's Tabpro and really like the look, but getting them to work via code seems a little tricky. They don't have much in the way of examples, either.

What do you use & what has been your experiences? Better yet, does anyone have an example of employing Tabpro in Access 2K?

Thanks.

 

[ghubbell]

I could only offer up "why bother?". There's a decent tab control available in Access with lots of features I've never even used. Programs simply, looks good, does the job and you've already paid for it! P.S. Even with the Access tab control you are easily tempted to add more and more to a single form which really boggs down its load up time. What a 3rd party tab would do as far as form "weight" and speed?? Gord
ghubbell@total.net

 

[khood]

Gord,

Yes, I'm currently using the Access tab control & it functions well. Because of the nature of the application, my client is interested in as much flash as possible. It's going on a sales floor showroom. Their customers won't be using it, but they will see it. Also, salespeople like flash (they are the users).

While access controls are nice & trim, there is really very little control over the actual look. Can't change the orientation, can't control many of the color features, only one tab style. For everyday backoffice applications, I don't hesitate to use the ms tab control. This application is a little different. For the same reason, I switched from the ms flexgrid control to the vsflexgrid. The ms version didn't allow direct entry into the cells. The control may be larger, but the productivity improvement is enormous when keying in dozens of items.

Thanks,
Ken Hood

 

[ghubbell]

Point(s) accepted but I'll banter back in defense again: Did you know there's three tab styles available with MS? One for you for orientation, probably even with tab height and width. Toss on a nifty image or two! Ideas...Ideas....!(just having fun here!) Gord
ghubbell@total.net

 

[khood]

Gord,

Thanks, I enjoy the input. On tab height & width, I agree. On the orientation, can you put them on the bottom or side? If you can, please let me know how. Also, the styles are very limited -- basically you can have tabs, buttons or nothing. It's easy to overcome the color limitations by using frames or subforms, and using a tab-shaped image for the tab itself.

It just gripes me that you can't do a simple thing like select a background or tab color. The same thing goes for command buttons.

Ken Hood

 

[ghubbell]

True. True. Although I've seen descriptions of simulating this yourself (for buttons at least) using a label and its backstyle, color and effect properties. No, its a given you are not able to orient the tab control any other way than it is but (let me joke again here...) I don't see a lot of people using the tab control when lying down! (just teasing.) I suspect with a bit of code and with the tab control transparent, stack a few images "behind" it and based on the page selected, select an image. I'm still just too utilitarian and almost unless forced to do so, try to take the easy route. If your requirements are such that your client needs the "fluff" then I guess you have no choice but to go for the Tabpro.
I've really enjoyed debating this with you,
Gord
ghubbell@total.net

 

[khood]

Gord,

Good points, but by the time you do all the tricks with images and pasting this & that, you've lost any control size advantages you had when starting. I do understand that perhaps the intent was to force a uniform Windows look & feel. And, I agree with keeping it as simple as possible. However, if I have to do contortions to get even close to the look I like, then it's not worth my time using that control. The disadvantages are having to distribute the additional dll's, and in some cases the controls are much heavier. Good talking with you.

Ken Hood