Title:         Windows Marquee Control
Author:        Philip J. Erdelsky, 75746.3411@compuserve.com
Language:      Turbo C/C++ 3.1 for Windows
Platform       Windows 3.1
Portability:   Other Windows C++ compilers, with slight changes
Restrictions:  Public domain, no restrictions on use
Date:          January 13, 1995
Keywords:      Windows Custom Control, Static

Abstract:      A windows custom control which displays text in a border
               consisting of a circulating dashed line. The resulting
               display resembles a theater marquee. C++ source code
               only; no VBX file.

The "MARQUEE" control is a simple control that you can use as a
substitute for the standard Windows STATIC control. It displays text in
a circulating dashed line. The resulting display resembles a theater
marquee.

You can put a "MARQUEE" control into a dialog box by including a line of
the following form in the appropriate place in the resource (.RC) file:

     CONTROL initial_text, control_id, "MARQUEE", WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE,
       x, y, width, height

You can also put a "MARQUEE" control into a dialog box with the Borland
Resource Workshop, by selecting a custom control and then entering the
class name "MARQUEE" instead of choosing one of the predefined classes.

You can also create a "MARQUEE" control dynamically with an appropriate
call on CreateWindow().

The control handles the following messages in the same manner as a
standard STATIC control:

     WM_SETTEXT
     WM_GETTEXT
     WM_SETFONT
     WM_GETFONT

You can change the speed with which the border circulates by sending the
control a message of the following form:

     SendDlgItemMessage(handle, control_id, MA_SETSPEED, speed, 0L);

Here "speed" is normally in the range from about -40 to about +40.
Positive values make the border circulate clockwise; negative values
make it circulate counterclockwise. The value 0 stops the circulation
altogether. Values near the extremes may produce aliasing, in which the
direction of circulation seems to be reversed.

The default speed is 20.

You can retrieve the speed by sending the control another message:

     speed = SendDlgItemMessage(handle, control_id, MA_GETSPEED, 0, 0L);

Each "MARQUEE" control with a circulating border uses a system timer.
The number of system timers is limited. Therefore, when a "MARQUEE"
control is not being used, you should either destroy it or set its speed
to zero.

The control does not handle other messages, except for a few that are
normally generated internally by Windows. It generates no notification
messages.

The file MARQUEE.CPP must be compiled and linked with the rest of the
application. The special messages MA_SETSPEED and MA_GETSPEED are
defined in the header file MARQUEE.H.

The files MARQTEST.CPP, MARQTEST.H and MARQTEST.RC contain a simple
test program uses a "MARQUEE" control.