# VBForums CodeBank > CodeBank - Visual Basic 6 and earlier >  MsgBoxEx - Extended Message Box

## manavo11

Based on the code from Aaron Young I found here : http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=17725,
I added some extra features  :Smilie: 

1) Now you can move and resize the msgbox easily.
2) Change Forecolor and Backcolor for the MsgBox.

Module Code (Post #6) : http://www.vbforums.com/showpost.php...46&postcount=6

Example (Post #7) : http://www.vbforums.com/showpost.php...51&postcount=7

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## RobDog888

Very nice additional features! Will you be fixing the button and text positioning when the msgbox is sized?  :Wink:

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## manavo11

> Very nice additional features! Will you be fixing the button and text positioning when the msgbox is sized?


Thanks  :Smilie:  I'll be adding it shortly  :Smilie:

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## Hack

I concur with RobDog.   Very nice!   In fact, when you finish I think I'll pop this into a modMsgBox.bas file and make it standard module for all new projects.    :Thumb:

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## manavo11

> I concur with RobDog.   Very nice!   In fact, when you finish I think I'll pop this into a modMsgBox.bas file and make it standard module for all new projects.


Thanks Hack  :Smilie: 

I updated the code. It resizes and moves the buttons now. I'm sure it's not perfect so I'm open to suggestions  :Smilie:

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## manavo11

In a standard module :


VB Code:
'*************************************************************
'* MsgBoxEx() - Written by Aaron Young, February 7th 2000
'*            - Edited by Philip Manavopoulos, May 19th 2005
'*************************************************************
 Option Explicit
 Private Type CWPSTRUCT
    lParam As Long
    wParam As Long
    message As Long
    hwnd As Long
End Type
 'Added by manavo11
Private Type RECT
    Left As Long
    Top As Long
    Right As Long
    Bottom As Long
End Type
 Private Type LOGBRUSH
    lbStyle As Long
    lbColor As Long
    lbHatch As Long
End Type
'Added by manavo11
 Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (Destination As Any, Source As Any, ByVal Length As Long)
Private Declare Function SetWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowsHookExA" (ByVal idHook As Long, ByVal lpfn As Long, ByVal hmod As Long, ByVal dwThreadId As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function CallNextHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long, ByVal nCode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function UnhookWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function CallWindowProc Lib "user32" Alias "CallWindowProcA" (ByVal lpPrevWndFunc As Long, ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal Msg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function GetClassName Lib "user32" Alias "GetClassNameA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal nMaxCount As Long) As Long
 'Added by manavo11
Private Declare Function SetTextColor Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetBkColor Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc As Long, ByVal crColor As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function CreateBrushIndirect Lib "gdi32" (lpLogBrush As LOGBRUSH) As Long
Private Declare Function GetSysColor Lib "user32" (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
 Private Declare Function SetFocus Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
 Private Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal X As Long, ByVal Y As Long, ByVal nWidth As Long, ByVal nHeight As Long, ByVal bRepaint As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, lpRect As RECT) As Long
Private Declare Function GetClientRect Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, lpRect As RECT) As Long
 Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal hWnd1 As Long, ByVal hWnd2 As Long, ByVal lpsz1 As String, ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Long
'Added by manavo11
 Private Const WH_CALLWNDPROC = 4
Private Const GWL_WNDPROC = (-4)
Private Const WM_CTLCOLORBTN = &H135
Private Const WM_DESTROY = &H2
Private Const WM_SETTEXT = &HC
Private Const WM_CREATE = &H1
 'Added by manavo11
' System Color Constants
Private Const COLOR_BTNFACE = 15
Private Const COLOR_BTNTEXT = 18
 ' Windows Messages
Private Const WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC = &H138
Private Const WM_CTLCOLORDLG = &H136
 Private Const WM_SHOWWINDOW As Long = &H18
'Added by manavo11
 Private lHook As Long
Private lPrevWnd As Long
 Private bCustom As Boolean
Private sButtons() As String
Private lButton As Long
Private sHwnd As String
 'Added by manavo11
Private lForecolor As Long
Private lBackcolor As Long
 Private sDefaultButton As String
 Private iX As String
Private iY As String
Private iWidth As String
Private iHeight As String
 Private iButtonCount As Integer
Private iButtonWidth As Integer
'Added by manavo11
 Public Function SubMsgBox(ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal Msg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
    Dim sText As String
    
    Select Case Msg
    
    'Added by manavo11
    Case WM_SHOWWINDOW
        Dim MsgBoxRect As RECT
        
        GetWindowRect hwnd, MsgBoxRect
        
        If StrPtr(iX) = 0 Then
            iX = MsgBoxRect.Left
        End If
        
        If StrPtr(iY) = 0 Then
            iY = MsgBoxRect.Top
        End If
        
        If StrPtr(iWidth) = 0 Then
            iWidth = MsgBoxRect.Right - MsgBoxRect.Left
        Else
            Dim i As Integer
            Dim h As Long
            
            Dim ButtonRECT As RECT
            
            For i = 0 To iButtonCount
                h = FindWindowEx(hwnd, h, "Button", vbNullString)
                
                GetWindowRect h, ButtonRECT
                
                MoveWindow h, 14 + (iButtonWidth * i) + (6 * i), iHeight - (ButtonRECT.Bottom - ButtonRECT.Top) - 40, iButtonWidth, ButtonRECT.Bottom - ButtonRECT.Top, 1
            Next
        End If
        
        If StrPtr(iHeight) = 0 Then
            iHeight = MsgBoxRect.Bottom - MsgBoxRect.Top
        End If
        
        MoveWindow hwnd, iX, iY, iWidth, iHeight, 1
    Case WM_CTLCOLORDLG, WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC
        Dim tLB As LOGBRUSH
        'Debug.Print wParam
        
        Call SetTextColor(wParam, lForecolor)
        Call SetBkColor(wParam, lBackcolor)
        
        tLB.lbColor = lBackcolor
        
        SubMsgBox = CreateBrushIndirect(tLB)
        Exit Function
    'Added by manavo11
    
    Case WM_CTLCOLORBTN
        'Customize the MessageBox Buttons if neccessary..
        'First Process the Default Action of the Message (Draw the Button)
        SubMsgBox = CallWindowProc(lPrevWnd, hwnd, Msg, wParam, ByVal lParam)
        'Now Change the Button Text if Required
        If Not bCustom Then Exit Function
        If lButton = 0 Then sHwnd = ""
        'If this Button has Been Modified Already then Exit
        If InStr(sHwnd, " " & Trim(Str(lParam)) & " ") Then Exit Function
        sText = sButtons(lButton)
        sHwnd = sHwnd & " " & Trim(Str(lParam)) & " "
        lButton = lButton + 1
        'Modify the Button Text
        SendMessage lParam, WM_SETTEXT, Len(sText), ByVal sText
        
        'Added by manavo11
        If sText = sDefaultButton Then
            SetFocus lParam
        End If
        'Added by manavo11
        
        Exit Function
        
    Case WM_DESTROY
        'Remove the MsgBox Subclassing
        Call SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_WNDPROC, lPrevWnd)
    End Select
    SubMsgBox = CallWindowProc(lPrevWnd, hwnd, Msg, wParam, ByVal lParam)
End Function
 Private Function HookWindow(ByVal nCode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
    Dim tCWP As CWPSTRUCT
    Dim sClass As String
    'This is where you need to Hook the Messagebox
    CopyMemory tCWP, ByVal lParam, Len(tCWP)
    If tCWP.message = WM_CREATE Then
        sClass = Space(255)
        sClass = Left(sClass, GetClassName(tCWP.hwnd, ByVal sClass, 255))
        If sClass = "#32770" Then
            'Subclass the Messagebox as it's created
            lPrevWnd = SetWindowLong(tCWP.hwnd, GWL_WNDPROC, AddressOf SubMsgBox)
        End If
    End If
    HookWindow = CallNextHookEx(lHook, nCode, wParam, ByVal lParam)
End Function
 Public Function MsgBoxEx(ByVal Prompt As String, Optional ByVal Buttons As Long = vbOKOnly, Optional ByVal Title As String, Optional ByVal HelpFile As String, Optional ByVal Context As Long, Optional ByRef CustomButtons As Variant, Optional DefaultButton As String, Optional X As String, Optional Y As String, Optional Width As String, Optional Height As String, Optional ByVal ForeColor As ColorConstants = -1, Optional ByVal BackColor As ColorConstants = -1) As Long
    Dim lReturn As Long
    
    bCustom = (Buttons = vbCustom)
    If bCustom And IsMissing(CustomButtons) Then
        MsgBox "When using the Custom option you need to supply some Buttons in the ""CustomButtons"" Argument.", vbExclamation + vbOKOnly, "Error"
        Exit Function
    End If
    lHook = SetWindowsHookEx(WH_CALLWNDPROC, AddressOf HookWindow, App.hInstance, App.ThreadID)
    'Set the Defaults
    If Len(Title) = 0 Then Title = App.Title
    If bCustom Then
        'User wants to use own Button Titles..
        If TypeName(CustomButtons) = "String" Then
            ReDim sButtons(0)
            sButtons(0) = CustomButtons
            Buttons = 0
        Else
            sButtons = CustomButtons
            Buttons = UBound(sButtons)
        End If
    End If
    
    'Added by manavo11
    lForecolor = GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNTEXT)
    lBackcolor = GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE)
    
    If ForeColor >= 0 Then lForecolor = ForeColor
    If BackColor >= 0 Then lBackcolor = BackColor
    
    sDefaultButton = DefaultButton
    
    iX = X
    iY = Y
    iWidth = Width
    iHeight = Height
    
    iButtonCount = UBound(sButtons)
    iButtonWidth = (iWidth - (2 * 14) - (6 * (Buttons + 1))) / (Buttons + 1)
    'Added by manavo11
    
    lButton = 0
    
    'Show the Modified MsgBox
    lReturn = MsgBox(Prompt, Buttons, Title, HelpFile, Context)
    Call UnhookWindowsHookEx(lHook)
    'If it's a Custom Button MsgBox, Alter the Return Value
    If bCustom Then lReturn = lReturn - (UBound(CustomButtons) + 1)
    bCustom = False
    MsgBoxEx = lReturn
End Function

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## manavo11

Example :


VB Code:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim aButtons(2) As String
    aButtons(0) = "Go"
    aButtons(1) = "Come"
    aButtons(2) = "???"
     Caption = aButtons(MsgBoxEx("Text" & vbCrLf & "More Text" & vbCrLf & "Even More Text", vbCustom, "Title", , , aButtons, aButtons(1), 0, 0, 200, 300, vbWhite, vbBlue))
End Sub

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## claudiolins

Can we have a background picture on it ?

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## manavo11

Well, in theory you should be able to, although I haven't tried it... Probably when the same message is called when you set the background color, instead of calling the SetBkColor API, you could call the BitBlt, right? Both take the hdc as a parameter to draw on. So I'm guessing it's possible, but not implemented in the above code  :Smilie:

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## Liquid Metal

manavo11, if you get a chance, can you post your code in VB tags?  When I copy your code and past it to a module, it is all bunch up on couple lines.

Thank You

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## lintz

Liquid Metal, I read a post that said to copy code (within VB tags) click the 'Quote' button which removes all the line numbers allowing you to copy and paste the code into your project  :Thumb:

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## RobDog888

Or check out MartinLiss' signature for his VB Code Copier fix.

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## dilettante

How close does it get us to TaskDialog()'s functionality?

So long MessageBox and thanks for all the memories

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## Liquid Metal

> Liquid Metal, I read a post that said to copy code (within VB tags) click the 'Quote' button which removes all the line numbers allowing you to copy and paste the code into your project


I just clicked the Quote button on you and it worked! :Big Grin:  :Stick Out Tongue:     Thanks for the tip Lintz, it was good. :Thumb:   :Cool:   :Alien Frog:

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## lintz

Glad to help  :wave:   :Big Grin:

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## Zach_VB6

I got a question:



```
Public Function MsgBoxEx(ByVal Prompt As String, Optional ByVal Buttons As Long = vbOKOnly, Optional ByVal Title As String, Optional ByVal HelpFile As String, Optional ByVal Context As Long, Optional ByRef CustomButtons As Variant, Optional DefaultButton As String, Optional X As String, Optional Y As String, Optional Width As String, Optional Height As String, Optional ByVal ForeColor As ColorConstants = -1, Optional ByVal BackColor As ColorConstants = -1) As Long
```

Can't the bolded strings be integers?

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## RobDog888

Where is the bolded parts? It doesnt show.

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## techgnome

I think it was in ref to this part ( the bold is hard to see, so I also changed the color)


```
Optional X As String, Optional Y As String, Optional Width As String, Optional Height As String
```

Doesn't it make sense to make those Longs instead? 

-tg

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## RobDog888

Yes, if your passing numerical data all the time, as in coordinates, then it does make logical sense to change the signature to Integer or Long instead.

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## techgnome

:Smilie:  Well, I'm think that until VB recognizes "four hundred fifty-eight" as a number.... it's pretty safe (possibly safer) to change it to longs to allow 458...

 :Smilie: 

-tg

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## TheVBshark

nice coding but cant we increase the font size......please

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## levanduyet

Dear All,

These code can not show the Unicode message.

LVD

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## khkv8

vb6 & win 10
Tried code and have problems
1)The left lower corner of the msgbox is grey, and not color selected
2)Sub Script out of range error after pressing btn #1

Thanks for any HELP

NO HELP!!
So I took some ones advise and created my own. 
Size, location, backcolor, forecolor, 1 to 3 buttons
button size, color & location 
Message text size, color & location

 :wave:  :wave:

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