topic Re: task bar button width in LabVIEW

task bar button width

Neil.Pate — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:40:09 GMT

Hi there,

Does anyone know how (if possible) to increase the width of the tasks that appear in the Windows taskbar?

As LabVIEW prepends the library name to all VIs I often have quite a few similar looking tasks in the taskbar (Windows truncates the text)
This leads me to trying to keep the library name as short as possible, not really what I want to be doing.

I have a nice wide monitor, and I make the task bar double height, it would be nice to be able to stretch (or set) a minimum width for tasks. Then I could see the whole VI name (or at least more of it), unlike the situation I am dealing with now, as shown in the screeny

Also, I really wish they would change the icon to differentiate between block diagram and front panel! (I know I should have actually filled out a product suggestion years ago...)

holding thumbs!
nrp

Message Edited by nrp on 06-05-2008 10:40 AM

Re: task bar button width

StevenD — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:55:26 GMT

As far as I know, there is no way to change the width of the tasks on the taskbar when it's on the bottom. However you can move the task bar to the side and set the width there. Just drag the taskbar to either side, and it will automatically update. However, unless you have a REALLY wide moniter it generally takes up more room than most users like.

Re: task bar button width

Neil.Pate — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:18:09 GMT

its not that wide

There is probably some arcance Win32 interface, as the OS does dynamically shrink the buttons if there are greater than a certain number of tasks.

Re: task bar button width

MikeS81 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:23:05 GMT

Hi nrp,

maybe it is possible to get the handle of each button and to resize it with some user32.dll function.

Mike

Re: task bar button width

yenknip — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:42:34 GMT

I'll bet there is a legacy dll somewhere that can be fiddled with, but as an easier alternative which may be useful is an XP 'power toy' It replaces the alt-tab select with a screenshot and full name of the window instance, and you can move your mouse over each item - which is quicker than alt-tabbing through them all 🙂

power toys

About half way down, it's called alt-tab replacement / Taskswitch.exe

Message Edited by yenknip on 06-05-2008 11:42 AM

Re: task bar button width

Neil.Pate — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:27:04 GMT

your idea is good, but unfortunately will not work for me.

I am left handed, and there is only one tab key on the keyboard. Alt -tab for me means taking my left hand off the mouse.

Re: task bar button width

JeffOverton — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:41:01 GMT

there was a recent post on lifehacker about DeXpose2, which is a windows emulator for the expose feature on macs. it's freeware that displays all your open windows as

screencaps, allowing you to click on one. the only issue is that the hotkey is windows-w, but I believe that is reassignable.

Message Edited by JeffOverton on 06-05-2008 12:41 PM

Re: task bar button width

StevenD — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:24:28 GMT

Did some digging and came by this

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Line 97 is to increase and decrease the size of the buttons.

Looks like it adds a registy entry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics\MidWidth = -2700

I think -15 = 1 pixel, but not sure on that.

Re: task bar button width

Neil.Pate — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:58:14 GMT

excellent! works like a charm

by the way, although the script says you have to reboot, logging off is sufficient for the registry key to be re-read.