NAME

Win32::GUI::SplashScreen - Win32::GUI SplashScreen support

SYNOPSIS

        use Win32:GUI::SplashScreen;

        Win32::GUI::SplashScreen::Show([%options]);

        Win32::GUI::SplashScreen::Done([$now]);

Win32::GUI::SplashScreen is a module that works with Win32::GUI to implement a Windows application splash screen.

It can generate a simple splash screen from basic text information, or use a supplied image. The splash screen can be configured to have a minimum display time (so that users always have time to read any information), and can be taken down automatically once your program reaches the dialog phase.

METHODS

Show

        Win32::GUI::SplashScreen::Show(%options);

where %options are:

-file

The file or resource name containing the splash image to load. Defaults to SPLASH. First attempt is to load the image from the running executable as a resource - this is for people who have packaged their GUI with perl2exe, PAR or some similar packaging tool. If not found as a resource, then attempts are made to find file in the filesystem: The script directory, the current directory and $ENV{PAR_TEMP} directories are searched for file with no extension, and with .bmp, .jpg and .jpeg extensions. JPEG support is only available if Win32::GUI::DIBitmap is available.

-mintime

The minimum time for which the splash screen should be shown in seconds. Defaults to 3 seconds.

-info

If a user defined bitmap is not supplied, or not foound, then Win32::GUI::SplashScreen generates it's own internal splash screen. When doing this any text provided by the -info option is drawn in the top left corner of the splash screen.

-copyright

If a user defined bitmap is not supplied, or not foound, then Win32::GUI::SplashScreen generates it's own internal splash screen. When doing this any text provided by the -copyright option is drawn in the top left corner of the splash screen, under any text provided by the -info option.

If no other action is taken the splash screen will be taken down automatically once -mintime seconds have passsed and you have entered the dialog phase.

Only one splash screen can be diaplayed at a time.

returns 1 on success and 0 on failure.

Done

        Win32::GUI::SplashScreen::Done([$now]);

Done() is a blocking call that waits until the -mintime has passed since the splash screen was displayed, and takes it down.

Perhaps more usefully, if called with a TRUE parameter, takes the splash screen down NOW.

Returns 1 on success and 0 on failure (for example if there is no splash screen showing currently).

AUTHOR

Robert May, <rmay@popeslane.clara.co.uk>

Additional information may be available at http://www.robmay.me.uk/win32gui/.

REQUIRES

Win32::GUI v1.02 or later.

Win32::GUI::DIBitmap for JPEG support.

EXAMPLES

        #!perl -w
        use strict;
        use warnings;

        use Win32::GUI;
        use Win32::GUI::SplashScreen;

        # Create and diaplay the splash screen
        # Uses default filename of 'SPLASH', and searches for
        # SPLASH.bmp and SPLASH.jp[e]g
        Win32::GUI::SplashScreen::Show();

        # Create the main window
        my $mw = Win32::GUI::Window->new(
                -title  => "SplashScreen Demo 1",
                -size   => [700, 500],
        ) or die "Creating Main Window";

        # do some other stuff
        sleep(1);

        # show the main window and enter the dialog phase
        # splash screen taken down after (default) 3 seconds
        $mw->Center();
        $mw->Show();
        Win32::GUI::Dialog();
        exit(0);

USING WITH PAR

If you pack your GUI into an executable using PAR (See http://par.perl.org/) then add your bitmap to the PAR distributable with the -a option,

        pp -a SPLASHFILE.bmp -o xxx.exe xxx.pl

Where SPLASHFILE.bmp is the name of your splash screen image and Win32::GUI::SplashScreen will find it.

BUGS

See the TODO file from the disribution.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to the Win32::GUI developers at http://sourceforge.net/projects/perl-win32-gui/

COPYRIGHT & LICENSE

Copyright 2005 Robert May, All Rights Reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

cpanm Win32::GUI::SplashScreen

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install Win32::GUI::SplashScreen