Skip to content

Native Look and Feel

Native Look and Feel is a Dyalog option that affects the appearance of the controls provided by the Dyalog GUI Interface and those used by the Dyalog Session. It is implemented by the XPLookAndFeel parameter.

Most of the Dyalog controls (with the notable exception of the Dyalog Grid) are standard Windows user-interface components provided by the Windows Common Controls library comctl32.dll. Successive versions of Windows have introduced new versions of the Windows Common Control Library which typically provide additional features as well as certain differences in appearance. However, each version of Windows continues to support older versions of the Common Control Library as well as the latest one. The decision as to which is loaded is made at run-time.

A second factor that affects the appearance of user-interface controls is the application of Visual Styles1 and Themes. These features enable users to tailor the UI to accommodate their individual needs and preferences. From Windows 8 onwards, the default appearance of certain Common Controls is overridden by the Visual Styles in use. However, this applies only if Native Look and Feel is enabled.

If Native Look and Feel is enabled, Windows loads the latest version of comctl32.dll (and potentially other Windows dlls) that is appropriate for the version of Windows in use. If Native Look and Feel is disabled, an earlier version may be loaded. The specific version that is loaded is not determined by Dyalog, but by Windows.

The Dyalog for Microsoft Windows Object Reference Guide identifies which features require Native Look and Feel to be enabled. It documents the typical appearance of controls with Native Look and Feel disabled but does not specify how the appearance of controls is affected by enabling Native Look and Feel, which is in any case affected by the Visual Styles selected by the user.

Dyalog Session

During development, both the Dyalog Session and the Dyalog APL GUI will display native style buttons, combo boxes, and other GUI components if Native Look and Feel is enabled. The option is provided in the General tab of the Configuration dialog.

Applications

By default Native Look and Feel is disabled in end-user applications. There are two ways to enable it.

If you use the File/Export… menu item on the Session MenuBar to create a bound executable, an OLE Server (in-process or out-of-process), an ActiveX Control or a .NET Assembly, check the option box labelled Enable Native Look and Feel in the create bound file dialog box. See Creating Executables and COM Servers.

If not, set the XPLookandFeel parameter to 1, when you run the program. For example: 

dyalogrt.exe XPLookAndFeel=1 myws.dws

  1. See msdn.microsoft.com for details. ↩