Simple LED type display Visual Studio 2008

[Daven]

Hi Guys, new to this forum but am looking for a simple LED type control for Visual Studio 2008.
I just need a control that I can add to the toolbox where I can pass a parameter to define the colour.
This is an MFC based application.
I am also not sure as to how to add a new control to the toolbox.
I have been programming in 'C' for many years but find some of the IDE's confusing as to how to do things (as above)
Can anyone help ?

[andywestken]

[I] am looking for a simple LED type control for Visual Studio 2008

I assume you mean a seven-segment display, rather than a dot-matrix display, progress bar, single status indicator, etc.

I just need a control that I can add to the toolbox

Could you live with a control you build into you app instead? There are a number of these on codeproject.com, some using MFC. For example (search the site for more):

Seven Segment LCD Control
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/22939/Seven-Segment-LCD-Control

If you really need to add a control to add to the toolbax, then you'll need to track down a suitable .Net, COM, or WPF control.

I am also not sure as to how to add a new control to the toolbox.

Either: right-click on the toolbox and then click on "Choose Items...", ot use the main menu: "Tools" and then ""Choose Toolbox Items...

(Google "add item to visual studio toolbox" for more info...)

I have been programming in 'C' for many years but find some of the IDE's confusing as to how to do things

Well, you could always spend some time perusing the Visual Studio documentation?

Application Development in Visual Studio
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/h8w79z10%28v=vs.90%29.aspx

Andy

[Daven]

Hi Andy, thanks for the response. I am only looking for a single LED style indicator that I can control the colour with a byte value.
I would like to add it to my control toolbox for future use.
Has no-one else ever needed this type of indicator ????
My need is to display the status of the inputs and outputs of a comms port, I know it's old tech now but us 'Old Techies' still have to work with it.
Would appreciate any help here.
Regards, Dave

[andywestken]

Well, there is this:

Industrial Controls 2
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/36116/Industrial-Controls-2

it's a set of C# contrls, including inidicator light. As it's coded in C#, you should be able to add the controls to the tool box. But I don't know if that makes it usable from C++ code, or only .Net (C++/CLI, C#, VB, ...) as I haven't tried to use it.

And there are these (yet more MFC-based codeproject.com projects)

LedButton Status Control (Owner-draw)
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/9248/LedButton-Status-Control-Owner-draw

Dynamic LED Control
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/2654/Dynamic-LED-Control

CLedButton
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/372/CLedButton

And I also saw this commercial control library in passing, just in case it's of interest to you.

CST LED ActiveX Control
http://www.pcworld.com/product/1001857/cst-led-activex-control.html

(Google the name for images; it's a lot more than the status indicator.)

Andy

[Daven]

Thanks Andy, I will gove those a try.
Regards, Dave