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Precondition: The application is MFC C++ that uses BCGControlBar library for UI rendering.

Topic: We can add Backstage Views and Commands to BCG Ribbon Backstage Main Panel. Something like it:

auto pBackstagePanel = m_wndRibbonBar.AddBackstageCategory(_T("File"), IDB_FILESMALL);

// views
pBackstagePanel->AddView(ID_BACKSTAGE_INFO, _T("Info"), new CBCGPRibbonBackstageViewItemForm (IDD_FORM_INFO, RUNTIME_CLASS(CBackStagePageInfo)));
pBackstagePanel->AddView(ID_BACKSTAGE_RECENT, _T("Recent"), new CBCGPRibbonBackstageViewItemForm (IDD_FORM_RECENTFILES, RUNTIME_CLASS(CBackStagePageRecentFiles)));

// commands
pBackstagePanel->AddCommand (ID_FILE_SAVE, _T("Save"), 2);
pBackstagePanel->AddCommand (ID_OPTIONS, _T("Options"), 3);
pBackstagePanel->AddCommand (ID_APP_EXIT, _T("Exit"), 3);

But BCG Backstage Main Panel has UI bug: ribbon buttons for views (method AddView()) and commands (method AddCommand()) are rendered with different widths! So hovered or focused state of ribbon button for command are rendered narrower than for views by around 6px.

You can see this bug even in BCG samples that use BCG Ribbon (e.g DrawCli): Example

Question: Do you know the way how to fix it and have equal width for all elements in the backstage main panel?

23W
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  • Why don't you ask the vendor for support? – IInspectable Sep 24 '22 at 14:37
  • @IInspectable, have you seen BCGSoft forum? barely alive. This bug exists several years, so i'm not sure that vendor is going to fix it. So I hope that someone else knows how to fix it. – 23W Sep 24 '22 at 15:40
  • Why is that little 6px a problem? The average user dont't see it. – Tom Tom Sep 25 '22 at 07:01
  • @TomTom, don't agree with you. the difference around 6px from left and right side of highlighted item it catches the eye when you move mouse over items in main backstage. this is start place for user in UIX and describes app as untidy from the beginning. – 23W Sep 25 '22 at 10:22
  • BCGSoft has a very good support. Just open the support area and ask, The forum isn't useful. The support is... https://support.bcgsoft.com/ – xMRi Sep 27 '22 at 12:14

1 Answers1

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BCGSoft will not fix anything. I have used their lib for years and their 48 hours "help" is useless. Basically, they always reply that the reported problem is MFC and not with their software. It is so poor, I am re-writing my entire framework into straight MFC. This removes the GUI lib's layer of indirection. Not that MS is much better at responding to GUI MFC bugs, though.

rtischer8277
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  • Can't agree. I use the BCG Lib for more than 15 years. I can't agree that the support isn't useful. I just has 4 support cases the last 4 weeks and every case was easily solved by BCGSoft. – xMRi Sep 27 '22 at 12:16
  • BCGSoft is hellbent on deflecting help desk questions, not solving the problem or educating the user. 4 out of 5 help desk questions I have asked them over the years to contribute to, I have had to solve myself. Add that attitude to their limited English language skills, and you have a very problematic library. Eliminating them from my code was a tough step, but I am so glad to be done with them. – rtischer8277 Sep 28 '22 at 14:56