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## Tcl/Tk Documentation > TkCmd > ttk_vsapi

### Tcl/Tk Applications | Tcl Commands | Tk Commands | Tcl Library | Tk Library

  NAME
    ttk_vsapi - Define a Microsoft Visual Styles element
  SYNOPSIS
    ttk::style element create name vsapi className partId ?stateMap? ?options?
  DESCRIPTION
  OPTIONS
    -padding padding
    -margins padding
    -width width
    -height height
  STATE MAP
  EXAMPLE
  SEE ALSO
  KEYWORDS

### NAME

ttk_vsapi - Define a Microsoft Visual Styles element

### SYNOPSIS

ttk::style element create name vsapi className partId ?stateMap? ?options?

### DESCRIPTION

The vsapi element factory creates a new element in the current theme whose visual appearance is drawn using the Microsoft Visual Styles API which is reponsible for the themed styles on Windows XP and Vista. This factory permits any of the Visual Styles parts to be declared as ttk elements that can then be included in a style layout to modify the appearance of ttk widgets.

className and partId are required parameters and specify the Visual Styles class and part as given in the Microsoft documentation. The stateMap may be provided to map ttk states to Visual Styles API states (see STATE MAP).

### OPTIONS

Valid options are:

-padding padding
  Specify the element's interior padding. padding is a list of up to four integers specifying the left, top, right and bottom padding quantities respectively. This option may not be mixed with any other options.
-margins padding
  Specifies the elements exterior padding. padding is a list of up to four integers specifying the left, top, right and bottom padding quantities respectively. This option may not be mixed with any other options.
-width width
  Specifies the height for the element. If this option is set then the Visual Styles API will not be queried for the recommended size or the part. If this option is set then -height should also be set. The -width and -height options cannot be mixed with the -padding or -margins options.
-height height
  Specifies the height of the element. See the comments for -width.

### STATE MAP

The stateMap parameter is a list of ttk states and the corresponding Visual Styles API state value. This permits the element appearence to respond to changes in the widget state such as becoming active or being pressed. The list should be as described for the ttk::style map command but note that the last pair in the list should be the default state and is typically and empty list and 1. Unfortunately all the Visual Styles parts have different state values and these must be looked up either in the Microsoft documentation or more likely in the header files. The original header to use was tmschema.h but in more recent versions of the Windows Development Kit this is vssym32.h.

If no stateMap parameter is given there is an implicit default map of {{} 1}

### EXAMPLE

Create a correctly themed close button by changing the layout of a ttk::button(n). This uses the WINDOW part WP_SMALLCLOSEBUTTON and as documented the states CBS_DISABLED, CBS_HOT, CBS_NORMAL and CBS_PUSHED are mapped from ttk states.

    ttk::style element create smallclose vsapi WINDOW 19 \
        {disabled 4 pressed 3 active 2 {} 1}
    ttk::style layout CloseButton {CloseButton.smallclose -sticky news}
    pack [ttk::button .close -style CloseButton]

Change the appearence of a ttk::checkbutton(n) to use the Explorer pin part EBP_HEADERPIN.

    ttk::style element create pin vsapi EXPLORERBAR 3 {
        {pressed !selected} 3
        {active !selected} 2
        {pressed selected} 6
        {active selected} 5
        {selected} 4
        {} 1
    }
    ttk::style layout Explorer.Pin {Explorer.Pin.pin -sticky news}
    pack [ttk::checkbutton .pin -style Explorer.Pin]

### SEE ALSO

ttk::intro, ttk::widget, ttk::style, ttk_image

### KEYWORDS

style, theme, appearance, windows
Copyright © 1995-1997 Roger E. Critchlow Jr. Copyright © 2008 Pat Thoyts