Hello, this is my first post. I'm learning VB6 at home, with online tutorials. So far ok, but I can't find the right info on making a dual-paned app. Sort of like in webpages, where a 'frame' acts differently than the rest of the page. I guess it's like a child window, but always in the same position [docked?], should be NON-moveable by user, and acts as just one window with the parent, when alt-tabbing to other apps.
I don't want menus nor toolbars, because this will be a touchscreen POS app.
But the left pane will be the parent pane, with the invoice grid control, as well as some large touch buttons that run all the way acroos the top and bottom of the screen. then, in the middle and right side, will be the docked child window, or pane, which will show various buttons, depending on where in the inventory the user has gone to. For example, clicking a button will then show a new screen of buttons, of sub-products and modifiers. And clicking those may then show yet new choices. But the entire time, the parent pane stays visible and unchanged, which its grid control, and its large, home buttons across the top and maybe bottom of screen. Some of the clicks on the child window will be coded to send data to the parent window's grid control.
How should I begin making the 2 panes. Must I use a child window? And if so, how do I put it inside the parent and dock it so it stays a part of the parent, in the same place relative to it. (Sort of looks like the two panes of 'Windows Explorer', the tree view, and the file view, except those are themselves 'controls', and I just want plain panes to put various controls. )
Thanks very much for any and all help or links to info..!

You have several options:

1. Use a MDI & MDIChild forms
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa267226(VS.60).aspx

2. Use Frames and or picture boxes as panel containers

3. Use the Web control and use web pages with local VBScript to VB Host function calls.

4. Use the SetParent API to "host" a form in another container. You need to create the form through progromatic instantiation though. e.g. Set FrmX = New MyFormObject

There are more options, but these are the easiest for you to start with.

2. Use Frames and or picture boxes as panel containers

this is the best way you can do.

frames its easy way

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