LoadCursor Function

Declare Function LoadCursor Lib "user32.dll" Alias "LoadCursorA" (ByVal hInstance As Long, ByVal lpCursorName As Any) As Long

Platforms: Win 32s, Win 95/98, Win NT

LoadCursor loads a cursor from either a currently running program's cursor resources or Windows's cursor resources. The cursor can be referenced either by its resource name or by its numeric resource ID number. If successful, the function returns a handle to the loaded cursor. If unsuccessful, the function returns 0.

hInstance

To load one of a program's cursor resources, set this to the application's instance handle. To load one of Windows's cursor resources, set this to 0.

lpCursorName

Either a string containing the name of the cursor resource to load, or a numeric ID number identifying the resource. For Windows's cursors, exactly one of the following flags can be used to select the desired cursor resource:

IDC_APPSTARTING = 32650

The application starting cursor (arrow and hourglass).

IDC_ARROW = 32512

The regular arrow pointer cursor.

IDC_CROSS = 32515

The cross cursor.

IDC_IBEAM = 32513

The I-shaped beam cursor (text editing cursor).

IDC_ICON = 32641

Win NT only: An empty cursor.

IDC_NO = 32648

The "no" symbol cursor (circle with a slash).

IDC_SIZE = 32640

Win NT only: The four-pointed resize/move arrow.

IDC_SIZEALL = 32646

The four-pointed resize/move arrow.

IDC_SIZENESW = 32643

The double-pointed resize arrow pointing to the upper-right and lower-left.

IDC_SIZENS = 32645

The double-pointed resize arrow pointing up and down.

IDC_SIZENWSE = 32642

The double-pointed resize arrow pointing to the upper-left and lower-right.

IDC_SIZEWE = 32644

The double-pointed resize arrow pointing left and right.

IDC_UPARROW = 32516

The up-arrow cursor.

IDC_WAIT = 32514

The wait cursor (hourglass).

Example:

' Display the application starting (arrow and hourglass) Windows
' cursor for three seconds.  The cursor resource is loaded from Windows.  Then
' restore the old cursor (whatever it happens to be).
Dim hcursor As Long  ' receives handle to application starting cursor
Dim holdcursor As Long  ' receives handle to previously used cursor
Dim retval As Long  ' throw-away return value

hcursor = LoadCursor(0, IDC_APPSTARTING)  ' load Windows's application starting cursor
holdcursor = SetCursor(hcursor)  ' set it to the new cursor
Sleep 3000  ' wait for 3 seconds
retval = SetCursor(holdcursor)  ' set it to the previous cursor

Related Call: LoadCursorFromFile
Category: Cursor
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