Windows Vista introduces three new types of dialog boxes supported by the IDE. Task dialogs are similar to Message dialogs, but have added functionality. Windows Vista File Dialog and Windows Vista Save Dialog provide new and changed functionality. RAD Studio provides support for the new Vista dialogs in the Tool Palette as well as in the VCL components TTaskDialog, TFileOpenDialog, and TFileSaveDialog.  

You can also upgrade existing Message, File, and Save dialogs to the newer Vista dialogs by setting the UseLatestCommonDialogs flag. If the flag is set, and you are running Vista, and you have theming enabled, the old-style dialogs will be promoted to Vista-style dialogs. If these conditions are false, Task dialogs are downgraded to Message dialogs. Vista-style File and Save dialogs do not share all of the functionality of the old File and Save dialogs, however, so the IDE provides upgrade capability but no downgrade capability for these controls.  

Task dialog boxes include all the functionality of the old Message dialog as well as the following new features and controls:

• A new message title.
• Support for hyperlinks in dialog box.
• User-defined buttons.
• Command link button style.
• Button hints for command link buttons.
• Ordinary progress bars and marquee progress bars.
• Expanded dialog text (SeeDetails and HideDetails).
• A verification box.
• Controls with elevated security requirements (ElevationRequired property).
• Main and footer icons.

Vista-style File and Save dialogs provide similar functionality as the old-style dialogs, but have some substantial changes that can affect existing applications.  

The new dialog boxes do not provide user-specified context-sensitive help, but always display Microsoft help. If you need to have application-specific context-sensitive help for your File and Save dialogs, you should continue to use the old-style dialogs.  

The Vista File and Save dialogs also have eliminated support for the events OnShow, OnIncludeItem, and OnClose. If your application depends on those events, you should continue to use the old-style dialogs.

Windows Vista uses themes in the user interface. For example, TCustomForm is themed for Vista. FileDialog and SaveDialog exist in both classic and themed versions.  

Themed versions have some differences from unthemed versions, such as no support for OnShow, IncludeItem, or OnClose events. The new file dialogs do not support custom help but do support Microsoft help. 

To upgrade existing projects to use themes, set the Vista flag On. This is a one-way setting; you cannot downgrade to the classic look after upgrading to themes. 

By default, themes are On in the IDE and in your application, but you can disable the use of themes.

Vista AERO provides an optional glass effect that makes windows and dialogs translucent, so that you can see the graphics below them.  

Windows can either have a customizable glass frame or become completely translucent with the SheetOfGlass property. Controls in a glassed area can be difficult to see unless you set the DoubleBuffered property.  

Many controls available in RAD Studio support glass, but some do not.

MSBuild Overview 

Disabling Themes in the IDE and in the Application