Background text in ComboBox/TextEdit

i've not seen v7 of ie, what's it look like? screenshot?

Hello, please see attached screenshot. Same behavior you can find in Vista "Start Search" in taskbar.
dhot1.jpg

i think you can do like this:
1. set text in ComboBox/TextEdit - (for example 'google') and change a font size or color for it (color - grey, like in your example)  
2. onmouseclick events you just clear it, and change font size or color for ComboBox/TextEdit again to default (color - black)
3. onchange events you check if text='' (empy) you again set your default word ('google') and font color (grey).

procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
 Edit1.Font.Color := clGray;
 Edit1.Text := 'Google';
end;
 
procedure TForm1.Edit1Enter(Sender: TObject);
begin
  Edit1.Text := '';
  Edit1.Font.Color := clBlack;
end;
 
procedure TForm1.Edit1Exit(Sender: TObject);
begin
 Edit1.Font.Color := clGray;
 Edit1.Text := 'Google';
end;

Select allOpen in new window

There is a combobox on the Windows32 component list called ComboboxEx.
Place one on your form.  Place a TImageList on your form.  Create a simple bmp with the image editor with Google in it with size something like 60x18.  You could even add the google colors.  or any other pic for that matter.
There is 1 problem with this component.  The ItemIndex does not appear at desgintime.  Therefore you need to set it at runtime
And use the below code.

procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  ComboBoxEx1.ItemIndex := 0;
end;
 
procedure TForm1.ComboBoxEx1Enter(Sender: TObject);
begin
  ComboBoxEx1.StyleEx := ComboBoxEx1.StyleEx + [csExNoEditImage, csExNoEditImageIndent];
end;

Select allOpen in new window

Oh yeah, forgot to mention you need to link the imagelist to the comboboxex.  Create an item in the ItemsEx list with the imageindex from the imagelist.  You could create multiple images for all the search engines

Dear all,
thank You for all good comments, especially Reynaldi for his fabulous solution!

Thank You,
-Hakan