Scott Clark mentioned this to All:
 SC> This is not a problem, but when I create a form and use the Show method
 SC> for displaying it it appears to be acting strangely.  Firstly, I cannot
 SC> get any labels on the form to display, and the abort button I put on
 SC> the form is just shown as a white square where the button was placed. 
Also
 SC> the form cannot be dragged around while it is shown.
If you put your processing in the OnShow event, the form is showing is it 
not?   But all the controls have not finished drawing.  And they can't 
until your code in the OnShow event is done.
To handle this situation, create your own Windows message and post it to the 
form in the OnShow event.  When your form receives the message, all paint 
messages should have been handled and you can then begin your code.
interface
uses
  Forms, Messages, Windows;
const
  WM_ACTIONMESSAGE = WM_USER;
type
 TMyForm = class(TForm)
   ...
   protected
      procedure DoAction(var Msg : TMessage); message WM_ACTIONMESSAGE;
   ...
implementation
  procedure TMyForm.OnShow(Sender : TObject);
  begin
      PostMessage(Handle, WM_ACTIONMESSAGE, 0, 0);
  end;
  procedure TMyForm.DoAction(var Msg : TMessage);
  begin
      { Do your stuff here }
  end;
 SC> If I use ShowModal to display the form then it acts as I would expect it
 SC> to act, but none of the code I put in the OnShow event gets executed.
I find that odd, since the OnShow event gets executed when either Show or 
ShowModal is used.  Using Show, however, makes the form modeless, so if the 
user clicks on another visible form, your current form will disappear behind 
it.
 SC> its just the frilly bits I am trying to add that do not, and I
 SC> was led to believe that Delphi was good at all that stuff.  :(
It is, but you still have to understand how Windows works.
                                ...Gary
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