Zafir's approach works with controls for which MFC provides a view class. However, if MFC doesn't provide a corresponding view class, or if you want to use your nice new control in both a view and a dialog, that solution is less than perfect. While you can use a CView-derived class in a dialog, it's cumbersome. Instead, I suggest that you leave all of the customization in the control-derived class and simply roll your own custom CView-derived class for it. It's really quite easy to do. The following example uses a CListCtrl-derived class.

Step 1: Derive a custom class from CView

This is easily done with the Class Wizard. Simply click on the "Add" button and choose "New class...". Select CView as the base class and enter a name for your derived class.

Step 2: Add a member variable of your custom control class

protected:
CMyListCtrl m_ListCtrl;

Step 3: Override the OnCreate() function of your CView-derived class

Override this function and add code to create your control.

// When OnCreate is called for the view, we create the
// CMyListCtrl instance that will occupy the client area
// of the view.

int CMyListView::OnCreate(LPCREATESTRUCT lpCreateStruct)
{
 if (CView::OnCreate(lpCreateStruct) == -1)
 return -1;

 // Create the style
 DWORD dwStyle = WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP |
 LVS_REPORT;

 // Create the list control.  Don't worry about specifying
 // correct coordinates.  That will be handled in OnSize()
 BOOL bResult = m_ListCtrl.Create(dwStyle, CRect(0,0,0,0),
 this, IDC_LIST1);

return (bResult ? 0 : -1);
} //OnCreate

Step 4: Override the OnSize() function of your CView-derived class

Override this function and add code to resize the control so that it occupies the entire client area of the CView-derived class.

// Override OnSize to resize the control to match the view
void CMyListView::OnSize(UINT nType, int cx, int cy)
{
 CView::OnSize(nType, cx, cy);

 if (::IsWindow(m_ListCtrl.m_hWnd))
  m_ListCtrl.MoveWindow(0, 0, cx, cy, TRUE);
}//OnSize

Step 5 (Optional): Override the OnInitialUpdate() function of your CView-derived class

If you wish, override this function and call any member functions of your control needed to initialize it. I usually create a member function in my control named Init() that reads in any data and adds it to the control. This function can be called either from CMyView::OnInitialUpdate() or CMyDialog::OnInitDialog().

void CMyListView::OnInitialUpdate()
{
 CView::OnInitialUpdate();
 m_ListCtrl.Init();
}//OnInitialUpdate

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