Changing background color of Static Control

[mmscg]

Here is my code to display a Static Control with a white background on a form.

It appears to work, but only while the MessageBox is displayed.
As soon as the MessageBox is closed, the white background disappears.

What confuses me also, is that I need some code in the WM_PAINT
event for it to work.

Can anyone spot my error?


#define STRICT
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN

#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);

const char g_szClassName[] = "myWindowClass";
#define IDS_PIC 100

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
WNDCLASSEX wc;
HWND hwnd;
MSG Msg;

wc.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
wc.style = 0;
wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
wc.cbClsExtra = 0;
wc.cbWndExtra = 0;
wc.hInstance = hInstance;
wc.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
wc.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_APPWORKSPACE+1;
wc.lpszMenuName = NULL;
wc.lpszClassName = g_szClassName;
wc.hIconSm = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);

if(!RegisterClassEx(&wc))
{
MessageBox(NULL, "Window Registration Failed!", "Error!",
MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
return 0;
}

hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
NULL,
g_szClassName,
"Window Title",
WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 400, 300,
NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

if(hwnd == NULL)
{
MessageBox(NULL, "Window Creation Failed!", "Error!",
MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
return 0;
}

ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
UpdateWindow(hwnd);

while(GetMessage(&Msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0)
{
TranslateMessage(&Msg);
DispatchMessage(&Msg);
}
return static_cast<int>(Msg.wParam);
}


LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
switch(msg)
{
case WM_CREATE:
HWND hPic01;
hPic01 = CreateWindow("static","",SS_BLACKFRAME|SS_WHITERECT |WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE,
125,10,250,250,hwnd,(HMENU)IDS_PIC,GetModuleHandle(NULL),NULL);
break;
case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
MessageBox(NULL, "Background is all white as I want! but ONLY while MessageBox is displayed", "Message", MB_OK);
return 0;
//break;
case WM_PAINT:
HDC hdc;
PAINTSTRUCT ps;
hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd , &ps);
SelectObject(hdc , GetStockObject(WHITE_BRUSH));
Rectangle(hdc , 130 , 15 , 370 , 255);
EndPaint(hwnd , &ps);
return 0;
case WM_CLOSE:
DestroyWindow(hwnd);
break;
case WM_DESTROY:
PostQuitMessage(0);
break;
default:
return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
}
return 0;
}

[bigBA]

error is in handling of WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC msg.
look at its parameters:

LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProc(
HWND hwnd, // handle to window
UINT uMsg, // WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC
WPARAM wParam, // handle to DC (HDC)
LPARAM lParam // handle to static control (HWND)
);

and have a look at the return values section:

Return Values
If an application processes this message, the return value is a handle to a brush that the system uses to paint the background of the static control.


so... you can set the color of the text in the DC like this:

::SetTextColor((HDC)wParam, RGB(255,0,0));


and you have to return a handle to a HBRUSH with the desired background color, and not 0:

return ::CreateSolidBrush(RGB(255,255,255)); //create a white brush and return it

// or to use a system brush:
return ::GetSysColorBrush(COLOR_3DHILIGHT); //or something else

[j0nas]

WM_PAINT isn't needed.

The problem is that you don't follow the docs when processing the WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC message:
If an application processes this message, the return value is a handle to a brush that the system uses to paint the background of the static control.
While reading about this on the net and found this: http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/dlgfaq.html

I've changed your code to use the information from above link:
#define STRICT
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN

#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);

const char g_szClassName[] = "myWindowClass";
#define IDS_PIC 100

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
WNDCLASSEX wc;
HWND hwnd;
MSG Msg;

wc.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
wc.style = 0;
wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
wc.cbClsExtra = 0;
wc.cbWndExtra = 0;
wc.hInstance = hInstance;
wc.hIcon = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);
wc.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)COLOR_APPWORKSPACE+1;
wc.lpszMenuName = NULL;
wc.lpszClassName = g_szClassName;
wc.hIconSm = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_APPLICATION);

if(!RegisterClassEx(&wc))
{
MessageBox(NULL, "Window Registration Failed!", "Error!",
MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
return 0;
}

hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
NULL,
g_szClassName,
"Window Title",
WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 400, 300,
NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);

if(hwnd == NULL)
{
MessageBox(NULL, "Window Creation Failed!", "Error!",
MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);
return 0;
}

ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
UpdateWindow(hwnd);

while(GetMessage(&Msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0)
{
TranslateMessage(&Msg);
DispatchMessage(&Msg);
}
return static_cast<int>(Msg.wParam);
}




LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
static HBRUSH hbrBackground;

switch(msg)
{
case WM_CREATE:
HWND hPic01;
hPic01 = CreateWindow("static","",SS_WHITERECT|WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE,
125,10,250,250,hwnd,(HMENU)IDS_PIC,GetModuleHandle(NULL),NULL);
hbrBackground = CreateSolidBrush(RGB(255, 255, 255));
break;
case WM_CTLCOLORDLG:
return (LONG)hbrBackground;
case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
{
HDC hdcStatic = (HDC)wParam;
SetBkMode(hdcStatic, TRANSPARENT);
return (LONG)hbrBackground;
}
case WM_CLOSE:
DestroyWindow(hwnd);
break;
case WM_DESTROY:
PostQuitMessage(0);
break;
default:
return DefWindowProc(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
}
return 0;
}

[j0nas]

Oops... my reply came a bit late :blush:

[kawasaki056]

Isn't is easier as,

WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC :
// if( GetDlgCtrlID( (WHND)lParam ) == IDS_PIC ) ... // if you like
// SetTextColor((HDC)wParam, RGB(80,80,220) ) ; // if you like

SetBkColor((HDC)wParam, RGB(255,255,255) ) ;
return (LONG)GetStockObject(WHITE_BRUSH) ;

// break ;

removing MessageBox() ;

and you are missing selecting pen , for rectangle.

add as,

SelectObject( hdc , GetStockObject( PS_DASH ) ) ; //


... tell me how to use tags..

[bigBA]

nope, because the color selected with SetBkColor is just the background color for the text.
but the static can be bigger than the text being drawed on it.

[mmscg]

OK guys, thanks!

I now have a Static Control with a white background,
however the black border is not there.

I tried adding SS_BLACKFRAME to the following line but that did not work.

hPic01 = CreateWindow("static","",SS_WHITERECT|WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE,
125,10,250,250,hwnd,(HMENU)IDS_PIC,GetModuleHandle(NULL),NULL);


Also, I tried changing the RGB color values in this line:

hbrBackground = CreateSolidBrush(RGB(255, 255, 255));

but that had no effect on the displayed background color.

I must not be understanding something... any more info would be apprecited! :)


kawasaki056:

... tell me how to use tags..

code: enclose code in [] at beginning of code and /code in [] at end of code
quote: enclose quote in [] at beginning of quote and /quote in [] at end of quote
bold: enclose b in [] at beginning of text and /b in [] at end of text
etc.

[j0nas]

Remove SS_WHITERECT. Actually, don't specify any SS_xxxxFRAME/RECT at all.

I was able to use any color in the RGB-statement after removing SS_WHITERECT.

[mmscg]

Yes, I tried as you instructed and am able to change to any color. :D

Might there be another way to add the border around it?

[bigBA]

WS_BORDER style? :rolleyes:

[mmscg]

OK, thanks! :D

I was so busy trying to fugure out how to get SS_BLACKFRAME to work,
I did not realize there was another flag for this purpose.

Curios then, what is SS_BLACKFRAME for?