“Ready” prompt replacement

This sample was contributed by Mark Findlay.

Replacing the “Ready” message at run time with custom text.

The following will allow you to specify a replacement string to appear in the status bar any time the customary “Ready” string would normally appear.


The difference between this and simply using the AFX_IDS_IDLEMESSAGE is that this technique allows you to set the text to appear in place of the “Ready” prompt AT RUN TIME.


With this, you could for example, read a database, then display the number of records read of a total record count, or display the time it took to read the table, or the table name, etc.


With this technique you can change the text as much as you like, any time you like during the course of program execution.


Thanks to Steve McAdams for his help in pointing me to the right place to get things working.


We will create 2 functions in the CmainFrame cpp file. StatusBarMessage() and OnSetMessageString(). OnSetMessageString() is an overridden function of CframeWnd and is copied almost verbatim from the WINFRM.CPP CFrameWnd::OnSetMessageString. The only change is to display our own message string.


Our changes will take place in the CMainFrame class.


 


Step1: Create a variable for the status bar text


In MainFrm.h create a CString variable that will contain the text to display

	CString m_sStatusBarString;

Step2: Add the function prototypes


Add the prototype in the MainFrm.h file for the OnSetMessageString() function:

	//{{AFX_MSG(CMainFrame)
	.
	afx_msg LRESULT OnSetMessageString(WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam);
	.
	//}}AFX_MSG
	DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP()

Then add the prototype in the MainFrm.h file for the StatusBarMessage () function. Note that this prototype

is NOT defined within the AFX_MSG macros.

void StatusBarMessage(TCHAR * fmt,...);

Step3: Add an include to MainFrm.cpp


Add an include for afxpriv.h to the MainFrm.cpp file. This is needed for the WM_SETMESSAGESTRING definition

we will use in Step4.

#include <afxpriv.h>

Step4: Add a message handler to MainFrm.cpp


Add the OnSetMessageString() handler to the MainFrm.cpp file

	BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CMainFrame, CFrameWnd)
		//{{AFX_MSG_MAP(CMainFrame)
		.
		ON_MESSAGE(WM_SETMESSAGESTRING, OnSetMessageString)
		.
		//}}AFX_MSG_MAP
	END_MESSAGE_MAP()

Step5: Add the functions to MainFrm.cpp


Create the OnSetMessageString() and StatusBarMessage() functions:

//*************************************************************************
// OnSetMessageString
//*************************************************************************
LRESULT CMainFrame::OnSetMessageString(WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
	UINT nIDLast = m_nIDLastMessage;
	m_nFlags &= ~WF_NOPOPMSG;

	CWnd* pMessageBar = GetMessageBar();
	if (pMessageBar != NULL)
	{
		CString sMsg;
		CString strMessage;

		// set the message bar text
		if (lParam != 0)
		{
			ASSERT(wParam == 0);    // can't have both an ID and a string
            			m_sStatusBarString = (LPCTSTR)lParam;
            			sMsg = m_sStatusBarString;
		}
		else if (wParam != 0)
		{
			// map SC_CLOSE to PREVIEW_CLOSE when in print preview mode
			if (wParam == AFX_IDS_SCCLOSE && m_lpfnCloseProc != NULL)
				wParam = AFX_IDS_PREVIEW_CLOSE;

			// get message associated with the ID indicated by wParam
            			if (wParam == AFX_IDS_IDLEMESSAGE)
                				sMsg = m_sStatusBarString;
else
{
	GetMessageString(wParam, strMessage);
	sMsg = strMessage;
}
		}

		pMessageBar->SetWindowText(sMsg);

		// update owner of the bar in terms of last message selected
		CFrameWnd* pFrameWnd = pMessageBar->GetParentFrame();
		if (pFrameWnd != NULL)
		{
			m_nIDLastMessage = (UINT)wParam;
			m_nIDTracking = (UINT)wParam;
		}
	}

	m_nIDLastMessage = (UINT)wParam;    	// new ID (or 0)
	m_nIDTracking = (UINT)wParam;       	// so F1 on toolbar buttons work

	return nIDLast;
}



//*************************************************************************
// StatusBarMessage
//*************************************************************************
void CMainFrame::StatusBarMessage(TCHAR * fmt,...)
{
	TCHAR buffer[256]= _T("");

	CStatusBar* pStatus = (CStatusBar*)
		GetDescendantWindow(AFX_IDW_STATUS_BAR);

	va_list argptr;
	va_start(argptr, fmt);
	_vstprintf(buffer, fmt, argptr);
	va_end(argptr);

   	m_sStatusBarString = buffer;

    	SetMessageText((LPCTSTR)m_sStatusBarString);
    	return;
}

Step6: Use the new function


That’s all there is to it. To set the status bar text use the following to invoke the CMainFrame::OnSetMessageString() function. For example, from a view class:

     CString sReplacementText = "This text will always appear in place of Ready";

    ((CMainFrame*)AfxGetMainWnd())->StatusBarMessage(sReplacementText.GetBuffer(0));


Last updated: 08/11/98

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