Window and Message Box Styles
The following table shows window styles that are supported by Windows CE.
| Basic window styles | Description |
|---|---|
| WS_CHILD | Specifies a child window. This should not be changed after the window is created. |
| WS_CLIPCHILDREN | Excludes the area occupied by child windows when drawing occurs within the parent window. This style is used on the parent window. Windows CE–windows always have the WS_CLIPCHILDREN style. |
| WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | Excludes the area that is occupied by sibling windows above a window. |
| WS_DISABLED | Specifies a window that is initially disabled. A disabled window cannot receive input from the user. |
| WS_EX_NOACTIVATE | Specifies that a window cannot be activated. If a child window has this style, tapping it does not cause its top-level parent to activate. Although a window that has this style will still receive stylus events, neither it nor its child windows can get the focus. This style is supported only by the Windows CE operating system (OS). |
| WS_EX_NOANIMATION | Prevents a window from showing animated exploding and imploding rectangles and from having a button on the taskbar. This style is supported only by Windows CE. |
| WS_EX_NODRAG | Specifies a stationary window that cannot be dragged by its title bar. This style is supported only by Windows CE. |
| WS_EX_TOPMOST | Creates a window that will be placed and remain above all non-topmost windows. To add or remove this style, use the SetWindowPos function. |
| WS_GROUP | Specifies the first control of a group of controls. This style is used primarily when creating dialog boxes. The group consists of this first control and all controls that are defined after it, up to the next control for which the WS_GROUP style is specified. Because the first control in each group often has the WS_TABSTOP style, a user can move from group to group. |
| WS_POPUP | Specifies a pop-up window. This style should not be changed after the window is created. |
| WS_TABSTOP | Specifies a control that can receive the keyboard focus when the user presses the TAB key. This style is used primarily when creating controls in a dialog box. Pressing the TAB key changes the keyboard focus to the next control with the WS_TABSTOP style. |
| WS_VISIBLE | Specifies a window that is initially visible. This style can be turned on and off to change window visibility. |
| Non-client area styles | Description |
|---|---|
| WS_BORDER | Specifies a window with a thin-line border. |
| WS_CAPTION | Specifies a window with a title bar and border. |
| WS_DLGFRAME | Specifies a window with a dialog box border style. A window with this style cannot have a title bar. |
| WS_EX_CAPTIONOKBTN | Includes an OK button in the title bar. |
| WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE | Specifies a window with a border that has a sunken edge. |
| WS_EX_CONTEXTHELP | Includes a Help button (?) in the title bar of the window. |
| WS_EX_DLGMODALFRAME | Specifies a window with a double border. |
| WS_EX_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW | Combines the WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE and WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE styles. |
| WS_EX_STATICEDGE | Specifies a window with a three-dimensional border style. This style should be used for items that do not accept user input. |
| WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE | Specifies a window border with a raised edge. |
| WS_HSCROLL | Specifies a window with a horizontal scroll bar. |
| WS_OVERLAPPED | Specifies a window with the WS_BORDER and WS_CAPTION styles. |
| WS_SYSMENU | Specifies a window with a window menu on its title bar. Use in conjunction with the WS_CAPTION style. Windows CE does not have a system menu, but you can use the WS_SYSMENU style to add the standard Close (X) button to a window title bar. |
| WS_VSCROLL | Specifies a window with a vertical scroll bar. |
The following table shows message box styles that are supported by Windows CE.
| Button styles | Description |
|---|---|
| MB_ABORTRETRYIGNORE | Specifies that the message box contains three buttons: Abort, Retry, and Ignore. |
| MB_DEFBUTTON1 | Specifies that the first button is the default button. The first button is always the default unless you specify MB_DEFBUTTON2. |
| MB_DEFBUTTON2 | Specifies that the second button is the default button. |
| MB_DEFBUTTON3 | Specifies that the third button is the default button. |
| MB_OK | Specifies that the message box contains one button: OK. |
| MB_OKCANCEL | Specifies that the message box contains two buttons: OK and Cancel. |
| MB_RETRYCANCEL | Specifies that the message box contains two buttons: Retry and Cancel. |
| MB_YESNO | Specifies that that the message box contains two buttons: Yes and No. |
| MB_YESNOCANCEL | Specifies that the message box contains three buttons: Yes, No, and Cancel. |
| Icon styles | Description |
|---|---|
| MB_ICONASTERISK MB_ICONINFORMATION |
Includes an icon consisting of a lowercase letter i in a circle in the message box. |
| MB_ICONERROR MB_ICONHAND MB_ICONSTOP |
Includes a stop-sign icon in the message box. |
| MB_ICONEXCLAMATION MB_ICONWARNING |
Includes an exclamation-point icon in the message box. |
| MB_ICONQUESTION | Includes a question-mark icon in the message box. |
| Window styles | Description |
|---|---|
| MB_APPLMODAL | Specifies that the user must respond to the message box before continuing work in the window that is identified by the hWnd parameter. However, the user can move to the windows of other applications and work in those windows.
Depending on the hierarchy of windows in the application, the user might be able to move to other windows within the application. All child windows of the message box's parent window are automatically disabled, but pop-up windows are not. MB_APPLMODAL is the default value. |
| MB_SETFOREGROUND | Specifies that the message box becomes the foreground window. |
| MB_TOPMOST | Creates the message box with the WS_EX_TOPMOST window style. |
Last updated on Tuesday, July 13, 2004
© 1992-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.