How to Create a Tabbed Dialog Box
The example in this section demonstrates how to create a dialog box that uses tabs to provide multiple pages of controls. The main dialog box is a modal dialog box. Each page of controls is defined by a dialog box template that has the WS_CHILD style. When a tab is selected, a modeless dialog box is created for the incoming page and the dialog box for the outgoing page is destroyed.
Note
In many cases, you can implement multiple-page dialog boxes more easily by using property sheets. For more information about property sheets, see About Property Sheets.
The template for the main dialog box simply defines two button controls. When processing the WM_INITDIALOG message, the dialog box procedure creates a tab control and loads the dialog box template resources for each of the child dialog boxes.
What you need to know
Technologies
Prerequisites
- C/C++
- Windows User Interface Programming
Instructions
Create a Tabbed Dialog Box
The information is saved in an application-defined structure called DLGHDR. A pointer to this structure is associated with the dialog box window by using the SetWindowLong function. The structure is defined in the application's header file, as follows.
#define C_PAGES 3
typedef struct tag_dlghdr {
HWND hwndTab; // tab control
HWND hwndDisplay; // current child dialog box
RECT rcDisplay; // display rectangle for the tab control
DLGTEMPLATEEX *apRes[C_PAGES];
} DLGHDR;
The following function processes the WM_INITDIALOG message for the main dialog box. The function allocates the DLGHDR structure, loads the dialog box template resources for the child dialog boxes, and creates the tab control.
The size of each child dialog box is specified by the DLGTEMPLATEEX structure. The function examines the size of each dialog box and uses the macro for the TCM_ADJUSTRECT message to calculate an appropriate size for the tab control. Then it sizes the dialog box and positions the two buttons accordingly. This example sends TCM_ADJUSTRECT by using the TabCtrl_AdjustRect macro.
// Handles the WM_INITDIALOG message for a dialog box that contains
// a tab control used to select among three child dialog boxes.
// Returns a result code.
// hwndDlg - handle of the dialog box.
//
HRESULT OnTabbedDialogInit(HWND hwndDlg)
{
INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX iccex;
DWORD dwDlgBase = GetDialogBaseUnits();
int cxMargin = LOWORD(dwDlgBase) / 4;
int cyMargin = HIWORD(dwDlgBase) / 8;
TCITEM tie;
RECT rcTab;
HWND hwndButton;
RECT rcButton;
int i;
// Initialize common controls.
iccex.dwSize = sizeof(INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX);
iccex.dwICC = ICC_TAB_CLASSES;
InitCommonControlsEx(&iccex);
// Allocate memory for the DLGHDR structure. Remember to
// free this memory before the dialog box is destroyed.
DLGHDR *pHdr = (DLGHDR *) LocalAlloc(LPTR, sizeof(DLGHDR));
// Save a pointer to the DLGHDR structure in the window
// data of the dialog box.
SetWindowLongPtr(hwndDlg, GWLP_USERDATA, (LONG_PTR) pHdr);
// Create the tab control. Note that g_hInst is a global
// instance handle.
pHdr->hwndTab = CreateWindow(
WC_TABCONTROL, L"",
WS_CHILD | WS_CLIPSIBLINGS | WS_VISIBLE,
0, 0, 100, 100,
hwndDlg, NULL, g_hInst, NULL
);
if (pHdr->hwndTab == NULL)
{
return HRESULT_FROM_WIN32(GetLastError());
}
// Add a tab for each of the three child dialog boxes.
tie.mask = TCIF_TEXT | TCIF_IMAGE;
tie.iImage = -1;
tie.pszText = L"First";
TabCtrl_InsertItem(pHdr->hwndTab, 0, &tie);
tie.pszText = L"Second";
TabCtrl_InsertItem(pHdr->hwndTab, 1, &tie);
tie.pszText = L"Third";
TabCtrl_InsertItem(pHdr->hwndTab, 2, &tie);
// Lock the resources for the three child dialog boxes.
pHdr->apRes[0] = DoLockDlgRes(MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_FIRSTDLG));
pHdr->apRes[1] = DoLockDlgRes(MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_SECONDDLG));
pHdr->apRes[2] = DoLockDlgRes(MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_THIRDDLG));
// Determine a bounding rectangle that is large enough to
// contain the largest child dialog box.
SetRectEmpty(&rcTab);
for (i = 0; i < C_PAGES; i++)
{
if (pHdr->apRes[i]->cx > rcTab.right)
rcTab.right = pHdr->apRes[i]->cx;
if (pHdr->apRes[i]->cy > rcTab.bottom)
rcTab.bottom = pHdr->apRes[i]->cy;
}
// Map the rectangle from dialog box units to pixels.
MapDialogRect(hwndDlg, &rcTab);
// Calculate how large to make the tab control, so
// the display area can accommodate all the child dialog boxes.
TabCtrl_AdjustRect(pHdr->hwndTab, TRUE, &rcTab);
OffsetRect(&rcTab, cxMargin - rcTab.left, cyMargin - rcTab.top);
// Calculate the display rectangle.
CopyRect(&pHdr->rcDisplay, &rcTab);
TabCtrl_AdjustRect(pHdr->hwndTab, FALSE, &pHdr->rcDisplay);
// Set the size and position of the tab control, buttons,
// and dialog box.
SetWindowPos(pHdr->hwndTab, NULL, rcTab.left, rcTab.top,
rcTab.right - rcTab.left, rcTab.bottom - rcTab.top,
SWP_NOZORDER);
// Move the first button below the tab control.
hwndButton = GetDlgItem(hwndDlg, IDB_CLOSE);
SetWindowPos(hwndButton, NULL,
rcTab.left, rcTab.bottom + cyMargin, 0, 0,
SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOZORDER);
// Determine the size of the button.
GetWindowRect(hwndButton, &rcButton);
rcButton.right -= rcButton.left;
rcButton.bottom -= rcButton.top;
// Move the second button to the right of the first.
hwndButton = GetDlgItem(hwndDlg, IDB_TEST);
SetWindowPos(hwndButton, NULL,
rcTab.left + rcButton.right + cxMargin,
rcTab.bottom + cyMargin, 0, 0,
SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOZORDER);
// Size the dialog box.
SetWindowPos(hwndDlg, NULL, 0, 0,
rcTab.right + cyMargin + (2 * GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXDLGFRAME)),
rcTab.bottom + rcButton.bottom + (2 * cyMargin)
+ (2 * GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYDLGFRAME))
+ GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYCAPTION),
SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOZORDER);
// Simulate selection of the first item.
OnSelChanged(hwndDlg);
return S_OK;
}
// Loads and locks a dialog box template resource.
// Returns the address of the locked dialog box template resource.
// lpszResName - name of the resource.
//
DLGTEMPLATEEX* DoLockDlgRes(LPCTSTR lpszResName)
{
HRSRC hrsrc = FindResource(NULL, lpszResName, RT_DIALOG);
// Note that g_hInst is the global instance handle
HGLOBAL hglb = LoadResource(g_hInst, hrsrc);
return (DLGTEMPLATEEX *) LockResource(hglb);
}
The following function processes the TCN_SELCHANGE notification code for the main dialog box. The function destroys the dialog box for the outgoing page, if any. Then it uses the CreateDialogIndirect function to create a modeless dialog box for the incoming page.
// Processes the TCN_SELCHANGE notification.
// hwndDlg - handle to the parent dialog box.
//
VOID OnSelChanged(HWND hwndDlg)
{
// Get the dialog header data.
DLGHDR *pHdr = (DLGHDR *) GetWindowLongPtr(
hwndDlg, GWLP_USERDATA);
// Get the index of the selected tab.
int iSel = TabCtrl_GetCurSel(pHdr->hwndTab);
// Destroy the current child dialog box, if any.
if (pHdr->hwndDisplay != NULL)
DestroyWindow(pHdr->hwndDisplay);
// Create the new child dialog box. Note that g_hInst is the
// global instance handle.
pHdr->hwndDisplay = CreateDialogIndirect(g_hInst,
(DLGTEMPLATE *)pHdr->apRes[iSel], hwndDlg, ChildDialogProc);
return;
}
The following function processes the WM_INITDIALOG message for each of the child dialog boxes. You cannot specify the position of a dialog box that is created using the CreateDialogIndirect function. This function uses the SetWindowPos function to position the child dialog within the tab control's display area.
// Positions the child dialog box to occupy the display area of the
// tab control.
// hwndDlg - handle of the dialog box.
//
VOID WINAPI OnChildDialogInit(HWND hwndDlg)
{
HWND hwndParent = GetParent(hwndDlg);
DLGHDR *pHdr = (DLGHDR *) GetWindowLongPtr(
hwndParent, GWLP_USERDATA);
SetWindowPos(hwndDlg, NULL, pHdr->rcDisplay.left,
pHdr->rcDisplay.top,//-2,
(pHdr->rcDisplay.right - pHdr->rcDisplay.left),
(pHdr->rcDisplay.bottom - pHdr->rcDisplay.top),
SWP_SHOWWINDOW);
return;
}
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