Updating

I'm using drawtext to display strings of text, when ever you load a string of text thats shorter that the pevious string it partially overwrites it but still part of it is left, how would i have it refresh or clear the screen so that wouldn't show up when the new string is loaded, each string is loaded on the press of a menu option.

RECT rect;
...
GetWindowRect(hwnd, &rect);
InvalidateRect(hwnd, &rect, true);

I must be putting that in the wrong spot because it dectroys my rect as soon as the writing comes up here the hode that i'm trying to get it to work for if thats any help.

switch(msg)
{
case WM_CREATE:
{
return(0);
}
case WM_COMMAND:
{
switch(wparam)
{
case ID_FILE_EXIT:
{
PostMessage(hwnd,WM_DESTROY,0,0);
} break;
case ID_NAVIGATION:
{
hdc = GetDC(hwnd);
SetTextColor(hdc,RGB(TCR,TCG,TCB));
SetBkColor(hdc,RGB(0,0,0));
RECT myRect = {1, 1, 635, 470};
DrawText(hdc,"Text 1,strlen("Test 1"),&myRect,DT_WORDBREAK);
} break;
case ID_NAVIGATION_2:
{
hdc = GetDC(hwnd);
SetTextColor(hdc,RGB(TCR,TCG,TCB));
SetBkColor(hdc,RGB(0,0,0));
DrawText(hdc,"Text Number 2",strlen("Text Number 2"),&myRect,DT_WORDBREAK);
} break;

You never release the DC!

A slight change to make it work just fine with -KEN-'s great suggestion ( and larry is true too, but following this method you don't have to worry about that); i've only altered/added relevant parts:

Code:

char cText01[]="Text 1";
char cText02[]="Text Number 2";
char cTheText[20];
RECT myRect = {1, 1, 635, 470}; 
.
.
case ID_NAVIGATION: 
    strcpy(cTheText,cText01);
    InvalidateRect(hwnd,&myRect,1);
    break;
case ID_NAVIGATION_2: 
    strcpy(cTheText,cText02);
    InvalidateRect(hwnd,&myRect,1);
    break;
.
.
case WM_PAINT:
    {
    PAINTSTRUCT ps;
    BeginPaint(hwnd,&ps);
        SetTextColor(ps.hdc,RGB(TCR,TCG,TCB)); 
        SetBkColor(ps.hdc,RGB(0,0,0));
        DrawText(ps.hdc,cTheText,strlen(cTheText),&myRect,DT_WORDBREAK);  
    EndPaint(hwnd,&ps);
    }

If you would prefer to get your own dc then perhaps:

Code:

void MyDrawTextFunction(char *cTxt)
{
hdc = GetDC(hwnd); 
SetTextColor(hdc,RGB(TCR,TCG,TCB)); 
SetBkColor(hdc,RGB(0,0,0)); 
RECT myRect = {1, 1, 635, 470}; 
DrawText(hdccTxt,strlen(ctxt),&myRect,DT_WORDBREAK); 
ReleaseDC(hwnd,hdc); //as larry pointed out
}
.
.
case ID_NAVIGATION: 
  MyDrawTextFunction("Text 1");
  break; 
case ID_NAVIGATION_2:
  MyDrawTextFunction("Text Number 2");
  break;

Although the principle of having a fn do this for you is sound enough I suspect that the wnd may get scrubbed anyway when ever a WM_PAINT occurs; using ValidateRect(hwnd,&myRect); might help prevent this.

The refresh works now but when i first load the programm i'm getting wierd random text sometimes is just aasgsdg or some of the special characters. any of you know why its doing this?

The way I do it is to repaint the area with FillRect(), FrameRect() or Rectangle() BEFORE rewritting the text.

InvalidateRect(hwnd, &rect, true);

does anyone think InvalidateRect is a stupid name for this ?

why didnt they call it UpdateRect , because when you say something is invalid
it means its wrong?

Part of the forum rules is to "not wake old threads". A thread that hasn't had a comment for 6 years is definitely OLD by _ALL_ possible measures in this forum.

--
Mats

Originally Posted by Anddos

does anyone think InvalidateRect is a stupid name for this ?

why didnt they call it UpdateRect , because when you say something is invalid
it means its wrong?

No. Why?
Because it invalidates the region (it tells Windows it should be repainted, not updated). It does not update it.
That's done later by Windows.

Originally Posted by Anddos

InvalidateRect(hwnd, &rect, true);

does anyone think InvalidateRect is a stupid name for this ?

why didnt they call it UpdateRect , because when you say something is invalid
it means its wrong?

Exactly! Thats what the meaning is. Wrong. They mean that the rect is "wrong" "bad" "crap" now!
So please change it!

That's not what the meaning is.
InvalidateRect does not update the specified region.
It simple tells Windows that the specified region should be repainted (whenever Windows decides to do that).

Originally Posted by Elysia

That's not what the meaning is.
InvalidateRect does not update the specified region.
It simple tells Windows that the specified region should be repainted (whenever Windows decides to do that).

Although it hardly matters, whatever they name it. I should not argue about Microsoft not being called Nanosoft either.

But as you said, the specified region is marked for update, because it is invalid. Hence the name InvalidateRect.

alright cheers guys

If you're drawing text to a white background, t'is much easier to use a simple static along with SS_NOPREFIX STYLE. All of that repainting crap is done for you -