Empty child window...

I'm trying to implement a child window so I can put buttons and such in it, though things aren't going to plan. This is what I've got:

Code:

hChild = CreateWindowEx( NULL, "", NULL, WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 0, 0, 0, 0, hMainWindow, (HMENU)ID_CHILD, GetInstance(), NULL );

The problem is, hChild is always 0 (because it failed). I'm guessing the problem is that I don't have a WNDCLASSEX in there, but I want it to be empty. So what's wrong? Or am I going about this the complete wrong way?

Cheers.

EDIT: Sorry, I should've explained the situation more. What I'm trying to do is implement pages in my Tab Controls. I've got the tabs appearing and running fine, but I'm thinking I will add a child window for each page. When the user clicks on a tab, I'll use ShowWindow() to hide the old child window and display the new one. I've figured this would be a pretty good way of doing it (or is it?). So, more or less, how do you implement a child window into a tab, so that I can put in my other controls on the page?

Try the DialogBox instead, just declare a template for the window (not necessary the inside controls) and a procedure for that window. Something like that, first setup the template on the resource file:

Code:

MYSAMPLEWINDOW DIALOG DISCARDABLE  0, 0, 100, 100
STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | WS_POPUP | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
CAPTION NOMAPP
FONT 8, "MS Sans Serif"
BEGIN
END

Notice that 'MYSAMPLEWINDOW' will be the window identifyer, so define it on your definitions file:

Code:

#define MYSAMPLEWINDOW 1000

Declare a procedure for that window:

Code:

BOOL CALLBACK MySampleWindowProc(HWND hwnd,UINT msg,WPARAM wParam,LPARAM lParam)
{
switch(msg)
    {
    default: return 0;
    }
return 1;
}

In the window's procedure you'll have to check the WM_ messages to respond to the window's events. Finally create the dialog:

Code:

DialogBox(GetModuleHandle(0),MAKEINTRESOURCE(MYSAMPLEWINDOW),hwnd,MySampleWindowProc);

Take a look to the win32 prog reference, or in the msdn to see more about that function, and check oput also the function DialogBoxParam.

Still another way to do it is creating your own window class, you can find more about that on catch22 (I'm not sure the section's name, but was something like custom controls from scratch).

Hope that helps
Niara

Sorry, I should've explained the situation more. What I'm trying to do is implement pages in my Tab Controls. I've got the tabs appearing and running fine, but I'm thinking I will add a child window for each page. When the user clicks on a tab, I'll use ShowWindow() to hide the old child window and display the new one. I've figured this would be a pretty good way of doing it (or is it?). So, more or less, how do you implement a child window into a tab, so that I can put in my other controls on the page?

That is the way I do it.

I 'draw' the dialog in the IDEs resource edtior, [the bit you have missed]
create all the child dilalogs when the TAB is created
and hide/show the appropriate one on TAB selection change.

Ok, I was thinking you needed a popup. As novacain said, that's also the way I do it.

Niara