Retrieving lpCreateParams from lParam

I am writing a Win32 GUI using API and am coming up with the following problem.

I basically have a edit control and a button associated with eachother. This means to me that when the button is pushed, it opens an Open Dialog, and then I put the file selected into the edit control.

What I am trying to do is avoid global variables and see if I can pass data through existing structs. Now in the WndProc callback function, I make a call to SendMessage() which needs the HWND of the edit control.

So when I create the button control, I try to pass the address of the edit control in the CREATESTRUCT, but am unable to successfully retrieve it later on.

My code is below, but this seems to be a pain in the ass and if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears.

Code:

---

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
    ...
    HWND *edit1 = malloc(sizeof(HWND));
    ...
    temp = CreateWindow(
        "edit",
        "",
        WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | ES_AUTOHSCROLL,
        5, 25,
        120, 20, hwnd,
        NULL, hInstance, NULL);
       
    edit1 = &temp;
   
    button1 = CreateWindow(
        "button",
        "Browse...",
        WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD,
        130, 25,
        80, 20, hwnd,
        (HMENU)ID_BUTTON1, hInstance, edit1);
       
    ...
}

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{   
    CREATESTRUCT *cs;
    HWND *hwnd_t;
    ...
    case WM_COMMAND:
        switch(LOWORD(wParam))
        {
            case ID_BUTTON1:
            {
                szFile = shell_opendialog(szFile);
                if (szFile != NULL)
                {
                    cs = (CREATESTRUCT*)lParam;
                    hwnd_t = (HWND*)cs->lpCreateParams;
                    SendMessage(*hwnd_t, WM_SETTEXT, 0, (LPARAM)szFile);
                }
            }
    ...
}

---

Also I may have forgotten some rules about pointers, its been a while for me.

No offense is intended but I think you'd do well to revisit your tutorials on windows programming. What you have so far doesn't really show much sign of working.

I'm sorry if it comes off this way, but the ellipses are points in which I just trimmed code.

Everything is functional, its just that I basically need a create way to make variables in WinMain available in WndProc.

Also, what you suggested is what I am doing, I'm going back and reviewing everything but can't find a simple solution to my problem.

To make variables in winman available outside winmain you can define them outside winmain...

Below is the complete code for an ultra simple unicode editor. Pehaps you can derive some guidance from the way it's built.

Code:

---

/*

Tiny Unicode Editor Example

*/
// for the compiler
#define UNICODE
#define _UNICODE
#define WIN32_DEFAULT_LIBS
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0502
#define _X86_

// Windows headers
#include <windows.h>
#include <commdlg.h>

//  PellesC headers
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <wchar.h>

#define BOM_FLAG 0xFFFE


// Window handles
HWND      Wind[5]; 
HINSTANCE Inst;
TCHAR    FileName[MAX_PATH]; // filename when opened
BOOL      RevBytes = 0;


// save a file
void SaveToFile(void)
  { OPENFILENAME  ofn;        // filename struct
    HANDLE        fh;        // handle for opening files
    DWORD        fs;        // size of the data
    PTCHAR        fd;        // pointer to data
    // get the filename
    memset(&ofn,0,sizeof(ofn));
    ofn.lStructSize = sizeof(ofn);
    ofn.hwndOwner    = Wind[0];
    ofn.hInstance    = Inst;
    ofn.lpstrFilter  = L"All Files\0*.*\0\0";   
    ofn.lpstrFile    = FileName;
    ofn.nMaxFile    = MAX_PATH;
    ofn.lpstrTitle  = L"Save your work";
    ofn.Flags        = OFN_NONETWORKBUTTON |
                      OFN_HIDEREADONLY |
                      OFN_NOTESTFILECREATE |
                      OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT;
    if (!GetSaveFileName(&ofn))
      return;
    // get unicode adjusted file size from edit control
    fs = (SendMessage(Wind[4],WM_GETTEXTLENGTH,0,0) * sizeof(TCHAR));
    if (fs < 1)
      return;
    // create text buffer
    fd = malloc(fs);
    // get the text from the control
    SendMessage(Wind[4],WM_GETTEXT,fs,(LPARAM)fd);
    // open the file
    fh = CreateFile(FileName,GENERIC_WRITE,0,NULL,
                            CREATE_ALWAYS,
                            FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL |
                            FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH,NULL);
    // save the file
    if (fh != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
      { WriteFile(fh,fd,fs,&fs,NULL);
        CloseHandle(fh); }
    free(fd); }



// open a file
void OpenFromFile(void)
  { OPENFILENAME  ofn;        // filename struct
    HANDLE        fh;        // handle for opening files
    DWORD        fs;        // size of the data
    PTCHAR        fd;        // pointer to data
    // get the filename
    memset(&ofn,0,sizeof(ofn));
    ofn.lStructSize = sizeof(ofn);
    ofn.hwndOwner    = Wind[0];
    ofn.hInstance    = Inst;
    ofn.lpstrFilter  = L"All Files\0*.*\0\0";   
    ofn.lpstrFile    = FileName;
    ofn.nMaxFile    = MAX_PATH;
    ofn.lpstrTitle  = L"Save your work";
    ofn.Flags        = OFN_NONETWORKBUTTON |
                      OFN_HIDEREADONLY |
                      OFN_NOTESTFILECREATE |
                      OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT;
    if (!GetOpenFileName(&ofn))
      return;
    // open the file
    fh = CreateFile(FileName,GENERIC_READ,FILE_SHARE_READ,NULL,
                            OPEN_EXISTING,
                            FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL,NULL);
    if (fh == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
      { MessageBox(Wind[0],L"Error opening the file",L"OOPS!",0);
        return; }
    // get the file size
    fs = GetFileSize(fh,NULL) + sizeof(TCHAR);
    // create text buffer
    fd = malloc(fs);
    // clear to 0
    memset(fd,0,fs);
    // read from disk 
    ReadFile(fh,fd,fs,&fs,NULL);
    // close the file
    CloseHandle(fh);
    // put the text in the control
    SendMessage(Wind[4],WM_SETTEXT,fs,(LPARAM)fd);
    free(fd); }



// resize the window
VOID ResizeWindow(LPARAM lParm)
  { MoveWindow(Wind[4],60,2,LOWORD(lParm) - 62,HIWORD(lParm) - 4,1); }



// Message Loop
LRESULT CALLBACK MsgProc(HWND wnd,UINT msg,WPARAM wparm,LPARAM lparm)
  { switch (msg)
      { case WM_COMMAND :
          switch (LOWORD(wparm))
            { case 1001 :
                OpenFromFile();
                return 0;
              case 1002 :
                SaveToFile();
                return 0;
              case 1003 :
                PostMessage(Wind[0],WM_CLOSE,0,0);
                return 0;
              default :
                return DefWindowProc(wnd,msg,wparm,lparm); }
        case WM_SIZE  :
          ResizeWindow(lparm);
          return 0;
        case WM_CLOSE :        // close window
          DestroyWindow(Wind[0]); 
          return 0;
        case WM_DESTROY :      // NC Exit button
          PostQuitMessage(0);
          return 0;
        default :
          return DefWindowProc(wnd,msg,wparm,lparm); } }



// create the window
VOID CreateMainWindow(void)
  { WNDCLASS  wc;
    // register App Class
    memset(&wc,0,sizeof(wc));
    wc.style          = CS_CLASSDC;
    wc.hInstance      = Inst;
    wc.hCursor        = LoadCursor(NULL,IDC_ARROW);
    wc.hbrBackground  = CreateSolidBrush(GetSysColor(COLOR_3DFACE));
    wc.lpfnWndProc    = &MsgProc;
    wc.lpszClassName  = L"TINY_UNICODE";
    RegisterClass(&wc);

    // create the main window
    Wind[0] = CreateWindowEx( WS_EX_CONTROLPARENT,
                    L"TINY_UNICODE",L"Tiny Unicode Editor",
                    WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
                    CW_USEDEFAULT,0,500,300,NULL,NULL,Inst,NULL);
    // buttons
    Wind[1] = CreateWindow(L"BUTTON",L"Open",
                    WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | BS_FLAT,
                    2,2,50,25,Wind[0],(HMENU) 1001,Inst,NULL);
    Wind[2] = CreateWindow(L"BUTTON",L"Save",
                    WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | BS_FLAT,
                    2,30,50,25,Wind[0],(HMENU) 1002,Inst,NULL);
    Wind[3] = CreateWindow(L"BUTTON",L"Quit",
                    WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | BS_FLAT,
                    2,60,50,25,Wind[0],(HMENU) 1003,Inst,NULL);
    // edit window
    Wind[4] = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE,L"EDIT",NULL,
                    WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE |
                    ES_MULTILINE,
                    60,2,200,200,Wind[0],NULL,Inst,NULL); 
    UpdateWindow(Wind[0]);
    ShowWindow(Wind[0],SW_SHOWNORMAL);    }



       
// Program Entry Procedure
int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hinst, HINSTANCE pinst, LPSTR cmdl, int show)
  { MSG wmsg;
    // save instance handle
    Inst =    hinst;   
    // make the window
    CreateMainWindow();
    // dispatch window messages
    while (GetMessage(&wmsg,NULL,0,0))
      { TranslateMessage(&wmsg);
        DispatchMessage(&wmsg); }

    return 0; }

---

Was trying to avoid global variables, but meh, I guess I could have worse things to worry about

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carrotcake1029

Was trying to avoid global variables, but meh, I guess I could have worse things to worry about

---

Certain things HAVE to be globalized... otherwise your code becomes so horribly convoluted as to end up non-functional. Global variables are not a bad thing as long as you are mindful of scoping rules in C... A good example of variables that are best made global is window handles, there are times you will need them even on different source pages and to have to continuously struggle to rediscover them each time they are needed does nothing but slow your app to a crawl. The same is true of program settings, instance handles and many event object handles.

The trick is to not make things global *unnecessarily*... it's not something to avoid when necessity speaks.


My three main rules of success for windows programming...

1) Always share settings and handles
2) Never put code in switch statements; function calls only
3) Remember to Free memory, handles etc. when done with them.

Alright thanks for your input. Those rules seem logical to me and I think I'll make sure to take those into consideration.

Thanks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carrotcake1029

Alright thanks for your input. Those rules seem logical to me and I think I'll make sure to take those into consideration.

Thanks

---

No problems, mate. Good luck with the project.

>> HWND *edit1 = malloc(sizeof(HWND));
>> edit1 = &temp;
This is going to create a memory leak.

Did you try giving the edit a ID number and using SetDlgItemText()?

Code:

---

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{
   
    HWND edit1  = CreateWindow(
        "edit",
        "",
        WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | WS_BORDER | ES_AUTOHSCROLL,
        5, 25,
        120, 20, hwnd,
        (HMENU)IDC_EDIT,
        hInstance, NULL);
       
 }

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{   
    case WM_COMMAND:
        switch(LOWORD(wParam))
        {
            case ID_BUTTON1:
            {
                szFile = shell_opendialog(szFile);
               
              if (lstrlen(szFile))//check the buffer has text not if it buffer exists?
                {
                    SetDlgItemText( hwnd, IDC_EDIT, szFile );//set the edits text to the file name
                }

            }
    ...
}

---

And there is yet another function that could prove useful, thank you sir!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carrotcake1029

And there is yet another function that could prove useful, thank you sir!

---

Just in case you don't have it yet...

Windows SDK Archive