Thread: CreateDIBSection() returning NULL

Don't know what happened... But it WORKS NOW Thanks.
The CreateDIBSection() function that I'm learning is not working. I have tried to closely follow the codes in many tutorials
and Peztold but its not working. May be I'm missing something.
Here is the error and a reduced version showing the same problem.

Code:

Error got from 'GetLastError()' :The specified image type cannot be found in the image file.

But I'm not using any image file ! Am I missing something ?
I tried many webpages on CreateDIBSection() and tried to closely follow them.

Code:

#include<windows.h>

const unsigned long WIDTH = 384, HEIGHT = 256;        //dimensions of the bitmap.

inline void GetLastErrorMessage(){          //Formats GetLastError() value.
    LPVOID lpMsgBuf;

    FormatMessage(
        FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER | FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM,
        NULL, GetLastError(),
        MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), // Default language
        (LPTSTR) &lpMsgBuf, 0, NULL
    );

    // Display the string.
    MessageBox( NULL, (const char*)lpMsgBuf, "GetLastError", MB_OK|MB_ICONINFORMATION );

    // Free the buffer.
    LocalFree( lpMsgBuf );

}

LRESULT CALLBACK MainProc(HWND hWnd, UINT Msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam){
static HBITMAP hBitmap;
static BITMAPINFOHEADER bmiHeader;
static HDC hMem;
static void *bits;                         //holds bitmap pixels.
static bool EveryThingIsRight = true;

    switch(Msg){
        case WM_CREATE:
        {
            GetLastErrorMessage();      //To make sure NO error happned before.

            //a memory device context compatible with the screen to select the bitmap for BitBlting.
            hMem = CreateCompatibleDC(NULL);

            if( !hMem ){
                MessageBox(hWnd, "Memory Device Context could not be Created !",
                           "ERROR", MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
                EveryThingIsRight = false;
                GetLastErrorMessage();
            }

            bmiHeader.biSize = sizeof(BITMAPINFOHEADER);
            bmiHeader.biWidth  = WIDTH;
            bmiHeader.biHeight = HEIGHT;
            bmiHeader.biPlanes = 1;
            bmiHeader.biBitCount    = 24;
            bmiHeader.biCompression = BI_RGB;
            bmiHeader.biSize          = 0;
            bmiHeader.biXPelsPerMeter = 0;
            bmiHeader.biYPelsPerMeter = 0;
            bmiHeader.biClrUsed       = 0;
            bmiHeader.biClrImportant  = 0;


            hBitmap = CreateDIBSection(hMem, (BITMAPINFO*)&bmiHeader,
                                       DIB_RGB_COLORS,
                                       &bits, NULL, 0);
            if( !hBitmap ){
                MessageBox(hWnd, "DIB section could not be created !",
                           "ERROR", MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
                EveryThingIsRight = false;
                GetLastErrorMessage();
            }

            if( !SelectObject(hMem, hBitmap) ){
                MessageBox(hWnd, "DIB section could not be Selected !",
                           "ERROR", MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
                EveryThingIsRight = false;
                GetLastErrorMessage();
            }
        }
        break;

        case WM_PAINT:
        {
            //if( ! EveryThingIsRight )         //If HDc && hBitmap is allright.
                //break;
            PAINTSTRUCT ps;
            RECT sc;

            GetClientRect(hWnd, &sc);
            HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hWnd, &ps);

            BitBlt(hdc, 0, 0, sc.right, sc.bottom, hMem, 0, 0, SRCPAINT);

            EndPaint(hWnd, &ps);
            return 0;
        }
        break;

        case WM_DESTROY:
            DeleteDC(hMem);
            DeleteObject(hBitmap);

            PostQuitMessage(0);
        break;
    }
    return DefWindowProc(hWnd, Msg, wParam, lParam);
}

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPI, LPSTR CmdL, int nCmdS)
{
    WNDCLASSEX WndCls;

    WndCls.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    WndCls.style  = 0;
    WndCls.lpfnWndProc = MainProc;
    WndCls.cbClsExtra  = 0;
    WndCls.cbWndExtra  = 0;
    WndCls.hInstance   = hInstance;
    WndCls.hIcon   = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_WINLOGO);
    WndCls.hIconSm = LoadIcon(NULL, IDI_WINLOGO);
    WndCls.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW);
    WndCls.hbrBackground = HBRUSH( COLOR_3DFACE + 1);
    WndCls.lpszMenuName  = NULL;
    WndCls.lpszClassName = "MainClass";

    if( !RegisterClassEx(&WndCls) ){
        return 1;
    }

    HWND hWnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE, "MainClass", "Preview Window",
                               WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW | WS_VISIBLE,
                               CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT,
                               500, 500,
                               NULL, NULL, hInstance, NULL);
    if( !hWnd ){
        return 1;
    }

    MSG Msg;

    while( GetMessage(&Msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0 ){
        if( IsDialogMessage(hWnd, &Msg) )
            continue;

        TranslateMessage(&Msg);
        DispatchMessage(&Msg);
    }

return 0;
}

MSDN says that CreateDIBSection() returns only one type of error:
May be I should concentrate on that and proceed.

Code:

Windows NT/2000/XP: To get extended error information, call GetLastError. This can be the following value.
Value 	Meaning
ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER 	One or more input parameters is invalid.

Code:

static void *bits

This needs to hold some sort of data (ARGB Data) before you make a DIB out of it.

Originally Posted by anonytmouse

Code:

           bmiHeader.biSize = sizeof(BITMAPINFOHEADER);
            bmiHeader.biWidth  = WIDTH;
            bmiHeader.biHeight = HEIGHT;
            bmiHeader.biPlanes = 1;
            bmiHeader.biBitCount    = 24;
            bmiHeader.biCompression = BI_RGB;
            bmiHeader.biSizeImage          = 0;
            bmiHeader.biXPelsPerMeter = 0;
            bmiHeader.biYPelsPerMeter = 0;
            bmiHeader.biClrUsed       = 0;
            bmiHeader.biClrImportant  = 0;

When you are manipulating the bits of your dib section, remember that a 24bit bitmap is DWORD padded. For this reason, you may consider using a 32bit dib section as indexing is easier.

The page that you linked gives unallocated null pointer unlike mastadex said
My brain hurts... <

************EDIT**************
This isn't fair. I copied and pated the code in that link and IT WORKS!
Except for some minor differences, I can't find anything that is REALLY different.

Code:

BITMAPINFO bmp   = { 0 };     // changed this to Zeromemory later because this gave a warning.
    DWORD*     pBits = NULL;   // in my code this was void*
    HBITMAP    hBmp  = NULL;
    HDC        hdcMem = NULL;

    bmp.bmiHeader.biSize        = sizeof(BITMAPINFOHEADER);
    bmp.bmiHeader.biWidth       = WIDTH;
    bmp.bmiHeader.biHeight      = HEIGHT;
    bmp.bmiHeader.biPlanes      = 1;
    bmp.bmiHeader.biBitCount    = 32;
    bmp.bmiHeader.biCompression = BI_RGB;

    hBmp = CreateDIBSection(NULL, &bmp, DIB_RGB_COLORS, &pBits, NULL, 0);
    hdcMem = CreateCompatibleDC(NULL);
    SelectObject(hdcMem, hBmp);

Code:

bmiHeader.biBitCount = 24;

I always had a problem with 24 bit bitmaps. I tried for days on end to get it working...try 32 bit just for testing purposes?