CFlatTabCtrl port to ATL/WTL

Credits And Acknowledgments

First of all I like to Credit the Original Authors on the fantastic control that they have developed using MFC. Looking at the source code the following names are mentioned.

• Ian Brumby
• Phil Baxter
• Kirk Stowell

Overview

I needed a FlatTabCtrl to use in a ATL/WTL project, I noticed that the KPad article on codeproject http://www.codeproject.com/wtl/kpad.asp had something similar, but it was not what I was looking for. My attention then turned to Flat Tab Controls that were MFC based and this article basically ports the CFlatTabCtrl. Two ATL files contain the port.

• atlflattab.h (Contains the main CFlatTabCtrl Class for WTL)
• atlmetafilebutton.h (used by the CFlatTabCtrl Class)

Requirements

You will require the WTL Libraries, these can be downloaded from the Microsoft site. There are various articles on the net that tell you how to do this, so I won't bore you with the details.

Note - This control uses the WTL CString class and the STL std::list template class.

How to use the control in your WTL App

1. Make sure you have the following ATL files included in your stdafx.h

• atlwin.h
• atlctrls.h
• atlmisc.h

atlmisc.h is required as it has the definition for the WTL CString Class

2. Add the header file atlflattab.h to the Dialog or view source code that will be using the control.

3. Create the control in the OnInitDialog function e.g.

// create the flat tab control.
if (!m_FlatTabCtrl.Create(m_hWnd, rect, NULL, WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | FTS_HASARROWS | FTS_BOTTOM | TCS_TOOLTIPS, 
			  0, IDC_FLATTAB))
{
   DWORD dErrorCode = GetLastError();
   //Find out why. Check the Win32 Error codes in MSDN
}

If you do not want the tool tip to display, then remove the TCS_TOOLTIPS style

4. Use the Method InsertItem to add tabs to the control.

m_FlatTabCtrl.InsertItem(0, " A ");

5. If you require tool tips, then you must route the window messages to this control. This can be achieved by routing the controls PreTranslateMessage Method through the dialogs PreTranslateMessage functionality.

virtual BOOL PreTranslateMessage(MSG* pMsg)
{
   m_FlatTabCtrl.PreTranslateMessage(pMsg);   return IsDialogMessage(pMsg);
}

6. To receive events when the tab has been selected add the OnNotify Macro to the message Map.

MESSAGE_HANDLER(WM_NOTIFY, OnNotify)

In the OnNotify handler, trap the Events.

LRESULT OnNotify(UINT /*uMsg*/, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam, BOOL& bHandled)
{
   ATLASSERT(::IsWindow(m_hWnd));
   NMHDR* pNMHDR = (NMHDR*)lParam;

   LRESULT lResult = 0;
   // handle messages from the flat tab control itself
   if(IDC_FLATTAB == (UINT)wParam)
   {        sBuff.Format("Selected Tab Index %d", nChoice); MessageBox(sBuff, "Test App"); break; default: bHandled = FALSE; // not handled } } return lResult; }
      CString sBuff;
      int nChoice;
      switch(pNMHDR->code)
      {         case TCN_SELCHANGING:
         break;         case TCN_SELCHANGE:
         nChoice = m_FlatTabCtrl.GetCurSel();         break;
      }   }
}

The Demo App shows how to use the control on a WTL dialog class.