C / C++ / MFC

Help creating a help dialog

9-May-09 0:37

I can't say that I see that behaviour (I followed your repro steps with Visual Studio and a couple of other apps). I would tend to say that if VS is acting like that, then your system's setup isn't quite right.

Also - if your app is acting like VS, it can't be doing too much wrong?

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

xzing8-May-09 19:48

xzing

8-May-09 19:48

I am trying to create a help file for my program. I wrote a pdf with pictures and text describing how my program works and I wanted to put a button called "help" on my dialog that would open the pdf. But doing this seems quite hard, could someone help me do this? I have tried just opening a blank dialog and adding Static Text but quite frankly I think that looks like crap. Maybe I am approaching the problem from the wrong angle. Is there some easier way to do this? Any help would be appreciated.

Re: Help creating a help dialog

Hamid_RT9-May-09 0:15

Hamid_RT

9-May-09 0:15

See WinHelp / HTMLHelp[^].

Of one Essence is the human race
thus has Creation put the base
One Limb impacted is sufficient
For all Others to feel the Mace
(Saadi )

Re: Help creating a help dialog

Stuart Dootson9-May-09 0:22

Text with backspace in Transparent window

9-May-09 0:22

xzing wrote:
I am trying to create a help file for my program. I wrote a pdf with pictures and text describing how my program works and I wanted to put a button called "help" on my dialog that would open the pdf. But doing this seems quite hard, could someone help me do this? I have tried just opening a blank dialog and adding Static Text but quite frankly I think that looks like crap. Maybe I am approaching the problem from the wrong angle. Is there some easier way to do this? Any help would be appreciated.

If you already have a PDF with help information, you could just open the PDF file with ShellExecute and that'll open the PDF file in an external PDF viewer the same as a Windows help file would be opened in an external viewer.

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

gcorrea8-May-09 16:18

8-May-09 16:18

I want to know how I can write text with backspace in a transparent window.

I am using this code but it does not work.

#include <afxwin.h>

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// CMyFrameWnd
class CMyFrameWnd : public CFrameWnd
{
public:
CMyFrameWnd();

protected:

CString m_Text;
//{{AFX_MSG(CMyFrameWnd)
afx_msg void OnChar(UINT nChar, UINT nRepCnt, UINT nFlags);
afx_msg void OnPaint();
//}}AFX_MSG
DECLARE_MESSAGE_MAP()
};

BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CMyFrameWnd, CFrameWnd)
//{{AFX_MSG_MAP(CMyFrameWnd)
ON_WM_CHAR()
ON_WM_PAINT()
//}}AFX_MSG_MAP
END_MESSAGE_MAP()

CMyFrameWnd::CMyFrameWnd()
{
//Transparent window
CString strMyClass=AfxRegisterWndClass( NULL, NULL, (HBRUSH) NULL);

Create(strMyClass, _T("Frame Window"));

}

void CMyFrameWnd::OnChar(UINT nChar, UINT nRepCnt, UINT nFlags)
{
m_Text += nChar;

if (nChar == VK_BACK)
{
m_Text = m_Text.Left(m_Text.GetLength() - 2);

TRACE("\n%s", m_Text);
}

Invalidate();
}

void CMyFrameWnd::OnPaint()
{
CPaintDC dc (this);

dc.TextOut(0,0,m_Text);
}

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

class CMyApp : public CWinApp
{
public:

CMyApp(){};
virtual BOOL InitInstance();

};

BOOL CMyApp::InitInstance()
{
m_pMainWnd = new CMyFrameWnd();

m_pMainWnd->ShowWindow(SW_SHOW);
m_pMainWnd->UpdateWindow();

return TRUE;
}

CMyApp myApp;

If I use a normal window changing:
CString strMyClass=AfxRegisterWndClass( NULL, NULL, (HBRUSH) NULL);
Create(strMyClass, _T("Frame Window"));
to
Create(NULL, _T("Frame Window"));

backspace work well

Can you give me any idea

Thanks

Stuart Dootson9-May-09 0:20

9-May-09 0:20

It is working - it's just that with a NULL brush, the Invalidate call won't erase the characters you're backspacing over, as it paints over them with transparency.

Try entering the following text in the window - abc<backspace>d - you'll end up with abd after that, which shows that the backspace is being recognised.

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

gcorrea9-May-09 5:26

9-May-09 5:26

Hi Mr. Dootson:

Yes, I can see m_text contains "abc" after bakcspace but my transparent window shows "abcd". I need erase text or backspace draw in my transparent window. How can I do that? Do you have any idea?.

Thanks

Stuart Dootson9-May-09 6:01

9-May-09 6:01

Weird - the window displayed "abd" when I did that - and I used the same code as you - well, the only difference is how I created the window. I put your window class registration code in the PreCreateWindow method of my view:

BOOL CChildView::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs) 
{
   if (!CWnd::PreCreateWindow(cs))
      return FALSE;

   cs.dwExStyle |= WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE;
   cs.style &= ~WS_BORDER;
   cs.lpszClass=AfxRegisterWndClass( NULL, NULL, (HBRUSH) NULL); 

   return TRUE;
}

This method is called from within the CWnd::Create method, so should do much the same as your code?

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

gcorrea9-May-09 8:19

9-May-09 8:19

Hi Mr.Dootson:

I had added
// Operations
public:

// Overrides
// ClassWizard generated virtual function overrides
//{{AFX_VIRTUAL(CMyFrameWnd)
virtual BOOL PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs);
//}}AFX_VIRTUAL

in my Class declarations and your PreCreateWindow code as
BOOL CMyFrameWnd::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
{
if (!CWnd::PreCreateWindow(cs))
return FALSE;

cs.dwExStyle |= WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE;
cs.style &= ~WS_BORDER;
cs.lpszClass=AfxRegisterWndClass( NULL, NULL, (HBRUSH) NULL);

return TRUE;
}
How I have to change Create? I used:
Create(NULL, _T("Frame Window")) but it doesn't works.
I get and ASSERT in wincore.cpp Line:722
and there is not any text in my window. What >I am doing wrong?

Thanks

Stuart Dootson9-May-09 8:30

9-May-09 8:30

gcorrea wrote:
How I have to change Create?

I don't call Create at all - the view window's created by my CMainFrame class, which in turn is created within my application classes InitInstance method.

So, slightly different class structure to yours.

In your app's InitInstance method, changing

m_pMainWnd = new CMyFrameWnd();

m_pMainWnd = new CMyFrameWnd();
m_pMainWnd->Create();

could probably work

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

gcorrea9-May-09 9:58

9-May-09 9:58

When I do that I get error C2660: 'Create' : function does not take 0 parameters

Stuart Dootson9-May-09 10:09

9-May-09 10:09

So add in the necessary parameters!

My MainFrame class uses these parameters to create the view:

m_wndView.Create(NULL, NULL, WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER, CRect(0, 0, 0, 0), this, 0xE900, NULL);

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

gcorrea9-May-09 10:42

9-May-09 10:42

Doing that I get: error C2664: 'Create' : cannot convert parameter 6 from 'const int' to 'const char *'
This is referring to 0xE900.
Do you think it is possible to send me your code to gcorrea@cguelectronics.com in order to evaluate?
Thanks

Stuart Dootson9-May-09 10:48

9-May-09 10:48

Again the different class thing gets in the way. How about you read the documentation for your frame window vs. CWnd - that'll show you how the parameters fit in.

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p

gcorrea11-May-09 13:09

11-May-09 13:09

I had used differents parameters and ones don not compile, give me errors, others ones compile but give assertion failure but any works.
Could you Mr. Dootson attach your working code zipped to compare what I am doing wrong?

gcorrea20-May-09 7:29