Re: WIN32 DrawText() .NET equivalent?? - C# Discussion Boards

28-Dec-03 8:11

I am looking for a way to get the equivalent functionality of WIN32's DrawText() API function when used with DT_CALCRECT and DT_WORDBREAK.

I am writing a control that will resize itself vertically on a form when its Text property is changed. I have tried using the Graphics.MeasureString() method and I cannot figure out how to get it to return the height of a string to a fixed width.

Any help would be appreciated.

Happy Holidays,

Shane

Heath Stewart28-Dec-03 9:11

Heath Stewart

28-Dec-03 9:11

See the StringFormat class (the defaults should do, but you can create your own) and the Graphics.DrawString method, which you can use in the OnPaint method override (always override methods instead of handling events in derived classes, but make sure to call the base class's method in most cases):

protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
{
  RectangleF rectF = GetRectFBoundsForControl(); // Made-up method to
    // get the bounds in which text can be drawn.
  e.Graphics.DrawString("Some multi-line text",
    this.Font,
    new SolidBrush(SystemColors.ControlText),
    rectF,
    StringFormat.GenericDefault); // Or create your own
}

Otherwise, you can always just P/Invoke DrawText, define the DT_CALCRECT and DT_WORDBREAK constants (or enum values) based on the preproc def values, and call the method using the control's HDC, which you can get during the Paint event (override OnPaint when deriving from Control instead):

protected override void OnPaint(PaintEventArgs e)
{
  base.OnPaint(e);
  IntPtr hdc = e.Graphics.GetHdc();
  DrawText(hdc, "Some Text", ...);
  e.Graphics.ReleaseHdc(hdc);
}

You'll also need to define the RECT structure to use in managed code. See the StructLayoutAttribute for details.

ShaneStump28-Dec-03 10:48

28-Dec-03 10:48

Thanks for responding but you did NOT read what I was asking for.

I wasn't asking how to output text. I am asking how to get the SIZE of the text BEFORE it is displayed (i.e. in WIN32, DrawText(Handle,string,string length,RECT *,DT_WORDWRAP | DT_CALCRECT)).

I have NOT had any luck with the Graphic's class MeasureString() method.

Happy Holidays,

Shane

Nick Parker28-Dec-03 11:02

Nick Parker

28-Dec-03 11:02

ShaneStump wrote:
I have NOT had any luck with the Graphic's class MeasureString() method.

Specifically what problems are you having with MeasureString()? Have you tried to P/Invoke DrawText()?

- Nick Parker
My Blog

ShaneStump28-Dec-03 11:11

28-Dec-03 11:11

MeasureString() doesn't return what I want (or I can't get it to).

I want it to return the # height of the string if wrapping occurs (if the string requres 5 lines, I want the returned height to be for the 5 lines). I am probably NOT using the right method.

Happy Holidays,

Shane

Nick Parker28-Dec-03 11:34

Nick Parker

28-Dec-03 11:34

ShaneStump wrote:
I want it to return the # height of the string if wrapping occurs (if the string requres 5 lines, I want the returned height to be for the 5 lines). I am probably NOT using the right method.

Hmm, the MeasureString method is overloaded, and if you know the maximum width in pixels that your control will represent (I don't know if you will know this?) then you can make a call as such which will take into account wrapping.

private SizeF MyMeasureMethod(PaintEventArgs e)
{
  string s = "Nick";
  Font f = new Font("Arial", 12);
  int width = 300;
  SizeF strSize = new SizeF();
  strSize = e.Graphics.MeasureString(s, f, width);
  return strSize;
}

- Nick Parker
My Blog

ShaneStump28-Dec-03 11:46

28-Dec-03 11:46

Thank you very much (I didn't realize passing in just a width would return the calculated height)!

Happy Holidays,

Shane

TreeView

Luther Baker28-Dec-03 7:48

28-Dec-03 7:48

I'm fairly new to C# and WinForms programming.

How does one programmatically "select" a node in a TreeView.

IE: the user clicks a button which spawns a child process, the output of which is displayed in a TextBox. Each time the user clicks that button, a new process is kicked off and I attach a new node to the TreeView to represent said process. If the user clicks on any given node, that node's associated process output TextBox is brought to the foreground - whre you can watch the output.

Adding the node to the TreeView is straightforward, but hilighting it or "selecting" it programmatically is not so easy.

Suggestions?

-Luther

Tristan Rhodes28-Dec-03 8:37

28-Dec-03 8:37

Isn't there a:

treeview.setActiveNode(node) method?

if you create the node as a variable first, then add it, and set the variable to the active node, it should do it.

I had this problem with seting the active node of a tree view when it first gets control.

Cata

Heath Stewart28-Dec-03 8:58

Heath Stewart

28-Dec-03 8:58

Active and Selected are two completely different things. Active just means that the node has the focus, such as what it gains when you right-click the node. Selected means that the node has been left-clicked at some point. To select a node programmatically, just use the following:

treeview.SelectedNode = someNode;

Ye - That one

Tristan Rhodes28-Dec-03 14:22

28-Dec-03 14:22

That's what I was looking for.

Thanks

Luther Baker30-Dec-03 5:09

30-Dec-03 5:09

The obvious escaped me.

Thank you both.

-LutherB

Luther Baker30-Dec-03 9:51

30-Dec-03 9:51

After doing this - indeed the "selected" image appears to the left of the tree node (from the ImageList index used when creating the node) but, the actual text of the node is not "highlighted. IE: the folder opens, but the folder name is not highlighted.

This is even more obvious when working with a ListView. I've selected a particular ListViewItem, but no rectangular, reverse color block around the text of the item appears onscreen.

Maybe I am doing something wrong - or missing something? Without the highlighted text, its not really obvious which element has been selected.

Thanks,

-Luther

Heath Stewart30-Dec-03 10:59

Heath Stewart

30-Dec-03 10:59

Out of curiousity, does the rectangular marquee (the dotted lines) around the text appear? If so, the TreeView no longer seems to have the focus. Set TreeView.HideSelection to false and see if the rectangular selection region is at least gray (or whatever the default system color for inactive selected text is).

Luther Baker31-Dec-03 4:47

31-Dec-03 4:47

Excellent - a grey "highlight" block appears around the text now - for both the visible ListView and TreeView.

Its not the normal (per my theme) "blue" highlight, but its a clear indication to the user - which is my real goal.

Thanks Again,

-LutherB

Luther Baker31-Dec-03 4:56

C Pre Processor executable

31-Dec-03 4:56

Aha ...

I understand now. Makes perfect sense. The issue of "focus" that is.

One more line, TreeView.focus() does the final trick.

Thanks,

-Luther

Tristan Rhodes28-Dec-03 5:38

Re: C Pre Processor executable

28-Dec-03 5:38

I'm trying to run midl, however, I am encountering error after error.

Cl.exe was not located in the correct location.

when i moved it, there was no mspdb70.dll to support CL.exe.

These components were all in different folders.

Is this right? Or is my instalation of .NET completely knackered?

Is it worth moving all the tools and associated DLL's into one directory? As it's really annoying.

Cata

Tristan Rhodes28-Dec-03 5:44