Common controls are not properly painted when I resize window

Question

INTRODUCTION:

I am creating tab control with child dialog boxes as pages.

I have Visual Styles enabled via #pragma comment. I have also called InitCommonControlsEx and #pragma comment( lib, "comctl32.lib" ) as well.

Initially, when window loads, dialog and its common controls have proper background, please see image below:

During resizing things are not so consistent -> background starts to mismatches visibly. I will provide screenshot below:

You can clearly see that checkbox and static control have improper background, while it seems to me that dialog box ( created to act as a child control ) has proper background.

Edited on November 24th, 2014:

After enclosing controls into group boxes there seems to be no painting problems. My monitor is old CRT ( Samsung SyncMaster 753s ), and I have bad eyesight, but again, it seems that everything paints properly. The window still flickers horribly on resize, but I have tried everything in my power to fix it.

QUESTION:

How can I fix this?

MY EFFORTS TO SOLVE THIS:

I haven't found anything yet but I am still Goggling while typing this question...

RELEVANT INFORMATION:

Here are the instructions for creating demo that illustrates the problem:

1.) Create empty C++ project in Visual Studio;

2.) add header file, name it pomocne_funkcije.h and copy/paste following:

#include <windows.h>
#include <windowsx.h>
#include <comutil.h>
#include <commctrl.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <vector>
#include <ole2.h>
#include <string>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <locale.h>
#include <Uxtheme.h>

#pragma comment( linker, "/manifestdependency:\"type='win32' \
name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' \
processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' \
language='*'\"")

#pragma comment( lib, "comctl32.lib")
#pragma comment( lib,"Msimg32.lib")
#pragma comment( lib, "comsuppw.lib")
#pragma comment( lib, "UxTheme.lib")

3.) Create dialog box in resource editor, add checkbox static control.

Set the following for dialog box:

• Border : none
• Control : true
• Control parent : true
• Style : child
• System menu : false

4.) Here is the code for main.cpp :

#include "pomocne_funkcije.h"

static HINSTANCE hInst;

// dialog procedure for firts tab
INT_PTR CALLBACK Ugovori(HWND hDlg, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(lParam);
    switch (message)
    {
    case WM_INITDIALOG:
        {
            EnableThemeDialogTexture( hDlg, ETDT_ENABLETAB );
        }
        return (INT_PTR)TRUE;
    }
    return (INT_PTR)FALSE;
}

// main window procedure
LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    static HWND hDlgFirstTab;  // handle to the first page dialog box
    switch(msg)
    {
    case WM_CREATE:
        {
            RECT rcClient = {0};
            ::GetClientRect( hwnd, &rcClient );

            HWND hwndTab = CreateWindowEx( 0, WC_TABCONTROL, 
                L"Ugovori", WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, 
                10, 10, rcClient.right - rcClient.left - 20,
                rcClient.bottom - rcClient.top - 63, 
                hwnd, (HMENU)3000, 
                ((LPCREATESTRUCT)lParam)->hInstance, 0 );

            TCITEM tci = {0};

            tci.mask = TCIF_TEXT;
            tci.pszText = L"Основни подаци";
            TabCtrl_InsertItem( hwndTab, 0, &tci );

            // set font so cyrilic symbols can be properly displayed instead of ???
            SendMessage( hwnd, WM_SETFONT, 
                (WPARAM)(HFONT)GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),
                (LPARAM)TRUE );

            SendMessage( hwndTab, WM_SETFONT, 
                (WPARAM)(HFONT)GetStockObject(DEFAULT_GUI_FONT),
                (LPARAM)TRUE );

            // create page ( dialog box )
            hDlgFirstTab = CreateDialog( ((LPCREATESTRUCT)lParam)->hInstance,
                MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_DIALOG1), 
                hwnd, 
                (DLGPROC)Ugovori );  // dialog procedure 

            ShowWindow( hDlgFirstTab, SW_SHOW );

        }
        return 0L;
    case WM_MOVE:
    case WM_MOVING:
    case WM_SIZING:
    case WM_SIZE:
        {
            RECT rcClient = {0};
            GetClientRect( hwnd, &rcClient );

            SetWindowPos( GetDlgItem( hwnd, 3000 ), NULL, 
                rcClient.left + 10, // move it away from window edge by 10 pixels
                rcClient.top + 10,  // move it away from window edge by 10 pixels
                rcClient.right - rcClient.left - 20,  
                // - 63 was the size of the button, 
                // but I have deleted that button here to preserve space
                rcClient.bottom - rcClient.top - 63, 
                SWP_NOZORDER | SWP_NOCOPYBITS );

            // get tab control's client rectangle
            GetClientRect( GetDlgItem( hwnd, 3000 ), &rcTab );

            //============= place dialog box into tab's client area
            MapWindowPoints( GetDlgItem( hwnd, 3000 ), hwnd, 
                (LPPOINT)(&rcTab), 2 );
            // get tab's display area
            TabCtrl_AdjustRect( GetDlgItem( hwnd, 3000 ), 
                FALSE, &rcTab );
            // move dialog box
            SetWindowPos(hDlgFirstTab, NULL, 
                rcTab.left, rcTab.top,
                rcTab.right - rcTab.left, 
                rcTab.bottom - rcTab.top, 
                SWP_NOZORDER);

            //========================= done
            // repaint window
            InvalidateRect( hwnd, NULL, FALSE );
        }
        return 0L;
    case WM_ERASEBKGND:
        return 1L;
    case WM_PAINT:
        {
            PAINTSTRUCT ps = {0};
            HDC hdc = BeginPaint( hwnd, &ps );
            SendMessage( hwnd, WM_PRINTCLIENT, (WPARAM)hdc, 0 );
            EndPaint( hwnd, &ps );
        }
        return 0L;
    case WM_PRINTCLIENT:
        {
            RECT rcClient = {0};
            GetClientRect( hwnd, &rcClient );

            FillRect( (HDC)wParam, &rcClient, 
                (HBRUSH)GetStockObject(WHITE_BRUSH) );
        }
        return 0L;
    case WM_CLOSE:
        ::DestroyWindow(hwnd);
        return 0L;
    case WM_DESTROY:
        ::PostQuitMessage(0);
        return 0L;
    default:
        return ::DefWindowProc( hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam );
    }
    return 0;
}

// WinMain

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, 
                   int nCmdShow)
{
    // store hInstance in global variable for later use

    hInst = hInstance;

    WNDCLASSEX wc;
    HWND hwnd;
    MSG Msg;

    // initialize common controls

    INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX iccex;
    iccex.dwSize = sizeof(INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX);
    iccex.dwICC = ICC_LISTVIEW_CLASSES | ICC_UPDOWN_CLASS | 
       ICC_STANDARD_CLASSES | ICC_TAB_CLASSES;
    InitCommonControlsEx(&iccex);

    // register main window class

    wc.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    wc.style = 0;
    wc.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
    wc.cbClsExtra = 0;
    wc.cbWndExtra = 0;
    wc.hInstance = hInst;
    wc.hIcon = LoadIcon( hInstance, IDI_APPLICATION );
    wc.hCursor = LoadCursor( NULL, IDC_ARROW );
    wc.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH)GetStockObject( WHITE_BRUSH );
    wc.lpszMenuName = NULL;
    wc.lpszClassName = L"Main_Window";
    wc.hIconSm = LoadIcon( hInstance, IDI_APPLICATION );

    if(!RegisterClassEx(&wc))
    {
        MessageBox(NULL, 
            L"Window Registration Failed!", L"Error!", 
            MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);

        return 0;
    }

    // create main window

    hwnd = CreateWindowEx( 0, L"Main_Window", 
        L"Contract manager", 
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW | WS_CLIPCHILDREN, 
        CW_USEDEFAULT, 
        CW_USEDEFAULT, 
        CW_USEDEFAULT, 
        CW_USEDEFAULT, 
        NULL, NULL, hInstance, 0 );

    if(hwnd == NULL)
    {
        MessageBox(NULL, L"Nemogu da napravim prozor!", L"Greska!",
            MB_ICONEXCLAMATION | MB_OK);

        return 0; 
    }

    ShowWindow(hwnd, nCmdShow);
    UpdateWindow(hwnd);

    while(GetMessage(&Msg, NULL, 0, 0) > 0)
    {
        TranslateMessage(&Msg);
        DispatchMessage(&Msg);
    }

    return Msg.wParam;
}

I am working in Visual Studio 2008 on Windows XP using C++ and WinAPI.

Answer 1

Your tab dialogs are below the tab control in the Z order. This causes crazy overdraw issues on first resizing. After adding the tab dialogs as childs to your main window, call SetWindowPos(tab, HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOACTIVATE | SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE) to move them to the top of the Z order.

Had this exact issue; took me days to figure it out. I created a simple application in Visual Studio:

1. manifest reference to ComCtrl v 6
2. InitCommonControlsEx()
3. a dialog with a tab control
4. a sub-dialog for the tab content (sibling to the tab)
5. in the sub-dialog, a radio button and a static
6. no fancy handling of WM_PRINTCLIENT or anything alike
7. just EnableThemeDialogTexture() in WM_INITDIALOG of the sub-dialog

I went to check it on XP and … it worked perfect and looked beautiful, apart from flickering.

I added WS_CLIPCHILDREN and suddenly was able to reproduce your screenshots perfectly. I was first thinking this was the cause.

I kept pushing and added WS_COMPOSITED to prevent flickering, and the tab window suddenly was gone – entirely covered by the tab’s background. Now I realized the Z order was at fault.

Child windows are always created at the bottom of the Z order, i.e. below your tab control. Your code never moves them upwards. The tabs only ever displayed by pure luck/overdraw, producing the artifacts you observe. Fix the Z order and there will be no more artifacts.