How to create an embedded text input box in win32 windows

Question

I want to create a little box embedded in my main window that can accept text input and contain buttons. When I say embedded, I mean I want it to be integrated in my main window seamlessly without its own close button. I have searched google endlessly and have not found an answer that does not involve mfc or .net. How can I do this in a raw win32 application. Please add your code to my skeleton shown below. Thanks!

#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc (HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM) ;

int WINAPI WinMain (HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                    PSTR szCmdLine, int iCmdShow)
{
     static TCHAR szAppName[] = TEXT ("App") ;
     HWND         hwnd ;
     MSG          msg ;
     WNDCLASS     wndclass ;

     wndclass.style         = CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW ;
     wndclass.lpfnWndProc   = WndProc ;
     wndclass.cbClsExtra    = 0 ;
     wndclass.cbWndExtra    = 0 ;
     wndclass.hInstance     = hInstance ;
     wndclass.hIcon         = LoadIcon (NULL, IDI_APPLICATION) ;
     wndclass.hCursor       = LoadCursor (NULL, IDC_ARROW) ;
     wndclass.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH) GetStockObject (WHITE_BRUSH) ;
     wndclass.lpszMenuName  = NULL ;
     wndclass.lpszClassName = szAppName ;

     if (!RegisterClass (&wndclass))
     {
          MessageBox (NULL, TEXT ("This program requires Windows NT!"),
                      szAppName, MB_ICONERROR) ;
          return 0 ;
     }

     hwnd = CreateWindow (szAppName,                  // window class name
                          TEXT ("App"), // window caption
                          WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,        // window style
                          CW_USEDEFAULT,              // initial x position
                          CW_USEDEFAULT,              // initial y position
                          CW_USEDEFAULT,              // initial x size
                          CW_USEDEFAULT,              // initial y size
                          NULL,                       // parent window handle
                          NULL,                       // window menu handle
                          hInstance,                  // program instance handle
                          NULL) ;                     // creation parameters

     ShowWindow (hwnd, iCmdShow) ;
     UpdateWindow (hwnd) ;

     while (GetMessage (&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
     {
          TranslateMessage (&msg) ;
          DispatchMessage (&msg) ;
     }
     return msg.wParam ;
}

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc (HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
     HDC         hdc ;
     PAINTSTRUCT ps ;
     RECT        rect ;

     switch (message)
     {
     case WM_CREATE:

          return 0 ;

     case WM_PAINT:
          hdc = BeginPaint (hwnd, &ps) ;



          EndPaint (hwnd, &ps) ;
          return 0 ;

     case WM_DESTROY:
          PostQuitMessage (0) ;
          return 0 ;
     }
     return DefWindowProc (hwnd, message, wParam, lParam) ;
}

Answer 1

Your question is not very clear but the way you create text boxes and buttons dynamically in Win32 is to use the CreateWindow function. Win32 registers special classes for the controls, which you can use to pass as the first parameter to CreateWindow.

To create a text box, the call is -

CreateWindow("EDIT", 0, WS_BORDER|WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE, 56, 10, 50, 18, g_hWnd, 0, hInst, 0);

To Create a button -

CreateWindow("BUTTON", 0, WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE, 70, 70, 80, 25, g_hWnd, 0, hInst, 0);

You have to specify the WS_CHILD and WS_VISIBLE styles and also provide a handle to the main window as its parent.