SAMPLE: DbMenu.exe Demonstrates How to Add Menus to Dialog Box

ID: Q84129

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

DbMenu.exe is a sample in the Microsoft Software Library that demonstrates how to add menus to a dialog box. Placing a menu on a dialog box is not part of the Common User Access (CUA) standard, however, Windows does support it.

This article discusses some requirements that must be observed to use a menu on a dialog box.

MORE INFORMATION

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library: 

 ~ DbMenu.exe (size: 25471 bytes)
For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
To properly use a menu on a dialog box, an application must use certain dialog box styles and avoid others. For the user to traverse a dialog box menu using the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys, the dialog box must have both the WS_CAPTION and WS_SYSMENU styles. The WS_SYSMENU style adds a system menu to the dialog box. To enable the user to close the dialog box by choosing Close from the system menu, process the WM_COMMAND message in the dialog box procedure. If wParam is set to IDCANCEL, the user has closed the dialog box in this manner.

The dialog box must not use the DS_MODALFRAME style because the menu is not painted properly when this style is specified. If desired, use the WS_BORDER style to place a thin black border around the dialog box. Do not use the WS_CHILD style in any dialog box. Include the WS_VISIBLE style to ensure that the dialog box is drawn on the screen.

Accelerator keys can be used only on modeless dialog boxes created by one of the CreateDialog* functions. An application processes accelerator keys by calling the TranslateAccelerator() function in its main message loop. Modal dialog boxes have a "private" message loop and the application cannot insert the necessary call to TranslateAccelerator().

An application can simulate a modal dialog box with a modeless dialog box by calling EnableWindow() to disable the application's main window once the dialog box is displayed. The application must call EnableWindow() to enable the main window before destroying the modeless dialog box.

Do not use the following key combinations as accelerators: CTRL+H, CTRL+I, and CTRL+M. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q67293
   TITLE     : Some CTRL Accelerator Keys Conflict with Edit Controls
The following code demonstrates the additional function calls needed in the main message loop for an application to process accelerator keys on a modeless dialog box:

Sample Code

   // Accelerators for the main window and dialog are in the same
   // accelerator table
   hAccel = LoadAccelerators(ghInstance, "ACCELTABLE");

   while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, NULL, NULL))
   {
      // Determine the destination for this message
      hWndAccel = GetActiveWindow();

      if (!(hWndAccel
            && TranslateAccelerator(hWndAccel, hAccel, (LPMSG)&msg)))
      {
         // Note: If the dialog does not exist, ghModelessDlg is 0
         if (!(ghModelessDlg && IsDialogMessage(ghModelessDlg, &msg)))
         {
            TranslateMessage(&msg);
            DispatchMessage(&msg);
         }
      }
   }
Additional query words: Keywords : kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbDlg kbGrpUser kbWinOS310 kbWinOS300

Last Reviewed: December 17, 1998