SAMPLE: ToolBox.exe Implements a "Tool Box" Window

ID: Q81814

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows version 3.1

SUMMARY

ToolBox.exe is a file in the Microsoft Software Library that demonstrates how to implement a tool box window in an application. The Image Editor and the Dialog Editor are two applications provided with the Windows SDK that demonstrate a "tool box" window.

MORE INFORMATION

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

 ~ ToolBox.exe (size: 26087 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

A tool box window contains a group of icons that the user can choose at any time. The tool box window always floats above the application with which it is associated.

The code in TOOLBOX assumes that all buttons in the tool box have the same size and are equally spaced throughout the window. TOOLBOX implements the following four steps to create the tool box window:

1. Loads the bitmap that provides the visual appearance for all the

   buttons.

2. Creates the tool box window with the WS_EX_TOPMOST style bit set.

   Sizes the window appropriately based on the size of the bitmap.

3. Processes the WM_ACTIVATE message in the window procedure for the

   application's main window. If the main window or the tool box
   window is being activated, TOOLBOX calls SetWindowPos() to add the
   WS_EX_TOPMOST style to the window. If a window other than the main
   window or the tool box window is being activated, TOOLBOX calls
   SetWindowPos() to remove the WS_EX_TOPMOST style from the window.

4. Performs the following two steps in the window procedure for the

   tool box window:

   a. Processes the WM_LBUTTONDOWN message. Performs hit testing to
      determine which button the user chose. To make the button appear
      depressed, TOOLBOX determines the rectangle for the button.
      TOOLBOX uses the InvertRect function to invert the colors of the
      button.

   b. Processes the WM_PAINT message. TOOLBOX uses the StretchBlt()
      function to paint the bitmap onto the window. If any button is
      depressed, TOOLBOX inverts the appropriate region as above.

Although this sample does not demonstrate every possibility for tool box windows, the sample is very straightforward and easily modified.

Additional query words: Keywords : kbfile kbsample kb16bitonly kbGrpUser kbWinOS310 kbWndw kbWndwMsg kbWndwProp

Last Reviewed: December 24, 1998