SAMPLE: Right Justifying Numbers in a Windows List Box

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.0 and 3.1

In versions of Windows earlier than 3.0, it is possible to align columns of information in a list box with spaces because all characters in the system font are the same width. In Windows 3.0, the system font is proportionally spaced with letters of differing widths, which prevents this technique from being usable.

Tabs can be used to align columns in a list box. The LBS_USETABSTOPS style must be specified when the list box is created. Then, set a tab to correspond with the position of each character of each numeric column. The tabs are specified in dialog units, which are one-fourth of a character width. For example, a three-digit field that should align 12 characters from the left edge of the dialog box can be implemented by setting tabs at positions 40, 44, and 48. This is illustrated below:

    +------------+
    |text     xxx|
    |longer    xx|
              ^^^
              ||+- position 48
              |+-- position 44
              +--- position 40

   sprintf(szNumBuffer, "%3d", Number);
   for (i = 0; i < 3; i++)
     if (szNumBuffer[i] == ' ')
        szNumBuffer[i] = '\t';

There is a file in the Microsoft Software Library named RIGHTJUS that illustrates this convention.

NOTE: This sample is applicable only to Windows 3.1, NOT to Win32.

Download RIGHTJUS.EXE, a self-extracting file, from the Microsoft Software Library (MSL) on the following services:

• Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)

        Dial (206) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
        Download RIGHTJUS.EXE (size: 21088 bytes) 
  

• Internet (anonymous FTP)

        ftp ftp.microsoft.com
        Change to the \SOFTLIB\MSLFILES directory
        Get RIGHTJUS.EXE (size: 21088 bytes)