Placing a Caret After Edit-Control Text

 Last reviewed: November 2, 1995
Article ID: Q12190
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.0 and 3.1
  • Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with: 

        - Microsoft Windows NT versions 3.5 and 3.51
    - Microsoft Windows 95 version 4.0

The EM_SETSEL message can be used to place a selected range of text in a Windows edit control. If the starting and ending positions of the range are set to the same position, no selection is made and a caret can be placed at that position. To place a caret at the end of the text in a Windows edit control and set the focus to the edit control, do the following: 

   hEdit = GetDlgItem( hDlg, ID_EDIT );    // Get handle to control
   SetFocus( hEdit );
   SendMessage( hEdit, EM_SETSEL, 0, MAKELONG(0xffff,0xffff) );
It is also possible to force the caret to a desired position within the edit control. The following code fragment shows how to place the caret just to the right of the Nth character: 

   hEdit = GetDlgItem( hDlg, ID_EDIT );    // Get handle to control
   SetFocus( hEdit );
   SendMessage( hEdit, EM_SETSEL, 0, MAKELONG(N,N) );
                                        // N is the character position

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 4.00 95
KBCategory: kbui
KBSubcategory: UsrCtl

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Last reviewed: November 2, 1995
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