Placing Text in an Edit Control

 Last reviewed: November 2, 1995
Article ID: Q32785
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 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

Text is placed into an edit control by calling SetDlgItemText() or by sending the WM_SETTEXT message to the edit control window, with lParam being a pointer to a null-terminated string. This message can be sent in two ways:

  1. SendMessage(hwndEditControl, WM_SETTEXT, ...

  2. SendDlgItemMessage(hwndParent, ID_EDITCTL, WM_SETTEXT...

    NOTE: hwndParent is the window handle of the parent, which may be a dialog or window. ID_EDITCTL is the ID of the edit control.

Text is retrieved from an edit control by calling GetDlgItemText() or by sending the WM_GETTEXT message to the edit control window, with wParam being the maximum number of bytes to copy and lParam being a far pointer to a buffer to receive the text. This message can be sent in two ways:

  1. SendMessage(hwndEditControl, WM_GETTEXT, ...

  2. SendDlgItemMessage(hwndParent, ID_EDITCTL, WM_GETTEXT...

    NOTE: hwndParent is the window handle of the parent, which may be a dialog or window. ID_EDITCTL is the ID of the edit control.

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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