In addition to standard controls, Windows offers an extended set of child controls known as common controls that can further enhance interaction with the user. To use these common controls, an application must include the header file commctrl.h and call the function InitCommonControlsEx() to ensure that the appropriate components are loaded and initialised. This is necessary because common controls are not referenced in the standard Windows header files.
The prototype for the InitCommonControlsEx() API function is
BOOL InitCommonControlsEx (INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX const *picce);
Where *picce is a pointer to an INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX structure that determines which control classes will be registered.
The function will return TRUE if successful, or FALSE otherwise.
The prototype of theINITCOMMONCONTROLSEX structure is
typedef struct tagINITCOMMONCONTROLSEX {DWORD dwSize;DWORD dwICC;} INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX, *LPINITCOMMONCONTROLSEX;
where
dwSize indicates the size of the structure, in bytes
wICC indicates which common control classes will be loaded from the DLL.
Common Controls List
Animation Control
The Animation control is a Windows common control that allows an application to display AVI (Audio Video Interleave) animation clips within a window. Animation controls are designed for simple visual feedback and can only display AVI files that do not contain audio streams.
A common use of an animation control is to provide the user with an indication that a lengthy operation is currently being performed. For example, during file operations, an application may display a small animated sequence to show that processing is taking place. A well-known example was the Windows XP file copy animation, where animated sheets of paper appeared to move between folders while files were being copied.
The animation control does not play AVI files like a full media player. Instead, it is intended for short, repetitive animations that provide status information or improve the user interface.
For further reading – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/animation-control-reference
The following example demonstrates the flying folder avi animation
ComboBoxEx Control
The ComboBoxEx control is an extended version of the standard Windows combo box control. It provides all the normal features of a combo box while adding additional functionality, most notably native support for images associated with list items.
Unlike a standard combo box, where each item consists only of text, a ComboBoxEx control allows each item in the drop-down list to contain:
- A text label.
- An image displayed beside the text.
- A selected image that can be shown when the item is chosen.
The images are normally stored in an image list (HIMAGELIST) and are associated with individual items using the ComboBoxEx item structure.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/comboboxex-control-reference
The following example creates a comboboxex control with 5 items. Each item has an associated bitmap image. Changing the selected item copies the text and icon to a static control.
Date and Time Picker
A Date and Time Picker (DTP) control provides a convenient graphical interface for entering or selecting dates and times. Rather than typing a value manually, the user can click the drop-down arrow to display a monthly calendar and choose a date. The control also allows the date and time to be adjusted using the keyboard or up/down arrow keys. The appearance and display format of the control can be customised using format strings, allowing applications to display dates in a variety of regional or application-specific formats.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/date-and-time-picker-control-reference
The following short program demonstrates the date-picker control. Changing the date or time causes the static box to be updated with the selected date and time.
Header Control
A header control is a selectable horizontal child window used to display column headings above rows of data. It is commonly used with controls such as ListView, ListBox, and user-defined list windows to identify the contents of each column. Each header consists of one or more sections (items), with each section representing the title of a column. Users can resize columns by dragging the dividers between sections, allowing the width of individual columns to be adjusted.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/header-control-reference
The following short program creates a simple window with 2 header controls. Clicking either will trigger a message box.
Listview
A List-View control is a common control provided by Windows that displays a collection of items. Unlike a standard ListBox, a List-View can present items in several different visual styles and can display additional information through columns and subitems.
The List-View control supports four main display modes:
Icon View
Small Icon View
List View
Report View
Allows additional information to be shown using subitems.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/list-view-control-reference
The following example creates a simple listview with 4 items. Changing the selected value will copy the contents of the first column into the static box
Month Calendar Control
The month calendar control provides an intuitive method of entering or selecting a date. The title bar contains two buttons that allow the user to select the previous /next month.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/month-calendar-control-reference
The following example creates a simple calendar control. Changing the date updates the static box
Pager Control
A Pager control is a Windows common control that provides scrolling buttons around a child window when the child window is larger than the available display area. It is commonly used with controls such as toolbars, headers, and tab controls.
The pager control does not scroll the child window itself. Instead, it sends notifications to the parent window and moves the child window when the user presses the scroll buttons.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/pager-control-reference
In the following example, a page controller encloses the toolbar.
Progress Bar
A progress bar is a graphical control used to indicate the progress of a lengthy operation, such as copying files, downloading data, or installing software. It provides visual feedback by displaying a bar that gradually fills as the operation advances. The control can operate in either determinate mode, where the percentage of completion is known, or indeterminate (marquee) mode, where the exact progress is unknown but activity is shown to reassure the user that the application is still working. Progress bars help improve the user experience by providing a clear indication of how much of a task has been completed and how much remains.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/create-progress-bar-controls
In the example below, a timer function increments a progress bar control.
Property Sheets
A property sheet is a modeless dialog box used to display and edit the properties or settings of an object. It consists of one or more property pages, with each page displayed under its own selectable tab, allowing related settings to be organised into logical groups. Users can switch between tabs without closing the dialog, making it easy to view and modify multiple categories of options. Property sheets are commonly used in Windows applications for configuration dialogs and object properties.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/property-sheet-reference
The following short program displays a property sheet containing 2 pages when the user right mouse clicks. The first page responds to a radio button click by displaying an associated message box. The 2nd page is for display purposes only. Although this simple demonstration does not set any real properties it shows how to create a property page template.
A property sheet can also be used to create a wizard. A wizard consists of a set of dialog boxes for guiding a user through a set of selection options in sequence.
The following short program displays a simple wizard that contains 3 property pages. Right-clicking anywhere in the window initiates the wizard.
Rebar Control
A rebar control is a container window that organizes one or more child windows into separate sections called bands. Each band can host a single child window, such as a toolbar, combo box, edit box, or other control. The user can reposition or resize these bands by dragging their gripper bars, allowing the interface to be customised. In addition to the child window, each rebar band can optionally display a gripper, a bitmap, a text label, and other visual elements, making the rebar control a flexible way to create movable and dockable user interface layouts.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/rebar-controls
The following example demonstrates the rebar control acting as a container for both a button and a textbox.
Rich Edit Control
A Rich Edit control is an enhanced text editing control that allows users to enter, edit, and display formatted text. Unlike a standard edit control, a Rich Edit control supports multiple fonts, font sizes, colours, and text styles such as bold, italic, and underline within the same document. It also provides paragraph formatting, including different alignments, indentation, and tab settings, and can contain embedded objects such as images or OLE objects. Rich Edit controls are commonly used in applications that require basic word-processing capabilities, such as text editors, email clients, and note-taking programs.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/rich-edit-controls
The following example is a simple rich text box offering italic bold and underline formatting options
Status Bar
A status bar is a horizontal window, typically displayed at the bottom of an application window, that is used to display information about the current application. Status bars are often divided into parts, called panes, with each pane displaying different status information. A status bar can also contain other controls, including buttons and progress bars.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/status-bar-reference
The following example demonstrates a simple status bar with 3 cells
SysLink Control
The syslink control provides a convenient way to embed hypertext links in a window.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/syslink-overview
The following example displays a simple window with a clickable link.
Tab Control
A tab control is a Windows common control that allows an application to organise related information into separate pages. Each page is selected using a tab at the top of the control. Only one page is normally visible at a time.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/tab-control-reference
The following example displays a simple adjustable tab control. Pages can be added or deleted by clicking the appropriate button.
Task Dialog
A Task Dialog is a newer Windows common control introduced with Windows Vista. A simple task dialog box can display information and receive simple input from the user. A task dialog differs from a message box by offering far more features.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/task-dialogs-overview
The following short program demonstrates a simple task dialog
Toolbar Control
A toolbar control is a Windows common control used to provide quick access to application commands. It is normally placed below the menu bar and contains buttons represented by images or text.
See creating toolbar page for a detailed description of the toolbar control.
Tooltip
A tooltip control is a Windows common control that automatically pops up when the user pauses the mouse pointer over an application element and displays a brief message explaining the purpose of a particular feature. Tooltips are part of the help system of an application.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/tooltip-control-reference
The following short program demonstrates a simple tooltip window. Placing the map over the button causes the tooltip to appear
Trackbar Control
A Trackbar control (also called a slider control) allows a user to select a value from a range by moving a selector between its minimum and maximum points. The TrackBar control has two parts: an adjustable thumb or slider, and optional tick marks. When the user moves the slider, using either the mouse or the direction keys, the control sends notification messages to indicate the change.
For further reading – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/using-trackbar-controls
The following program demonstrates a simple trackbar control with values from 0-100. Changes in value will be reflected in the neighbouring buddy window.
Tree-View Control
A tree-view is a window that displays a hierarchical list of labelled items or nodes. Each item can have an associated number of subitems. The top item in the hierarchy is called the root. If an item has other items below it in the hierarchy, it is referred to as a parent. Items subordinate to parents are called children. The hierarchy may be expanded or collapsed at any level to display or hide child items.
For further reading – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/tree-view-control-reference
The following program demonstrates the Treeview control. Nodes can be added or deleted by clicking the appropriate button.
Updown Control
The Updown or spinner control consists of two buttons displayed as arrows with an optional buddy control. The most common buddy control is an edit box and the combination of the two is called a spinner control. Clicking either of the arrows increments or decrements the value in the edit control.
For further reading https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/controls/up-down-control-reference
The following short program demonstrates a spinner control. Any changes in the control are reflected in the neighbouring static box.
.