XFontDialog - Customizing CFontDialog Part I: Adding Font Filters

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Introduction

In one project I was involved in, we had to display font selection dialog. My Product Manager had some issues with MFC's CFontDialog. He is very focused on reducing support costs by simplifying user interface, to eliminate anything that might be confusing or misleading. OK, it is hard to argue against this goal. In case of CFontDialog, he didn't like all the controls that were unnecessary for our application. Here is what the standard CFontDialog looks like:

My Product Manager didn't like Effects, Font Style, or Script controls, since our app used only Font and Font Size values. I was starting to feel a little apprehensive (since I had never once won an argument with him), so I pointed out that we could easily eliminate some of the unnecessary controls. I asked him to come back tomorrow for a demonstration. For the rest of day, I tried to figure out how to remove controls he didn't like. I was only partially successful, because CFontDialog provides very little in its API to facilitate customizing user interface. When the Product Manager came by next day, this is what I showed him:

He thought it looked really lame, and I had to agree. The Font Style combo was still there, and getting rid of Effects controls only left a big hole in the dialog - the Sample control had not even been resized to take advantage of free space on left. Finally, the best I could do was to disable Script combo.

But I had found out two things in my research into CFontDialog: first, you could use your own dialog template, based on the template provided in Font.Dlg; and second, there was a hook proc you could supply in your own CFontDialog-derived class.

After a few days playing with CFontDialog, I knew it would be possible to customize the font dialog to look the way we wanted. Mostly this involved editing the template used for the standard font dialog, and moving the unwanted controls outside the dialog:

I also had to create new controls for sample text, because CFontDialog insists on reverting to text "AaBbYyZz" when you select new font in fonts combo.

To jump ahead a bit, here is final dialog:

This is more compact than the standard font dialog, but looks enough like it that our users won't have to learn a completely different UI. At the same time, it removes the elements that might be frustrating to try to select (with no apparent effect, since they're not used in our apps). Plus, it gave us an opportunity to add some features that permitted better integration with our apps.

CXFontDialog Features

Here are the features in the new CXFontDialog:

	Removal of all controls except font list and size list
	Font filters to select only specific groups of fonts to display
	Visual indication of monospaced fonts
	New APIs for monospaced and symbol fonts
	API to set caption of font dialog
	API to set sample text of font dialog

Implementation Notes

The main source for technical information that I relied on to customize CFontDialog is the MSDN documentation on the CHOOSEFONT Structure. This struct includes the lpfnHook member that allows you to set your hook proc, and the lpTemplateName and hInstance members, which must be set in order to load the customized template. What MSDN doesn't tell you is where to find the default template. For VS 6.0, I found it in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\VC98\Include\Font.Dlg. For Visual Studio 8 and 9, it's located in the Platform SDK's Include directory. After I found it, next step was to set up a separate XFontDialog.rc file, and cut and paste the template from Font.Dlg. To set up XFontDialog.rc, I used the techniques I describe in my article XDialogImport - How to share dialogs between projects.

Now I can use Visual Studio Resource Editor to configure controls like I wanted - moving unwanted controls to the side and marking them not visible. I also make sample control bigger, and add static control to top of font list - so for monospaced fonts, you will see MONOSPACED displayed:

I then use Class Wizard to generate new CXFontDialog class by double-clicking on template in Resource Editor:

I select CFontDialog as base class, and enter CXFontDialog for new class name:

And finally I am able to use Class Wizard for the new class:

You will notice that all symbolic names in Font.Dlg have been converted to numeric IDs. This doesn't matter, since these IDs must not change anyway or CFontDialog would not work. (I assign names to these IDs inside XFontDialog.cpp to make it easier to work with.) I have added two handler functions to CXFontDialog: OnCtlColor() and OnShowMonoSpaced(), which is called from within the hook proc when user selects a monospaced font (this is where the MONOSPACED gets displayed). I also add DoModal() function, which is where dialog template and hook function are specified. The key function is the hook proc, where WM_INITDIALOG is caught. This is where font filters (if any) are applied.

How To Use

To integrate CXFontDialog into your app, you first need to add following files to your project:

• XFontDialog.cpp
• XFontDialog.h
• XFontDialog.rc
• XFontDialogRes.h

Note that XFontDialogRes.h - even though basically empty - is needed if you want to edit the dialog template in the resource editor.

You also need to add XFontDialog.rc to project rc file - go to View | Resource Includes... and in the bottom listbox, scroll down to the end. Insert #include "XFontDialog.rc" right before the #endif:

Next, include header file XFontDialog.h in appropriate project files. Now you are ready to start using CXFontDialog.

Demo App

The XFontDialogTest.exe demo shows how to use CXFontDialog:

Revision History

Version 1.1 - 2008 October 7

• Changed the way that the monospaced attribute is determined. Previously I was using this technique:

      bIsMonoSpaced = (tm.tmPitchAndFamily & TMPF_FIXED_PITCH) == 0;

  but I discovered that some monospaced fonts (such as the excellent Pragmata font by Fabrizio Schiavi) did not mark the font in this way. So I resorted to the simpler, but more reliable method of comparing the widths of the '!' and 'W' characters. If they're the same, that means the font is monospaced.
• Added API to allow setting the sample text.
• Enlarged the dialog to make more fonts visible in the fonts combo.
• Added VS2005 project.

Version 1.0 - 2003 June 21

• Initial public release.

Usage

This software is released into the public domain. You are free to use it in any way you like, except that you may not sell this source code. If you modify it or extend it, please to consider posting new code here for everyone to share. This software is provided "as is" with no expressed or implied warranty. I accept no liability for any damage or loss of business that this software may cause.

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Awesome Michael Klim 11:20 25 Feb '09   This thing is great! Thanks a lot for making it available to us! Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink The extra CXFontDialogTestDlg func. to keep chosen in CFontDialog font color. Oleg Boyko 18:59 16 Nov '08   Hi Hans, I like your code stile. Just a little add-in to your project to keep chosen in CFontDialog font color back to CXFontDialogTestDlg for sample text. I added variable COLORREF m_color in CXFontDialogTestDlg class which is black (RGB(0,0,0)) by default (in constructor) and color is filling in void CXFontDialogTestDlg::OnCFontDialog() ... if (dlg.DoModal() == IDOK) { //here m_color = dlg.m_cf.rgbColors; .... and then there's another function to show chosen color /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // OnCtlColor HBRUSH CXFontDialogTestDlg::OnCtlColor(CDC* pDC, CWnd* pWnd, UINT nCtlColor) { HBRUSH hbr = CDialog::OnCtlColor(pDC, pWnd, nCtlColor); if (pWnd->m_hWnd == m_Sample.m_hWnd) pDC->SetTextColor(m_color); return hbr; } with callback ON_WM_CTLCOLOR() in the message map. Thanks. Oleg. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink handling the size of the fonts rupesh_gangi 7:51 30 Oct '07   Hai, I just need a help in handling the sizes that are displayed in the CFontDialog. Can we have the chance of placing our own sizes in the CFontDialog.Thanks in advance Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 (1 vote) How to make .rc and res.h files ali13058 11:32 5 May '05   I found my export menu is grayed. how to generate these two files ? "XFontDialog.rc " "XFontDialogRes.h " thanks Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 (1 vote) Can you make the Color drop down visible Jia Qing 23:25 29 Mar '05   I also need the color, but after I check the color combo to Visible, it still does not visible. I know you have a color pick sample, but I think if you can just turn the combo visible it will be simpler. Can you give a solution? thanks BTW: this is a good example, I have same requirement from my boss, but we also need color. Jia Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Can you make the Color drop down visible Anonymous 21:32 3 Apr '05   I have figured this out myself ,thanks anyway Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Can you make the Color drop down visible taphan 2:08 26 Oct '05   You can enable it by: From Declare class change code like this // Construction public: CXFontDialog(LPLOGFONT lplfInitial = NULL, DWORD dwFlags = CF_EFFECTS | CF_SCREENFONTS, CDC* pdcPrinter = NULL, CWnd* pParentWnd = NULL); #ifndef _AFX_NO_RICHEDIT_SUPPORT CXFontDialog(const CHARFORMAT& charformat, DWORD dwFlags = CF_SCREENFONTS, CDC* pdcPrinter = NULL, CWnd* pParentWnd = NULL); #endif And On the resource make all Effect controls visible Good luck! Tuan Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink changing colorpicker. blikstad 7:35 20 Feb '05   I need to _change_ the color picker to something that allows me to choose more colors rather than remove it. I've added a better colorpicker to the dialog, but I can't seem to figure out how to update the sample box with my new color. Any pointers? Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 (1 vote) Re: changing colorpicker. blikstad 9:23 21 Feb '05   Okay, I found a solution even though it's a bit of a "hack". First of all I used the color picker from http://www.codeproject.com/miscctrl/colour_picker.asp. I tried to create a hook and all that stuff but there seem to be some "magic" going on to update the sample box, so what I did was to first hide the regular color picker then in OnInitDialog I clear out all the colors from it: HWND hWndColor = ::GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, 1139); ::SendMessage (hWndColor, CB_RESETCONTENT, 0, 0); After that was done I add just the color I select in the new picker to the old one: afx_msg LONG CFontEx::OnSelEndOK(UINT lParam, LONG wParam) { HWND hWndColor = ::GetDlgItem(m_hWnd, 1139); ::SendMessage (hWndColor, CB_RESETCONTENT, 0, 0); int idx = ::SendMessage (hWndColor, CB_ADDSTRING, 0, (LPARAM)_T("aa")); ::SendMessage (hWndColor, CB_SETITEMDATA, idx, (LPARAM)m_ColorPicker.GetColour()); ::SendMessage (hWndColor, CB_SETCURSEL, idx, 0); Invalidate(); return TRUE; } As I said, it's a bit of a hack and there seem to be some form of magic going on. But it works. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 (1 vote) Thanks! robosport 16:19 28 Aug '04   Very helpful article on customizing a common dialog, even for non-MFC users. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Effects & color mhassan 5:54 24 Sep '03   I try to make Strikeout visible again. So i change in XFontDialog Resourses, i make Strikeout is visible then i combile, but it still not appear. Can you help me Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 1.60/5 (5 votes) Thanks for all the inside info on the font chooser JonesWooHoo 2:35 28 Jul '03   Ta, it got me goin again when I was stuck. Jones Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Small Windows bug with font dialog Damir Valiulin 11:13 3 Jul '03   Great work! There is a bug with Windows Font Dialog though. When you select a font that doesn't have a Regular font style and has only Italic style (like Monotype Corsiva for example), the dialog automatically sets Font Style selection to Italic. If later you select a different font that does have a Regular style, the style selection will still remain as Italic and will not switch back to Regular. Then you have to select Regular style manually. It is simply a nuisance with regular Font Dialog because you can see font styles and select the Regular style again. But it's a problem when the style field is hidden. Is it possible to track the font selection and then switch back to Regular style automatically? Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Small Windows bug with font dialog Hans Dietrich 19:29 4 Jul '03   Damir Valiulin wrote: Is it possible to track the font selection and then switch back to Regular style automatically? You might be able to do that, or you could simply remove the fonts from the combobox. In the for loop inside WM_INITDIALOG handler: if (!bDeleted && bSuccess && tm.tmItalic) { bDeleted = RemoveFont(hWndFont, szFont); } if (!bDeleted && bSuccess && tm.tmWeight > 500 ) { bDeleted = RemoveFont(hWndFont, szFont); } This will remove italic fonts and also bold fonts. Best wishes, Hans Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Compile Error John R. Shaw 15:57 24 Jun '03   Ecellent work! I had one error while compiling: Compiling... XFontDialog.cpp C:\Down Loaded Coding Files\CodeProject\Fonts and GDI\XFontDialog - Customizing CFontDialog Part I Adding Font Filters\XFontDialog_demo\XFontDialog.cpp(91) : error C2440: '=' : cannot convert from 'unsigned long (__stdcall *)(struct HWND__ *,unsigne d int,unsigned int,long)' to 'unsigned int (__stdcall *)(struct HWND__ *,unsigned int,unsigned int,long)' This conversion requires a reinterpret_cast, a C-style cast or function-style cast Solution: m_cf.lpfnHook = (LPCFHOOKPROC)CFHookProc; Note: Under Win32 unsigned int and unsigned long are actualy the same thing. So VC 6.0 objected I do not know. Trust in the code Luke. Yea right! Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 (1 vote) Re: Compile Error Hans Dietrich 4:37 25 Jun '03   At first I was amazed, because I always compile at level 4. Then I remembered that I have Platform SDK installed, and I was able to reproduce this error. The problem is that VC 6 defines UINT_PTR as unsigned long, while Platform SDK defines it as unsigned int. So your solution is probably the best one. Best wishes, Hans Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 5.00/5 (1 vote)

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