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Popularity: 8.83 Rating: 4.37 out of 5

Download demo executable and project - 52 Kb (v1.6 Aug 2002)
Download CLabel source - 8 Kb (v1.6 Aug 2002)

Introduction

Ever wanted a static control that behaved like a Visual Basic label control? Well this could be just the thing you might be looking for. This version adds all the functionality of the label control, plus many other features. The control uses double buffering which gives fast painting. The real work in done in the OnPaint function.

I've called the class CLabel and its simple to use in dialog boxes, just follow this simple instructions.

Design the dialog box in the normal way.
Create an OnInitDialog function using the class wizard.
Add Label.cpp and Label.h to your project.
#Include <label.cpp> in your dialog .cpp file.
Delete the project '.clw' file and regenerate by opening the project and pressing Ctrl+W
Any static controls that need enhancing, give each control a unique ID within the dialog editor.
Assign each member controls (CLabel) to each ID using the class wizard.
In OnInitDialog uses the CLabelAPI to change the appearance of the control.

API of CLabel

`CLabel& SetBkColor(COLORREF crBkgnd, COLORREF crBkgndHigh = 0, BackFillMode mode = Normal);`	Set the background colour of the control and allows an optional gradient fill.
`CLabel& SetText(const CString& strText)`	Sets the text of the controls
`CLabel& SetTextColor(COLORREF crText)`	Sets the text colour of the control
`CLabel& SetFontBold(BOOL bBold)`	Toggles the state of the bold attribute of the text in the control
`CLabel& SetFontName(const CString& strFont)`	The the fonts face name in the control
`CLabel& SetFontUnderline(BOOL bSet)`	Toggles the state of the underline font attribute of the control
`CLabel& SetFontItalic(BOOL bSet)`	Toggles the state of the italic font attribute of the control
`CLabel& SetFontSize(int nSize)`	Sets the fonts size in points.
`CLabel& SetSunken(BOOL bSet)`	Toggles the state of the sunken attribue of the control
`CLabel& SetBorder(BOOL bSet)`	Toggles the state of the borders attribute
`CLabel& FlashText(BOOL bSet)`	Toggles the state of the text flashing attribute
`CLabel& FlashBackground(BOOL bSet)`	Toggles the state of the text flashing attribute
`CLabel& SetLink(BOOL bLink)`	Toggles the state of the link attribute (allows label to become internet link)
`CLabel& SetLinkCursor(HCURSOR hCursor)`	Sets the cursor for the link.
`CLabel& SetTransparency(BOOL bTransparency)`	Sets the transparency for the background.
`CLabel& SetFont3D(BOOL bSet,Type3D type)`	Sets 3D fonts
`CLabel& SetRotationAngle(UINT nAngle,BOOL bRotation)`	Sets rotation angle for font
`CLabel& SetText3DHiliteColor(COLORREF cr3DHiliteColor)`	Sets the hi-light colour for the text
`CLabel& SetMailLink(BOOL bEnable, BOOL bNotifyParent)`	Sets the hi-light colour for the text

Example of use

 m_fname.SetFontName("System");
 m_fsize.SetFontSize(14);
 m_uline.SetFontUnderline(TRUE);
 m_tcolor.SetTextColor(RGB(255,0,0));
 m_bcolor.SetBkColor(RGB(0,255,255));
 m_italics.SetFontItalic(TRUE);
 m_bold.SetFontBold(TRUE);
 m_border.SetBorder(TRUE);
 m_sunken.SetSunken(TRUE);
 m_lblGradient.SetBkColor(RGB(255,255,255),RGB(0,0,255), CLabel::Gradient);

 m_monty.SetFontName("Arial");
 m_monty.SetFontSize(12);
 m_monty.SetTextColor(RGB(255,255,0));
 m_monty.SetFontUnderline(TRUE);
 m_monty.SetBkColor(RGB(0,0,0));
 m_monty.SetFontItalic(TRUE);
 m_monty.SetFontBold(TRUE);
 m_monty.SetBorder(TRUE);
 m_monty.SetSunken(TRUE);

History

CLabel Version 1.6

Jeroen Roosendaal - SetFont suggestion
Laurent - Spotting SelectObject bugs
Bernie - Fix PreCreateWindow bug
Jignesh I. Patel - Added expanded tabs feature
Jim Farmelant - Fix SetText crash

License

This article has no explicit license attached to it but may contain usage terms in the article text or the download files themselves. If in doubt please contact the author via the discussion board below.

A list of licenses authors might use can be found here

About the Author

Norm .net

Occupation:	Architect
Company:	Software Kinetics
Location:	United Kingdom

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Msgs 1 to 25 of 100 (Total in Forum: 100) (Refresh)

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Flashing problems ( transparent label over bitmap )

alexuh

5:21 13 Aug '08

I had some flashing problems on transparent label redraw when they are positioned over a bitmap drawned dynamically. I fixed the problem with the following changes.

CLabel& CLabel::SetText(const CString& strText)
{
if(IsWindow(this->GetSafeHwnd()))
{
SetRedraw(FALSE);
SetWindowText(strText);
SetRedraw(TRUE);
UpdateSurface();
}
return *this;
}

void CLabel::UpdateSurface()
{
CRect (rc);
GetWindowRect(rc);
//RedrawWindow();

GetParent()->ScreenToClient(rc);
GetParent()->InvalidateRect(rc,TRUE);
GetParent()->UpdateWindow();
}

Thanks for your good class

Maybe it's better that set byCharSet=DEFAULT_CHARSET in SetFontName?

sodar

18:57 22 May '08

Thanks very much for the code! By default, set byCharSet=ANSI_CHARSET, the font doesn't work in some languages such as Simplified Chinese.
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text right aligned

J.Charpentier

8:05 26 Jun '07

Thanks for this class. Is it possible to change alignment to right aligned (for numeric number) ? And also to change vertical alignement to bottom aligned ?
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Rotate Bitmaps?

frqftgbdafr

11:47 29 May '07

Is it possible to rotate bitmaps? Thanks for a great piece of code.
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Help on subclassing CLabel for suporting background image

ovidiu_pos

22:03 16 May '07

Hello,

I am using CLabel in an application and I am trying to set a background image to it.
I added some new methods for this and I intended to override DrawItem to repaint the control.
However, the DrawItem method doesn't seem to be called from anywhere. From what I understood from the documentation, I must set the style of the control to SS_OWNERDRAW (I do this in PreSubClassWindow).
It still doesn't work.

Could you give me a hand here?

Thanks a lot.
Ovidiu

License?

toschlog

15:17 16 May '07

I'm looking for information on using this code in a commercial product. I see no copyright or license information on this site or in the code so I'm assuming it's free to use, but I'd like to be sure. And since I can't find a way to send a message directly to the author I'm positing here. Thanks.
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Re: License?

norm .net

21:57 16 May '07

I'm the author of this control, please use it freely without any restrictions at all. Norm Almond Software Kinetics .net is a box of never ending treasures, every day I get find another gem.
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Enable / Disable ?

ChrisRibe

7:03 19 Mar '07

Hi great code thanks ! I tried enabling / disabling your CLabel via: myLabel.EnableWindow(FALSE); myLabel.EnableWindow(TRUE); All the set formating seems to disappear !? Bug ? Thanks Chris
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Got Slow Somewhere

Phil C

16:26 27 Dec '05

This has been one of my all time favorite classes over the years.

So much so, that I've used it lots of times to dress up quick projects.

I recently downloaded and updated my files to see if I could resolve an issue I had with flashing text on-off-on inadvertently wiping out the text value.

Unfortunately, it looks like this version is a LOT slower to refresh than the old one. For example I have about 50 small little CLabels on my latest dialog project that I use as little colored status indicators as I read in a text file. Because this file reader reads in hundreds of lines at a shot when I first start, I watch my labels flash madly until it is loaded.

The newest verion 1.6 really bogs down updating the labels compared to my old version (I'm guessing I had 1.1, but I'm not sure there is no comment at top). I'm guessing that each functions call to UpdateSurface()precludes you from making a lot of calls in a row.

The real killer is that my flashing background problem still seems to be there. Has anyone else noticed FlashBackground(FALSE) + FlashBackground(TRUE) + FlashBackground(FALSE) ... seems to disable the flashing ability?

A++ for a great little class over the years.
B+ for keeping up with it and adding new even cooler features
C- for allowing the feature creep to impair performance.

2.00/5 (1 vote)

Semi-transparent, colored CLabel

David Fleming

0:10 3 Sep '05

Just in case anyone is interested, I figured out a way to draw the CLabel such that it looks like colored glass with text on it, hovering over the background (semi-transparent but with color).

Here's what you do:

All of this code modification is in the OnPaint function

Here's the original section (near the beginning of OnPaint):

	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
	//
	// Set up for double buffering...
	//
	CDC* pDCMem;
	CBitmap*	pOldBitmap = NULL;

	if (!m_bTransparent)
	{
		pDCMem = new CDC;
		pDCMem->CreateCompatibleDC(&dc);
		bmp.CreateCompatibleBitmap(&dc,rc.Width(),rc.Height());
		pOldBitmap = pDCMem->SelectObject(&bmp);
	}

Replace the existing "else" right below that, with the following:

	else
	{
		//pDCMem = &dc;
		pDCMem = new CDC;
		pDCMem->CreateCompatibleDC(&dc);
		bmp.CreateCompatibleBitmap(&dc,rc.Width(),rc.Height());
		pOldBitmap = pDCMem->SelectObject(&bmp);
		CBrush brush;
		brush.CreateSolidBrush(RGB(122,255,122));
		pDCMem->FillRect(rc, &brush);
	}

What this part does is create a compatible bitmap in memory and paints it a light shade of green (you can obvious change the color as you see fit).

Then down at the bottom of the function, is the original code:

	if (!m_bTransparent)
	{
		dc.BitBlt(0,0,rc.Width(),rc.Height(),pDCMem,0,0,SRCCOPY);
		// continue DC restore 
		pDCMem->SelectObject ( pOldBitmap ) ;
		delete pDCMem;
	}

Add just below that:

	else
	{
		dc.BitBlt(0,0,rc.Width(),rc.Height(),pDCMem,0,0,SRCAND);
		// continue DC restore 
		pDCMem->SelectObject ( pOldBitmap ) ;
		delete pDCMem;
	}

All of this occurs after the text has been drawn. So what you have is a bitmap in memory of a light green colored rectangle with text drawn on it. What this last section of code does is BitBlt that onto the background using SRCAND which combines the source and destination using a logical AND.

There you go... semi-transparent with color.

2.00/5 (1 vote)

SetWindowPos

chris.lee@alcormicro.com

21:26 29 Mar '05

I have a problem that all the label disappear after I call SetWindowPos function. Anyone has any idea? Thanks a lot.
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Re: SetWindowPos

Osborn

6:21 27 Apr '06

I have had the same problem! I removed the function call GetParent()->UpdateWindow() from void CLabel::UpdateSurface(). Now everthing runs fine
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Flickerring?

lily0lin

10:22 5 May '04

Hello, I am having the problem with screen flickerring when the label is repeatly painted. I noticed that the double buffer is only applied when m_bTransparent = FALSE in the OnPaint() function. How to avoid the flickerinf problem for the transperent label? Thank you very much for your help.
Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink	2.00/5 (1 vote)

Re: Flickerring?

EastSeaBoy

20:49 19 Sep '04

This class is great!!! WOW~~! WTF

I had have the same problem.
I solved that like Following Code. Smile

EastSeaBoy is my nickname. Laugh

=========================================

0. ADD a Member Variable.
CString m_strText; // Label Text // (Add) for Protecting Flicker(EastSeaBoy)


1. void CLabel::OnPaint() 
{
        .....
//	GetWindowText(strText);	// (Del) for Protecting Flicker(EastSeaBoy)
	strText = m_strText;	// (Add) for Protecting Flicker(EastSeaBoy)
        .....
}

2. CLabel& CLabel::SetText(const CString& strText)
{
	if(IsWindow(this->GetSafeHwnd())) 
	{
	//SetWindowText(strText);	// (Del) for Protecting Flicker(EastSeaBoy)
	m_strText = strText;		// (Add) for Protecting Flicker(EastSeaBoy)
	UpdateSurface();
	}
	return *this;
}

==========================================
Right?

Re: Flickerring?

EvanTao

2:47 9 Dec '04

After modify the code, you should call SetText() to show a text when you want to show something. Just like this: m_label .SetTextColor(F_C_NOCONNECT) .SetText("No connect") <--------------notice this .ShowWindow(SW_SHOW); If you do not call SetText(), this label can not be visible, even it already has a text you enterd in the VC Text Properties window.
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Re: Flickerring?

feisi

17:16 14 Jul '08

you are great! thank you!!!
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White flash with transperent label

lily0lin

9:00 4 May '04

Hello, I need to change the transparent label text every 500MS with graphic background. It shows a white flash sometimes when it is repainted. Any idea to improve this? Thank you very much.
Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink	3.67/5 (2 votes)

My only problem with this class is...

Ravi Bhavnani

9:44 28 Mar '04

I can't vote (5) for the article more than once! Good job as usual, Norm! /ravi My new year's resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home \| Articles \| Freeware \| Music ravib@ravib.com
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Problems Setting Window State

yofnik

11:10 8 Mar '04

Has anyone come up with a fix for setting the window state ( EnableWindow(FALSE) ) in OnInitDialog? Yofnik
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UNICODE

ExtraLean

10:21 20 Feb '04

Just an FYI: The line in Label.cpp with "mailto:" breaks UNICODE compatibility. I see you've used _T() with other literals, so that one probably just slipped through... You may want to issue a quick article update. -- Edward Livingston (aka ExtraLean) -- "I still maintain that seeing a nipple is far less disturbing than seeing someone get their brains blown out." -- Chris Maunder
Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink	2.00/5 (1 vote)

Transparency bug

EPulse

20:22 15 Nov '03

Hi guys,

Am trying to use CLabel in a skinned dialog app. now the problem is sometimes when I set the text of the control using SetWindowText there is no transparency any more.

e.g in OnInitDialog

m_static.SetWindowText("Hello world");
	m_static.SetTransparent(TRUE);
	m_static.SetWindowText("Wassup?");

this works fine, but when i have something like this in a button click handler

m_static.SetWindowText("Testing ");

the background appears and i have to SetTransparent again for it to become transparent.

I don't think this is the way it should work..any suggestions? thanx

Re: Transparency bug

alexuh

7:14 21 Feb '08

Use SetText
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Error loading IDC_HAND cursor

Marcus Carey

20:46 24 Jul '03

'LoadCursorA' : cannot convert parameter 2 from 'const int' to 'const char *' m_stcMail.SetMailLink(TRUE,FALSE) .SetTextColor(RGB(0,0,255)) .SetFontUnderline(TRUE) .SetLinkCursor(LoadCursor(NULL,IDC_HAND)); m_link.SetLink(TRUE,FALSE) .SetTextColor(RGB(0,0,255)) .SetFontUnderline(TRUE) .SetLinkCursor(LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_HAND)); Marcus Carey
Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink	1.50/5 (2 votes)

add #define IDC_HAND MAKEINTRESOURCE(32649)

uranium99

3:43 1 Aug '03

add #define IDC_HAND MAKEINTRESOURCE(32649)
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font size isn't changing

connorwr

19:02 29 May '03

I am creating a subclass of CWnd that I create dynamically and add to a dialog. This class contains several CLabels that I create and position myself (no templates involved). So far I have only tried using the SetFontSize and SetTextColor functions, and the color changes but not the font size. I tried calling the same functions with a CLabel that I created on a dialog with a template, and both worked fine.

Here is the code in the Create function of my CWnd subclass:

m_sBP.Create("BP", lStaticStyle, CRect(iDPSplit, iCol1Top, iRightEdge, iCol2Top), this);
m_sBP.SetFontSize(14);
m_sBP.SetTextColor(RGB(255,0,0));

where m_sBP is a CLabel declared in the header file.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks

-=Connor=-

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