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InputBox using WinAPI

mah

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12 Jun 2002

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InputBox using WinAPI.

Introduction

Do you know VB's InputBox? Me too. =)

So, this class is for those people who need VB-like InputBox in VC++.

Usage

The usage of this class is very easy:

Add InputBox.h and InputBox.cpp into your project, include InputBox.h to the file where you suppose to use Inputbox and:

#include "InputBox.h"

...

CInputBox ibox(hWndParent);
if (ibox.DoModal("Caption", "Prompt")) 
  MessageBox(NULL, ibox.Text, "Title", MB_OK);

In the constructor, you have to provide a valid hwnd of the parent window. Function DoModal(...) returns TRUE if button OK is pressed and FALSE if button Cancel.

CInputBox doesn't need resource file. You can use it with MFC or without one.

That's all.

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

Written By

mah

Web Developer

Russian Federation

This member has not yet provided a Biography. Assume it's interesting and varied, and probably something to do with programming.

Comments and Discussions

Member 123800679-Mar-16 1:37

Member 12380067

9-Mar-16 1:37

Compiling in CodeBlocks I get these errors:
|89|undefined reference to CreateFontIndirectA@4
|149|undefined reference to DeleteObject@4

kod121-Mar-12 23:36

21-Mar-12 23:36

Thanks a lot, I've been searching for this for a very long time.

Sunny12708-Jan-12 2:57

8-Jan-12 2:57

Works great for years in my project!

Thou Shalt Not ...

DogWalker13-Sep-03 20:11

13-Sep-03 20:11

I believe that Thou Shalt Not DestroyWindow(hwnd) Whilst
Thou Handles the WM_DESTROY message for that very hwnd, or
BSOD.

Another bug: GetClassInfoEx()

Michael Geary4-Sep-03 19:28

4-Sep-03 19:28

This code doesn't look like it will work:

if (!GetClassInfoEx(hInst, "InputBox", &wcex))
{
    wcex.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
    ...
}

GetClassInfoEx() requires the cbSize field to be set before the call:

wcex.cbSize = sizeof(WNDCLASSEX);
if (!GetClassInfoEx(hInst, "InputBox", &wcex))
{
    ...
}

-Mike

Hofver18-Dec-02 23:37

18-Dec-02 23:37

Thanks a lot, I really needed a non-MFC InputBox, since I was launching it from a worker thread (don't do that with MFC).

I have some comments however... I can't see how anyone has got it working without modifying the destroying procedure. You send WM_DESTROY to the window, and then the window procedure calls DestroyWindow on itself. But calling DestroyWindow will send a WM_DESTROY to the window, which calls DestroyWindow on itself, etc etc etc -> stack overflow OMG | :OMG:

OMG | :OMG:

Also, the WM_DESTROY handler calls PostQuitMessage, which seems a little dangerous...

The proper way (IMHO) is to call DestroyWindow in the DoModal method on VK_RETURN or VK_ESCAPE, and then just return 0 or 1 from in there (without requiring GetMessage to fail).

That would look something like this (DoModal):

while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
{
    if (msg.message == WM_KEYDOWN)
    {
        if (msg.wParam == VK_ESCAPE)
        {
            EnableWindow(m_hWndParent, TRUE);
            SetForegroundWindow(m_hWndParent);
            DestroyWindow(m_hWndInputBox);
            return IDCANCEL;
        }
        if (msg.wParam == VK_RETURN)
        {
            int nCount = GetWindowTextLength(m_hWndEdit);
            nCount++;
            if (Text)
            {
                delete[] Text;
                Text = NULL;
            }
            Text = new TCHAR[nCount];
            GetWindowText(m_hWndEdit, Text, nCount);
            EnableWindow(m_hWndParent, TRUE);
            SetForegroundWindow(m_hWndParent);
            DestroyWindow(m_hWndInputBox);
            return IDOK;
        }
        if (msg.wParam == VK_TAB)
        {
            hWndFocused = GetFocus();
            if (hWndFocused == m_hWndEdit) SetFocus(m_hWndOK);
            if (hWndFocused == m_hWndOK) SetFocus(m_hWndCancel);
            if (hWndFocused == m_hWndCancel) SetFocus(m_hWndEdit);
        }

    }
    TranslateMessage(&msg);
    DispatchMessage(&msg);
}

And in the window procedure:

case WM_DESTROY:
    DeleteObject(m_hFont);
    return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);

case WM_CLOSE:
    PostMessage(m_hWndInputBox, WM_KEYDOWN, VK_ESCAPE, 0);
    break;

Anyway, thanks again!

/Simon

This is not a signature

Re: Great! But...

mah18-Dec-02 23:49

18-Dec-02 23:49

Yes, Simon, you are right. =) I just didn't find my inner strength to post update here (or it was my laziness?).
Anyway thank you, Simon.

Ancient Dragon14-Jun-02 2:05

14-Jun-02 2:05

This is just what I've been looking for. I like it! I ported it to WinCE and it works great! Only had to make the box narrower to fit WinCE's small window. Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Nish Nishant13-Jun-02 0:12

13-Jun-02 0:12

I wrote the MFC and .NET versions and hey presto, someone comes up with a API only vesion Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Talk about InputBox overkill, eh?

Nish

p.s. If someone writes a WTL version a few people are gonna go raving mad Wink | ;-)

Wink | ;-)

Author of the romantic comedy

Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win]

Buy it, read it and admire me Smile | :)

Smile | :)

mah13-Jun-02 0:38

13-Jun-02 0:38

Wink | ;)

Wink | ;)

Big Grin | :-D

Very funny! Blush | :O

Blush | :O

Nish Nishant13-Jun-02 1:08

13-Jun-02 1:08

mah wrote:
Very funny

Thanks. It was meant to be funny and I am glad you understood that Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Nish

Author of the romantic comedy

Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win]

Buy it, read it and admire me Smile | :)

Smile | :)

mah13-Jun-02 1:26

13-Jun-02 1:26

Thanks for your joke, Nish. I am glad that you are glad =)

mah

13-Jun-02 6:51

13-Jun-02 6:51

Not overkill at all -- nice work. API-only has obvious advantages over MFC dependence.

Nish Nishant13-Jun-02 14:07

13-Jun-02 14:07

brad W wrote:
Not overkill at all -- nice work. API-only has obvious advantages over MFC dependence.

Yes, I agree. Anyway me and the author were only kidding each other Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Author of the romantic comedy

Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win]

Buy it, read it and admire me Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Andrew Peace11-Jul-02 12:55

11-Jul-02 12:55

I also wrote an MFC version after you'd written yours, not realising that you'd done an article covering that topic alread.

You can read it here if you're interested Smile | :)

Smile | :)

.

--
Andrew.

Nish Nishant11-Jul-02 14:45

11-Jul-02 14:45

Yeah, I've seen it Andrew. I think there are a couple of other versions here on CP too, though mine was the first one Wink | ;-)

Wink | ;-)

Mine is derived from CFrameWnd Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Nish

Author of the romantic comedy

Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win]

Review by Shog⁹
Click here for review[NW]

Andrew Peace12-Jul-02 7:08

12-Jul-02 7:08

Nishant S wrote:
though mine was the first one

I was looking at the last updated date, you'll see mine was posted in June 2001...

Big Grin | :-D

Big Grin | :-D

.

I haven't done any editing tricks or anything either (I wouldn't do that).

Not that it matters of course, I'm just pulling your leg.

--
Andrew.

Nish Nishant12-Jul-02 14:08

12-Jul-02 14:08

Andrew Peace wrote:
I'm just pulling your leg.

Heheh Smile | :)

Smile | :)

I know

Nish Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Author of the romantic comedy

Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win]

Review by Shog⁹
Click here for review[NW]

Tim Smith11-Jul-02 14:26

11-Jul-02 14:26

Should I pull out my old Forth compiler and hack out a version in that? Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Tim Smith

I know what you're thinking punk, you're thinking did he spell check this document? Well, to tell you the truth I kinda forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this here's CodeProject, the most powerful forums in the world and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question, Do I feel lucky? Well do ya punk?

Nish Nishant11-Jul-02 14:46

11-Jul-02 14:46

Tim Smith wrote:
Should I pull out my old Forth compiler and hack out a version in that?

LOL

Maybe Chris will add a full section just for InputBox controls Smile | :)

Smile | :)

Nish

Author of the romantic comedy

Summer Love and Some more Cricket [New Win]

Review by Shog⁹
Click here for review[NW]

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