Programming in C With Windows API: How To Draw A Command Button

Question

Well, I am building a college project in C. GUI has not been taught yet but I want my program to be better, so I am learning Windows API.

I am following this tutorial here: http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/start.html and it is quite good. It explains lot of things but I am not able to find one thing(even searched Google but everything is oriented towards C++ or C#):

How do I draw a command button inside the drawn window(which I have learned) and how to accept events for it?

Can you please answer or point me to a good page that explains how I can create a command button using ONLY Windows API and C. No C++ please.

Thanks for your time! :)

Solution

Simply use CreateWindow with class name "BUTTON", style BS_PUSHBUTTON and parent window as your existing drawn window. The x and y coordinates select the top-left button position in the window. The window name is the text on the button. Also, remember to call ShowWindow on the returned handle.

edit: To accept events for it, first define an ID value like:

#define ID_MYBUTTON 1

Then pass that into the menu-parameter of the CreateWindow call. In your main windows message proc you can now find message by testing for:

if(message == WM_COMMAND && HIWORD(wParam) == BN_CLICKED && LOWORD(wParam) == ID_MYBUTTON) { /* button was clicked */ }

Comments

[Ishan Sharma]

So I have to create a new window for a button? Well, that's something new. I am going to try it. Thanks for quick answer.