How to add multiple window types to a non-document view MDI application (201045)



The information in this article applies to:

  • The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), when used with:
    • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition 6.0
    • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition 6.0
    • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition 6.0
    • Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (2002)
    • Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (2003)

This article was previously published under Q201045
Note Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (2002) and Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (2003) support both the managed code model that is provided by the .NET Framework and the unmanaged native Windows code model. The information in this article applies to unmanaged Visual C++ code only.

SUMMARY

The following steps create a simple application with two types of windows, one for drawing, the other for text, starting from the wizard-generated non document view MDI application. At the end, the application has two CMDIChildFrame-derived classes called CDrawFrame and CTextFrame, two CWnd-derived classes called CDrawWnd and CTextWnd, and resources (accelerators, menus, icons, and strings) called IDR_DRAWTYPE and IDR_TEXTTYPE.

The application has two types of windows, each with its own menu, accelerator table, title and icon. More complex features like persistency are not implemented in this code.

MORE INFORMATION

Step-by-step procedure

  1. Create an MDI application with the MFC Application Wizard, and clear the Document/View architecture support option in the Application Type section. CChildFrame and CChildView are the default names the Wizard uses for frame and window classes. Rename these to CDrawFrame and CDrawWnd, respectively, in the Generated Classes section. Call the header and implementation files DrawFrm and DrawWnd.

    If you want to paste the following code into your application without any changes, name your application class CNDVWApp.
  2. Delete the OnFileNew() handler declaration, definition and entry in the message map for the application class.
  3. Using the Add New Item menu on the Project menu, create a new header and source file called TextFrm.h and TextFrm.cpp. Copy DrawFrm.h and DrawFrm.cpp to TextFrm.h and TextFrm.cpp, respectively. In TextFrm.h and TextFrm.cpp, replace all occurrences of CDrawFrame with CTextFrame and DrawFrm with TextFrm.
  4. Similarly, create a new header and source file called TextWnd.h and TextWnd.cpp. Copy DrawWnd.h and DrawWnd.cpp to TextWnd.h and TextWnd.cpp, respectively. In TextWnd.h and TextWnd.cpp replace all occurrences of CDrawWnd with CTextWnd and DrawWnd with TextWnd.
  5. Change the m_wndView member of CTextFrame to be of CTextWnd type. Change the name of the included file DrawWnd.h to TextWnd.h.
  6. Include TextFrm.h in the implementation file for the application class after include of DrawFrm.h. The project should now compile.
  7. In Visual C++ 6.0 and earlier (Visual C++ .NET does not use Class Wizard), re-create the Class Wizard information, (.clw file), for the project. Close the workspace, delete the .clw file and reload the workspace. Next, invoke the Class Wizard, press Yes in the message box and then click the OK button in the dialog box to close the Class Wizard.
  8. Differentiate the two CWnd-derived classes for members and drawing.

    In CDrawWnd:
       // data members
       protected:
          CRect m_Ellipse;
          CRect m_Rectangle;
    
       // initialization: replace existing contructor
       CDrawWnd::CDrawWnd():
          m_Ellipse(10, 10, 100, 100),
          m_Rectangle(5, 5, 105, 105)
       {
       }
    
       // painting: replace existing OnPaint
       void CDrawWnd::OnPaint()
       {
           CPaintDC dc(this); // device context for painting
    
           dc.Rectangle(m_Rectangle);
           dc.Ellipse(m_Ellipse);
       }
    						
    In CTextWnd:
       // data members
       protected:
           CString m_Text;
    
       // initialization: replace existing contructor
       CTextWnd::CTextWnd():
           m_Text("Text Window ")
       {
       }
    
       // painting: replace existing OnPaint
       void CTextWnd::OnPaint()
       {
           CPaintDC dc(this); // device context for painting
           CRect r(10, 10, 400, 50);
           dc.DrawText(m_Text, r, DT_BOTTOM);
       }
    						
  9. Delete the menu and accelerator handles in the application class and create the following:
       HMENU m_hDrawMenu;
       HMENU m_hTextMenu;
       HACCEL m_hDrawAccel;
       HACCEL m_hTextAccel;
    						
  10. Modify the application class's InitInstance() and ExitInstance() to load and unload resources IDR_DRAWTYPE and IDR_TEXTTYPE instead of the Wizard-generated resources.

    For InitInstance():
       HINSTANCE hInst = AfxGetResourceHandle();
       m_hDrawMenu  = ::LoadMenu(hInst, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_DRAWTYPE));
       m_hTextMenu  = ::LoadMenu(hInst, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_TEXTTYPE));
       m_hDrawAccel = ::LoadAccelerators(hInst, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_DRAWTYPE));
       m_hTextAccel = ::LoadAccelerators(hInst, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_TEXTTYPE));
    						
    For ExitInstance():
       int CNDVWApp::ExitInstance()
       {
           if (m_hDrawMenu != NULL)
               FreeResource(m_hDrawMenu);
           if (m_hDrawAccel != NULL)
               FreeResource(m_hDrawAccel);
           if (m_hTextMenu != NULL)
               FreeResource(m_hTextMenu);
           if (m_hTextAccel != NULL)
               FreeResource(m_hTextAccel);
    
           return CWinApp::ExitInstance();
       }
    						
  11. In the menu IDR_MAINFRAME, delete the menu item New and define New Draw (ID_FILE_NEW_DRAW) and New Text (ID_FILE_NEW_TEXT). In the toolbar, IDR_MAINFRAME, delete the ID_FILE_NEW button and add two new buttons for ID_FILE_NEW_DRAW and ID_FILE_NEW_TEXT.
  12. Define handlers for these two items in the application class.

    For OnFileNewDraw():
       void CNDVWApp::OnFileNewDraw()
       {
           CMainFrame* pFrame = STATIC_DOWNCAST(CMainFrame, m_pMainWnd);
    
           // create a new MDI child window
           pFrame->CreateNewChild(
               RUNTIME_CLASS(CDrawFrame), IDR_DRAWTYPE, m_hDrawMenu,    m_hDrawAccel);
       }
    						
    For OnFileNewText():
       void CNDVWApp::OnFileNewText()
       {
           CMainFrame* pFrame = STATIC_DOWNCAST(CMainFrame, m_pMainWnd);
    
           // create a new MDI child window
           pFrame->CreateNewChild(
               RUNTIME_CLASS(CTextFrame), IDR_TEXTTYPE, m_hTextMenu,    m_hTextAccel);
       }
    						
  13. Copy the IDR_MAINFRAME menu and accelerator resources and paste them into IDR_DRAWTYPE and IDR_TEXTTYPE.
  14. Add a Text pop-up menu to IDR_TEXTTYPE, and an Add Text menu item, associating it to ID_TEXT_ADD. Also define ID_TEXT_ADD accelerator (CTRL+A) to the IDR_TEXTTYPE accelerator table.
  15. Add a Draw pop-up menu to IDR_DRAWTYPE, and a 'Widen draw' menu item, associating it to ID_DRAW_WIDEN. Also define ID_DRAW_WIDEN accelerator (CTRL+W) to IDR_DRAWTYPE accelerator table.
  16. Define handlers for both commands in the respective CWnd-derived classes:
       void CDrawWnd::OnDrawWiden()
       {
           m_Ellipse.InflateRect(10, 10);
           m_Rectangle.InflateRect(10, 10);
           Invalidate();
       }
    
       void CTextWnd::OnTextAdd()
       {
           m_Text += " Window";
           Invalidate();
       }
    						
  17. Define IDR_DRAWTYPE and IDR_TEXTTYPE strings in stringtable in order to set window titles:
       IDR_DRAWTYPE       \nDraw\nDraw
       IDR_TEXTTYPE       \nText\nText
    						
  18. Define IDR_DRAWTYPE and IDR_TEXTTYPE icon resources and associate them with the frames: modify the PreCreateWindow() function in the frames as follows:
       BOOL CDrawFrame::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
       {
           if( !CMDIChildWnd::PreCreateWindow(cs) )
               return FALSE;
    
           HICON hWndIcon = ::LoadIcon(AfxGetApp()->m_hInstance,    MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_DRAWTYPE));
           cs.dwExStyle &= ~WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE;
           cs.lpszClass = AfxRegisterWndClass(0, 0, 0, hWndIcon);
    
           return TRUE;
       }
    
       BOOL CTextFrame::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
       {
           if( !CMDIChildWnd::PreCreateWindow(cs) )
               return FALSE;
    
           HICON hWndIcon = ::LoadIcon(AfxGetApp()->m_hInstance,    MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDR_TEXTTYPE));
           cs.dwExStyle &= ~WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE;
           cs.lpszClass = AfxRegisterWndClass(0, 0, 0, hWndIcon);
    
           return TRUE;
       }
    						
  19. Build the application.

Testing the application

Execute the application and test different features:
  • You can create multiple windows of either the draw or text type using both the menu and the toolbar.
  • The menu resource is automatically changed accordingly to the current window type.
  • Accelerator keys are also automatically loaded and unloaded depending on the current window type. Text CTRL+A and CTRL+W.
  • Text and draw child frames have different window titles and icons.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:4/22/2005
Keywords:kbArchitecture kbDocView kbhowto KbUIDesign KB201045 kbAudDeveloper