FlshEdit.exe Demonstrates Flashing an Edit Control (83364)

SUMMARY

If an application window or dialog box has a number of edit controls, the user can lose track of the control that has the input focus. FlshEdit.exe is a sample in the Microsoft Download Center that demonstrates how to make an edit control flash to indicate that the control has the input focus. The technique used by FLSHEDIT is similar to calling the FlashWindow function. FlashWindow flashes the caption bar on a window to gain the user's attention.

MORE INFORMATION

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

FlshEdit.exe

For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.
The FLSHEDIT sample contains a dialog box with four edit controls. The application uses one timer, which is used to flash whichever edit control has the focus. The application sets the timer each time an edit control receives the input focus (an EN_SETFOCUS message). The timer is destroyed when an edit control loses the input focus (an EN_KILLFOCUS message) or when the context of the edit control changes (an EN_CHANGE message).

When the specified time elapses and the application receives a WM_TIMER message, the application invalidates the contents of the edit control and specifies the new text and background colors. Then Windows redraws the control using the new colors.

Therefore, a control stops flashing when either of the following events take place:

The user takes the input focus away from the control.
The user changes the text contents of the control.

The FLSHEDIT application provides an option to stop the flashing and to change the color of the flashing.

In addition to flashing, the FLSHEDIT sample changes the text in an edit control to indicate that the control has the input focus. However, if the user changes the contents of an edit control, the changed text remains even after the user moves the input focus to another control. If the user changes the text to an empty string, the edit control regains its default contents.

Windows 3.0 does not properly change the background color of a single-line edit control. FLSHEDIT incorporates the first method provided by this Knowledge Base article.