Detecting TAB to a Label as a Button

[Bruce Wood]

Hi:

I have some nicely color labels that I use as buttons. (Too me , it's so much easier to color a button looking label)

I can detect clicks and use the label/Button.

Yes, I have WS_TabStops in the label style.

How do I detect the z-order TAB is on this label and has focus?

I need to get the SetFocus/KillFocus command if I can.

Thank You

[Fred Harris]

Maybe GotFocus()?

GetFocus

The GetFocus function retrieves the handle to the window that has the keyboard focus, if the window is associated with the calling thread's message queue.

HWND GetFocus(VOID)

Parameters
This function has no parameters.

Return Values
The return value is the handle to the window with the keyboard focus. If the calling thread's message queue does not have an associated window with the keyboard focus, the return value is NULL.

Remarks
Even if GetFocus returns NULL, another thread's queue may be associated with a window that has the keyboard focus.

Use the GetForegroundWindow function to retrieve the handle to the window with which the user is currently working. You can associate your thread's message queue with the windows owned by another thread by using the AttachThreadInput function.

[Bruce Wood]

Fred:

Thanks for the reply.

Scenario:

Label displayed as a button.

%SS_Notify and %WS_TabStop are part of the style.

If the user clicks on the label (acting as a button) I get a msg and I process the click. No problem there.

Now.

If the User tabs though the CheckBox's or Edit boxes I get a %BN_SETFOCUS and a %BN_KILLFocus ( the edit box msgs are different of course) for each control perfect!

But as the user continues though the defined TAB z-order (with the Label/Buttons in the order), I have no idea how to detect that the TAB (Focus) is now on each of my label/buttons.

What message is being sent that I can process like the above %BN_SetFocus and %BN_KillFocus for the checkboxs but for these label/Buttons?

Thank you

Bruce

P.S. Wow this forums clock is 4 hrs different from mine...hummm I'm central time so where is the time zone?

[Dave Biggs]

Here's one way to do it Bruce,

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL
#INCLUDE "WIN32API.INC"
 
%LBL_LABEL1   = 1001
%LBL_LABEL2   = 1002
%TXT_TEXTBOX1 = 1011
%TXT_TEXTBOX2 = 1012
 
'Subclass Macros. tt Colin Schmidt
MACRO mSC_Set(hDlg, IdCtl, SCProc)
  SETWINDOWLONG GETDLGITEM(hDlg, IdCtl), %GWL_USERDATA, _
    SETWINDOWLONG(GETDLGITEM(hDlg, IdCtl), %GWL_WNDPROC, CODEPTR(SCProc))
END MACRO
'eg mSC_Set(hDlg, %ID_Ctrl, SubClassProc) '<<Identify SubClass CallBack Function
 
MACRO mSC_OrgProc
  FUNCTION = CALLWINDOWPROC(GETWINDOWLONG(CBHNDL, %GWL_USERDATA), CBHNDL, CBMSG, CBWPARAM, CBLPARAM)
END MACRO
'eg mSC_OrgProc    '<<Pass on unhandled messages tp original CallBack Proc.
'------------------/Macros
 
CALLBACK FUNCTION LabelProc
 LOCAL hWnd AS DWORD
  hWnd = GetParent(CBHNDL)
  SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
    CASE %WM_SETFOCUS
      SELECT CASE CBHNDL
        CASE GetDlgItem(hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1) :DIALOG SET TEXT hWnd, "1. Got Focus": _
          Control Set Color hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1, %BLUE, -1&
          CONTROL REDRAW hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1
          WinBeep 400, 200
        CASE GetDlgItem(hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2) :DIALOG SET TEXT hWnd, "2. Got Focus": _
          Control Set Color hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2, %BLUE, -1&
          CONTROL REDRAW hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2
          WinBeep 1000, 200
      END SELECT
      FUNCTION = 0 : EXIT FUNCTION
 
    CASE %WM_KILLFOCUS
      SELECT CASE CBHNDL
        CASE GetDlgItem(hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1) :DIALOG SET TEXT hWnd, "1. Lost Focus": _
          Control Set Color hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1, -1&, -1&
          CONTROL REDRAW hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1
          WinBeep 400, 20
        CASE GetDlgItem(hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2) :DIALOG SET TEXT hWnd, "2. Lost Focus": _
          Control Set Color hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2, -1&, -1&
          CONTROL REDRAW hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2
          WinBeep 1000, 20
      END SELECT
      FUNCTION = 0 : EXIT FUNCTION
  END SELECT
 
 mSC_OrgProc       'pass unhandled messages to original proc
END FUNCTION
'------------------/LabelProc
 
CALLBACK FUNCTION DialogProc()
  SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
 
    CASE %WM_COMMAND
      SELECT CASE AS LONG CBCTL
        CASE %LBL_LABEL1
          IF CBCTLMSG = %BN_CLICKED THEN
            CONTROL SET FOCUS CBHNDL, %LBL_LABEL1
            Dialog SET TEXT CBHNDL, "Label1 clicked"
          END IF
 
        CASE %LBL_LABEL2
          IF CBCTLMSG = %BN_CLICKED THEN
            CONTROL SET FOCUS CBHNDL, %LBL_LABEL2
            Dialog SET TEXT CBHNDL, "Label2 clicked"
          END IF
 
      END SELECT
 
  END SELECT
END FUNCTION
'------------------/DialogProc
 
FUNCTION PBMAIN()
 LOCAL hDlg  AS DWORD
 
 DIALOG NEW 0, "Press Tab, Click Label", 158, 124, 201, 121, %WS_CAPTION OR %WS_SYSMENU, TO hDlg
  CONTROL ADD TEXTBOX, hDlg, %TXT_TEXTBOX1, "TextBox1", 25, 15, 100, 13
  CONTROL ADD LABEL,   hDlg, %LBL_LABEL1, "Label1", 25, 40, 100, 10, %WS_CHILD OR _
    %WS_VISIBLE OR %WS_TABSTOP OR %SS_NOTIFY
  CONTROL ADD TEXTBOX, hDlg, %TXT_TEXTBOX2, "TextBox2", 25, 60, 100, 13
  CONTROL ADD LABEL,   hDlg, %LBL_LABEL2, "Label2", 25, 90, 100, 10, %WS_CHILD OR _
    %WS_VISIBLE OR %WS_TABSTOP OR %SS_NOTIFY
 
  mSC_Set(hDlg, %LBL_LABEL1, LabelProc)     'direct Label1 msgs to SubClass Proc
  mSC_Set(hDlg, %LBL_LABEL2, LabelProc)     'direct Label2 msgs to (same) SubClass Proc
 
 DIALOG SHOW MODAL hDlg, CALL DialogProc
 
END FUNCTION
'------------------/PBMAIN

BTW all forum message times are relative to GMT -4 until you log in - then they should be relative to your local time.

[Bruce Wood]

Thank You Dave!

It does indeed work as I need it too

Had to subclass it. I would not have gone down that road, but it's a lesson.

Again, thank you for your time in giving me the example.

Bruce

[Bruce Wood]

ok, and I thought it was in the bag.

The previous problem is solved, no problem now on the focus issue.

But...there is always a but isn't there...

Normally after an item receives focus a tap on the space bar will set or un-set the checkbox, this works as well for true buttons.

Now, I know these are labels but after receiving focus I need the label to respond as a button and report the space bar push.

Not visually, but as if it was clicked on.

ok, I'm sure I will need to do the "button push" part , but I now need to know when the users has pushed the space bar.

How do I detect that?

Thank's again

Bruce

[Michael Mattias]

You can't detect key presses on a label. (Label control cannot get focus).

To ask the dumb question, why don't you just use buttons? You can always owner-draw them.

I use the RRButton stuff written by Borje Hagsten. I don't have a link here but a search on 'RRButton' should find it for you.

[Dominic Mitchell]

You can't detect key presses on a label. (Label control cannot get focus).

That is not correct.

1. Create the labels with the SS_NOTIFY and WS_TABSTOP styles.
2. Subclass them.
3. Add this code in the subclass proc for the labels

  CASE %WM_LBUTTONDOWN
    SetFocus hWnd

The labels will now receive the focus when user tabs to or clicks on them.
They will also receive keyboard messages(WM_KEYDOWN etc) and focus messages(WM_SETFOCUS, WM_KILLFOCUS etc.)

You can also get a label to mimic more closely the behaviour of a button, but you will not be able to use
DDT to do this.

[Dave Biggs]

Bruce,
Can be done. Make this change to the subclass procedure..

CALLBACK FUNCTION LabelProc
 LOCAL hWnd, hLABEL1, hLABEL2 AS DWORD
  hWnd = GetParent(CBHNDL)
  CONTROL HANDLE hWnd, %LBL_LABEL1 TO hLABEL1
  CONTROL HANDLE hWnd, %LBL_LABEL2 TO hLABEL2
  SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
    CASE %WM_KEYUP
      SELECT CASE CBWPARAM
        CASE %VK_SPACE
          SELECT CASE GetFocus
            CASE hLabel1
              DIALOG SEND hWnd, %WM_COMMAND, MAKLNG(%LBL_LABEL1, %STN_CLICKED), %LBL_LABEL1
            CASE hLabel2
              DIALOG SEND hWnd, %WM_COMMAND, MAKLNG(%LBL_LABEL2, %STN_CLICKED), %LBL_LABEL2
            FUNCTION = 0 : EXIT FUNCTION
          END SELECT
      END SELECT
      ' Static / Label notification %STN_CLICKED = %BTN_CLICKED = 0 (Win32API.inc)
    CASE %WM_SETFOCUS
...

That will send a click to the label when the space bar is tapped.

Prefered route might be as MCM suggested - RRButton is available on Don Ewalls site: http://www.reonis.com/POFFS/index.htm

[Bruce Wood]

Right on target!

Thank you Dave

Don't tell Michael it can be done.

Michael:

Show me a simple way to color and change the color on a button (Foreground and background). I don't like being forced to do owner drawn buttons just to color them.

Wow, MS though who would ever want to colorize a button.

If you do then jump though hoops.

Normally I don't need the tabstop info, so that was new to me, but I use the Label as a button all the time. Change colors, no problem

Bruce

[jcfuller]

Right on target!

Michael:

Show me a simple way to color and change the color on a button (Foreground and background). I don't like being forced to do owner drawn buttons just to color them.


Bruce

You can always use a %BS_BITMAP button or a DDT IMGBUTTONX and this little utility for creating the bitmaps.

https://www.jcfuller.com/txt2bmpbut.zip

James

[Michael Mattias]

If there were a 'simple' way you'd have a more lucrative career asking me if I want fries with that. For that matter, owner-drawing a label is not all that hard. Off the top of my head I think it's probably only a couple of statements (CreateBrush, SelectObject, FillRect, Selectobject, DeleteObject, TextOut)

BTW, source for assertion re labels and focus is SDK:

Applications often use static controls to label other controls or to separate a group of controls. Although static controls are child windows, they cannot be selected. Therefore, they cannot receive the keyboard focus and cannot have a keyboard interface.

[Dominic Mitchell]

Unfortunately, that description in the SDK docs is not accurate.
When any child window has the WS_TABSTOP style, the OS calls SetFocus on the handle
of the child window when the user tabs to it. As a result, it will receive keyboard
messages.
Selection with the mouse is a different matter. The control, not the OS, is responsible
for calling SetFocus when it is clicked.

[Bruce Wood]

Well, It can be done and Dave kindly provided the code to do it and it works great.

I certainly did not except this to start a war.

I respect Michael's input and all of his posts.

Thank you DAVE, Dominic, Michael, and Fred.

jcfuller: I'll checkout the bitmap utility when I pick up my fries

Bruce

[Fred Harris]

Wouldn't the users of your program be more comfortable clicking on buttons than labels Bruce? Its my understanding that one can change the color of a button's background by processing the WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC message. At least that has always worked for me in the few occasions I have done it. Actually, I've only ever done it once, but that once is in a relatively important app my organization uses. At...

http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pbforums/showthread.php?t=36717

is a demo (unfortunately, only SDK style) of using bit fields tied to check boxes (21 of them) where I changed the color of 6 of the 21 check boxes (check boxes are really modified buttons). What seems to happen there is that the label contained within the button gets its color changed. Anyway, I'm just thinking that buttons are more natural objects to click on.

[Fred Harris]

I stand corrected, embarrased, and humiliated! Please disregard my last post, for I now see that changing the background color of a button isn't so easy afterall. I was assumming that because a checkbox was of the same class "button" as an ordinary push button, that its color could be changed as easily. Not so. I tried and failed, then checked in Rector and Newcommer. No deal!

[Bruce Wood]

Fred:

Well, my labels look a little bit like buttons.

I looked over your very nice demo, but noticed that the button ( Display Bits ) which is where I'm at, is not colored.

I need to be able to change both background and foreground colors.

Thank you for your reply

Bruce

OOPS: And your second reply was on page two so I didn't see the disregard message.

Your demo is still very informative!