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**Michael Mattias** · 27 Aug 2009, 08:57 AM

You'd expect to lose focus when a menu is clicked.

If you have multiple controls on one screen where copy/paste are valid, you can ..

A) change to a context menu (right click in an edit control)
B) Keep track (STATIC or GLOBAL variable, DIALOG/CONTROL SET USER value) of the last qualifying control to obtain the focus so you know the source or destination
C) change the menu to offer either via a top level or second level option to direct a specific control be used for the operation... eg

Code:

File     Paste 
                  Name 
                  Addresss 
                  City 
                  State 
                  Zip

Me, I like the context menu idea. I think that would be more consistent with other Windows' applications.

MCM

**Gary Beene** · 27 Aug 2009, 09:07 AM

David,

Here's a compilable example of the context menu that MCM suggests.

http://www.garybeene.com/power/code/gbsnippets_gbs_00129.htm

**Michael Mattias** · 27 Aug 2009, 09:31 AM

If you are using edit controls the default control provides a context menu with select/copy/paste/cut options.

I would think it would work with "CONTROL ADD TEXTBOX" controls 'out of the box.' Just right-click when focused.

**David Hoff Jr** · 27 Aug 2009, 11:09 AM

Thanks for your help. I am using a global bariable to catch the last box in focus but since it is often recommened to ot use global variables I thought there might be a spceific comman to obtain the previous focused box. Thanks again for your help.

David Hoff Jr

**Dave Biggs** · 27 Aug 2009, 11:12 AM

DDT TEXTBOXes do support all the normal Cut Copy, Paste functions - hot keys (Ctrl-C etc) as well as popup context menu functions (You would need to subclass the Textboxes to intercept context menu messages).

Here's some code to add regular Menu support. It also uses accelerator keys which can be useful (don't need subclassing - not that there is anything wrong with that

) Note the use of (non standard) Ctrl+P for 'Paste'

Code:

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM All
#INCLUDE "WIN32API.INC"
 
%IDCANCEL         =    2
%IDC_TEXTBOX1     = 1001
%IDC_TEXTBOX2     = 1002
%IDM_EDIT_COPY    = 1004
%IDM_EDIT_PASTE   = 1006
 
FUNCTION PbMain()
  MainDialog %HWND_DESKTOP
END FUNCTION
'------------------/PbMain
 
FUNCTION AttachMENU(BYVAL hDlg AS DWORD) AS DWORD
 LOCAL hMenu   AS DWORD
 LOCAL hPopUp1 AS DWORD
 
 MENU NEW BAR TO hMenu
  MENU NEW POPUP TO hPopUp1
    MENU ADD POPUP, hMenu, "&File", hPopUp1, %MF_ENABLED
    MENU ADD STRING, hPopUp1, "Exit", %IDCANCEL, %MF_ENABLED
  MENU NEW POPUP TO hPopUp1
    MENU ADD POPUP, hMenu, "&Edit", hPopUp1, %MF_ENABLED
    MENU ADD STRING, hPopUp1, "&Copy" + $TAB + "Ctrl+C", %IDM_EDIT_COPY, %MF_ENABLED
    MENU ADD STRING, hPopUp1, "&Paste" + $TAB + "Ctrl+P", %IDM_EDIT_PASTE, %MF_ENABLED
 
  MENU ATTACH hMenu, hDlg
 FUNCTION = hMenu
END FUNCTION
'------------------/AttachMenu
 
CALLBACK FUNCTION MainProc()
 LOCAL sClip As String, Res AS LONG 
  SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
    CASE %WM_INITDIALOG
      Control Set Focus CbHndl, %IDC_TEXTBOX2
      Control Send CbHndl, %IDC_TEXTBOX2, %EM_SETSEL, 0, -1
 
    CASE %WM_COMMAND
      SELECT CASE AS LONG CBCTL
        CASE %IDCANCEL
          Dialog End CbHndl
 
        CASE %IDM_EDIT_COPY
          Clipboard Reset
          Control Send CbHndl, GetDlgCtrlID(GetFocus), %WM_COPY, 0, 0
          Clipboard Get Text sClip, Res
          IF Res THEN 
            Dialog Set Text CbHndl, sClip
          ELSE
            Dialog Set Text CbHndl, "No text seleted"
          END IF
          ' MessageBox CbHndl, "Focus", "Test", %MB_OK
 
 '          STATIC hWndSaveFocus AS DWORD               '# Un-Comment these Three lines
 '          hWndSaveFocus = GetFocus()                  '# to avoid shifting focus
          Dialog2 (CbHndl)                            
 '          SetFocus(hWndSaveFocus)                     '# when Dialog2 is closed 
 
        CASE %IDM_EDIT_PASTE
          Control Send CbHndl, GetDlgCtrlID(GetFocus), %WM_PASTE, 0, 0
 
      END SELECT
  END SELECT
END FUNCTION
'------------------/MainProc
 
FUNCTION MainDialog(BYVAL hParent AS DWORD) AS LONG
 LOCAL hDlg AS DWORD
 
  DIALOG NEW hParent, "Clipboard monitored here (Esc to close)", 70, 58, 201, 157, TO hDlg
    CONTROL ADD TEXTBOX, hDlg, %IDC_TEXTBOX1, "TextBox1", 25, 25, 135, 40
    CONTROL ADD TEXTBOX, hDlg, %IDC_TEXTBOX2, "TextBox2", 25, 70, 135, 40
 
  AttachMENU hDlg
  AttachAccel hDlg
 
  DIALOG SHOW MODAL hDlg, CALL MainProc
 
END FUNCTION
'------------------/MainDialog
 
FUNCTION AttachAccel(BYVAL hDlg AS DWORD) AS DWORD
 LOCAL hAccel   AS DWORD
 LOCAL tAccel() AS ACCELAPI
 DIM   tAccel(1 TO 2) AS ACCELAPI
 
  AssignAccel tAccel(1), ASC("C"), %IDM_EDIT_COPY, %FVIRTKEY OR %FCONTROL OR %FNOINVERT
  AssignAccel tAccel(2), ASC("P"), %IDM_EDIT_PASTE, %FVIRTKEY OR %FCONTROL OR %FNOINVERT
  ACCEL ATTACH hDlg, tAccel() TO hAccel
 
 FUNCTION = hAccel
END FUNCTION
'------------------/AttachAccel
 
FUNCTION AssignAccel(tAccel AS ACCELAPI, BYVAL wKey AS WORD, BYVAL wCmd AS WORD, BYVAL byFVirt AS BYTE) AS LONG
  tAccel.fVirt = byFVirt
  tAccel.key   = wKey
  tAccel.cmd   = wCmd
END FUNCTION
'------------------/AssignAccel
 
FUNCTION DIALOG2(BYVAL hParent AS DWORD) AS LONG
 LOCAL hDlg  AS DWORD
 
  DIALOG NEW hParent, "Dialog2",,, 200, 120, TO hDlg
  CONTROL ADD BUTTON, hDlg, %IDCANCEL, "Close", 75, 45, 50, 15
 
  DIALOG SHOW MODAL hDlg, CALL DIALOG2Proc
 
END FUNCTION
'------------------/Dialog2
 
CALLBACK FUNCTION DIALOG2Proc()
  SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
    CASE %WM_INITDIALOG
 
    CASE %WM_COMMAND
      SELECT CASE AS LONG CBCTL
        CASE %IDCANCEL
          IF CBCTLMSG = %BN_CLICKED OR CBCTLMSG = 1 THEN
            DIALOG END CBHNDL, 0
          END IF
 
      END SELECT
  END SELECT
END FUNCTION
'------------------/Dialog2Proc

This sample code does (now) show one way that the Textbox can loose focus when the Menu is selected. (And a fix).

**Edwin Knoppert** · 27 Aug 2009, 11:42 AM

menu's don't make a control lose it's focus.
It may be a different technique here being used..

**Michael Mattias** · 27 Aug 2009, 11:53 AM

> It may be a different technique here being used..

As in, "Allegedly failing code not shown?"

**Dave Biggs** · 28 Aug 2009, 12:05 PM

David,

I've modified the sample code above after playing a little more.

I couldn't get the keyboard focus to leave either of the textboxes by opening the Menu but I was able to get that effect by opening a child window when the menu Edit/Copy option was selected.
In the example above, when text is selected in TextBox2 and the Edit/Copy menu opt5ion is selected (mouse or keyboard) Dialog2 will popup. When Dialog 2 is closed the focus is shifted to TextBox1...!

I'm not sure why that happens. Focus is being reset to the first control in the main dialog's tab order. Strangely the same thing doesn't happen if a MessageBox (API style with parent being the MainDialog) is used instead of Dialog2 (that's what I tried first).

Anyhow a fix for that behaviour is included in the sample - just uncomment the three lines marked '# in the CASE %IDM_EDIT_COPY section.

A similar fix might work in your situation? If not, you should try to post a compilable example which demonstates the problem you are having.

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