Windowless Rich Edit using COM

[Jeff Radue]

Thanks for your example Cliff. The problem I am having is not formatting RTF text, it is outputing the text to an alternate DC. Not just streaming it to a Rich Text control. In lieu of using the Windowless Rich Edit control, which is poorly documented, I think using Chris Boss's suggestion of manipulating the %EM_FORMATRANGE message may work.

[Cliff Nichols]

Well a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes.
(Still a work in progress but should give you the basic idea)

RichEditDemo.bas

#PBFORMS CREATED V1.51
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' The first line in this file is a PB/Forms metastatement.
' It should ALWAYS be the first line of the file. Other
' PB/Forms metastatements are placed at the beginning and
' end of "Named Blocks" of code that should be edited
' with PBForms only. Do not manually edit or delete these
' metastatements or PB/Forms will not be able to reread
' the file correctly.  See the PB/Forms documentation for
' more information.
' Named blocks begin like this:    #PBFORMS BEGIN ...
' Named blocks end like this:      #PBFORMS END ...
' Other PB/Forms metastatements such as:
'     #PBFORMS DECLARATIONS
' are used by PB/Forms to insert additional code.
' Feel free to make changes anywhere else in the file.
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#COMPILE EXE
#DIM ALL

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'   ** Includes **
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#PBFORMS BEGIN INCLUDES
#IF NOT %DEF(%WINAPI)
    #INCLUDE "WIN32API.INC"
#ENDIF
#IF NOT %DEF(%RICHEDIT_INC)
    #INCLUDE "RICHEDIT.INC"
#ENDIF
#INCLUDE "PBForms.INC"
#IF NOT %DEF(%STRINGASRICHTEXTFORMAT)
    #INCLUDE "STRINGASRICHTEXTFORMAT.INC"
#ENDIF
#PBFORMS END INCLUDES
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'   ** Constants **
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#PBFORMS BEGIN CONSTANTS
%IDD_DIALOG1   =  101
%IDC_RICHEDIT1 = 1001
#PBFORMS END CONSTANTS
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'   ** Declarations **
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DECLARE CALLBACK FUNCTION ShowDIALOG1Proc()
DECLARE FUNCTION ShowDIALOG1(BYVAL hParent AS DWORD) AS LONG
#PBFORMS DECLARATIONS
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'   ** Main Application Entry Point **
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNCTION PBMAIN()
    PBFormsRichEdit ()      ' Load RichEdit

    ShowDIALOG1 %HWND_DESKTOP

    PBFormsRichEdit (%TRUE) ' Unload RichEdit
END FUNCTION
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'   ** CallBacks **
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALLBACK FUNCTION ShowDIALOG1Proc()

    SELECT CASE AS LONG CBMSG
        CASE %WM_INITDIALOG
            ' Initialization handler

        CASE %WM_NCACTIVATE
            STATIC hWndSaveFocus AS DWORD
            IF ISFALSE CBWPARAM THEN
                ' Save control focus
                hWndSaveFocus = GetFocus()
            ELSEIF hWndSaveFocus THEN
                ' Restore control focus
                SetFocus(hWndSaveFocus)
                hWndSaveFocus = 0
            END IF

        CASE %WM_COMMAND
            ' Process control notifications
            SELECT CASE AS LONG CBCTL
                CASE %IDC_RICHEDIT1

            END SELECT
    END SELECT
END FUNCTION
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'   ** Dialogs **
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNCTION ShowDIALOG1(BYVAL hParent AS DWORD) AS LONG
    LOCAL lRslt AS LONG

#PBFORMS BEGIN DIALOG %IDD_DIALOG1->->
    LOCAL hDlg  AS DWORD

    DIALOG NEW hParent, "Dialog1", 70, 70, 201, 121, %WS_POPUP OR %WS_BORDER _
        OR %WS_DLGFRAME OR %WS_THICKFRAME OR %WS_CAPTION OR %WS_SYSMENU OR _
        %WS_MINIMIZEBOX OR %WS_MAXIMIZEBOX OR %WS_CLIPSIBLINGS OR _
        %WS_VISIBLE OR %DS_MODALFRAME OR %DS_3DLOOK OR %DS_NOFAILCREATE OR _
        %DS_SETFONT, %WS_EX_CONTROLPARENT OR %WS_EX_LEFT OR _
        %WS_EX_LTRREADING OR %WS_EX_RIGHTSCROLLBAR, TO hDlg
    CONTROL ADD PBFormsRichEdit(), hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "RichEdit1", 5, 5, _
        190, 110, %WS_CHILD OR %WS_VISIBLE OR %WS_TABSTOP OR %WS_VSCROLL OR _
        %WS_HSCROLL OR %ES_LEFT OR %ES_MULTILINE OR %ES_AUTOVSCROLL OR _
        %ES_AUTOHSCROLL OR %ES_WANTRETURN, %WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE OR %WS_EX_LEFT _
        OR %WS_EX_LTRREADING OR %WS_EX_RIGHTSCROLLBAR
#PBFORMS END DIALOG
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "Courier", "Blue", 10, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, "Hello" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "TimesNewRoman", "Red", 12, %TRUE, %TRUE, %FALSE, "Hello" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "GEORGIA", "Green", 14, %TRUE, %TRUE, %TRUE, "Hello" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "", "", 14, %FALSE, %FALSE, %FALSE, $TAB + "Normal Text" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "GEORGIA", "Blue", 14, %FALSE, %FALSE, %FALSE, $TAB + "Goodbye" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "TimesNewRoman", "Red", 12, %FALSE, %TRUE, %FALSE, $TAB + "Goodbye" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "Courier", "Green", 10, %FALSE, %TRUE, %TRUE, $TAB + "Goodbye" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "", "", 14, %FALSE, %FALSE, %FALSE, "" + $CR)
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "", "", 14, %FALSE, %FALSE, %FALSE, "A")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "Courier", "Blue", 10, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, "B")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "TimesNewRoman", "Red", 10, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, "C")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "GEORGIA", "Green", 10, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, "D")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "", "", 12, %FALSE, %FALSE, %FALSE, $TAB + "1")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "Courier", "Green", 14, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, $TAB + "2")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "TimesNewRoman", "Red", 12, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, $TAB + "3")
     RichEditAddTextStreamIn(hDlg, %IDC_RICHEDIT1, "GEORGIA", "Blue", 10, %TRUE, %FALSE, %FALSE, $TAB + "4")

    DIALOG SHOW MODAL hDlg, CALL ShowDIALOG1Proc TO lRslt

#PBFORMS BEGIN CLEANUP %IDD_DIALOG1
#PBFORMS END CLEANUP

    FUNCTION = lRslt
END FUNCTION
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------

StringAsRichTextFormat.inc

#IF NOT %DEF(%STRINGASRICHTEXTFORMAT)
     %STRINGASRICHTEXTFORMAT = 1
     GLOBAL gPos AS LONG, gPtr AS LONG, gTxt AS STRING
'*** SET TEXT
     DECLARE FUNCTION RichEditStreamInString (BYVAL dwCookie AS DWORD, BYVAL pbBuff AS BYTE PTR, _
                                 BYVAL cb AS LONG, pcb AS LONG) AS DWORD
     DECLARE FUNCTION RichEditAddTextStreamIn(HwndDialog AS LONG, HwndRichEdit AS LONG, FontType AS STRING, FontColor AS STRING, FontSize AS LONG, FontBold AS LONG, FontItalic AS LONG, FontUnderline AS LONG, TextToAdd AS STRING) AS LONG

     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfCommandsStart() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfCommandsEnd() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfCommandsEndOfLine() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfReplaceCr(CommandString AS STRING) AS STRING
'*** FONTS
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontCourier() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontTimesNewRoman() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontAndale() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontLucidia() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontGeorgia() AS STRING
'*** FONT TYPES
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontBold() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontUnBold() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontItalic() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontUnItalic() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontUnderline() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontUnUnderline() AS STRING
'*** SIZES
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontSize(SizeForFont AS LONG) AS STRING
'*** COLORS
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontMaroon() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontGreen() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontOlive() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontNavy() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontPurple() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontTeal() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontGrey() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontSilver() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontRed() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontLime() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontYellow() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontBlue() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontFuchsia() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontAqua() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontWhite() AS STRING
     DECLARE FUNCTION RtfFontBlack() AS STRING

     FUNCTION RtfCommandsStart() AS STRING
          LOCAL st$
'*** Start RTF Header
          st$ = "{"   'Start Header
          st$ = st$ + "\rtf1"  'RTF version 1
          st$ = st$ + "\ansi" 'Ansi language
          st$ = st$ + "\ansicpg1252"  'No idea what this one is
          st$ = st$ + "\deff0"        'Default Font = Font 0
          st$ = st$ + "\deflang1033"  'Default Language = English
          st$ = st$ + "\deflangfe1033"    'Not sure but probably Default English
          st$ = st$ + $CRLF
'*** Start Font Selections
          st$ = st$ + "{"     'Start Block
          st$ = st$ + "\fonttbl"     'Font Block
'*** Courier New
          st$ = st$ + "{"
          st$ = st$ + "\f0"   'Font 0
          st$ = st$ + "\fmodern"
          st$ = st$ + "\fprq1"
          st$ = st$ + "\fcharset0 Courier New;"
          st$ = st$ + "}"
          st$ = st$ + $CRLF
'*** Times New Roman
          st$ = st$ + "{
         st$ = st$ + "\f1"   'Font 1
         st$ = st$ + "\fnil
         st$ = st$ + "\fcharset0 Times New Roman;"
         st$ = st$ + "}"
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
     '*** Andale
         st$ = st$ + "{
         st$ = st$ + "\f2"   'Font 2
         st$ = st$ + "\fmodern"
         st$ = st$ + "\fprq1"
         st$ = st$ + "\fcharset0 Andale Mono;"
         st$ = st$ + "}"
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
     '*** Lucida
         st$ = st$ + "{
         st$ = st$ + "\f3"   'Font 3
         st$ = st$ + "\fmodern"
         st$ = st$ + "\fprq1"
         st$ = st$ + "\fcharset0 Lucida CONSOLE;
         st$ = st$ + "}"
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
     '*** Georgia
         st$ = st$ + "{"
         st$ = st$ + "\f4"   'Font 4
         st$ = st$ + "\froman"
         st$ = st$ + "\fprq2\fcharset0 Georgia;"
         st$ = st$ + "}"
         st$ = st$ + "}"
     '*** End Font Block
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
     '*** Start Color Block
         st$ = st$ + "{"
         st$ = st$ + "\colortbl "
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
         st$ = st$ + ";\red128\green0\blue0"+ $CRLF      'MAROON Brownish Red
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green128\blue0"+ $CRLF      'TEAL Dark Green
         st$ = st$ + ";\red128\green128\blue0"+ $CRLF    'GREEN Cammo Green
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green0\blue128"+ $CRLF      'NAVY Dark Purple
         st$ = st$ + ";\red128\green0\blue128"+ $CRLF    'PURPLE Purple
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green128\blue128"+ $CRLF    'TEAL Swatch Green
         st$ = st$ + ";\red128\green128\blue128"+ $CRLF  'GREY Dark Grey
         st$ = st$ + ";\red192\green192\blue192"+ $CRLF  'SILVER Light Grey
         st$ = st$ + ";\red255\green0\blue0"+ $CRLF      'RED Bright Red
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green255\blue0"+ $CRLF      'LIME Bright Green
         st$ = st$ + ";\red255\green255\blue0"+ $CRLF    'YELLOW Bright Yellow
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green0\blue255"+ $CRLF      'BLUE Bright Blue
         st$ = st$ + ";\red255\green0\blue255"+ $CRLF    'PINK Bright Pink
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green255\blue255"+ $CRLF    'AQUA Blue Green
         st$ = st$ + ";\red255\green255\blue255"+ $CRLF  'WHITE White
         st$ = st$ + ";\red0\green0\blue0"+ $CRLF        'BLACK Black
         st$ = st$ + ";"
         st$ = st$ + "}"
     '*** End Color Block
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
         st$ = st$ + "\cf1"      'Default Color 1
         st$ = st$ + "\f0"       'Default Font 0
         st$ = st$ + "\fs11 "    'Default Font Size 11
         st$ = st$ + $CRLF
     '*** Commands after this are part of this header until the end closing bracket found
         FUNCTION = st$
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfCommandsEnd() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "}"
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfCommandsEndOfLine() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\line "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfReplaceCr(CommandString AS STRING) AS STRING
         REPLACE $CR WITH CHR$(174) IN CommandString
         FUNCTION = CommandString
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontCourier() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\f0"
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontTimesNewRoman() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\f1"
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontAndale() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\f2"
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontLucidia() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\f3"
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontGeorgia() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\f4"
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontBold() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\b "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontUnBold() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\b0 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontItalic() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\i "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontUnItalic() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\i0 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontUnderline() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\ul "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontUnUnderline() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\ul0 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontSize(SizeForFont AS LONG) AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\fs" + TRIM$(STR$(SizeForFont*2)) + " "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontMaroon() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf1 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontGreen() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf2 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontOlive() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf3 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontNavy() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf4 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontPurple() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf5 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontTeal() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf6 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontGrey() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf7 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontSilver() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf8 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontRed() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf9 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontLime() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf10 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontYellow() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf11 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontBlue() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf12 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontFuchsia() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf13 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontAqua() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf14 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontWhite() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf15 "
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RtfFontBlack() AS STRING
         FUNCTION = "\cf16 "
     END FUNCTION

     '¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
     ' Rich Edit stream in callback - for streaming in string contents
     '¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
     FUNCTION RichEditStreamInString (BYVAL dwCookie AS DWORD, BYVAL pbBuff AS BYTE PTR, _
                                      BYVAL cb AS LONG, pcb AS LONG) AS DWORD
         pcb = MIN&(cb, LEN(gTxt) - (gPos - 1)) 'number of bytes to copy
         IF pcb > 0 THEN 'copy block from global string directly into Richedit's buffer.
         CopyMemory pbBuff, (gPtr + gPos - 1), pcb 'could use POKE$ too, but this is a bit faster
         gPos = gPos + pcb 'incr pos for next callback position.
         ELSE
             FUNCTION = %True    'Break the action
         END IF
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RichEditSetText(HwndDialog AS LONG, HwndRichEdit AS LONG, TextToSet AS STRING) AS LONG
          CONTROL SET TEXT HwndDialog, HwndRichEdit, TextToSet
     END FUNCTION

     FUNCTION RichEditAddTextStreamIn(HwndDialog AS LONG, HwndRichEdit AS LONG, FontType AS STRING, FontColor AS STRING, FontSize AS LONG, FontBold AS LONG, FontItalic AS LONG, FontUnderline AS LONG, TextToAdd AS STRING) AS LONG
          STATIC CurrentText AS STRING
          LOCAL NewText AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontType AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontColor AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontSize AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontBold AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontUnBold AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontItalic AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontUnItalic AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontUnderline AS STRING
          LOCAL NewFontUnUnderline AS STRING
          LOCAL eStream AS EDITSTREAM
          LOCAL ret AS LONG
          REPLACE $CRLF WITH RtfCommandsEndOfLine IN TextToAdd
          REPLACE $CR WITH RtfCommandsEndOfLine IN TextToAdd
          REPLACE $LF WITH "" IN TextToAdd
'          control get text HwndDialog, HwndRichEdit to CurrentText
          REPLACE RtfCommandsStart WITH "" IN CurrentText
          REPLACE RtfCommandsEnd WITH "" IN CurrentText
          SELECT CASE UCASE$(FontType)
               CASE "COURIER"
                    NewFontType = RtfFontCourier()
               CASE "TIMESNEWROMAN"
                    NewFontType = RtfFontTimesNewRoman()
               CASE "ANDALE"
                    NewFontType = RtfFontAndale()
               CASE "LUCIDIA"
                    NewFontType = RtfFontLucidia()
               CASE "GEORGIA"
                    NewFontType = RtfFontGeorgia()
          END SELECT
          SELECT CASE UCASE$(FontColor)
               CASE "BLUE"
                    NewFontColor = RtfFontBlue
               CASE "RED"
                    NewFontColor = RtfFontRed
               CASE "YELLOW"
                    NewFontColor = RtfFontYellow
               CASE "AUQUA", "AQUA"    'In the case of typo's in code
                    NewFontColor = RtfFontAqua
               CASE "GREEN"    'In the case of COSMOS issued command
                    NewFontColor = RtfFontGreen
               CASE ELSE
                    NewFontColor = RtfFontBlack
          END SELECT
          NewFontSize = RtfFontSize(FontSize)
          SELECT CASE FontBold
               CASE %FALSE
                    NewFontBold = ""
                    NewFontUnBold = ""
               CASE %TRUE
                    NewFontBold = RtfFontBold
                    NewFontUnBold = RtfFontUnBold
          END SELECT
          SELECT CASE FontItalic
               CASE %FALSE
                    NewFontItalic = ""
                    NewFontUnItalic = ""
               CASE %TRUE
                    NewFontItalic = RtfFontItalic
                    NewFontUnItalic = RtfFontUnItalic
          END SELECT
          SELECT CASE FontUnderline
               CASE %FALSE
                    NewFontUnderline = ""
                    NewFontUnUnderline = ""
               CASE %TRUE
                    NewFontUnderline = RtfFontUnderline
                    NewFontUnUnderline = RtfFontUnUnderline
          END SELECT
          NewText = RtfCommandsStart + CurrentText + NewFontType + NewFontColor + NewFontSize + NewFontBold + NewFontItalic + NewFontUnderline + TextToAdd + NewFontUnBold + NewFontUnItalic + NewFontUnUnderline + RtfCommandsEnd
          CurrentText = NewText
          eStream.pfnCallback = CODEPTR(RichEditStreamInString) 'pointer to RichEdit callback procedure
          gPos = 1
          gTxt = NewText
          gPtr = STRPTR(gTxt)
          ret = SendMessage(GetDlgItem(HwndDialog, HwndRichEdit), %EM_STREAMIN, %SF_RTF, VARPTR(eStream)) 'stream in text
     END FUNCTION
#ENDIF

[Jeff Radue]

Great Cliff, although I am not exactly clear on what you said. I am trying to create a text box like you have in MS Office that allows character by character formatting with Rich Text features.

[Cliff Nichols]

I need to some more re-reading, but sounds suspiciously like one of my questions awhile back that I think Pierre was able to answer (at least the add images part).

Is the core idea to have a display that can show output, but then add to the output displayed? (not on a button or anything, but just what looks, acts, walks, talks like a plain text box, when a richedit seems to be more like display as formatted rather than character by character or sentence by sentence????

Possible answer (minus pictures) but I do this with a Serial Port that characters are formatted (according to what they are meant to do) and the display shows what I want inst stead of "Read-all" Show Later type. (or at least to the user thats what it appears as.....)

I will see if I can dig up an example to show if what I am thinking is what you are asking??

[John Reinking]

For screen display and printing, perhaps this QHTM - Small Win32 HTML control will suffice.

[Jeff Radue]

Micheal, my goal is to have a control similar to a text box in MS office that can have different fonts/sizes/color on a per character basis. I have already written a routine to use standard SKD style DrawText and associated function. I can change font, color and size for an entire string, but it cannot format a paragraph with multiple fonts etc.

After looking to Chris Boss's approach a little more, you can specify a second DC in the FORMATRANGE for applying to a different device per MSDN (like a print preview). This may actually work pretty well.

Or even... use a richtext control; I think those have most of the richtext features. Hide it if you want.

Well that is the point of this discussion. The Richedit control works fine within its container. I want to have the Rich Text output on my DC and be able to print it along with a mixture of different API output. It seemed like the Windowless Rich Edit was a solution.

[Michael Mattias]

want to have rich text formatting features for generic text output I am using now. If you know of another way, please let me know. I am listening.

DDT OK?

Screen:
GRAPHIC FONT
GRAPHIC PRINT
GRAPHIC BITMAP LOAD/RENDER (syntax?)
Printer:
XPRINT (same stuff mostly)

Or even... use a richtext control; I think those have most of the richtext features. Hide it if you want.

[Dominic Mitchell]

Some of the thing you need to do in C will not be required in the PB interface
because it handles some of the overhead for you

You will not be able to use PB9 COM syntax for this because of this tidbit from a news goup.

Beast is right. Microsoft screwed up when writing those interfaces.
They
do not use the stdcall calling convention. Instead, they use C++'s
default thiscall calling convention, which is just like stdcall except
that "this" gets passed in the ECX register instead of at the top of
the
stack.

You will have to use low-level COM and the inline assembler for this.

[Jeff Radue]

Michael, believe it or not I have been exploring the possibilities for a while. I want to have rich text formatting features for generic text output I am using now. If you know of another way, please let me know. I am listening.

[Michael Mattias]

>but I have a need to use a windowless Rich Edit Control in one of my programs

You sure you need to use this particular techinque?

Maybe there is (gasp!) another way. Another way to do what, well, that remains a mystery.

Eg, if you have a need to manipulate RichText, MS-WORD has a COM interface which supports that. Or, maybe you don't really need "richtext" per se, maybe you need to manage text and images for printing on a printer.

Regardless, you should not get locked into a "how" you've never done without taking a look at other possible "hows" to accomplish your "what."

[Jeff Radue]

Chris, your approach should work fine for output. After examining the C code from the link above, it is clear the approaches are quite different however. I encourage you to download the sample code and examine it. Some of the thing you need to do in C will not be required in the PB interface because it handles some of the overhead for you. Still, it gives a good model for how someone could utilize an object class in PB.
I do like your creative use of the API though..

[Edwin Knoppert]

While RTF used for printing may sound fine it will introduce problems when the rtf contains images.
For example, an Excel embedded object will result in a WMF but bitmap based.
Whatever you do with DC's and settings and so on, the result is never 100%.

[Chris Boss]

The Windows API calls the control and Windowless control, but it has a COM interface and not an API interface.

My approach simply avoids the need for the COM interface and it works fine and it uses a standard API approach.

I added this feature to my GUI engine and it works very well. No messay COM and a simple call to a routine which prints the contents of a RichEdit control to any DC. The RichEdit control will even scale it for you.

By using this technique, it was easy to create a print preview for a rich edit controls content (page by page).

[Dominic Mitchell]

Likely the windowless richedit control in Windows, is doing exactly what I did via the API directly
and using the EM_FORMATRANGE message.

Then it would not be a windowless control.

They just put it into a COM routine to make it easy for programmers
who don't know how to do such things with the API.

Sorry, but that is not the reason why.

If this truly a windowless control, you will need a container that supports the IOleInPlaceSiteWindowless
interface and also performs housekeeping operations related to this type of control.

[Jeff Radue]

Thanks Chris. That's an interesting approach. Once finished I will need to edit the text also, but that can be accomplished by using the hidden Richtext control also. I will give it a try.

[Chris Boss]

A note about EM_FORMATRANGE:

The RichEdit control is not only capable of printing its contents to a printer, via this message, but it can draw its contents to any window DC and even scale the text into a different size window. The ability to scale it is quite useful.

Windowless RichEdit controls require richedit 2.0

EM_FormatRange should work with richedit 1.0

[Chris Boss]

If all you need to do is being able to draw Richtext into any window DC (ie. another control), you don't have to resort to COM and a windowless RichEdit control.

Simply create a normal RichEdit control and hide it (no WS_VISIBLE style).

Now generate the RTF text into the richedit control.

You can then use the EM_FORMATRANGE message (use SendMessage) to have the RichEdit control draw the rich text into any window DC you provide. It is similiar to drawing rich text on a printer, but it can be done on any window DC.

I have done this and it does work.

I can't provide any code, since the code is part of a proprietary product, but this should give a jump start into the right direction.

Scan the forums for code for printing richtext from a richedit control to a printer. This should give you enough to work with to convert the code over to drawing on a window DC.

Then you don't need any COM stuff at all.

Likely the windowless richedit control in Windows, is doing exactly what I did via the API directly and using the EM_FORMATRANGE message. They just put it into a COM routine to make it easy for programmers who don't know how to do such things with the API.

[Jeff Radue]

Thanks Chris, I will have to rifle through the C code and see if I can port to a PB format.

[Chris Holbrook]

windowless Rich Edit Control

No, but I can offer a couple of links to anyone who like myself had no idea what one was:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb787609(VS.85).aspx

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/edit/RichDrawText.aspx

[Jeff Radue]

I haven't done much with COM programming, but I have a need to use a windowless Rich Edit Control in one of my programs. Has anyone attempted to do this with PB and can offer some guidance?