COMdlg32 Library - Common Dialog Functions

The COMdlg32 library provides functions for common dialog boxes, which are standard dialog boxes used in Windows applications to perform common tasks such as opening files, saving files, selecting fonts, and choosing colors. These dialogs simplify application development by providing a consistent user interface.

Overview

The Common Dialog Library (COMdlg32.dll) offers a set of well-defined functions that encapsulate the functionality of standard Windows dialogs. Instead of implementing these complex UI elements from scratch, developers can leverage these functions to quickly integrate standard dialogs into their applications.

Key Dialog Types

Commonly Used Functions

Function Name Description
ChooseColor Displays the system color picker dialog box.
ChooseFont Displays the system font picker dialog box.
CommDlgExtendedError Retrieves the last extended error code for common dialog functions.
FindText Displays the Find dialog box.
GetFileTitle Retrieves the title (file name without extension) of a file.
PageSetupDlg Initializes or displays the Page Setup dialog box.
PrintDlg Displays the Print dialog box.
PrintDlgEx Displays an extended Print dialog box.
ReplaceText Displays the Replace dialog box.
SetCommDefaultExtWinProc Sets the default extended window procedure for common dialogs.

Example: Using ChooseColor

Here's a conceptual example of how you might use the ChooseColor function in C++:


#include <Windows.h>
#include <CommDlg.h>

// ... inside your application code ...

CHOOSECOLOR cc;
static COLORREF acrCustClr[16];
HCOLORCHOOSER hChooser = NULL;

ZeroMemory(&cc, sizeof(cc));
cc.lStructSize = sizeof(CHOOSECOLOR);
cc.hwndOwner = GetActiveWindow();
cc.lpCustColors = (LPCSTR)acrCustClr;
cc.rgbInit = 0x00000000; // Initialize to black
cc.Flags = CC_FULLOPEN | CC_RGBINIT;

if (ChooseColor(&cc))
{
    COLORREF selectedColor = cc.rgbResult;
    // Use the selectedColor for your application
    // For example, change a window background color
    SetClassLongPtr(GetActiveWindow(), GCLP_HBRBACKGROUND, (LONG_PTR)CreateSolidBrush(selectedColor));
    RedrawWindow(GetActiveWindow(), NULL, NULL, RDW_ERASE | RDW_INVALIDATE | RDW_INTERNALPAINT | RDW_ALLCHILDREN);
}

Related Topics