CreateWindowEx function

Synopsis

HWND CreateWindowEx(
    DWORD     dwExStyle,
    LPCTSTR   lpClassName,
    LPCTSTR   lpWindowName,
    DWORD     dwStyle,
    int       x,
    int       y,
    int       nWidth,
    int       nHeight,
    HWND      hWndParent,
    HMENU     hMenu,
    HINSTANCE hInstance,
    LPVOID    lpParam
);

Parameters

dwExStyle	Extended window style.
lpClassName	Pointer to a null-terminated string or a class atom.
lpWindowName	Window title.
dwStyle	Window style.
x	Initial horizontal position.
y	Initial vertical position.
nWidth	Initial width.
nHeight	Initial height.
hWndParent	Handle to parent or owner window.
hMenu	Handle to a menu, or child-window identifier.
hInstance	Handle to the instance of the module creating the window.
lpParam	Pointer to window-creation data.

Return value

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the new window. If it fails, the return value is NULL. Call GetLastError for more information.

Remarks

Show tips

Use WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW for a typical top-level window.
Extended styles such as WS_EX_TOPMOST affect Z-order.
Pass a pointer to a CREATESTRUCT via lpParam to provide additional creation data.

Example

#include <windows.h>

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT msg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch(msg)
    {
        case WM_DESTROY: PostQuitMessage(0); return 0;
    }
    return DefWindowProc(hWnd, msg, wParam, lParam);
}

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrevInst, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nShowCmd)
{
    const wchar_t CLASS_NAME[]  = L"SampleWindowClass";

    WNDCLASS wc = {0};
    wc.lpfnWndProc   = WndProc;
    wc.hInstance     = hInst;
    wc.lpszClassName = CLASS_NAME;

    RegisterClass(&wc);

    HWND hWnd = CreateWindowEx(
        0,
        CLASS_NAME,
        L"CreateWindowEx Demo",
        WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW,
        CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 500, 400,
        NULL, NULL, hInst, NULL);

    if (hWnd == NULL) return 0;

    ShowWindow(hWnd, nShowCmd);
    UpdateWindow(hWnd);

    MSG msg = {0};
    while (GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
    {
        TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }
    return (int)msg.wParam;
}