Windows API Dialogs without using resource files

Question

I'm trying to create a dialog box using C++ and the windows API, but I don't want the dialog defined in a resource file. I can't find anything good on this on the web, none of the examples I've read seem to define the dialog programmatically.

Anyone know how to do this? A simple example is fine, I'm not doing anything complicated with it yet.

Answer 1

Take a look at this toolkit that describes how to create dialogs without resource files. It's in WTL, however I'm sure you can pick apart the internals to achieve the same thing using win32 API directly.

Answer 2

I think Raymond Chen has a pretty good example here: http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2005/04/29/412577.aspx

Answer 3

Raymond Chen wrote few posts about dialog manager:

• The dialog manager, part 1: Warm-ups
• The dialog manager, part 2: Creating the frame window
• The dialog manager, part 3: Creating the controls
• The dialog manager, part 4: The dialog loop
• The dialog manager, part 5: Converting a non-modal dialog box to modal
• The dialog manager, part 6: Subtleties in message loops
• The dialog manager, part 7: More subtleties in message loops
• The dialog manager, part 8: Custom navigation in dialog boxes
• The dialog manager, part 9: Custom accelerators in dialog boxes

Answer 4

Try to search MSDN for "dialog templates in memory"

See this for example: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms632588(VS.85).aspx

Answer 5

Salam, Hi, here you can find how to use Windows API Dialogs without using resource files. The Winapi (C Win32 API, No MFC) tutorial: http://www.zetcode.com/tutorials/winapi/