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How to Create a List-View Control

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This topic demonstrates how to create a list-view control. To create a list-view control, you use the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx function and specify the WC_LISTVIEW window class.

A list-view control can also be created as part of a dialog box template. You must specify WC_LISTVIEW as the class name. To use a list-view control as part of a dialog box template, you must call InitCommonControls or InitCommonControlsEx before you create an instance of the dialog box.

What you need to know

Technologies

Prerequisites

  • C/C++
  • Windows User Interface Programming

Instructions

First register the window class by calling the InitCommonControlsEx function and specifying the ICC_LISTVIEW_CLASSES bit in the accompanying INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX structure. This ensures that the common controls DLL is loaded. Next, use the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx function and specify the WC_LISTVIEW window class.

Note

By default, a list-view control uses the icon title font. However, you can use a WM_SETFONT message to specify the font to be used for the text. You should send this message before inserting any items. The control uses the dimensions of the font that is specified by the WM_SETFONT message to determine spacing and layout. You can also customize the font for each item. For more information, see Custom Draw.

 

The following C++ code example creates a list-view control in report view.

// CreateListView: Creates a list-view control in report view.
// Returns the handle to the new control
// TO DO:  The calling procedure should determine whether the handle is NULL, in case 
// of an error in creation.
//
// HINST hInst: The global handle to the application instance.
// HWND  hWndParent: The handle to the control's parent window. 
//
HWND CreateListView (HWND hwndParent) 
{
    INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX icex;           // Structure for control initialization.
    icex.dwICC = ICC_LISTVIEW_CLASSES;
    InitCommonControlsEx(&icex);

    RECT rcClient;                       // The parent window's client area.

    GetClientRect (hwndParent, &rcClient); 

    // Create the list-view window in report view with label editing enabled.
    HWND hWndListView = CreateWindow(WC_LISTVIEW, 
                                     L"",
                                     WS_CHILD | LVS_REPORT | LVS_EDITLABELS,
                                     0, 0,
                                     rcClient.right - rcClient.left,
                                     rcClient.bottom - rcClient.top,
                                     hwndParent,
                                     (HMENU)IDM_CODE_SAMPLES,
                                     g_hInst,
                                     NULL); 

    return (hWndListView);
}

Typically, list-view applications enable the user to change from one view to another.

The following C++ code example changes the list-view's window style, which in turn changes the view.

// SetView: Sets a list-view's window style to change the view.
// hWndListView: A handle to the list-view control. 
// dwView:       A value specifying the new view style.
//
VOID SetView(HWND hWndListView, DWORD dwView) 
{ 
    // Retrieve the current window style. 
    DWORD dwStyle = GetWindowLong(hWndListView, GWL_STYLE); 
    
    // Set the window style only if the view bits changed.
    if ((dwStyle & LVS_TYPEMASK) != dwView) 
    {
        SetWindowLong(hWndListView,
                      GWL_STYLE,
                      (dwStyle & ~LVS_TYPEMASK) | dwView);
    }               // Logical OR'ing of dwView with the result of 
}                   // a bitwise AND between dwStyle and 
                    // the Unary complement of LVS_TYPEMASK.

List-View Control Reference

About List-View Controls

Using List-View Controls