How to Use Virtual List-View Controls

This topic demonstrates how to work with virtual list-view controls. The accompanying C++ code examples show how to process virtual list-view control notification messages, how to optimize the cache, and how to retrieve an item from the cache.

Note

The example code in this section assumes that the cache is a dynamically allocated array of application-defined structures. The structure is defined in the following C++ code example.

 

struct RndItem
{
    int   iIcon;                 // Bitmap assigned to this item.
    UINT  state;                 // Item state value.
    TCHAR Title[BUFFER_SIZE];    // BUFFER_SIZE is a user-defined macro value.
    TCHAR SubText1[BUFFER_SIZE]; // Text for the label of the first sub-item.
    TCHAR SubText2[BUFFER_SIZE]; // Text for the label of the second item.
};

What you need to know

Technologies

Prerequisites

  • C/C++
  • Windows User Interface Programming

Instructions

Process Virtual List-View Control Notification Codes

In addition to the notification codes sent by other list-view controls, virtual list-view controls can also send the LVN_ODCACHEHINT and LVN_ODFINDITEM notification codes.

This application-defined function handles notification messages that are commonly sent from a virtual list-view control.

LRESULT OnNotify(HWND hwnd, NMHDR* pnmhdr)
{
    HRESULT hr;
    LRESULT lrt = FALSE;

    switch (pnmhdr->code)
    {
    case LVN_GETDISPINFO:
        {
            RndItem rndItem;
            NMLVDISPINFO* plvdi = (NMLVDISPINFO*) pnmhdr;

            if (-1 == plvdi->item.iItem)
            {
                OutputDebugString(TEXT("LVOWNER: Request for -1 item?\n"));
                DebugBreak();
            }

            // Retrieve information for item at index iItem.
            RetrieveItem( &rndItem, plvdi->item.iItem );

            if(plvdi->item.mask & LVIF_STATE)
            {
                // Fill in the state information.
                plvdi->item.state |= rndItem.state;
            }

            if(plvdi->item.mask & LVIF_IMAGE)
            {
                // Fill in the image information.
                plvdi->item.iImage = rndItem.iIcon;
            }

            if(plvdi->item.mask & LVIF_TEXT)
            {
                // Fill in the text information.
                switch (plvdi->item.iSubItem)
                {
                case 0:
                    // Copy the main item text.
                    hr = StringCchCopy(plvdi->item.pszText, MAX_COUNT, rndItem.Title);

                    if(FAILED(hr))
                    { 
                        // Insert error handling code here. MAX_COUNT
                        // is a user-defined value. You must not enter                                
                        // more characters than specified by MAX_COUNT or  
                        // the text will be truncated.
                    }
                    break;

                case 1:
                    // Copy SubItem1 text.
                    hr = StringCchCopy( plvdi->item.pszText, MAX_COUNT, rndItem.SubText1);

                    if(FAILED(hr))
                    {
                        // Insert error handling code here. MAX_COUNT
                        // is a user-defined value. You must not enter               
                        // more characters than specified by MAX_COUNT or   
                        // the text will be truncated..
                    }
                    break;

                case 2:
                    // Copy SubItem2 text.
                    hr = StringCchCopy(plvdi->item.pszText, MAX_COUNT, rndItem.SubText2);

                    if(FAILED(hr))
                    {
                        // Insert error handling code here. MAX_COUNT
                        // is a user-defined value. You must not enter                    
                        // more characters than specified by MAX_COUNT or  
                        // the text will be truncated..
                    }
                    break;

                default:
                    break;

                }

            }

            lrt = FALSE;
            break;
        }

    case LVN_ODCACHEHINT:
        {
            NMLVCACHEHINT* pcachehint = (NMLVCACHEHINT*) pnmhdr;

            // Load the cache with the recommended range.
            PrepCache( pcachehint->iFrom, pcachehint->iTo );
            break;
        }

    case LVN_ODFINDITEM:
        {
            LPNMLVFINDITEM pnmfi = NULL;
            
            pnmfi = (LPNMLVFINDITEM)pnmhdr;

            // Call a user-defined function that finds the index according to
            // LVFINDINFO (which is embedded in the LPNMLVFINDITEM structure).
            // If nothing is found, then set the return value to -1.

            break;
        }

    default:
        break;

    }       // End Switch block.

    return(lrt);
}

Optimize the Cache

A virtual list-view control sends a LVN_ODCACHEHINT notification message when the contents of its display area have changed. The message contains information about the range of items to be cached. Upon receiving the notification message, your application must be prepared to load the cache with item information for the requested range so that the information will be readily available when an LVN_GETDISPINFO notification message is sent.

In the following C++ code example, the application-defined function accepts the range of items for the cache that is sent by a virtual list-view control. It performs a verification to determine that the requested range of items is not already cached, and then it allocates the required global memory and fills the cache if necessary.

void PrepCache(int iFrom, int iTo)
{
    /*  Global Variables

     *  g_priCache[ ]: the main cache.
     *  g_iCache:      the index of the first item in the main cache.
     *  g_cCache:      the count of items in the main cache.
     *
     *  g_priEndCache[ ]: the cache of items at the end of the list.
     *  g_iEndCache:      the index of the first item in the end cache.
     *  g_cEndCache:      the count of items in the end cache.
     */
     
    // Local Variables
    int i;
    BOOL fOLFrom = FALSE;
    BOOL   fOLTo = FALSE;

    // Check to see if this is the end cache.
    if ((iTo == g_cCache - 1) && ((iTo - iFrom) < 30))  // 30 entries wide.
    {
        // Check to see if this is a portion of the current end cache.
        if ((g_cCache) && (iFrom >= g_iEndCache) && (iFrom < g_iEndCache+g_cEndCache))
            return;
            // If it is a part of current end cache, no loading is necessary.

        // This is a new end cache. Free the old memory.
        if ( g_priEndCache )
            GlobalFree( g_priEndCache );
            
        // Set the index and count values for the new end cache,
        // and then retrieve the memory.
        g_iEndCache   = iFrom;
        g_cEndCache   = (iTo - iFrom + 1);
        g_priEndCache = (RndItem *)GlobalAlloc(GPTR, sizeof(RndItem) * g_cEndCache);

        if (! g_priEndCache)
        {
            // TODO: Out of memory. Perform error handling.
        }

        // Loop to fill the cache with the recommended items.
        for (i=0; i<g_cEndCache; i++)
        {
            // TODO: Call a function that accesses item information and
            // fills a cache element.
        }
    }

    else
    {   
        // It is not a member of the current end cache.
        // Try the primary cache instead.

        // Check to see if iFrom is within the primary cache.
        if ((g_cCache) && (iFrom >= g_iCache) && (iFrom < g_iCache+g_cCache))
            fOLFrom = TRUE;

        // Check to see if iTo is within the primary cache.
        if ((g_cCache) && (iTo >= g_iCache) && (iTo <= g_iCache+g_cCache))
            fOLTo = TRUE;

        // do nothing if both iFrom and iTo are within the current cache.

        if (fOLFrom && fOLTo)
            return;

        // Enlarge the cache size rather than make it specific to this hint.
        if (fOLFrom)
            iFrom = g_iCache;

        else if (fOLTo)
            iTo = g_iCache + g_cCache;

        // A new primary cache is needed. Free the old primary cache.
        if ( g_priCache )
            GlobalFree( g_priCache );

        // Set the index and count values for the new primary cache,
        // and then retrieve the memory.
        g_iCache   = iFrom;
        g_cCache   = (iTo - iFrom + 1);
        g_priCache = (RndItem *)GlobalAlloc( GPTR, sizeof( RndItem ) * g_cCache );

        if (!g_priCache)
        {
            // TODO: Out of memory. Do error handling.
        }

        // Loop to fill the cache with the recommended items.
        for (i=0; i<g_cCache; i++)
        {
            // TODO: Call a function that accesses item information
            // and fills a cache element.
        }
    }
}

Retrieve an Item From the Cache

This example function accepts two parameters, the address of the application-defined structure and an integer value representing the index of the item in the list. It checks the index value to discover if the desired item is cached. If it is, the pointer that was passed to the function is set to a location in the cache. If the item is not in the main or end cache, the item information must be located manually.

void RetrieveItem( RndItem * prndItem, int index )
{
    // Global Variables

    // g_priCache[ ]: the main cache.
    // g_iCache:      the index of the first item in the main cache.
    // c_cCache:      the count of items in the main cache.
    //
    // g_priEndCache[ ]:  the cache of items at the end of the list.
    // g_iEndCache:       the index of the first item in the end cache.
    // g_cEndCache:       the count of items in the end cache.
    //

    // Check to see if the item is in the main cache.
    if ((index >= g_iCache) && (index < g_iCache + g_cCache))
        *prndItem = g_priCache[index-g_iCache];

    // If it is not in the main cache, then check to see if
    // the item is in the end area cache.
    else if ((index >= g_iEndCache) && (index < g_iEndCache + g_cEndCache))
        *prndItem = g_priEndCache[index-g_iEndCache];

    else
    {
        // The item is not in either cache.
        // Therefore, retrieve the item information manually.
    }
}

Remarks

For a list of the window messages processed by a list-view control, see Default List-View Message Processing.

Complete example

List-View Control Reference

About List-View Controls

Using List-View Controls