Q74527: HOWTO: Designing Applications for High Screen Resolutions

Article: Q74527
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb16bitonly kbDlg kbSDKPlatform kbSysSettings kbWndw
Last Modified: 10-JUN-1999

3.00 3.10
WINDOWS
kbprg

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1 
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SUMMARY
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Every day, the Microsoft Windows graphical environment is run at greater screen
resolutions and sizes with more colors. This article outlines several guidelines
to follow to ensure that an application runs well on all video configurations.

MORE INFORMATION
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Avoid the following three pitfalls:

- Hard-coded screen sizes. The VGA 640 by 480 standard resolution screen will
  not be around forever. If more screen area lets the application display more
  data, let the window grow as big as the user demands. If screen dimensions
  are important to the application, use the GetSystemMetrics function with the
  SM_CXSCREEN and SM_CYSCREEN constants to obtain the screen size.

- Scaling all screen output proportional to resolution. Many users prefer high
  screen resolutions for the extra screen "real estate" they allow, not just
  for improved readability.

- Centering dialog boxes relative to the screen. On a very large,
  high-resolution monitor, many applications can run simultaneously without
  overlapping. Because users expect dialog boxes and notifications to appear
  near the main application window, position dialog boxes relative to the main
  application window.

Perform the following five steps:

1. Test the application at all screen sizes. Watch out for poorly scaled objects
  that may require fine-tuning, oversized windows, and hard-to-read fixed-size
  text.

2. Take advantage of leftover screen real estate. For example, if an application
  document does not require the full screen, allow users the option of filling
  the remaining space with multiple windows, toolbars and other controls, help
  information, and so forth.

3. Use scaled graphical screen resources where possible. If the application uses
  a toolbar, icons, pictures, and so forth, Windows metafiles are likely to be
  more versatile than bitmaps (although perhaps slower). Scaling based on
  screen resolution is more effective than scaling based on application window
  size.

4. Use the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message to help Windows decide how big the maximized
  application window needs to be. Maximizing a text editor application to the
  full 2048 x 2048 screen size is probably not useful. Maximizing an
  application at startup is particularly impolite.

5. Optimize window redraws. If a window contains a lot of information, try to
  redraw the entire window as infrequently as possible. Use the InvalidateRect
  function to coalesce window update regions into a single repaint. Even if
  there is not much to draw, many application windows may be open on a
  high-resolution screen.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.10

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Keywords          : kb16bitonly kbDlg kbSDKPlatform kbSysSettings kbWndw 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK310
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1
Issue type        : kbhowto

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