Q131368: HOWTO: Create MFC Applications that Do Not Have a Menu Bar
Article: Q131368
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 1.0,1.5,1.51,1.52,2.0,2.1,4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbDocView kbMenu kbMFC KbUIDesign kbVC150 kbVC200 kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600
Last Modified: 13-MAY-2002
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The information in this article applies to:
- The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), used with:
- Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition, versions 1.5, 1.51, 1.52
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 1.0, 2.0, 2.1, 4.0, 4.1
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, versions 4.2, 5.0
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, versions 4.2, 5.0
- Microsoft Visual C++.NET (2002)
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SUMMARY
=======
For most Windows-based applications, a menu bar is a part of the user interface.
The menu bar provides a functionality summary for the person using the program.
However, it is not required that every Windows-based application must contain a
menu bar. This article describes how to create an MFC application that does not
have a menu bar.
For Windows-based applications generated by AppWizard, the IDR_MAINFRAME menu
resource is the standard menu resource for both SDI and MDI applications. It is
the only menu resource for an SDI application. MDI applications contain
additional menus for each type of MDI child window they support. Those menu
resources are usually named IDR_xxxTYPE, where xxx is related to the name of the
corresponding document type. Thus, creating an application with no menus is not
as easy for an MDI application as for an SDI application. You basically have to
modify all functions related to loading and switching menus.
MORE INFORMATION
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Steps to Create SDI Application that Has No Menu Bar
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1. Generate an SDI application with AppWizard. Do not delete the IDR_MAINFRAME
menu resource. If you have an application that was not generated with
AppWizard, do not delete the corresponding main menu resource. Leaving the
menu resource is required to avoid assertion failures in the MFC code.
2. To prevent the main application window from having a menu bar, delete the
already loaded menu, and set the hMenu field of the CREATESTRUCT structure to
NULL in the CFrameWnd::PreCreateWindow() function:
BOOL CMainFrame::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
{
if(cs.hMenu!=NULL)
{
::DestroyMenu(cs.hMenu); // delete menu if loaded
cs.hMenu = NULL; // no menu for this window
}
return CFrameWnd::PreCreateWindow(cs);
}
Steps to Create MDI Application that Has No Menu Bar
----------------------------------------------------
1. Generate an MDI application with AppWizard. Do not delete the IDR_MAINFRAME
menu resource. If you have an application that was not generated with
AppWizard, do not delete the corresponding main menu resource. Leaving the
menu resource is required to avoid assertion failures in the MFC code.
2. Delete menu resources associated with MDI child windows (IDR_xxxTYPE). They
are not used. By deleting them, you avoid a resource (memory) leak.
3. Override the PreCreateWindow() function for the CMainFrame class:
BOOL CMainFrame::PreCreateWindow(CREATESTRUCT& cs)
{
if(cs.hMenu!=NULL)
{
::DestroyMenu(cs.hMenu); // delete menu if loaded
cs.hMenu = NULL; // no menu for this window
}
return CMDIFrameWnd::PreCreateWindow(cs);
}
4. Modify the code responsible for switching menus by overriding the LoadFrame()
and OnCreateClient() methods of CMainFrame. This is necessary because MFC has
already loaded and switched menus automatically. The following shows what
must be done:
// Overridden method declarations for CMainFrame
BOOL LoadFrame( UINT nIDResource,
DWORD dwDefaultStyle = WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW | FWS_ADDTOTITLE,
CWnd* pParentWnd = NULL, CCreateContext* pContext = NULL );
BOOL CMainFrame::OnCreateClient(LPCREATESTRUCT lpcs,
CCreateContext* /*pContext*/);
// Overridden method declarations for CMainFrame
BOOL CMainFrame::LoadFrame(UINT nIDResource, DWORD dwDefaultStyle,
CWnd* pParentWnd, CCreateContext* pContext)
{
return CFrameWnd::LoadFrame(nIDResource,dwDefaultStyle,
pParentWnd,pContext);
}
BOOL CMainFrame::OnCreateClient(LPCREATESTRUCT lpcs,
CCreateContext* /*pContext*/)
{
return CreateClient(lpcs,NULL);
}
NOTE: Instead of calling the base class (CMDIFrameWnd) in the override of
LoadFrame, you call its base class, CFrameWnd, instead. That way you can avoid
the code that deals with MDI menus.
Additional query words:
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Keywords : kbDocView kbMenu kbMFC KbUIDesign kbVC150 kbVC200 kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600
Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbMFC
Version : :1.0,1.5,1.51,1.52,2.0,2.1,4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0
Issue type : kbhowto
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