KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q202110: PRB: Deleting ATL Dialog Causes Assert in Atlwin.h, Line 2281

Article: Q202110
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): 3.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbATLWC kbDlg kbMMC kbVC600 kbATL300 kbFAQ kbGrpDSMFCATL
Last Modified: 14-JUN-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- The Microsoft Active Template Library (ATL) 3.0, included with:
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, version 6.0 
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, version 6.0 
   - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

Deleting the C++ object associated with an ATL dialog box by calling "delete
this" in the WM_NCDESTROY handler or OnFinalMessage() results in an assert in
Atlwin.h, line 2281.

CAUSE
=====

Line 2281 of Atlwin.h is:

  ATLASSERT(pThis->m_pCurrentMsg == &msg);

The object being referred to by "pThis" has already been deleted. Consider ATL's
default dialog box procedure:

  template <class TBase>
  LRESULT CALLBACK CDialogImplBaseT< TBase >::DialogProc(HWND hWnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
  {
  	CDialogImplBaseT< TBase >* pThis = (CDialogImplBaseT< TBase >*)hWnd;
  	// set a ptr to this message and save the old value
  	MSG msg = { pThis->m_hWnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, 0, { 0, 0 } };
  	const MSG* pOldMsg = pThis->m_pCurrentMsg;
  	pThis->m_pCurrentMsg = &msg;
  	// pass to the message map to process
  	LRESULT lRes;
  	BOOL bRet = pThis->ProcessWindowMessage(pThis->m_hWnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, lRes, 0);
  	// restore saved value for the current message
  	ATLASSERT(pThis->m_pCurrentMsg == &msg);
  	pThis->m_pCurrentMsg = pOldMsg;
  	// set result if message was handled
  	if(bRet)
  	{
  		switch (uMsg)
  		{
  		case WM_COMPAREITEM:
  		case WM_VKEYTOITEM:
  		case WM_CHARTOITEM:
  		case WM_INITDIALOG:
  		case WM_QUERYDRAGICON:
  		case WM_CTLCOLORMSGBOX:
  		case WM_CTLCOLOREDIT:
  		case WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX:
  		case WM_CTLCOLORBTN:
  		case WM_CTLCOLORDLG:
  		case WM_CTLCOLORSCROLLBAR:
  		case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
  			return lRes;
  			break;
  		}
  		::SetWindowLong(pThis->m_hWnd, DWL_MSGRESULT, lRes);
  		return TRUE;
  	}
  	if(uMsg == WM_NCDESTROY)
  	{
  		// clear out window handle
  		HWND hWnd = pThis->m_hWnd;
  		pThis->m_hWnd = NULL;
  		// clean up after dialog is destroyed
  		pThis->OnFinalMessage(hWnd);
  	}
  	return FALSE;
  }

Typically, you will be calling DestroyWindow()/EndDialog() in a WM_CLOSE or a
WM_COMMAND handler. Here's the sequence of events when you close a dialog box:

1. DialogProc() is called with WM_CLOSE.

2. ProcessWindowMessage() calls your WM_CLOSE handler.

3. In your WM_CLOSE handler, you call DestroyWindow().

4. This ends up calling DialogProc again with WM_NCDESTROY.

5. ProcessWindowMessage() calls your WM_NCDESTROY handler.

6. You call "delete this" in your WM_NCDESTROY handler.

RESULTS: When you come back from ProcessWindowMessage(), because the C++ class
has been deleted, pThis no longer points to a valid object, and therefore the
assert is returned.

The following is another possible scenario (note that the first four steps are
the same as above):

1. DialogProc has a case for WM_NCDESTROY and calls OnFinalMessage().

2. You call "delete this" in OnFinalMessage().

3. The stack unwinds to the original DialogProc call (with a WM_CLOSE).

RESULTS: Same problem. After the call to ProcessWindowMessage, try to use pThis,
but it no longer points to valid memory.

RESOLUTION
==========

Notify DialogProc when the dialog box class has been deleted; this can be
accomplished by adding a member variable called m_bAutoDelete to the dialog box
class. Setting this to TRUE causes the dialog box class to delete itself when
the window is destroyed. Use the following code:

  // Constant value used to determine if we should delete ourselves later.
  #define DEFERDELETE 2
  class CMyDlg : public CAxDialogImpl<CMyDlg>
  {
  public:
     // Variable that tells us if we want to auto-delete ourselves.
     BYTE m_bAutoDelete;
     // Set m_bAutoDelete to TRUE to automatically delete ourselves.
     CMyDlg() : m_bAutoDelete (TRUE)
     {
     }
     // Override GetDialogProc to provide our own DialogProc.
     WNDPROC GetDialogProc()
     {
        return MyDialogProc;
     }
     // Our own dialog procedure that is mostly copied from
     // CDialogImplBaseT<>::DialogProc() in Atlwin.h.
     static LRESULT CALLBACK MyDialogProc(HWND hWnd, UINT uMsg,
                                          WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
     {
        CMyDlg* pThis = (CMyDlg*)hWnd;
        // Set a ptr to this message and save the old value.
        MSG msg = { pThis->m_hWnd, uMsg, wParam, lParam, 0, { 0, 0 } };
        const MSG* pOldMsg = pThis->m_pCurrentMsg;
        pThis->m_pCurrentMsg = &msg;
        // Pass to the message map to process.
        LRESULT lRes;
        BOOL bRet = pThis->ProcessWindowMessage(pThis->m_hWnd, uMsg, wParam,
                                                lParam, lRes, 0);
        // If window has been destroyed and this is the last message,
        // then delete ourselves.
        if (DEFERDELETE == pThis->m_bAutoDelete && pOldMsg == NULL)
        {
           delete pThis;
           return FALSE;
        }
        // Restore saved value for the current message.
        ATLASSERT(pThis->m_pCurrentMsg == &msg);
        pThis->m_pCurrentMsg = pOldMsg;
        // Set result if message was handled.
        if(bRet)
        {
           switch (uMsg)
           {
              case WM_COMPAREITEM:
              case WM_VKEYTOITEM:
              case WM_CHARTOITEM:
              case WM_INITDIALOG:
              case WM_QUERYDRAGICON:
              case WM_CTLCOLORMSGBOX:
              case WM_CTLCOLOREDIT:
              case WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX:
              case WM_CTLCOLORBTN:
              case WM_CTLCOLORDLG:
              case WM_CTLCOLORSCROLLBAR:
              case WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC:
                 return lRes;
                 break;
           }
           ::SetWindowLong(pThis->m_hWnd, DWL_MSGRESULT, lRes);
           return TRUE;
        }
        if(uMsg == WM_NCDESTROY)
        {
           // Clear out window handle.
           HWND hWnd = pThis->m_hWnd;
           pThis->m_hWnd = NULL;
           // Clean up after dialog box is destroyed.
           pThis->OnFinalMessage(hWnd);
           // If we want to automatically delete ourselves...
           if (pThis->m_bAutoDelete)
           {
              // If no outstanding messages to process in call stack,
              // m_pCurrentMsg will be NULL so we can delete ourselves.
              if (pThis->m_pCurrentMsg == NULL)
                 delete pThis;
              // Else set a flag so we can delete ourselves later.
              else
                 pThis->m_bAutoDelete = DEFERDELETE;
           }
        }
        return FALSE;
     }
     ...
  };

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
================

In CDialogImplBaseT<>::DialogProc(), m_pCurrentMsg is set so you can call
GetCurrentMessage() to retrieve the current message from any method in your
dialog class. This problem and solution applies to any CWindowImplRoot-derived
class.

REFERENCES
==========

(c) Microsoft Corporation Samson Tanrena, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by
1999, Microsoft Corporation.


Additional query words: mmc snapin snap-in OnNcDestroy

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbATLWC kbDlg kbMMC kbVC600 kbATL300 kbFAQ kbGrpDSMFCATL 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbATLsearch
Version           : :3.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.