I ran into a newbie problem with my first VC++ MFC app (actually, I ran into many problems, but RTFM and DuckDuckGo helped to solve them without crying here for help. Except this one!). Bear in mind that I am playing with this as a tutorial for myself, kind of a learn by example project, and I have a few years of Win GUI app programming experience in Deplhi/Lazarus, and now I am attempting to transition into VC++, simply for my own curiosity. While I am also good with C language programming, I have significantly less experience with C++. So the new programming environment and the less-known language together pose as my obstacle.
Here is what I did:
In a recently installed Visual Studio 2019 Community with only the Windows App development in C++ components selected, started a new project, chose C++ MFC App (Build apps with complex user interfaces that run on Windows.). Set application type to Dialog based, turn off all User Interface Features so only Thick frame is checked (unchecked System-menu, unchecked About-box), turn off all Advanced Features so only Common Control Manifest is checked (unck Printing and print preview, unck Activex controls, unck Support Restart Manager), clicked FINISH.
This prepared me an app with a single small main window, OK and Cancel buttons in its lower-right corner, and a STATIC TEXT item in the middle-center reading something like "TODO: add your own items here". Project name is TutMFC01p.
My goal was to hide that STATIC TEXT when I click one of the buttons, and make it visible again when I click the same button again.
It took me some time to realize that I should not fiddle with the OK and Cancel buttons to add them this functionality, and clicking either of these two buttons also quits my app (hence, no chance to click again). So I placed a new button on the dialog and worked with that instead. Clicking my button while my app was running did absolutely nothing - which was exactly what I wanted.
Double-clicking my button in the Dialog Editor dropped me into Source Editor with a new function autogenerated at the bottom of TutMFC01pDlg.cpp.
void CTutMFC01pDlg::OnBnClickedButton1()
{
// TODO: Add your control notification handler code here
}
Allrighty, so this is where I will add the code of what the button is supposed to do.
It also injected an ON_BN_CLICKED line to the MESSAGE MAP, which now looks like this.
BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(CTutMFC01pDlg, CDialogEx)
ON_WM_PAINT()
ON_WM_QUERYDRAGICON()
ON_BN_CLICKED(IDC_BUTTON1, &CTutMFC01pDlg::OnBnClickedButton1)
END_MESSAGE_MAP()
Allrighty again. So this is the way to tell the system that clicking my button should run the code given in CTutMFC01pDlg::OnBnClickedButton1().
The way I first tried to complete my goal was to alternate the STATIC TEXT object between the TRUE and FALSE value of the VISIBILE property upon the click of my button. A Delphi/Lazarus way of doing it is a single line of code like mainform.mystatictext.visible := not mainform.mystatictext.visible but I was not able to find a way to directly reference the property of an object and change its value with a simple assignment operation. What I found instead is that the way to hide objects is using the ShowWindow() method. I also run into difficulties trying to point this (or any other) method to the STATIC TEXT object, because apparently it has an ID of IDC_STATIC, which, apparently, cannot be referred to, as all static objects have this same ID. To simplify the task ahead, instead of hiding the STATIC TEXT I settled for hiding the button itself, and ended up with this code:
void CTutMFC01pDlg::OnBnClickedButton1()
{
// TODO: Add your control notification handler code here
CWnd* pMyButtonObj = GetDlgItem(IDC_BUTTON1);
pMyButtonObj->ShowWindow(SW_HIDE); //or SW_SHOW
}
This compiles and works very well. Obviously, once the button is pressed and disappears from the window, there is nothing to press again in order to unhide what was hidden. So I tried to move on from this already working code and modify it to act on the STATIC TEXT instead of the button itself. Logic suggested (my logic, anyways) that in order to gain the ability to refer to the ID of the STATIC TEXT, I need to assign a different ID to the STATIC TEXT. Something I can refer to. Something other than the not referrable IDC_STATIC. So I selected the STATIC TEXT object on the Dialog Editor, and in its Property palette I changed the value of the ID property from IDC_STATIC to IDC_STATIC1. This strangely has also changed the NAME property of the object to IDC_STATIC11. Earlier the NAME was IDC_STATIC1. Then in the code of OnBnClickedButton1() I replaced IDC_BUTTON1 with IDC_STATIC1, but that fails to compile complaining that there is no such object. Same happens when tried with IDC_STATIC11.
A little experimenting revealed another phenomena I am unable to explain (or understand). Similarly to how I changed the ID of STATIC TEXT, with my button selected in the Property Editor, I changed its ID from IDC_BUTTON1 to IDC_HideBtn. This also changed its NAME property.
Saved All, rebuilt project, and clicking my button still made it disappear, exactly as it was working before. HOWEVER, the source code of OnBnClickedButton1() and the MESSAGE MAP did not get updated to refer to the new ID, IDC_HideBtn, they still refer to IDC_BUTTON1, same as before.
void CTutMFC01pDlg::OnBnClickedButton1()
{
//TODO: Add your control notification handler code here
CWnd* pMyButtonObj = GetDlgItem(IDC_BUTTON1);
pMyButtonObj->ShowWindow(SW_HIDE);
}
But at this point, IDC_BUTTON1 should be a non-existing ID. Compile should fail. Yet it compiles fine, and it works fine.
QUESTIONS:
Why does the code compile and work with IDC_BUTTON1 in the source while the ID of the button is now IDC_HideBtn?
What can I do to be able to address the STATIC TEXT item as the argument to GetDlgItem() the same way as I could do with IDC_BUTTON1?
If STATIC TEXT items are not supposed to be programmatically changed then what other kind of item could I use instead? In Delphi/Lazarus there is a LABEL object similar to STATIC TEXT, but designed to get different Caption or other values many times while the program runs. In the toolbox of the Dialog Editor I see nothing like that, only STATIC TEXT. Or should I use an Input field instead, to display text in the dialog window?
Is there a way to implement the button click method in the way I initially tried to do the Delphi/Lazarus way? Changing the target object to visible from hidden, and to hidden from visible. Preferrably as a one-liner.
Is there NO WAY to directly refer to the property of an object and change its value with an assignment operation? Or only I did not find it how?
I have some small corrections (as I think), and I wanted to issue them as comments, but according to the comment policy it is better to post an answer despite that the answer has already been given.
Question 2:
It's strange that VS didn't add a new define for IDC_STATIC1 in resource.h on renaming a CStatic component (after all VS created a new id for a new button).
But of course, manual editing of resource.h is a very frequent procedure during programming with MFC, but it is necessary to update the _APS_NEXT_CONTROL_VALUE (and much less often _APS_NEXT_COMMAND_VALUE ) definition so that it points to a new correct value (not equal to previous definitions).
Question 3:
But you can write in you .rc file something like this:
BEGIN
DEFPUSHBUTTON "OK",IDOK,209,178,50,14
PUSHBUTTON "Cancel",IDCANCEL,263,178,50,14
CTEXT "TODO: Place dialog controls here.",IDC_MidTextObj,13,96,300,8
PUSHBUTTON "Hide object",IDC_HideBtn,135,106,50,14
END
and then in CTutMFC01pDlg.cpp:
void CTutMFC01pDlg::OnBnClickedHidebtn()
{
if (CWnd * pMyStaticObj = GetDlgItem(IDC_MidTextObj))
pMyStaticObj->ShowWindow(!pMyStaticObj->IsWindowVisible());
}
Question 4:
Also you can use the the DoDataExchange mechanism for getting/setting text for components like CStatic, CEdit, etc., and you can use ON_UPDATE_COMMAND_UI macros for enabling/disabling components.
But the basic way is to get a component as a CWnd class:
CWnd * pMyStaticObj = GetDlgItem(IDC_MidTextObj)
or get the component explicily:
CStatic* pMyStaticObj = static_cast<CStatic*>(GetDlgItem(IDC_STATIC1));
(don't use dynamic_cast here)
and then call methods of this fetched instance.
Thanks to the comments my question received, I could refine the direction of my web searches and also examine other files in my project folder to identify where trouble originates from, and understand how pieces of my MFC app fit together. Also, sometimes the inner workings of Visual Studio 2019 require a little manual editing help.
ANSWER 1)
All those IDC_xyzwq identifiers I can assign to the object in its property palette (values are selectable from a list) are predefined macros pointing to their respective numeric value. These live inside the resource.h file of the project. Unfortunately, VS2019 never allowed me to open this file as readable text - it always complained that the file is already open and asked me if I want to close it instead. To study the contents, I actually had to close my VS2019 solution, and open the resource.h file in a text editor. Here is what I found in there:
//{{NO_DEPENDENCIES}}
// Microsoft Visual C++ generated include file.
// Used by TutMFC01p.rc
//
#define IDD_TUTMFC01P_DIALOG 102
#define IDR_MAINFRAME 128
#define IDC_BUTTON1 1002
#define IDC_ButtHide 1002
#define IDC_HideBtn 1002
// Next default values for new objects
//
#ifdef APSTUDIO_INVOKED
#ifndef APSTUDIO_READONLY_SYMBOLS
#define _APS_NEXT_RESOURCE_VALUE 130
#define _APS_NEXT_COMMAND_VALUE 32771
#define _APS_NEXT_CONTROL_VALUE 1000
#define _APS_NEXT_SYMED_VALUE 101
#endif
#endif
So it seems that each time I invented a new ID for my button and entered it in the Property Palette, VS2019 injected a new macro definition into the resource file, assigning it to the same numerical value of 1002. But other than auto-creating such entries, Visual Studio performs no maintenance on them and it is the responsibility of the programmer to keep order there. Which requires that the programmer understands what is what, and where it is stored in the project files.
So, even though my button object already had the ID value of IDC_HideBtn in its Property Palette, the earlier IDs of IDC_ButtHide and IDC_BUTTON1 were still valid and referred to the same numeric value of 1002, hence the source code using the old ID compiled, and the button worked fine.
Mind you, I also had to manually replace the button ID NAME to the chosen one in my apps MESSAGE MAP in TutMFC01pDlg.cpp before Visual Studio could reopen my solution/project. See the next section of my answer too.
ANSWER 2)
IDC_STATIC being a peculiar ID with some special treatment, I cannot just invent and type-in any new name into the ID property field of my STATIC TEXT item. More precisely, I actually CAN invent any new ID and enter that into the property field, but Visual Studio DOES NOT automatically generate the corresponding new macro definition in resources.h, most likely because it does not know what numeric value to assign to an object that is supposed to have no numeric value (as it was supposed to have the special value of -1). So instead of entering a new name in the ID property field, the programmer should close the solution, and manually edit the resources.h file in a text editor. YES, against all warning and discouragement in Microsoft Documentation and by seasoned developers, in this particular case it must be done manually. (Or at least, I do not know a better way than directly editing the resource file as text.) Here is what I changed my macro definitions to, by removing the two obsolete and unwanted button identifiers with the value of 1002, and manually adding a new definition entry intended for my STATIC TEXT item - with a numeric value that was not in use by any other entry. In my case, 1001 was not yet used, so that is what I assigned to my invented ID of IDC_MidTextObj.
//{{NO_DEPENDENCIES}}
// Microsoft Visual C++ generated include file.
// Used by TutMFC01p.rc
//
#define IDD_TUTMFC01P_DIALOG 102
#define IDR_MAINFRAME 128
#define IDC_HideBtn 1002
#define IDC_MidTextObj 1001
// Next default values for new objects
//
#ifdef APSTUDIO_INVOKED
#ifndef APSTUDIO_READONLY_SYMBOLS
#define _APS_NEXT_RESOURCE_VALUE 130
#define _APS_NEXT_COMMAND_VALUE 32771
#define _APS_NEXT_CONTROL_VALUE 1000
#define _APS_NEXT_SYMED_VALUE 101
#endif
#endif
With these changes saved in resource.h I could close my Text Editor and reopen the solution/project in Visual Studio. Then I could select the STATIC TEXT item in the UI Editor, and in its Property Palette, in the field of the ID property, I could drop down the list of values and select my prepared value of IDC_MidTextObj. Mind you, there is another way to do this, by manually editing the .rc file of the Dialog. Which you will likely need to do for other reasons anyway. See next section of my answer.
ANSWER 3)
Here is the relevant part of my TutMFC01p.rc file.
IDD_TUTMFC01P_DIALOG DIALOGEX 0, 0, 320, 199
STYLE DS_SETFONT | DS_FIXEDSYS | WS_POPUP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CAPTION | WS_THICKFRAME
EXSTYLE WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE | WS_EX_APPWINDOW
CAPTION "My VisualC++ Tutorial App 01"
FONT 8, "MS Shell Dlg", 0, 0, 0x1
BEGIN
DEFPUSHBUTTON "OK",IDOK,209,178,50,14
PUSHBUTTON "Cancel",IDCANCEL,263,178,50,14
CTEXT "TODO: Place dialog controls here.",IDC_STATIC,13,96,300,8
LTEXT "Hello MFC!",IDC_STATIC,22,33,86,8,WS_DISABLED
PUSHBUTTON "Hide object",IDC_HideBtn,135,106,50,14
END
I could just change the line starting with CTEXT and replace IDC_STATIC with IDC_MidTextObj to make sure that the STATIC TEXT item uses my pre-created value.
ALSO, if you look carefully, you see that the next line defines another STATIC TEXT item (a new static text item I added to the window in the Dialog Editor). But this is LTEXT instead of CTEXT. Without peeking at this code as text, I would not have known that there are these two different types. Maybe LTEXT is what I was after. I will see what I find about this in the documentation.
ANSWER 4)
Not as a one-liner. See also the next section of my answer for details. But it can be done with multiple lines of code, calling methods to first query the current state of visibility of the object, then hide it if it is visible, or show it if it is hidden.
ANSWER 5)
NO, there is no way to do that in VC++. It works in other languages, but in C++ you have to call functions/methods. See answer from Mark Ransom at the bottom of a similar issue.
I've been trying to make a simple wxWidgets program with just a button with a picture on it. I've been able to make the button with the image on it easily enough, but my problem arises when including it.
So far, I've only been able to fetch the image during run-time (the image has to be in the same folder as the .exe file; otherwise, I get error 2: the system cannot find the file specified). With this method, I have no problems -- the program works just fine. What I'm trying to do, however, is to #include the file so that it is embedded during compile-time, so that it doesn't need to be available during run-time.
I've tried #including the file (both as .png and as .xpm), and I've also tried adding it to the resource includes (this is on Visual Studio 2017). Neither of these worked -- the first method still required the image to be in the same folder, and the second failed during compilation (as far as I can tell, it wasn't able to read the .xpm file).
Here is the relevant code, if it helps:
/*relevant includes*/
#include "happyFace.png" //this isn't working. the file is still needed
||
#include "happyFace.xpm" //ditto
/*I have also tried putting these lines in the resource includes.*/
/*code*/
wxInitAllImageHandlers();
wxBitmap bitmap("happyFace.xpm", wxBITMAP_TYPE_XPM); //only works in same directory at run-time
||
wxBitmap bitmap("happyFace.png", wxBITMAP_TYPE_PNG); //ditto
wxButton *button = new wxButton(this, ID_BMP_BUTTON);
button->SetBitmap(bitmap);
//the rest of the button programming and stuff
Sorry if I haven't provided enough information; I can provide more if necessary. I would really appreciate any help. Thanks!
Two possibilities... Number 1 is simplest. It's been a long time since I wrote the code I'm looking at, so the details are fuzzy.
In Visual Studio, Solution Explorer, add the image into the resource files. Assume the name of the resourse is sample.rc. Then it can be used like so to set the main icon...
SetIcon(wxICON(sample));
Method 1 must be used in order for MS Windows Explorer to display the main icon. I do not remember how to use .rc resources for other things, but it should be easy to figure out.
I did it this way before I discovered VS resource (.rc) files. Compile the file-image into the program "by hand." In other words, write a program that will read an image file and produce bit-for-bit copy in a .cpp file. Then compile that .cpp into the program. Here I have the file-image in memory as an object named dj::main_cursor. Note that the in-memory version is a bit-for-bit copy of a .cur file.
dj::captured_file &c1file(dj::main_cursor);
wxMemoryInputStream cistr(c1file.contents, c1file.size);
cursor1 = wxCursor(wxImage(cistr, wxBITMAP_TYPE_CUR));
FYI, I defined the structure dj::captured_file like so:
struct captured_file {
const char *name;
const unsigned long size;
const void *contents;
captured_file(const char*fn, size_t sz, const void*c)
: name(fn)
, contents(c)
, size(sz)
{}
};
See also, Embedding PNG Images into Windows RC Files
I found some other documentation.
Resources and Application Icon All applications using wxMSW should
have a Windows resource file (.rc extension) and this file should
include include/wx/msw/wx.rc file which defines resources used by
wxWidgets itself.
Among other things, wx.rc defines some standard icons, all of which
have names starting with the "wx" prefix. This normally ensures that
any icons defined in the application's own resource file come before
them in alphabetical order which is important because Explorer
(Windows shell) selects the first icon in alphabetical order to use as
the application icon which is displayed when viewing its file in the
file manager. So if all the icons defined in your application start
with "x", "y" or "z", they won't be used by Explorer. To avoid this,
ensure that the icon which is meant to be used as the main application
icon has a name preceding "wxICON" in alphabetical order.
http://docs.wxwidgets.org/3.1.0/page_port.html
Here is how you should do it:
#include "happyFace.xpm"
wxBitmap bitmap = wxBitmap( happyFace ); // assuming the variable name is "happyFace" inside the xpm
Then you will use bitmap object just like usual. Assuming that the file happyFace.xpm is available for compilation.
I want to be able to dynamically change code in my resource file depending on which version of my app is being ran. For example, I have an about menu. I would like the about menuitem to have a different description based on a preprocessor directive. The issue I have is I am able to add the code in. But when I edit the resource file and save it, the .aps file overwrites my preprocessor directives. How can I get around this? The code below is an example of what I would like to have in my resource script.
IDR_EXAMPLE_MENU MENU
BEGIN
/*
Other Menu items
*/
POPUP "&Help"
BEGIN
MENUITEM "&Help Topics", ID_HELP_FINDER
MENUITEM SEPARATOR
#ifdef TEST_APP
MENUITEM "&About TEST...", ID_APP_ABOUT
#else
MENUITEM "&About RELEASE...", ID_APP_ABOUT
#endif
END
END
If I am running the TEST version I would like it to display "About TEST" in the menuitem and if it the RELEASE version I would like it to display "About RELEASE"
How can I add code like this to my resource file without having the .aps file overwrite the preprocessor directives when saving the .rc file?
Edit: This explains how files are affected by resource editing.
It is also possible to have one resource like e menu twice inside your resource file.
Each resource can have a condition in its properties. And you can have a resource with the same name twice in your resources.
You may add the condition _DEBUG to the first resource. Just copy it and give the the condition _RELEASE. Rename it back to the same Id.
You can put your code in separate rc files and include them using the Compile-Time Directives field of the Set includes dialog. See Using Multiple Resource Files in the Same Project
If the resources are not changed frequently you can move them to the .rc2 file which is not modified by the Resource editor. And you can use pre-processor freely.
The other option is to create multiple .rc files (for example copy the original .rc file and remove the rest) and include them conditionally in the "Resource Includes.. > Compile-time directives" section which the Resource editors stores in the .rc file and repeats at the end of the .rc file as-is.
For example:
Create two .rc files like
ResourcesDebug.rc:
....
POPUP "&Help"
BEGIN
MENUITEM "&Help Topics", ID_HELP_FINDER
MENUITEM SEPARATOR
MENUITEM "&About TEST...", ID_APP_ABOUT
END
END
....
ResourcesRelease.rc:
....
POPUP "&Help"
BEGIN
MENUITEM "&Help Topics", ID_HELP_FINDER
MENUITEM SEPARATOR
MENUITEM "&About RELEASE...", ID_APP_ABOUT
END
END
....
You can add them to your repo, but need not to add them to the project. But if you add them to your project you have to exclude them from the compilation.
Compile-time directives (Resource view > Right click the .rc):
#define _AFX_NO_SPLITTER_RESOURCES
#define _AFX_NO_OLE_RESOURCES
#define _AFX_NO_TRACKER_RESOURCES
#define _AFX_NO_PROPERTY_RESOURCES
#include "res\TestApp.rc2" // non-Microsoft Visual C++ edited resources
#ifdef TEST_APP
#include ResourcesDebug.rc
#else
#include ResourcesRelease.rc
#endif
....
Some more links:
Files Affected by Resource Editing
How to: Include Resources at Compile Time
You want to be able to use the resource editor of VS, but it only knows how to generate 1 kind of .rc output, and that is WITHOUT any of your #define values. You can't have it both ways. You can use compiler directives and edit the .rc (or .rc2) file by hand, or accept the output of VS.
A possibility may be to let you edit the file in VS using the resource editor, and then write a post-processing program that kind of understands the general content of your .RC and re-generate the "desired" .RC replacing the raw content with your compiler directives. It's do-able, but the trade-offs are very specific to your application.
I make a button in the resource editor in an MFC program.
I give it an ID.
I use the ID in code with CWnd *tLabel = GetDlgItem(IDC_CHANGETWO);
I am pleased.
I go back to editor
I change the ID
Code does not acknowledge new name, even with rebuild
I change some flag (tabstop)
Code still does not care
In order to get an ID name change to propagate to the code, I have to change the ID AND any other field in the same save. Only then does it realize it is dirty and update the resource table.
This is 100% reproducible on mine and my students' computers. This workaround has kept the class from stalling, but... what the heck is this?
Visual Studio Enterprise 2015
Version 14.0.23107.0 D14REL
If you change the name of a resource control it will not propagate that throughout your source code as you have already learned.
Ideally you need to use something like VisualAssist: http://www.wholetomato.com/
It allows you to rename your resource ID values
What you need to use is refactoring. If you open your resource file as a text file in the IDE (as opposed to the resource editor) and locate your control, you should be able to right-click it and choose Refactor (VA):
Then select Rename. It should preview the changes in the various source code files:
You can use the same procedure for renaming variables and method declarations.
While the answer given is good, it doesn't show what happens behind the scene when you update a resource ID.
All resource IDs go into one header: resource.h
This file is read by C++ compiler, as well as by resource compiler (the .RC file.)
Using resource editor, you just type an ID, and the resource-editor would simply create an entry in resource.h
This header looks like:
//{{NO_DEPENDENCIES}}
// Microsoft Visual C++ generated include file.
// Used by MFCApplication1.rc
//
#define IDR_MAINFRAME 128
#define IDM_ABOUTBOX 0x0010
#define IDD_ABOUTBOX 100
#define IDS_ABOUTBOX 101
#define IDD_MFCAPPLICATION1_DIALOG 102
// Next default values for new objects
//
#ifdef APSTUDIO_INVOKED
#ifndef APSTUDIO_READONLY_SYMBOLS
#define _APS_NEXT_RESOURCE_VALUE 129
#define _APS_NEXT_CONTROL_VALUE 1000
#define _APS_NEXT_SYMED_VALUE 101
#define _APS_NEXT_COMMAND_VALUE 32771
#endif
#endif
So, when you add a new control on dialog (or any other form), and name it IDC_DOWNLOAD_NOW, and save the resource, this header will get updated like:
#define IDR_MAINFRAME 128
#define IDC_DOWNLOAD_NOW 1000
Also, internal variable (like _APS_NEXT_CONTROL_VALUE gets updated).
Well.. when you have same symbol in other dialog, VS will simply use the same macro with same value. You add another button on third dialog with same name, it doesn't modify resource.h either.
But... when you modify control in these 3 dialogs to name is like IDC_DOWNLOAD_LATER, only .RC and resource.h get updated. Old value, and old usages still exist. You wont get any compiler error (since macros are there!).
#define IDR_MAINFRAME 128
#define IDC_DOWNLOAD_NOW 1000
#define IDC_DOWNLOAD_LATER 1001
In another case, when you remove the button (from any of 3 dialog boxes), program will compile fine, but GetDlgItem, DDX_Control etc will fail at runtime (Since IDC_DOWNLOAD_NOW doesn't exist in current dialog!)
Now think what would happen if you mass rename the symbols using any tool - boom - all resources now have IDC_DOWNLOAD_LATER!
You should use Resource Symbols dialog to find what resource IDs are used by which dialog. From here you can rename and delete also.
Here is a second possible way to handle the specific issue of IDC_STATIC. Your question should be modified to include this.
I have started a temporary dialogue project and selected the default static text:
As you can see, it is labelled IDC_STATIC. I now directly change the ID value in the resource editor itself and hit the enter key:
Then I save it (this updates the resource.h file). Then, this is what we see if I use an application called ResOrg:
As you can see, the resource.h file is correct. It is at this point you now add your variables.
Interestingly, the IDE does not actually allow you to add variables to IDC_STATIC objects anyway. But suppose you have two if them:
You can still rename each one, save the file, re-build, and view your resource file:
As you can see, it is all still good. It is at this point that you can add variables and event handlers now. And it is in this context where VisualAssist would be used to rename variables/ID's used throughout your application.
I was not sure to edit my existing answer with this additional information. Perhaps that might be better?
Recently I have faced with very strange behavior of the Windows "Button" control having BS_MULTILINE style, which looks like bug in Windows. To reproduce it, make the following:
(1) Create new project with Visual Studio 2012 Project Wizard; choose "MFC application";
(2) On "Application Type" page choose "Dialog based" + "MFC standard";
(3) On "Advanced Features" page keep only "Common Control Manifest";
(4) In the generated "Resource.h" file add the line #define IDC_LONG_TEXT 103;
(5) In the generated <project-name>.rc file replace "TODO" static text inside the main dialog definition by the lines:
LTEXT "BUG IN WINDOWS COMMON CONTROLS.\nButton containing image and text does not work with BS_MULTILINE style.",IDC_STATIC,10,10,250,20
PUSHBUTTON "Very Long Text.",IDC_LONG_TEXT,10,35,250,45,BS_LEFT | BS_TOP | BS_MULTILINE | BS_FLAT
(6) In the generated <project-name>Dlg.cpp file, in the OnInitDialog() handler, add the following code after "TODO" comment line:
CString strOrigText, strLongText;
CWnd* pButton = GetDlgItem(IDC_LONG_TEXT);
pButton->GetWindowText(strOrigText);
for (int i = 0; i < 10; ++i)
strLongText += strOrigText;
pButton->SetWindowText(strLongText);
pButton->SendMessage(BM_SETIMAGE, (WPARAM)IMAGE_ICON, (LPARAM)m_hIcon);
(7) Build and run the program. You will see that the button text is drawn in the upper-right corner of the button. If you comment the last line in the above code, the text will be drawn correctly.
Does anybody faced with the same problem? Is it really a bug? If so, how it can be submitted to Microsoft?