MFC: Adding a status bar to a CDialogEx that is resizable?

Question

I thought it be nice to add a Status Bar with percentage and other information to a CDialogEx that is used for viewing an image. But it doesn't seem that you can simply use a CMFCStatusBar or a CStatusBar and have it just work.

I found various samples, but none of them have the statusbar outside the client area and moves as resized? The different methods simply create a statusbar and it ends up hidden under a horizontal scrollbar and if you resize the window, the statusbar is sitting there in the middle of the dialog.

Is there an easy way or full example of having a statusbar on a CDialogEx that can be resized like a normal window?

Answer 1

Is there an easy way or full example of having a statusbar on a CDialogEx that can be resized like a normal window?

Yes! Once you have created the status bar you can add it to the dynamic layout for resizing:

//This is where we actually draw it on the screen
RepositionBars(AFX_IDW_CONTROLBAR_FIRST, AFX_IDW_CONTROLBAR_LAST,
    ID_INDICATOR_MEETING_TYPE);
GetDynamicLayout()->AddItem(m_StatusBar.GetSafeHwnd(),
    CMFCDynamicLayout::MoveVertical(100), CMFCDynamicLayout::SizeHorizontal(100));

I have a status bar (not CMFCStatusBar as it will not work, but CStatusBar is OK) on two dialogs in my application.

---

When Dynamic Layout is not automatically enabled

Here is an updated example for when Dynamic Layout is not automatically enabled for you (CDialogEx with no controls):

BOOL CMyDlg::OnInitDialog()
{
  CDialogEx::OnInitDialog();

  if (!m_StatusBar.Create(this)) {
    TRACE0("Failed to create status bar\n");
    return -1;
  }

  m_StatusBar.SetIndicators(indicators, _countof(indicators));

  RepositionBars(AFX_IDW_CONTROLBAR_FIRST, AFX_IDW_CONTROLBAR_LAST, 0);

  EnableDynamicLayout();

  auto pdlmanager=GetDynamicLayout();
  if (pdlmanager) {
    if (pdlmanager->Create(this)) {
      pdlmanager->AddItem(m_StatusBar.GetSafeHwnd(), CMFCDynamicLayout::MoveVertical(100), CMFCDynamicLayout::SizeHorizontal(100));
    }
  }
  // return TRUE unless you set the focus to a control
  // EXCEPTION: OCX Property Pages should return FALSE

  return TRUE;  
}

---

Catering for horizontal scroll bars

NIf you have a horizontal scrollbar the StatusBar will end up above it; therefore you may have to create separate CWnd and add it to the dynamic layout (it would also be the nIDLeftOver of the RepositionBars()).

Here's how you can add the a "view" window for the contents so scrollbars can be contained within the view area:

BOOL CMyDlg::OnInitDialog()
{
  CDialogEx::OnInitDialog();

  if (!m_StatusBar.Create(this)) {
    TRACE0("Failed to create status bar\n");
    return -1;
  }

  m_StatusBar.SetIndicators(indicators, _countof(indicators));

  CRect rc;
  GetClientRect(&rc);

  CString clsname=AfxRegisterWndClass(0);
  m_ImageView.Create(clsname, _T(""), WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE, rc, this, IDC_MY_VIEW);

  RepositionBars(AFX_IDW_CONTROLBAR_FIRST, AFX_IDW_CONTROLBAR_LAST, IDC_MY_VIEW);

  EnableDynamicLayout();

  auto pdlmanager=GetDynamicLayout();
  if (pdlmanager) {
    if (pdlmanager->Create(this)) {
      pdlmanager->AddItem(m_StatusBar.GetSafeHwnd(), CMFCDynamicLayout::MoveVertical(100), CMFCDynamicLayout::SizeHorizontal(100));
      pdlmanager->AddItem(m_ImageView.GetSafeHwnd(), CMFCDynamicLayout::MoveNone(), CMFCDynamicLayout::SizeHorizontalAndVertical(100, 100));
    }
  }

  // return TRUE unless you set the focus to a control
  // EXCEPTION: OCX Property Pages should return FALSE

  return TRUE;  
}