Skinned UI control library (VC++)

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• Download demo application project - 2.17 MB

Introduction

The library promises to achieve (with minor modifications - to make it very generic) a non-Windows UI look-n-feel for those who want to develop a customized UI (curves et al) by leveraging the power of images, GDI, composition, and multiple inheritance.

Inspired by...

A few years back, when I first saw the cool skins on Winamp (MP3 player), I felt excited and challenged to write a library to use in all my future development that would shock people who believe that slick UI is only feasible in web applications and Flash applications!

What's inside the library?

The library is composed of the following classes:

• CSkinControl - Parent class of all controls, containing common functionality
• CSkinnedStatic - Custom class to act as a static control or label
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• CSkinnedButton - Custom class to act as a button control
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• CSkinnedEdit - Custom class to act as an edit control
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• CSkinnedComboBox - Custom class to act as a combo box control
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• Composed of: CSkinnedEdit, CSkinnedButton, and CSkinnedListBox
• CSkinnedListBox - Custom class to act as a listbox control
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• Composed of: CSkinnedButton
• CSkinnedScrollBar - Custom class to act as a scroll bar control
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• Composed of: CSkinnedButton
• CSkinnedSliderCtrl - Custom class to act as a slider control
• Inherits from: Cwnd, CSkinControl
• Composed of: CSkinnedButton

Architectural details...

The idea was to store as much common functionalities as possible in one class (CSkinControl) and then consume it, through inheritance, in concrete control classes. The base class holds references to four different images (IDs), one for normal state, one for disabled state, one for hover state, and one for pressed state. The function that stores this is SetImageResources(normal, hover, pressed, disabled). The base class also contains functionality for:

• Location and size:
• SetCoordinates(left, top)
• SetDimensions(width, height)
• GetLeft()
• GetTop()
• GetWidth()
• GetHeight()
• Colors and fonts:
• GetCurrentBackgroundColor()
• GetTextColor()
• GetBackgroundColor(state)
• SetBackgroundColor(state, color)
• SetForegroundColor(color)
• SetTextColor(color)
• SetFontName(name)
• SetFontStyle(style)
• SetFontSize(size)
• GetFontName()
• GetFontStyle()
• GetFontSize()

The most important function is UpdateMemoryDC() which takes care of drawing and updating the visual of each control on screen, whether in default state or triggered by some user-action (mouse events).

// This function attempts to load image
// resources from a DLL and renders the same on the screen

int CSkinControl::UpdateMemoryDC()
{
    HBITMAP hBitmap = NULL;
    BITMAP bmpTemp;
// If gifs are the preferred resources, use conversion
#ifdef USE_GIF_IMAGES
    hBitmap = LoadGIF(GetDllInstance((LPCTSTR)m_csDLLFileName),
                      MAKEINTRESOURCE(GetID()));
#else
    hBitmap = LoadBitmap(GetDllInstance((LPTSTR)(LPCTSTR)m_csDLLFileName), 
                         MAKEINTRESOURCE(GetID()));
#endif
    if(hBitmap != NULL)
    {
        ::GetObject(hBitmap, sizeof(BITMAP), &bmpTemp);
        m_lImageWidth = bmpTemp.bmWidth;
        m_lImageHeight = bmpTemp.bmHeight;
        ::SelectObject(m_dcMemory.GetSafeHdc(),hBitmap);
    }
    // If the object is of text type (edit)
    else if(m_nPressedID == -1 && m_nUnPressedID == -1 && m_nHoverID == -1)
    {        
        m_dcMemory.SetTextColor(m_crTextColor);
        m_dcMemory.DrawText(m_csText, CRect(0, 0, m_nWidth, m_nHeight), DT_CENTER);
    }
    return 0;
}

Concrete classes provide functionalities that are required by their standard counterparts. For example, CSkinnedEdit supports text selection, insertion, deletion (no copy-paste implemented - sorry!!), and other customized features like "read-only", "decimal point validation", etc. Similarly, CSkinnedScrollBar provides functionality to set minimum range, maximum range, retrieve position of scrollbar button, and so on. The code and function names are quite self-explanatory. I apologize for not providing many inline code comments, for which you can always contact me.

All the controls are created dynamically. Each one of them has a function CreateSkinControl(name, rect, parent, id, flags) that takes parameters as mentioned. The last one (flags) is an interesting parameter that holds any "extra" information required (as you'll see in different controls) for creation. As an example, shown below is the creation code for CSkinnedButton control:

BOOL CSkinnedButton::CreateSkinControl(LPCTSTR lpszWindowName, LPRECT lpRect, 
                     CWnd *pParentWnd, UINT nControlID, long lFlags)
{
    // Set windows name, location, size, parent, and control id
    m_csText = lpszWindowName;
    m_nLeft = lpRect->left;
    m_nTop = lpRect->top;
    m_nWidth = lpRect->right - lpRect->left;
    m_nHeight = lpRect->bottom - lpRect->top;
    m_pParentWnd = pParentWnd;
    m_nControlID = nControlID;
    
    // Assign a default font and defaut colors
    m_csFontName = "Arial";
    m_nFontSize = 16;
    m_nFontStyle = FONT_NORMAL;
    m_crBackgroundColorHover = RGB(255,255,255);
    m_crBackgroundColorPressed = RGB(255,255,255);
    m_crBackgroundColorUnPressed = RGB(255,255,255);
    m_crForegroundColor = RGB(0,0,0);

    // Store special button information
    m_lButtonType = lFlags;

    // If the control is already created, return false
    if(m_hWnd != NULL)
    {
        return FALSE;
    }

    // Create the control using CWnd::Create() and bring it to the top
    // Notice the flag WS_CLIPSIBLINGS; this is necessary
    // for proper rendering of composite controls
    if(CWnd::Create(NULL, m_csText, WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE|WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, 
                    *lpRect, pParentWnd, nControlID, NULL))
    {
        CWnd::BringWindowToTop();

        return TRUE;
    }
    
    return FALSE;
}

Steps to implement...

• In a window/dialog that you want to use a control (button, for example), define a member variable that is a pointer to the control.

CSkinnedButton* m_pOkButton;

• Inside the creation logic of the dialog OnCreate() or OnInitDialog(), insert the creation logic of the button, after a few initializations of creating a memory DC for background painting.

int CMyDialog::OnCreate(LPCREATESTRUCT lpCreateStruct)
{
    if(CDialog::OnCreate(lpCreateStruct) == -1)
    {
        return -1;
    }
    CClientDC dc(this);
    m_memDC.CreateCompatibleDC(&dc);
    m_memBmp.CreateCompatibleBitmap(&dc, 1024, 768);
    m_memDC.SelectObject(&m_memBmp);

    // Other code 
    ...

    // Create button
    m_pOkButton = new CSkinnedButton;
    // Assign 4 image ids
    m_pOkButton.SetImageResource(ID_NORMAL, ID_HOVER, ID_PRESSED, ID_DISABLED);
    // This flag (true) suggests that the button
    // is an irregular shaped, which will be drawn using
    // a transparency algorithm to achieve the desired result
    m_pOkButton.SetShapedFlag(TRUE);

    // Other code
    ...
}

The custom code for button creation and button rendering is implemented in the CSkinnedButton class as shown:

int CSkinnedButton::OnCreate(LPCREATESTRUCT lpCreateStruct) 
{
    if (CWnd::OnCreate(lpCreateStruct) == -1)
        return -1;

    CClientDC dc(this);
    CBitmap bmpTemp;

    m_dcMemory.CreateCompatibleDC(&dc);

    if(bmpTemp.CreateCompatibleBitmap(&dc, m_nWidth, m_nHeight) != 0)
    {
        m_dcMemory.SelectObject(&bmpTemp);

        if(PrepareFont())
        {
        }

        UpdateMemoryDC();

        // Create region if irregular shaped
        if(m_bShape)
        {
            m_hRgn = CreateRectRgn(0,0,0,0);
            if(m_hRgn != NULL)
            {
                if(GetWindowRgn(m_hRgn) == ERROR)
                {
                    m_hRgn = NULL;
                    return -1;
                }
            }
            else
            {
                return -1;
            }
        }
    }

    return 0;
}

int CSkinnedButton::UpdateMemoryDC()
{
    BITMAP bmpTemp;

    memset(&bmpTemp, 0, sizeof(BITMAP));

    if(m_dcMemory == NULL)
    {
        return -1;
    }

#ifdef    USE_GIF_IMAGES
    if(m_hBitmap != NULL && m_hBitmap == GetCurrentStateBitmap())
    {
        return -1;
    }
    m_hBitmap = GetCurrentStateBitmap();
#else
    hBitmap = GetCurrentStateBitmap();
#endif

    if(m_hBitmap != NULL)
    {
        ::GetObject(m_hBitmap, sizeof(BITMAP), &bmpTemp);

        m_lImageWidth = bmpTemp.bmWidth;
        m_lImageHeight = bmpTemp.bmHeight;
        ::SelectObject(m_dcMemory.GetSafeHdc(),m_hBitmap);
    }
    else if(m_nPressedID == -1 && m_nUnPressedID == -1 && m_nHoverID == -1)
    {
        CClientDC dc(this);

        m_dcMemory.SetMapMode(dc.GetMapMode());
        m_dcMemory.SetWindowExt(dc.GetWindowExt());
        m_dcMemory.SetViewportExt(dc.GetViewportExt());
        m_dcMemory.SetWindowOrg(0, 0);
        
        CBitmap cbmpTemp;

        cbmpTemp.CreateCompatibleBitmap(&dc, m_nWidth, m_nHeight);
        
        if(m_dcMemory.SelectObject(&cbmpTemp) != NULL)
        {
            m_dcMemory.FillSolidRect(0, 0, m_nWidth, m_nHeight, 
                                     GetCurrentBackgroundColor());
        }
    }

    // This is most important section of code for irregular shapes
    if(m_bShape != -1 && m_bFindEdges)
    {
        m_bFindEdges = FALSE;
        FindControlEdge(this, &m_dcMemory, COLOR_MAGENTA, m_hRgnWindow);
    }
    return 0;
}

FindControlEdge() (not a very intuitive name!) implements the transparency algorithm, using a Magenta color mask, traversing through the image, and cutting out a region. You might argue that why not use the GDI function TransparentBlt() to achieve the same. Good point! However, when I tried to implement using TransparentBlt, it failed to run in Windows 98 SE (although MS claims to have support in that version of Windows!). Anyways, may be I didn't have the correct patch of Windows or SDK at the time. I decided to write my own. You have a choice of using TransparentBlt which would promise an optimized performance over my technique for sure ;)

Also, my technique introduces a strict requirement of having all images bound by a four pixel magenta background!!! Example:



Those who might be facing a similar problem of TransparentBlt() are free to use the algorithm shown here or one of your own.

// This function traverses through an image and creates
// a region eliminating "magenta" pixels and sets it to the window handle
BOOL FindControlEdge(CWnd* pWnd, CDC *dcControl, 
                     COLORREF colToSkip, HRGN &hRgn)
{
    int nCurrentX = 0;
    int nCurrentY = 0;
    int nTempX = 0;
    int nTempY = 0;
    BOOL bStop = FALSE;
    int nDirection = 0;
    int nCurDirection = 0;
    int nFirstX = 0;
    int nFirstY = 0;
    int nXMap = 0;
    int nYMap = 0;
    int nIterate = 0;

    POINT ptTempCoord;            
    CList<point,> ptCoord;    
    
    CRect rcWindow(0,0,0,0);
    CRect rcClient(0,0,0,0);

    pWnd->GetWindowRect(&rcWindow);
    pWnd->GetClientRect(&rcClient);
    pWnd->ClientToScreen(&rcClient);
    nXMap = rcClient.left - rcWindow.left;
    nYMap = rcClient.top - rcWindow.top;
    
    nIterate = 0;
    bStop = FALSE;

    nCurrentX = 0;
    nCurrentY = 0;
    
    nDirection = SOUTHEAST;

    nFirstX = 0;
    nFirstY = 0;
    
    while(!bStop) 
    {
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            bStop = TRUE;

            if(nCurrentX == 0 && nCurrentY == 0)
            {
                return FALSE;
            }
        }
        else 
        {
            nCurrentX++;
            nCurrentY++;
        }
    }

    bStop = FALSE;

    while(!bStop) 
    {
        nIterate++;

        switch(nDirection) 
        {
            case SOUTHEAST:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = EAST;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentX++;
                nCurrentY++;
            }
            break;
            case EAST:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = NORTHEAST;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentX++;
            }
            break;
            case NORTHEAST:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY-1)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = NORTH;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentX++;
                nCurrentY--;
            }
            break;
            case NORTH:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX, nCurrentY-1)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = NORTHWEST;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentY--;
            }
            break;
            case NORTHWEST:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX-1, nCurrentY-1)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = WEST;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentX--;
                nCurrentY--;
            }
            break;
            case WEST:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX-1, nCurrentY)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = SOUTHWEST;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentX--;
            }
            break;
            case SOUTHWEST:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX-1, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = SOUTH;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentX--;
                nCurrentY++;
            }
            break;
            case SOUTH:
            if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip) 
            {
                nDirection = SOUTHEAST;
                continue;
            }
            else 
            {
                nCurrentY++;
            }
            break;
        }

        nCurDirection = nDirection;

        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = SOUTHEAST;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = EAST;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX+1, nCurrentY-1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = NORTHEAST;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX, nCurrentY-1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = NORTH;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX-1, nCurrentY-1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = NORTHWEST;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX-1, nCurrentY)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = WEST;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX-1, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = SOUTHWEST;
        }
        if((dcControl->GetPixel(nCurrentX, nCurrentY+1)) != colToSkip)
        {
            nDirection = SOUTH;
        }

        POINT ptTemp;

        if(ptCoord.GetCount() > 0)
        {
            ptTemp = ptCoord.GetTail();
        }
        else
        {
            ptTemp.x = 0;
            ptTemp.y = 0;
        }

        if(nCurrentX != ptTemp.x || nCurrentY != ptTemp.y) 
        {
            nTempX = nCurrentX;
            nTempY = nCurrentY;

            switch (nCurDirection) 
        {
            case NORTH:
            case NORTHWEST:
                nTempX++;
                break;
            case NORTHEAST:
            case EAST:
                nTempY++;
                break;
        }

        ptTempCoord.x = nTempX;
        ptTempCoord.y = nTempY;
        ptCoord.AddTail(ptTempCoord);
    }

        if(nFirstX == 0 && nFirstY == 0)
        {
            nFirstX = nCurrentX;
            nFirstY = nCurrentY;
        }
        else if(nCurrentX == nFirstX && nCurrentY == nFirstY)
        {
            break;
        }
    }

    POINT *ptAll;

    ptAll = new POINT[ptCoord.GetCount()];

    int nLen = ptCoord.GetCount();

    for(int idx=0; idx<nLen; idx++) 
    {
        ptAll[idx] = ptCoord.GetHead();
        ptCoord.RemoveHead();
    }

    hRgn = CreatePolygonRgn(ptAll, nLen, ALTERNATE);

    delete []ptAll;

    if(hRgn != NULL)  
    {
        if(pWnd->SetWindowRgn(hRgn, TRUE) != 0)
        {
            return TRUE;
        }
    }

    return FALSE;
}

• Finally, you implement message handlers to react to control events and messages (LButtonDown/Up for Button, OnChar for Edit, and so on), and appropriately play with different control states (normal, hover, disabled, etc.) and updating of corresponding "look" by calling UpdateMemoryDC().

Some benefits...

If you design properly, you can come up with parallel "themes" for your application; basically, different sets of images to super-impose on your application and controls within, and switch easily, using configuration files.