Extract List of Codes of Windows-Messages from WinUser.H

Introduction

This small piece of F#-code extracts the "WM_XXXX-Names of Windows-messages" and their system-defined numeric codes from the Windows header file, WinUser.H, and stores them in a text file. The produced list of message-codes is also attached. One can use such a list for example, to translate message-codes passed by Windows to a Window-Procedure function to the correspondig WM_XXXX string.

Background

I was trapped in a programming hardship and in order to get rid of it, I decided to check, if a particular Windows-message is really sent to the window-procedure or not - It was a Win32-Application containing native code written in C using MS-Visual Studio, who had to receive some user defined messages from a DLL containing a hook-procedure. So I tried to store the list of selected messages in a file. Hence I needed the corresponding name strings, WM_XXXX, assigned to each Windows-message-code sent by Windows to Window Procedure, and instead of searching the Internet to find the ready to use material, as we usually do, this time I decided to put my recently being developed experiences in F# language into practice. The following F# code produces my needed list of Windows-messages and their corresponding codes. Herewith I upload both F#-code and the produced list used in a C-Function that returns the WM_XXXX-Names of message-codes, to be used by the other programmers in order to save their time.

Using the Code

The F# code here can be treated as a single-file F# console-application in MS-Visual Studio:

open System
open System.IO

//
// Returns the part of the line, containing a Windows-message name.
//
let FindWMDefName string_aWMDefLine =
    // A substring of the line, containing "WM_" contains a Windows-message name,
    //  and we will return it :
    List.find ( fun object_string_PartsOfWMDefLine -> -1 <> 
    ( string object_string_PartsOfWMDefLine).IndexOf ( "WM_")) ( List.ofArray string_aWMDefLine)

//
// Returns the part of the line, containing a Windows-message code.
//
let FindWMDefCode string_aWMDefLine =
    // The codes in WinUser.H are stored as hexadecimal numbers,
    //  so a substring of the line, containing "0x" contains a code,
    //  and we will return it :
    List.find ( fun object_string_PartsOfWMDefLine -> -1 <> 
    ( string object_string_PartsOfWMDefLine).IndexOf ( "0x")) ( List.ofArray string_aWMDefLine)

//
// This function extracts integer numbers from strings. The number can be given in decimal or hexadecimal bases.
//
let ConvertStringTOInt32 ( string_WMDef_Code : String) =
    // Some of codes in WinUser.H are specified with a trailing 'L' type specifier, that they are long integers,
    //  and we need the index of this 'L' to remove it :
    let nIdexOfTypeSpecifier = ( string_WMDef_Code.ToUpper ()).IndexOf ( "L")
    // Remove the trailing type specifier, if exists :
    let string_WMDef_Code =
        if nIdexOfTypeSpecifier <> -1
        then string_WMDef_Code.Substring ( 0, nIdexOfTypeSpecifier)
        else string_WMDef_Code
    // Translate the number in the string, depending on its base :
    if string_WMDef_Code.IndexOf ( "0x") <> -1
    then Int32.Parse ( string_WMDef_Code.Substring ( 2), Globalization.NumberStyles.AllowHexSpecifier)
    else Int32.Parse ( string_WMDef_Code)

//
// Extracts the list :
//
let Extract_WM_WinMsg_hashDefs_OutOfWinHeaderFile string_FileFullName_WinUser_H =
    // Lists are more efficient as arrays in F# :
    List.ofArray ( File.ReadAllLines ( string_FileFullName_WinUser_H))
    // Sieve the simple "#define WM_XXXX ..." lines :
    |> List.filter  ( fun string_Line       -> -1 <> 
    ( string string_Line).IndexOf ( "#define")  &&  -1 <> 
    ( string string_Line).IndexOf ( "WM_")  &&  -1 <> 
    ( string string_Line).IndexOf ( "0x"))
    // Omit lines containing phrases such as "XXXWM_XXX" :
    |> List.filter  ( fun string_Line       -> 
    string_Line.[ ( string string_Line).IndexOf ( "WM_") - 1] = ' ')
    // Split line to words :
    |> List.map     ( fun string_WMDefLine  ->  string_WMDefLine.Split [| ' '|])
    // Build list of message names and their corresponding codes :
    |> List.map     ( fun string_aWMDefLine -> ( ConvertStringTOInt32 
    ( FindWMDefCode string_aWMDefLine)), ( FindWMDefName string_aWMDefLine))
    // Sort the list by code :
    |> List.sortBy  ( fun tuple_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName -> 
    fst tuple_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName)

//
// Calls extracter function and saves the list in the output file :
//
let Store_WM_WinMsg_hashDefs_FromWinHeaderFile string_FileFullName_WM_WinMsg string_FileFullName_WinUser_H =
    let string_a_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName = 
        // Perform the extraction :
        Extract_WM_WinMsg_hashDefs_OutOfWinHeaderFile string_FileFullName_WinUser_H
        // Format output lines :
        |> List.map ( fun tuple_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName -> 
        ( string ( fst tuple_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName)) + "\t\t, 
        \"" + ( string ( snd tuple_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName)) + "\"")
        // Prepare data to be send to the File.WriteAllLines () :
        |> List.toArray
    File.WriteAllLines ( string_FileFullName_WM_WinMsg, string_a_nWMDefCode_string_WMDefName)

//
// Run the program:
//
[<EntryPoint>]
let main argv = 
    Store_WM_WinMsg_hashDefs_FromWinHeaderFile @"D:\\WinWM.TXT" @"D:\\WinUser.h"
    printfn "Done."
    0

The following C-Function is the code that I have used to find the corresponding Windows-message name, having the message-code, using the produced list:

typedef	struct	SWinMsgDefKodeName_Tag
{
	int		nKode;
	TCHAR		tchar_aName		[ 64];
} SWinMsgDefKodeName, *PSWinMsgDefKodeName;
TCHAR * Code2WM_MSG ( TCHAR* tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName, UINT unWM_WinMsgCode)
{
SWinMsgDefKodeName swinmsgdefkodename_a	[] =
 {
    { 0		, _T( "WM_NULL"						 )}
  , { 1		, _T( "WM_CREATE"					 )}
  , { 2		, _T( "WM_DESTROY"					 )}
  , { 3		, _T( "WM_MOVE"						 )}
  , { 5		, _T( "WM_SIZE"						 )}
  , { 6		, _T( "WM_ACTIVATE"					 )}
  , { 7		, _T( "WM_SETFOCUS"					 )}
  , { 8		, _T( "WM_KILLFOCUS"					 )}
  , { 10	, _T( "WM_ENABLE"					 )}
  , { 11	, _T( "WM_SETREDRAW"					 )}
  , { 12	, _T( "WM_SETTEXT"					 )}
  , { 13	, _T( "WM_GETTEXT"					 )}
  , { 14	, _T( "WM_GETTEXTLENGTH"				 )}
  , { 15	, _T( "WM_PAINT"					 )}
  , { 16	, _T( "WM_CLOSE"					 )}
  , { 17	, _T( "WM_QUERYENDSESSION"				 )}
  , { 19	, _T( "WM_QUERYOPEN"					 )}
  , { 22	, _T( "WM_ENDSESSION"					 )}
  , { 18	, _T( "WM_QUIT"						 )}
  , { 20	, _T( "WM_ERASEBKGND"					 )}
  , { 21	, _T( "WM_SYSCOLORCHANGE"				 )}
  , { 24	, _T( "WM_SHOWWINDOW"					 )}
  , { 26	, _T( "WM_WININICHANGE"					 )}
  , { 27	, _T( "WM_DEVMODECHANGE"				 )}
  , { 28	, _T( "WM_ACTIVATEAPP"					 )}
  , { 29	, _T( "WM_FONTCHANGE"					 )}
  , { 30	, _T( "WM_TIMECHANGE"					 )}
  , { 31	, _T( "WM_CANCELMODE"					 )}
  , { 32	, _T( "WM_SETCURSOR"					 )}
  , { 33	, _T( "WM_MOUSEACTIVATE"				 )}
  , { 34	, _T( "WM_CHILDACTIVATE"				 )}
  , { 35	, _T( "WM_QUEUESYNC"					 )}
  , { 36	, _T( "WM_GETMINMAXINFO"				 )}
  , { 38	, _T( "WM_PAINTICON"					 )}
  , { 39	, _T( "WM_ICONERASEBKGND"				 )}
  , { 40	, _T( "WM_NEXTDLGCTL"					 )}
  , { 42	, _T( "WM_SPOOLERSTATUS"				 )}
  , { 43	, _T( "WM_DRAWITEM"					 )}
  , { 44	, _T( "WM_MEASUREITEM"					 )}
  , { 45	, _T( "WM_DELETEITEM"					 )}
  , { 46	, _T( "WM_VKEYTOITEM"					 )}
  , { 47	, _T( "WM_CHARTOITEM"					 )}
  , { 48	, _T( "WM_SETFONT"					 )}
  , { 49	, _T( "WM_GETFONT"					 )}
  , { 50	, _T( "WM_SETHOTKEY"					 )}
  , { 51	, _T( "WM_GETHOTKEY"					 )}
  , { 55	, _T( "WM_QUERYDRAGICON"				 )}
  , { 57	, _T( "WM_COMPAREITEM"					 )}
  , { 61	, _T( "WM_GETOBJECT"					 )}
  , { 65	, _T( "WM_COMPACTING"					 )}
  , { 68	, _T( "WM_COMMNOTIFY"					 )}
  , { 70	, _T( "WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING"			 	 )}
  , { 71	, _T( "WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGED"				 )}
  , { 72	, _T( "WM_POWER"					 )}
  , { 74	, _T( "WM_COPYDATA"					 )}
  , { 75	, _T( "WM_CANCELJOURNAL"				 )}
  , { 78	, _T( "WM_NOTIFY"					 )}
  , { 80	, _T( "WM_INPUTLANGCHANGEREQUEST"		 	 )}
  , { 81	, _T( "WM_INPUTLANGCHANGE"				 )}
  , { 82	, _T( "WM_TCARD"					 )}
  , { 83	, _T( "WM_HELP"						 )}
  , { 84	, _T( "WM_USERCHANGED"					 )}
  , { 85	, _T( "WM_NOTIFYFORMAT"					 )}
  , { 123	, _T( "WM_CONTEXTMENU"					 )}
  , { 124	, _T( "WM_STYLECHANGING"				 )}
  , { 125	, _T( "WM_STYLECHANGED"					 )}
  , { 126	, _T( "WM_DISPLAYCHANGE"				 )}
  , { 127	, _T( "WM_GETICON"					 )}
  , { 128	, _T( "WM_SETICON"					 )}
  , { 129	, _T( "WM_NCCREATE"					 )}
  , { 130	, _T( "WM_NCDESTROY"					 )}
  , { 131	, _T( "WM_NCCALCSIZE"					 )}
  , { 132	, _T( "WM_NCHITTEST"					 )}
  , { 133	, _T( "WM_NCPAINT"					 )}
  , { 134	, _T( "WM_NCACTIVATE"					 )}
  , { 135	, _T( "WM_GETDLGCODE"					 )}
  , { 136	, _T( "WM_SYNCPAINT"					 )}
  , { 160	, _T( "WM_NCMOUSEMOVE"					 )}
  , { 161	, _T( "WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN"				 )}
  , { 162	, _T( "WM_NCLBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 163	, _T( "WM_NCLBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 164	, _T( "WM_NCRBUTTONDOWN"				 )}
  , { 165	, _T( "WM_NCRBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 166	, _T( "WM_NCRBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 167	, _T( "WM_NCMBUTTONDOWN"				 )}
  , { 168	, _T( "WM_NCMBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 169	, _T( "WM_NCMBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 171	, _T( "WM_NCXBUTTONDOWN"				 )}
  , { 172	, _T( "WM_NCXBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 173	, _T( "WM_NCXBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 254	, _T( "WM_INPUT_DEVICE_CHANGE"				 )}
  , { 255	, _T( "WM_INPUT"					 )}
  , { 256	, _T( "WM_KEYFIRST"					 )}
  , { 256	, _T( "WM_KEYDOWN"					 )}
  , { 257	, _T( "WM_KEYUP"					 )}
  , { 258	, _T( "WM_CHAR"						 )}
  , { 259	, _T( "WM_DEADCHAR"					 )}
  , { 260	, _T( "WM_SYSKEYDOWN"					 )}
  , { 261	, _T( "WM_SYSKEYUP"					 )}
  , { 262	, _T( "WM_SYSCHAR"					 )}
  , { 263	, _T( "WM_SYSDEADCHAR"					 )}
  , { 265	, _T( "WM_UNICHAR"					 )}
  , { 265	, _T( "WM_KEYLAST"					 )}
  , { 264	, _T( "WM_KEYLAST"					 )}
  , { 269	, _T( "WM_IME_STARTCOMPOSITION"			 	 )}
  , { 270	, _T( "WM_IME_ENDCOMPOSITION"			 	 )}
  , { 271	, _T( "WM_IME_COMPOSITION"				 )}
  , { 271	, _T( "WM_IME_KEYLAST"					 )}
  , { 272	, _T( "WM_INITDIALOG"					 )}
  , { 273	, _T( "WM_COMMAND"					 )}
  , { 274	, _T( "WM_SYSCOMMAND"					 )}
  , { 275	, _T( "WM_TIMER"					 )}
  , { 276	, _T( "WM_HSCROLL"					 )}
  , { 277	, _T( "WM_VSCROLL"					 )}
  , { 278	, _T( "WM_INITMENU"					 )}
  , { 279	, _T( "WM_INITMENUPOPUP"				 )}
  , { 281	, _T( "WM_GESTURE"					 )}
  , { 282	, _T( "WM_GESTURENOTIFY"				 )}
  , { 287	, _T( "WM_MENUSELECT"					 )}
  , { 288	, _T( "WM_MENUCHAR"					 )}
  , { 289	, _T( "WM_ENTERIDLE"					 )}
  , { 290	, _T( "WM_MENURBUTTONUP"				 )}
  , { 291	, _T( "WM_MENUDRAG"					 )}
  , { 292	, _T( "WM_MENUGETOBJECT"				 )}
  , { 293	, _T( "WM_UNINITMENUPOPUP"				 )}
  , { 294	, _T( "WM_MENUCOMMAND"					 )}
  , { 295	, _T( "WM_CHANGEUISTATE"				 )}
  , { 296	, _T( "WM_UPDATEUISTATE"				 )}
  , { 297	, _T( "WM_QUERYUISTATE"					 )}
  , { 306	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLORMSGBOX"				 )}
  , { 307	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLOREDIT"					 )}
  , { 308	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLORLISTBOX"				 )}
  , { 309	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLORBTN"					 )}
  , { 310	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLORDLG"					 )}
  , { 311	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLORSCROLLBAR"			 	 )}
  , { 312	, _T( "WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC"				 )}
  , { 512	, _T( "WM_MOUSEFIRST"					 )}
  , { 512	, _T( "WM_MOUSEMOVE"					 )}
  , { 513	, _T( "WM_LBUTTONDOWN"					 )}
  , { 514	, _T( "WM_LBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 515	, _T( "WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 516	, _T( "WM_RBUTTONDOWN"					 )}
  , { 517	, _T( "WM_RBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 518	, _T( "WM_RBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 519	, _T( "WM_MBUTTONDOWN"					 )}
  , { 520	, _T( "WM_MBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 521	, _T( "WM_MBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 522	, _T( "WM_MOUSEWHEEL"					 )}
  , { 523	, _T( "WM_XBUTTONDOWN"					 )}
  , { 524	, _T( "WM_XBUTTONUP"					 )}
  , { 525	, _T( "WM_XBUTTONDBLCLK"				 )}
  , { 526	, _T( "WM_MOUSEHWHEEL"					 )}
  , { 526	, _T( "WM_MOUSELAST"					 )}
  , { 525	, _T( "WM_MOUSELAST"					 )}
  , { 522	, _T( "WM_MOUSELAST"					 )}
  , { 521	, _T( "WM_MOUSELAST"					 )}
  , { 528	, _T( "WM_PARENTNOTIFY"					 )}
  , { 529	, _T( "WM_ENTERMENULOOP"				 )}
  , { 530	, _T( "WM_EXITMENULOOP"					 )}
  , { 531	, _T( "WM_NEXTMENU"					 )}
  , { 532	, _T( "WM_SIZING"					 )}
  , { 533	, _T( "WM_CAPTURECHANGED"				 )}
  , { 534	, _T( "WM_MOVING"					 )}
  , { 536	, _T( "WM_POWERBROADCAST"				 )}
  , { 537	, _T( "WM_DEVICECHANGE"					 )}
  , { 544	, _T( "WM_MDICREATE"					 )}
  , { 545	, _T( "WM_MDIDESTROY"					 )}
  , { 546	, _T( "WM_MDIACTIVATE"					 )}
  , { 547	, _T( "WM_MDIRESTORE"					 )}
  , { 548	, _T( "WM_MDINEXT"					 )}
  , { 549	, _T( "WM_MDIMAXIMIZE"					 )}
  , { 550	, _T( "WM_MDITILE"					 )}
  , { 551	, _T( "WM_MDICASCADE"					 )}
  , { 552	, _T( "WM_MDIICONARRANGE"				 )}
  , { 553	, _T( "WM_MDIGETACTIVE"					 )}
  , { 560	, _T( "WM_MDISETMENU"					 )}
  , { 561	, _T( "WM_ENTERSIZEMOVE"				 )}
  , { 562	, _T( "WM_EXITSIZEMOVE"					 )}
  , { 563	, _T( "WM_DROPFILES"					 )}
  , { 564	, _T( "WM_MDIREFRESHMENU"				 )}
  , { 576	, _T( "WM_TOUCH"					 )}
  , { 641	, _T( "WM_IME_SETCONTEXT"				 )}
  , { 642	, _T( "WM_IME_NOTIFY"					 )}
  , { 643	, _T( "WM_IME_CONTROL"					 )}
  , { 644	, _T( "WM_IME_COMPOSITIONFULL"			 	 )}
  , { 645	, _T( "WM_IME_SELECT"					 )}
  , { 646	, _T( "WM_IME_CHAR"					 )}
  , { 648	, _T( "WM_IME_REQUEST"					 )}
  , { 656	, _T( "WM_IME_KEYDOWN"					 )}
  , { 657	, _T( "WM_IME_KEYUP"					 )}
  , { 673	, _T( "WM_MOUSEHOVER"					 )}
  , { 675	, _T( "WM_MOUSELEAVE"					 )}
  , { 672	, _T( "WM_NCMOUSEHOVER"					 )}
  , { 674	, _T( "WM_NCMOUSELEAVE"					 )}
  , { 689	, _T( "WM_WTSSESSION_CHANGE"			 	 )}
  , { 704	, _T( "WM_TABLET_FIRST"					 )}
  , { 735	, _T( "WM_TABLET_LAST"					 )}
  , { 768	, _T( "WM_CUT"						 )}
  , { 769	, _T( "WM_COPY"						 )}
  , { 770	, _T( "WM_PASTE"					 )}
  , { 771	, _T( "WM_CLEAR"					 )}
  , { 772	, _T( "WM_UNDO"						 )}
  , { 773	, _T( "WM_RENDERFORMAT"					 )}
  , { 774	, _T( "WM_RENDERALLFORMATS"				 )}
  , { 775	, _T( "WM_DESTROYCLIPBOARD"				 )}
  , { 776	, _T( "WM_DRAWCLIPBOARD"				 )}
  , { 777	, _T( "WM_PAINTCLIPBOARD"				 )}
  , { 778	, _T( "WM_VSCROLLCLIPBOARD"				 )}
  , { 779	, _T( "WM_SIZECLIPBOARD"				 )}
  , { 780	, _T( "WM_ASKCBFORMATNAME"				 )}
  , { 781	, _T( "WM_CHANGECBCHAIN"				 )}
  , { 782	, _T( "WM_HSCROLLCLIPBOARD"				 )}
  , { 783	, _T( "WM_QUERYNEWPALETTE"				 )}
  , { 784	, _T( "WM_PALETTEISCHANGING"			 	 )}
  , { 785	, _T( "WM_PALETTECHANGED"				 )}
  , { 786	, _T( "WM_HOTKEY"					 )}
  , { 791	, _T( "WM_PRINT"					 )}
  , { 792	, _T( "WM_PRINTCLIENT"					 )}
  , { 793	, _T( "WM_APPCOMMAND"					 )}
  , { 794	, _T( "WM_THEMECHANGED"					 )}
  , { 797	, _T( "WM_CLIPBOARDUPDATE"				 )}
  , { 798	, _T( "WM_DWMCOMPOSITIONCHANGED"		 	 )}
  , { 799	, _T( "WM_DWMNCRENDERINGCHANGED"		 	 )}
  , { 800	, _T( "WM_DWMCOLORIZATIONCOLORCHANGED"	 		 )}
  , { 801	, _T( "WM_DWMWINDOWMAXIMIZEDCHANGE"		 	 )}
  , { 803	, _T( "WM_DWMSENDICONICTHUMBNAIL"		 	 )}
  , { 806	, _T( "WM_DWMSENDICONICLIVEPREVIEWBITMAP"		 )}
  , { 831	, _T( "WM_GETTITLEBARINFOEX"			 	 )}
  , { 856	, _T( "WM_HANDHELDFIRST"				 )}
  , { 863	, _T( "WM_HANDHELDLAST"					 )}
  , { 864	, _T( "WM_AFXFIRST"					 )}
  , { 895	, _T( "WM_AFXLAST"					 )}
  , { 896	, _T( "WM_PENWINFIRST"					 )}
  , { 911	, _T( "WM_PENWINLAST"					 )}
  , { 32768	, _T( "WM_APP"						 )}
  , { 1024	, _T( "WM_USER"						 )}
  , { 32	, _T( "WM_NCCALCSIZE"					 )}
  , { 1024	, _T( "WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING"			 	 )}
  , { 4		, _T( "WM_ERASEBACKGROUND"				 )}
  , { 256	, _T( "WM_ENTERIDLE"					 )}
  , { 128	, _T( "WM_CHAR"						 )}
	};

for ( int i = 0; i <= sizeof ( swinmsgdefkodename_a) / sizeof ( SWinMsgDefKodeName); i++)
  if ( swinmsgdefkodename_a [ i].nKode == unWM_WinMsgCode)
  {
    lstrcpy ( tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName, swinmsgdefkodename_a [ i].tchar_aName);
    return tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName;
  }

 return ( tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName = NULL);
} 

Keep in mind that the function does not allocate the required memory, so the caller must do this duty, like this:

TCHAR* tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName = NULL;
tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName = ( TCHAR *)( malloc ( sizeof ( TCHAR) * 64));
if ( tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName != NULL)
{
  Code2WM_MSG ( tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName, unWM_WinMsgCode);
  if ( tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName != NULL)
  {
    // Make use of it.
  }
  free ( tchar_pStringZero_WM_WinMsgName);
}  

Here, I have assumed that the message-code is stored in a variable, named, unWM_WinMsgCode.