I have a potentially foolish question to ask.

I'm new to windows programming and I understand using child windows for controls on your main window (i.e. buttons, edits and listboxes). What I would like to do is have a help window pop-up for users when they double-click on a listbox item. The problem is that the main window is only 400x300 pixels and the help window would need to be larger.

Is it possible to create a help window when I create the main window but have it invisible and disabled until a user does something that requires it's presence? Then have it disappear when they click on it?

I'd also like to have a window that displays a list of variables, Would I send it a WM_PAINT msg via SendMessage whenever the user changes a variable?

Thanks
Steve

Steve & Denise De Chellis wrote:

> I have a potentially foolish question to ask.
>
> I'm new to windows programming and I understand using child windows for controls on your main window (i.e. buttons, edits and listboxes). What I would like to do is have a help window pop-up for users when they double-click on a listbox item. The problem is that the main window is only 400x300 pixels and the help window would need to be larger.
>
> Is it possible to create a help window when I create the main window but have it invisible and disabled until a user does something that requires it's presence? Then have it disappear when they click on it?

It is possible, just do not create it with the WS_VISIBLE style and use ShowWindow to display it.

I would create the help window when it is requested though.

> I'd also like to have a window that displays a list of variables, Would I send it a WM_PAINT msg via SendMessage whenever the user changes a variable?

Look into InvalidateRect and UpdateWindow.

Jan