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How to Set a Font for All Child Windows

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7 Dec 1999 101.4K   1.8K   22   6
A technique for changing the font for all child windows in your main application

This article shows how to change the font for all child windows using only one line with a callback function.

The idea is to create a callback function that is passed to Win32 API function ::EnumChildWindows(). Somewhere in the application, global CFont object is created. Pointer to this object is passed as a third argument in EnumChildWindows(). This argument is passed to a callback function together with a handle to a child window. Using these 2 arguments, the function changes the font for the child window.

Using this technique, it is very easy to:

  • Change the font for main frame window, its child views and a status bar from CMainFrame::OnCreate().
  • Change the font for all dialog controls from OnInitDialog().

The Callback function looks like this:

C++
// lParam is a pointer to CFont object
BOOL __stdcall SetChildFont(HWND hwnd, LPARAM lparam)
{
   CFont *pFont = (CFont*)lparam;
   CWnd *pWnd = CWnd::FromHandle(hwnd);
   pWnd->SetFont(pFont);
   return TRUE;
}

This callback function is used from OnCreate() or OnInitDialog() in the following way:

C++
...
// g_Font is an object of type CFont or derived from CFont
EnumChildWindows(m_hWnd, ::SetChildFont, &g_Font);
...

License

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Written By
Web Developer SCA d.o.o.
Serbia Serbia
I am a cofounder of SCA Software, company that specializes in software for process control, visualization and communication. Programming for the last 10 years in C++, Delphi. Visual C++ for the last 6 years. Degree in Electronics Engineering and Telecommunications.

Comments and Discussions

 
QuestionCFrameWnd font? Pin
Spitfed25-Sep-06 4:17
Spitfed25-Sep-06 4:17 
Doesn't change main frame's font and this won't work...

// In CWinApp::InitInstance...
m_pMainFrame->SetFont(g_font.GetFont());

So I'd change your article a little bit if I were you Big Grin | :-D


Only reading your source and not compiling it as am investigating why
CFrameWnd::SetFont() doesn't set fonts (CFrameWnd::GetFont() always
returns NULL) in my application. CWnd interface for frames do the same.

spitfed@hotmail.com

Questionhow to change font size? Pin
Hua Hsin27-Apr-04 18:15
Hua Hsin27-Apr-04 18:15 
AnswerRe: how to change font size? Pin
ianw.moore26-Jul-04 23:03
ianw.moore26-Jul-04 23:03 
Questionhow to set to the particular control? Pin
Hua Hsin27-Apr-04 17:00
Hua Hsin27-Apr-04 17:00 
GeneralMemory problems fixed, but now more problems Pin
Jason24-Oct-00 8:34
Jason24-Oct-00 8:34 
GeneralMemory leaks Pin
JasonH6-Oct-00 9:03
JasonH6-Oct-00 9:03 

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