How do I create a tab control with win32 api (without using dialogs)

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I'm learning windows api, I'm familiar now with it but the last thing I want to do is to make a tab control in the main window. Most of the tutorials suggest to use dialogs with it, but I'm confused. I cannot find full working example, maybe someone can share something about it because it is something that is missing.
Also I tried MFC but still the same, all tutorials and articles doing the same, creating a dialog based application and dropping tab control. I have a to make a big project, so it is a mandatory for to have a tab control in the main window.
Hope we can contribute together in a working example for this problem.
Thanks in advance.

What I have tried:

I tried an approach, someone on youtube has an example:
Video 18 Tab Control Window Creation - YouTube[^]

For now I will go with this approach, but I have some issues when I maximize the window, it says: Failed to register the window class.
I want to know if this example is a good approach. I I cannot find a solution, I have to use Lazarus/Free pascal.
I really want to make a desktop application with C++, my idea is to make project management software like Jira.

Posted 5-Mar-22 0:08am

Erald Guri 2021

Updated 5-Mar-22 14:32pm

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merano99 · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-05T14:32:00

I want to know if this example is a good approach.

The Youtube solution seems to be a bit cumbersome. In particular, the code for the notify message could be solved with less effort.
Basically it should look like Richard McCutchan suggested.

C++

BOOL OnNotify(HWND hwndTab, HWND* hwndDisplay, LPARAM lParam)
{
	static int actualPage = 0;

	switch (((LPNMHDR)lParam)->code)
		{
			case TCN_SELCHANGING:
				{
					// Return FALSE to allow the selection to change.
					return FALSE;
				}

			case TCN_SELCHANGE:
				{
					int iPage = TabCtrl_GetCurSel(hwndTab);
					ShowWindow(hwndDisplay[actualPage], FALSE);
					ShowWindow(hwndDisplay[iPage], TRUE);
					actualPage = iPage;
					break;
				}
		}
		return TRUE;
}

Richard MacCutchan · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-05T01:22:00

Solution 1

The documentation on MSDN has all the details: About Tab Controls - Win32 apps | Microsoft Docs[^].

Note: experience by members of this site suggests that YouTube videos rarely provide very good learning. Stick to the written word.

Posted 5-Mar-22 1:22am

Richard MacCutchan