How to use Windows ToolTip Control without bounding to a tool

Question

I want to use the native windows tooltip control (pure Win32 API, no MFC stuff).

I read the doc, it seems that I have to send a TTM_ADDTOOL message to bond a tool to

Answer 1

Addition Windows 10 (Visual Studio 2015, Win32 Console Application)

#include "Commctrl.h"                   
#pragma comment (lib,"comctl32.lib")    
#pragma comment(linker,"\"/manifestdependency:type='win32' \
name='Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls' version='6.0.0.0' \
processorArchitecture='*' publicKeyToken='6595b64144ccf1df' language='*'\"")

TOOLINFOW ti = {};
ti.cbSize = sizeof(TOOLINFOW);
ti.uFlags = TTF_ABSOLUTE | TTF_IDISHWND | TTF_TRACK ; // WITH TTF_TRACK! Otherwise the tooltip doesn't follow TTM_TRACKPOSITION message!
ti.hwnd = toolTipWnd;                       
ti.hinst = 0;
ti.uId = (UINT)toolTipWnd;
ti.lpszText = L"";

LRESULT result; 
int error; 
if (!SendMessageW(toolTipWnd, TTM_ADDTOOLW, 0, (LPARAM)&ti)) {
    MessageBox(NULL, L"Couldn't create the ToolTip control.", L"Error", MB_OK);
    error = 0;
    error = GetLastError();
}
if (!SendMessageW(toolTipWnd, TTM_SETMAXTIPWIDTH, 0, (LPARAM)350)) {
    MessageBox(NULL, L"Couldn't create the ToolTip control.", L"Error", MB_OK);
    error = 0;
    error = GetLastError();
}

Answer 2

You need to call TTM_ADDTOOL at least once, you can't call TTM_SETTOOLINFO or get TTN_GETDISPINFO without it AFAIK.

If your target it XP+ you can get away with using TTM_POPUP to display the tip at any position and at any time (But you need to handle the initial delay yourself unless you want a tracking tooltip)

Generally you call TTM_ADDTOOL and associate it with a rectangle (TOOLINFO.rect) or a child window, or you can set the text to LPSTR_TEXTCALLBACK and handle TTN_GETDISPINFO if everything has a tip. MSDN has some sample code you should take a look at...