C++ Win32 Static Control Transparent Background

Question

Solution: As said below, it is probably better to create your own method for the text, instead of trying to get the control to behave abnormally. So, creati

Answer 1

No need to do Owner Draw, you can just use SetWindowText() and handle the WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC message, see the code in this SO Answer <-- this will not work if the window has a pattern background, we need to subclass the static control and use the transparent background mode while drawing the text:

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmdShow)
{   MSG msg;
    WNDCLASS w;

    hInst = hInstance;
    memset(&w,0,sizeof(WNDCLASS));
    w.style = CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW;
    w.lpfnWndProc = WndProc;
    w.hInstance = hInst;
    w.hbrBackground = CreateHatchBrush(HS_DIAGCROSS, RGB(255, 0, 0));
    w.lpszClassName = L"My Class";
    w.hCursor = LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW); 
    RegisterClass(&w);

    HWND hWndWindow = CreateWindow(L"My Class", L"My title", WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, 300, 200, 800, 600, NULL, NULL, hInst, NULL);

    ShowWindow(hWndWindow, nCmdShow);
    UpdateWindow(hWndWindow);

    while(GetMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0))
    {   TranslateMessage(&msg);
        DispatchMessage(&msg);
    }

    DeleteObject(w.hbrBackground);

    return msg.wParam;
}

WNDPROC StaticWndProc = NULL;
TCHAR szText[] = _T("TestString");

LRESULT CALLBACK MyStaticWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT Message, WPARAM wparam, LPARAM lparam)
{   if (Message == WM_PAINT)
    {   RECT rc;
        PAINTSTRUCT ps;
        HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hwnd, &ps);
        GetClientRect(hwnd, &rc);
        SetBkMode(hdc, TRANSPARENT);
        DrawText(hdc, szText, _tcslen(szText), &rc, DT_CENTER | DT_VCENTER);
        EndPaint(hwnd, &ps);
        return 0;
    }

      //v2 StaticWndProc(hwnd, Message, wparam, lparam);
    return CallWindowProc(StaticWndProc, hwnd, Message, wparam, lparam); //v2
}

HWND hWndStatic; //v2
LONG WINAPI WndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT Message, WPARAM wparam, LPARAM lparam)
{   switch (Message)
    {   case WM_CREATE:
        {   LRESULT lRes = DefWindowProc(hwnd, Message, wparam, lparam);
            hWndStatic = CreateWindowEx(0, L"Static", NULL, WS_CHILD| WS_VISIBLE |SS_LEFT, 10, 130, 200, 40, hwnd, NULL, hInst, NULL); //v2 deleted HWND
            StaticWndProc = (WNDPROC) SetWindowLong(hWndStatic, GWL_WNDPROC, (LPARAM)MyStaticWndProc);
            return lRes;
        }

        case WM_DESTROY: 
            SetWindowLong(hWndStatic, GWL_WNDPROC, (LPARAM)StaticWndProc); //v2
            PostQuitMessage(0);
            break;

        default:
            return DefWindowProc(hwnd, Message, wparam, lparam);
    }

    return 0;
}