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Windows and Messages

Article01/24/2023

Overview of the Windows and Messages technology.

The Windows and Messages technology is not associated with any headers.

For programming guidance for this technology, see:

Windows and Messages

Functions

AdjustWindowRect

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired client-rectangle size.
The window rectangle can then be passed to the CreateWindow function to create a window
whose client area is the desired size.

AdjustWindowRectEx

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired size of the client
rectangle. The window rectangle can then be passed to the CreateWindowEx function to create a
window whose client area is the desired size.

AllowSetForegroundWindow

Enables the specified process to set the foreground window using the SetForegroundWindow
function. The calling process must already be able to set the foreground window. For more
information, see Remarks later in this topic.

AnimateWindow

Enables you to produce special effects when showing or hiding windows. There are four types of
animation:_roll, slide, collapse or expand, and alpha-blended fade.

AnyPopup

Indicates whether an owned, visible, top-level pop-up, or overlapped window exists on the screen.
The function searches the entire screen, not just the calling application's client area.

ArrangeIconicWindows

Arranges all the minimized (iconic) child windows of the specified parent window.
BeginDeferWindowPos

Allocates memory for a multiple-window- position structure and returns the handle to the
structure.

BringWindowToTop

Brings the specified window to the top of the Z order. If the window is a top-level window, it is
activated. If the window is a child window, the top-level parent window associated with the child
window is activated.

BroadcastSystemMessage

The BroadcastSystemMessage function sends a message to the specified recipients.

(BroadcastSystemMessage)

BroadcastSystemMessageA

Sends a message to the specified recipients. (BroadcastSystemMessageA)

BroadcastSystemMessageExA

Sends a message to the specified recipients. (BroadcastSystemMessageExA)

BroadcastSystemMessageExW

Sends a message to the specified recipients. (BroadcastSystemMessageExW)

BroadcastSystemMessageW

The BroadcastSystemMessageW (Unicode) function sends a message to the specified recipients.

(BroadcastSystemMessageW)

CalculatePopupWindowPosition

Calculates an appropriate pop-up window position using the specified anchor point, pop-up
window size, flags, and the optional exclude rectangle.

CallMsgFilterA

Passes the specified message and hook code to the hook procedures associated with the
WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks. (ANSI)

CallMsgFilterW

Passes the specified message and hook code to the hook procedures associated with the
WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks. (Unicode)
CallNextHookEx

Passes the hook information to the next hook procedure in the current hook chain. A hook
procedure can call this function either before or after processing the hook information.

CallWindowProcA

Passes message information to the specified window procedure. (ANSI)

CallWindowProcW

Passes message information to the specified window procedure. (Unicode)

CascadeWindows

Cascades the specified child windows of the specified parent window.

ChangeWindowMessageFilter

Adds or removes a message from the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) message filter.

ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx

Modifies the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) message filter for a specified window.

ChildWindowFromPoint

Determines which, if any, of the child windows belonging to a parent window contains the
specified point. The search is restricted to immediate child windows. Grandchildren, and deeper
descendant windows are not searched.

ChildWindowFromPointEx

Determines which, if any, of the child windows belonging to the specified parent window contains
the specified point.

CloseWindow

Minimizes (but does not destroy) the specified window.

CreateMDIWindowA

Creates a multiple-document interface (MDI) child window. (ANSI)

CreateMDIWindowW

Creates a multiple-document interface (MDI) child window. (Unicode)

CreateWindowA

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window. (ANSI)

CreateWindowExA

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window with an extended window style; otherwise, this
function is identical to the CreateWindow function. (ANSI)

CreateWindowExW

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window with an extended window style; otherwise, this
function is identical to the CreateWindow function. (Unicode)

CreateWindowW

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window. (Unicode)

DeferWindowPos

Updates the specified multiple-window � position structure for the specified window.

DefFrameProcA

Provides default processing for any window messages that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) frame window does not process. (ANSI)

DefFrameProcW

Provides default processing for any window messages that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) frame window does not process. (Unicode)

DefMDIChildProcA

Provides default processing for any window message that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) child window does not process. (ANSI)

DefMDIChildProcW

Provides default processing for any window message that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) child window does not process. (Unicode)

DefWindowProcA

Calls the default window procedure to provide default processing for any window messages that
an application does not process. (ANSI)
DefWindowProcW

Calls the default window procedure to provide default processing for any window messages that
an application does not process. (Unicode)

DeregisterShellHookWindow

Unregisters a specified Shell window that is registered to receive Shell hook messages.

DestroyWindow

Destroys the specified window.

DispatchMessage

The DispatchMessage function dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used

to dispatch a message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

DispatchMessageA

Dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used to dispatch a message retrieved

by the GetMessage function. (DispatchMessageA)

DispatchMessageW

The DispatchMessageW (Unicode) function dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is

typically used to dispatch a message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

EndDeferWindowPos

Simultaneously updates the position and size of one or more windows in a single screen-
refreshing cycle.

EndTask

Forcibly closes the specified window.

EnumChildWindows

Enumerates the child windows that belong to the specified parent window by passing the handle
to each child window, in turn, to an application-defined callback function.

EnumPropsA

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumProps continues until the last entry is enumerated or the callback
function returns FALSE. (ANSI)
EnumPropsExA

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumPropsEx continues until the last entry is enumerated or the
callback function returns FALSE. (ANSI)

EnumPropsExW

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumPropsEx continues until the last entry is enumerated or the
callback function returns FALSE. (Unicode)

EnumPropsW

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumProps continues until the last entry is enumerated or the callback
function returns FALSE. (Unicode)

EnumThreadWindows

Enumerates all nonchild windows associated with a thread by passing the handle to each window,
in turn, to an application-defined callback function.

EnumWindows

Enumerates all top-level windows on the screen by passing the handle to each window, in turn, to
an application-defined callback function. EnumWindows continues until the last top-level window
is enumerated or the callback function returns FALSE.

FindWindowA

Retrieves a handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match the
specified strings. This function does not search child windows. This function does not perform a
case-sensitive search. (ANSI)

FindWindowExA

Retrieves a handle to a window whose class name and window name match the specified strings.
The function searches child windows, beginning with the one following the specified child
window. This function does not perform a case-sensitive search. (ANSI)

FindWindowExW

Retrieves a handle to a window whose class name and window name match the specified strings.
The function searches child windows, beginning with the one following the specified child
window. This function does not perform a case-sensitive search. (Unicode)
FindWindowW

Retrieves a handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match the
specified strings. This function does not search child windows. This function does not perform a
case-sensitive search. (Unicode)

GET_X_LPARAM

Retrieves the signed x-coordinate from the specified LPARAM value.

GET_Y_LPARAM

Retrieves the signed y-coordinate from the given LPARAM value.

GetAltTabInfoA

Retrieves status information for the specified window if it is the application-switching (ALT+TAB)
window. (ANSI)

GetAltTabInfoW

Retrieves status information for the specified window if it is the application-switching (ALT+TAB)
window. (Unicode)

GetAncestor

Retrieves the handle to the ancestor of the specified window.

GetClassInfoA

Retrieves information about a window class. (ANSI)

GetClassInfoExA

Retrieves information about a window class, including a handle to the small icon associated with
the window class. The GetClassInfo function does not retrieve a handle to the small icon. (ANSI)

GetClassInfoExW

Retrieves information about a window class, including a handle to the small icon associated with
the window class. The GetClassInfo function does not retrieve a handle to the small icon.
(Unicode)

GetClassInfoW

Retrieves information about a window class. (Unicode)

GetClassLongA

Retrieves the specified 32-bit (DWORD) value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with
the specified window. (ANSI)

GetClassLongPtrA

Retrieves the specified value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with the specified
window. (ANSI)

GetClassLongPtrW

Retrieves the specified value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with the specified
window. (Unicode)

GetClassLongW

Retrieves the specified 32-bit (DWORD) value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with
the specified window. (Unicode)

GetClassName

The GetClassName function retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window
belongs. (GetClassName)

GetClassNameA

Retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window belongs. (GetClassNameA)

GetClassNameW

The GetClassNameW (Unicode) function retrieves the name of the class to which the specified
window belongs. (GetClassNameW)

GetClassWord

Retrieves the 16-bit (WORD) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory for the
window class to which the specified window belongs.

GetClientRect

Retrieves the coordinates of a window's client area.

GetDesktopWindow

Retrieves a handle to the desktop window. The desktop window covers the entire screen. The
desktop window is the area on top of which other windows are painted.
GetForegroundWindow

Retrieves a handle to the foreground window (the window with which the user is currently
working). The system assigns a slightly higher priority to the thread that creates the foreground
window than it does to other threads.

GetGUIThreadInfo

Retrieves information about the active window or a specified GUI thread.

GetInputState

Determines whether there are mouse-button or keyboard messages in the calling thread's
message queue.

GetLastActivePopup

Determines which pop-up window owned by the specified window was most recently active.

GetLayeredWindowAttributes

Retrieves the opacity and transparency color key of a layered window.

GetMessage

The GetMessage function retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue.
(GetMessage)

GetMessageA

Retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue. The function dispatches incoming
sent messages until a posted message is available for retrieval. (GetMessageA)

GetMessageExtraInfo

Retrieves the extra message information for the current thread. Extra message information is an
application- or driver-defined value associated with the current thread's message queue.

GetMessagePos

Retrieves the cursor position for the last message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

GetMessageTime

Retrieves the message time for the last message retrieved by the GetMessage function.
GetMessageW

The GetMessageW function (Unicode) retrieves a message from the calling thread's message
queue. (GetMessageW)

GetNextWindow

Retrieves a handle to the next or previous window in the Z-Order. The next window is below the
specified window; the previous window is above.

GetParent

Retrieves a handle to the specified window's parent or owner.

GetProcessDefaultLayout

Retrieves the default layout that is used when windows are created with no parent or owner.

GetPropA

Retrieves a data handle from the property list of the specified window. The character string
identifies the handle to be retrieved. The string and handle must have been added to the property
list by a previous call to the SetProp function. (ANSI)

GetPropW

Retrieves a data handle from the property list of the specified window. The character string
identifies the handle to be retrieved. The string and handle must have been added to the property
list by a previous call to the SetProp function. (Unicode)

GetQueueStatus

Retrieves the type of messages found in the calling thread's message queue.

GetShellWindow

Retrieves a handle to the Shell's desktop window.

GetSysColor

Retrieves the current color of the specified display element.

GetSystemMetrics

Retrieves the specified system metric or system configuration setting.

GetTitleBarInfo

Retrieves information about the specified title bar.

GetTopWindow

Examines the Z order of the child windows associated with the specified parent window and
retrieves a handle to the child window at the top of the Z order.

GetWindow

Retrieves a handle to a window that has the specified relationship (Z-Order or owner) to the
specified window.

GetWindowDisplayAffinity

Retrieves the current display affinity setting, from any process, for a given window.

GetWindowInfo

Retrieves information about the specified window. (GetWindowInfo)

GetWindowLongA

Retrieves information about the specified window. (GetWindowLongA)

GetWindowLongPtrA

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the value at a
specified offset into the extra window memory. (ANSI)

GetWindowLongPtrW

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the value at a
specified offset into the extra window memory. (Unicode)

GetWindowLongW

Retrieves information about the specified window. (GetWindowLongW)

GetWindowModuleFileNameA

Retrieves the full path and file name of the module associated with the specified window handle.
(ANSI)

GetWindowModuleFileNameW

Retrieves the full path and file name of the module associated with the specified window handle.
(Unicode)
GetWindowPlacement

Retrieves the show state and the restored, minimized, and maximized positions of the specified
window.

GetWindowRect

Retrieves the dimensions of the bounding rectangle of the specified window. The dimensions are
given in screen coordinates that are relative to the upper-left corner of the screen.

GetWindowTextA

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer. If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is copied. However, GetWindowText cannot retrieve
the text of a control in another application. (ANSI)

GetWindowTextLengthA

Retrieves the length, in characters, of the specified window's title bar text (if the window has a title
bar). (ANSI)

GetWindowTextLengthW

Retrieves the length, in characters, of the specified window's title bar text (if the window has a title
bar). (Unicode)

GetWindowTextW

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer. If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is copied. However, GetWindowText cannot retrieve
the text of a control in another application. (Unicode)

GetWindowThreadProcessId

Retrieves the identifier of the thread that created the specified window and, optionally, the
identifier of the process that created the window.

GetWindowWord

Retrieves the 16-bit (DWORD) value at the specified offset into the extra window memor

HOOKPROC

An application-defined or library-defined callback function used with the SetWindowsHookEx

function. The system calls this function after the SendMessage function is called. The hook
procedure can examine the message; it cannot modify it.
InSendMessage

Determines whether the current window procedure is processing a message that was sent from
another thread (in the same process or a different process) by a call to the SendMessage function.

InSendMessageEx

Determines whether the current window procedure is processing a message that was sent from
another thread (in the same process or a different process).

InternalGetWindowText

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer.

IsChild

Determines whether a window is a child window or descendant window of a specified parent

window.

IsGUIThread

Determines whether the calling thread is already a GUI thread. It can also optionally convert the
thread to a GUI thread.

IsHungAppWindow

Determines whether the system considers that a specified application is not responding.

IsIconic

Determines whether the specified window is minimized (iconic).

IsProcessDPIAware

IsProcessDPIAware may be altered or unavailable. Instead, use GetProcessDPIAwareness.

IsWindow

Determines whether the specified window handle identifies an existing window.

IsWindowArranged

Determines whether the specified window is arranged (that is, whether it's snapped).

IsWindowUnicode

Determines whether the specified window is a native Unicode window.

IsWindowVisible

Determines the visibility state of the specified window.

IsZoomed

Determines whether a window is maximized.

KillTimer

Destroys the specified timer.

LockSetForegroundWindow

The foreground process can call the LockSetForegroundWindow function to disable calls to the
SetForegroundWindow function.

LogicalToPhysicalPoint

Converts the logical coordinates of a point in a window to physical coordinates.

MAKELPARAM

Creates a value for use as an lParam parameter in a message. The macro concatenates the
specified values.

MAKELRESULT

Creates a value for use as a return value from a window procedure. The macro concatenates the
specified values.

MAKEWPARAM

Creates a value for use as a wParam parameter in a message. The macro concatenates the
specified values.

MoveWindow

Changes the position and dimensions of the specified window.

OpenIcon

Restores a minimized (iconic) window to its previous size and position; it then activates the
window.

PeekMessageA

Dispatches incoming nonqueued messages, checks the thread message queue for a posted
message, and retrieves the message (if any exist). (ANSI)
PeekMessageW

Dispatches incoming nonqueued messages, checks the thread message queue for a posted
message, and retrieves the message (if any exist). (Unicode)

PhysicalToLogicalPoint

Converts the physical coordinates of a point in a window to logical coordinates.

PostMessageA

Places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created the
specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message. (ANSI)

PostMessageW

Places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created the
specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message. (Unicode)

PostQuitMessage

Indicates to the system that a thread has made a request to terminate (quit). It is typically used in
response to a WM_DESTROY message.

PostThreadMessageA

Posts a message to the message queue of the specified thread. It returns without waiting for the
thread to process the message. (ANSI)

PostThreadMessageW

Posts a message to the message queue of the specified thread. It returns without waiting for the
thread to process the message. (Unicode)

PROPENUMPROCA

An application-defined callback function used with the EnumProps function. (ANSI)

PROPENUMPROCEXA

Application-defined callback function used with the EnumPropsEx function. (ANSI)

PROPENUMPROCEXW

Application-defined callback function used with the EnumPropsEx function. (Unicode)

PROPENUMPROCW

An application-defined callback function used with the EnumProps function. (Unicode)

RealChildWindowFromPoint

Retrieves a handle to the child window at the specified point. The search is restricted to
immediate child windows; grandchildren and deeper descendant windows are not searched.

RealGetWindowClassA

Retrieves a string that specifies the window type. (ANSI)

RealGetWindowClassW

Retrieves a string that specifies the window type. (Unicode)

RegisterClassA

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassA)

RegisterClassExA

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassExA)

RegisterClassExW

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassExW)

RegisterClassW

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassW)

RegisterShellHookWindow

Registers a specified Shell window to receive certain messages for events or notifications that are
useful to Shell applications.

RegisterWindowMessageA

Defines a new window message that is guaranteed to be unique throughout the system. The
message value can be used when sending or posting messages. (ANSI)

RegisterWindowMessageW

Defines a new window message that is guaranteed to be unique throughout the system. The
message value can be used when sending or posting messages. (Unicode)
RemovePropA

Removes an entry from the property list of the specified window. The specified character string
identifies the entry to be removed. (ANSI)

RemovePropW

Removes an entry from the property list of the specified window. The specified character string
identifies the entry to be removed. (Unicode)

ReplyMessage

Replies to a message sent from another thread by the SendMessage function.

SENDASYNCPROC

An application-defined callback function used with the SendMessageCallback function.

SendMessage

The SendMessage function sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendMessage
function)

SendMessageA

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. The SendMessage function calls the
window procedure for the specified window and does not return until the window procedure has
processed the message. (SendMessageA)

SendMessageCallbackA

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendMessageCallbackA)

SendMessageCallbackW

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendMessageCallbackW)

SendMessageTimeoutA

Sends the specified message to one or more windows. (ANSI)

SendMessageTimeoutW

Sends the specified message to one or more windows. (Unicode)

SendMessageW

The SendMessageW (Unicode) function sends the specified message to a window or windows.
(SendMessageW)
SendNotifyMessageA

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendNotifyMessageA)

SendNotifyMessageW

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendNotifyMessageW)

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses is a performance assist API to help applications with a

multi-process application model where multiple processes contribute to a foreground experience,
either as data or rendering.

SetClassLongA

Replaces the specified 32-bit (long) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory or the
WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (ANSI)

SetClassLongPtrA

Replaces the specified value at the specified offset in the extra class memory or the WNDCLASSEX
structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (ANSI)

SetClassLongPtrW

Replaces the specified value at the specified offset in the extra class memory or the WNDCLASSEX
structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (Unicode)

SetClassLongW

Replaces the specified 32-bit (long) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory or the
WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (Unicode)

SetClassWord

Replaces the 16-bit (WORD) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory for the
window class to which the specified window belongs.

SetCoalescableTimer

Creates a timer with the specified time-out value and coalescing tolerance delay.

SetForegroundWindow

Brings the thread that created the specified window into the foreground and activates the
window.
SetLayeredWindowAttributes

Sets the opacity and transparency color key of a layered window.

SetMessageExtraInfo

Sets the extra message information for the current thread.

SetParent

Changes the parent window of the specified child window.

SetProcessDefaultLayout

Changes the default layout when windows are created with no parent or owner only for the
currently running process.

SetProcessDPIAware

SetProcessDPIAware may be altered or unavailable. Instead, use SetProcessDPIAwareness.

SetPropA

Adds a new entry or changes an existing entry in the property list of the specified window. (ANSI)

SetPropW

Adds a new entry or changes an existing entry in the property list of the specified window.
(Unicode)

SetSysColors

Sets the colors for the specified display elements.

SetTimer

Creates a timer with the specified time-out value.

SetWindowDisplayAffinity

Stores the display affinity setting in kernel mode on the hWnd associated with the window.

SetWindowLongA

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets the 32-bit (long) value at the
specified offset into the extra window memory. (ANSI)
SetWindowLongPtrA

Changes an attribute of the specified window. (ANSI)

SetWindowLongPtrW

Changes an attribute of the specified window. (Unicode)

SetWindowLongW

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets the 32-bit (long) value at the
specified offset into the extra window memory. (Unicode)

SetWindowPlacement

Sets the show state and the restored, minimized, and maximized positions of the specified
window.

SetWindowPos

Changes the size, position, and Z order of a child, pop-up, or top-level window. These windows
are ordered according to their appearance on the screen. The topmost window receives the
highest rank and is the first window in the Z order.

SetWindowsHookExA

Installs an application-defined hook procedure into a hook chain. (ANSI)

SetWindowsHookExW

Installs an application-defined hook procedure into a hook chain. (Unicode)

SetWindowTextA

Changes the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one). If the specified window is a
control, the text of the control is changed. However, SetWindowText cannot change the text of a
control in another application. (ANSI)

SetWindowTextW

Changes the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one). If the specified window is a
control, the text of the control is changed. However, SetWindowText cannot change the text of a
control in another application. (Unicode)

ShowOwnedPopups

Shows or hides all pop-up windows owned by the specified window.

ShowWindow

Sets the specified window's show state.

ShowWindowAsync

Sets the show state of a window without waiting for the operation to complete.

SoundSentry

Triggers a visual signal to indicate that a sound is playing.

SwitchToThisWindow

Switches focus to the specified window and brings it to the foreground.

SystemParametersInfoA

Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. (ANSI)

SystemParametersInfoW

Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. (Unicode)

TileWindows

Tiles the specified child windows of the specified parent window.

TIMERPROC

An application-defined callback function that processes WM_TIMER messages. The TIMERPROC

type defines a pointer to this callback function. TimerProc is a placeholder for the application-
defined function name.

TranslateMDISysAccel

Processes accelerator keystrokes for window menu commands of the multiple-document interface
(MDI) child windows associated with the specified MDI client window.

TranslateMessage

Translates virtual-key messages into character messages. The character messages are posted to
the calling thread's message queue, to be read the next time the thread calls the GetMessage or
PeekMessage function.

UnhookWindowsHookEx

Removes a hook procedure installed in a hook chain by the SetWindowsHookEx function.

UnregisterClassA

Unregisters a window class, freeing the memory required for the class. (ANSI)

UnregisterClassW

Unregisters a window class, freeing the memory required for the class. (Unicode)

UpdateLayeredWindow

Updates the position, size, shape, content, and translucency of a layered window.

WaitMessage

Yields control to other threads when a thread has no other messages in its message queue. The
WaitMessage function suspends the thread and does not return until a new message is placed in
the thread's message queue.

WindowFromPhysicalPoint

Retrieves a handle to the window that contains the specified physical point.

WindowFromPoint

Retrieves a handle to the window that contains the specified point.

WinMain

The user-provided entry point for a graphical Windows-based application.

WNDPROC

A callback function, which you define in your application, that processes messages sent to a
window.

Structures

ALTTABINFO

Contains status information for the application-switching (ALT+TAB) window.

ANIMATIONINFO

Describes the animation effects associated with user actions.

AUDIODESCRIPTION

Contains information associated with audio descriptions. This structure is used with the
SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETAUDIODESCRIPTION or
SPI_SETAUDIODESCRIPTION action value is specified.

BSMINFO

Contains information about a window that denied a request from BroadcastSystemMessageEx.

CBT_CREATEWNDA

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is created.
(ANSI)

CBT_CREATEWNDW

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is created.
(Unicode)

CBTACTIVATESTRUCT

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is

activated.

CHANGEFILTERSTRUCT

Contains extended result information obtained by calling the ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx

function.

CLIENTCREATESTRUCT

Contains information about the menu and first multiple-document interface (MDI) child window
of an MDI client window.

CREATESTRUCTA

Defines the initialization parameters passed to the window procedure of an application. These
members are identical to the parameters of the CreateWindowEx function. (ANSI)

CREATESTRUCTW

Defines the initialization parameters passed to the window procedure of an application. These
members are identical to the parameters of the CreateWindowEx function. (Unicode)

CWPRETSTRUCT

Defines the message parameters passed to a WH_CALLWNDPROCRET hook procedure,

CallWndRetProc.
CWPSTRUCT

Defines the message parameters passed to a WH_CALLWNDPROC hook procedure, CallWndProc.

DEBUGHOOKINFO

Contains debugging information passed to a WH_DEBUG hook procedure, DebugProc.

EVENTMSG

Contains information about a hardware message sent to the system message queue. This
structure is used to store message information for the JournalPlaybackProc callback function.

GUITHREADINFO

Contains information about a GUI thread.

KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT

Contains information about a low-level keyboard input event.

MDICREATESTRUCTA

Contains information about the class, title, owner, location, and size of a multiple-document
interface (MDI) child window. (ANSI)

MDICREATESTRUCTW

Contains information about the class, title, owner, location, and size of a multiple-document
interface (MDI) child window. (Unicode)

MINIMIZEDMETRICS

Contains the scalable metrics associated with minimized windows.

MINMAXINFO

Contains information about a window's maximized size and position and its minimum and
maximum tracking size.

MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT

Contains information about a mouse event passed to a WH_MOUSE hook procedure, MouseProc.

MOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX

Contains information about a mouse event passed to a WH_MOUSE hook procedure, MouseProc.
This is an extension of the MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT structure that includes information about wheel
movement or the use of the X button.
MSG

Contains message information from a thread's message queue.

MSLLHOOKSTRUCT

Contains information about a low-level mouse input event.

NCCALCSIZE_PARAMS

Contains information that an application can use while processing the WM_NCCALCSIZE message
to calculate the size, position, and valid contents of the client area of a window.

NONCLIENTMETRICSA

Contains the scalable metrics associated with the nonclient area of a nonminimized window.
(ANSI)

NONCLIENTMETRICSW

Contains the scalable metrics associated with the nonclient area of a nonminimized window.
(Unicode)

STYLESTRUCT

Contains the styles for a window.

TITLEBARINFO

Contains title bar information.

TITLEBARINFOEX

Expands on the information described in the TITLEBARINFO structure by including the coordinates
of each element of the title bar.

UPDATELAYEREDWINDOWINFO

Used by UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect to provide position, size, shape, content, and translucency

information for a layered window.

WINDOWINFO

Contains window information.

WINDOWPLACEMENT

Contains information about the placement of a window on the screen.

 WINDOWPOS

Contains information about the size and position of a window.

WNDCLASSA

Contains the window class attributes that are registered by the RegisterClass function. (ANSI)

WNDCLASSEXA

Contains window class information. (ANSI)

WNDCLASSEXW

Contains window class information. (Unicode)

WNDCLASSW

Contains the window class attributes that are registered by the RegisterClass function. (Unicode)

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olectl.h header
Article01/24/2023

This header is used by multiple technologies. For more information, see:

Automation
Component Object Model (COM)
Windows and Messages

olectl.h contains the following programming interfaces:

Functions

DllRegisterServer

Instructs an in-process server to create its registry entries for all classes supported in this server
module.

DllUnregisterServer

Instructs an in-process server to remove only those entries created through DllRegisterServer.

OleCreateFontIndirect

Creates and initializes a standard font object using an initial description of the font's properties in
a FONTDESC structure.

OleCreatePictureIndirect

Creates a new picture object initialized according to a PICTDESC structure.

OleCreatePropertyFrame

Invokes a new property frame, that is, a property sheet dialog box, whose parent is hwndOwner,
where the dialog is positioned at the point (x,y) in the parent window and has the caption
lpszCaption.

OleCreatePropertyFrameIndirect

Creates a property frame, that is, a property sheet dialog box, based on a structure
(OCPFIPARAMS) that contains the parameters, rather than specifying separate parameters as when
calling OleCreatePropertyFrame.
OleIconToCursor

Converts an icon to a cursor.

OleLoadPicture

Creates a new picture object and initializes it from the contents of a stream. This is equivalent to
calling OleCreatePictureIndirect with NULL as the first parameter, followed by a call to
IPersistStream::Load. (OleLoadPicture)

OleLoadPictureEx

Creates a new picture object and initializes it from the contents of a stream. This is equivalent to
calling OleCreatePictureIndirect with NULL as the first parameter, followed by a call to
IPersistStream::Load. (OleLoadPictureEx)

OleLoadPictureFile

Creates an IPictureDisp object from a picture file on disk.

OleLoadPictureFileEx

Loads a picture from a file.

OleLoadPicturePath

Creates a new picture object and initializes it from the contents of a stream. This is equivalent to
calling OleCreatePictureIndirect(NULL, ...) followed by IPersistStream::Load.

OleSavePictureFile

Saves a picture to a file.

OleTranslateColor

Converts an OLE_COLOR type to a COLORREF.

Structures

FONTDESC

Contains parameters used to create a font object through the OleCreateFontIndirect function.
 OCPFIPARAMS

Contains parameters used to invoke a property sheet dialog box through the
OleCreatePropertyFrameIndirect function.

PICTDESC

Contains parameters to create a picture object through the OleCreatePictureIndirect function.

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winbase.h header
Article01/24/2023

This header is used by multiple technologies. For more information, see:

Application Installation and Servicing

Application Recovery and Restart
Backup
Data Access and Storage
Data Exchange
Developer Notes
eventlogprov
Hardware Counter Profiling
Internationalization for Windows Applications
Menus and Other Resources
Operation Recorder
Remote Desktop Services
Security and Identity
System Services
Window Stations and Desktops
Windows and Messages

winbase.h contains the following programming interfaces:

Functions

_lclose

The _lclose function closes the specified file so that it is no longer available for reading or writing.
This function is provided for compatibility with 16-bit versions of Windows. Win32-based
applications should use the CloseHandle function.

_lcreat

Creates or opens the specified file.

_llseek

Repositions the file pointer for the specified file.

_lopen

The _lopen function opens an existing file and sets the file pointer to the beginning of the file.
This function is provided for compatibility with 16-bit versions of Windows. Win32-based
applications should use the CreateFile function.

_lread

The _lread function reads data from the specified file. This function is provided for compatibility
with 16-bit versions of Windows. Win32-based applications should use the ReadFile function.

_lwrite

Writes data to the specified file.

AccessCheckAndAuditAlarmA

Determines whether a security descriptor grants a specified set of access rights to the client being
impersonated by the calling thread. (AccessCheckAndAuditAlarmA)

AccessCheckByTypeAndAuditAlarmA

Determines whether a security descriptor grants a specified set of access rights to the client being
impersonated by the calling thread. (AccessCheckByTypeAndAuditAlarmA)

AccessCheckByTypeResultListAndAuditAlarmA

Determines whether a security descriptor grants a specified set of access rights to the client being
impersonated by the calling thread. (AccessCheckByTypeResultListAndAuditAlarmA)

AccessCheckByTypeResultListAndAuditAlarmByHandleA

The AccessCheckByTypeResultListAndAuditAlarmByHandleA (ANSI) function (winbase.h)

determines whether a security descriptor grants a specified set of access rights to the client that
the calling thread is impersonating.

ActivateActCtx

The ActivateActCtx function activates the specified activation context.

AddAtomA

Adds a character string to the local atom table and returns a unique value (an atom) identifying
the string. (ANSI)

AddAtomW

Adds a character string to the local atom table and returns a unique value (an atom) identifying
the string. (Unicode)
AddConditionalAce

Adds a conditional access control entry (ACE) to the specified access control list (ACL).

AddIntegrityLabelToBoundaryDescriptor

Adds a new required security identifier (SID) to the specified boundary descriptor.

AddRefActCtx

The AddRefActCtx function increments the reference count of the specified activation context.

AddSecureMemoryCacheCallback

Registers a callback function to be called when a secured memory range is freed or its protections
are changed.

ApplicationRecoveryFinished

Indicates that the calling application has completed its data recovery.

ApplicationRecoveryInProgress

Indicates that the calling application is continuing to recover data.

BackupEventLogA

Saves the specified event log to a backup file. (ANSI)

BackupEventLogW

Saves the specified event log to a backup file. (Unicode)

BackupRead

Back up a file or directory, including the security information.

BackupSeek

Seeks forward in a data stream initially accessed by using the BackupRead or BackupWrite
function.

BackupWrite

Restore a file or directory that was backed up using BackupRead.

BeginUpdateResourceA

Retrieves a handle that can be used by the UpdateResource function to add, delete, or replace
resources in a binary module. (ANSI)

BeginUpdateResourceW

Retrieves a handle that can be used by the UpdateResource function to add, delete, or replace
resources in a binary module. (Unicode)

BindIoCompletionCallback

Associates the I/O completion port owned by the thread pool with the specified file handle. On
completion of an I/O request involving this file, a non-I/O worker thread will execute the specified
callback function.

BuildCommDCBA

Fills a specified DCB structure with values specified in a device-control string. (ANSI)

BuildCommDCBAndTimeoutsA

Translates a device-definition string into appropriate device-control block codes and places them
into a device control block. (ANSI)

BuildCommDCBAndTimeoutsW

Translates a device-definition string into appropriate device-control block codes and places them
into a device control block. (Unicode)

BuildCommDCBW

Fills a specified DCB structure with values specified in a device-control string. (Unicode)

CallNamedPipeA

Connects to a message-type pipe (and waits if an instance of the pipe is not available), writes to
and reads from the pipe, and then closes the pipe. (CallNamedPipeA)

CheckNameLegalDOS8Dot3A

Determines whether the specified name can be used to create a file on a FAT file system. (ANSI)

CheckNameLegalDOS8Dot3W

Determines whether the specified name can be used to create a file on a FAT file system.
(Unicode)
ClearCommBreak

Restores character transmission for a specified communications device and places the
transmission line in a nonbreak state.

ClearCommError

Retrieves information about a communications error and reports the current status of a
communications device.

ClearEventLogA

Clears the specified event log, and optionally saves the current copy of the log to a backup file.
(ANSI)

ClearEventLogW

Clears the specified event log, and optionally saves the current copy of the log to a backup file.
(Unicode)

CloseEncryptedFileRaw

Closes an encrypted file after a backup or restore operation, and frees associated system
resources.

CloseEventLog

Closes the specified event log. (CloseEventLog)

CommConfigDialogA

Displays a driver-supplied configuration dialog box. (ANSI)

CommConfigDialogW

Displays a driver-supplied configuration dialog box. (Unicode)

ConvertFiberToThread

Converts the current fiber into a thread.

ConvertThreadToFiber

Converts the current thread into a fiber. You must convert a thread into a fiber before you can
schedule other fibers. (ConvertThreadToFiber)
ConvertThreadToFiberEx

Converts the current thread into a fiber. You must convert a thread into a fiber before you can
schedule other fibers. (ConvertThreadToFiberEx)

CopyContext

Copies a source context structure (including any XState) onto an initialized destination context
structure.

CopyFile

The CopyFile function (winbase.h) copies an existing file to a new file.

CopyFile2

Copies an existing file to a new file, notifying the application of its progress through a callback
function. (CopyFile2)

CopyFileA

Copies an existing file to a new file. (CopyFileA)

CopyFileExA

Copies an existing file to a new file, notifying the application of its progress through a callback
function. (CopyFileExA)

CopyFileExW

Copies an existing file to a new file, notifying the application of its progress through a callback
function. (CopyFileExW)

CopyFileTransactedA

Copies an existing file to a new file as a transacted operation, notifying the application of its
progress through a callback function. (ANSI)

CopyFileTransactedW

Copies an existing file to a new file as a transacted operation, notifying the application of its
progress through a callback function. (Unicode)

CopyFileW

The CopyFileW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) copies an existing file to a new file.
CreateActCtxA

The CreateActCtx function creates an activation context. (ANSI)

CreateActCtxW

The CreateActCtx function creates an activation context. (Unicode)

CreateBoundaryDescriptorA

The CreateBoundaryDescriptorA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) creates a boundary descriptor.

CreateDirectory

The CreateDirectory function (winbase.h) creates a new directory.

CreateDirectoryExA

Creates a new directory with the attributes of a specified template directory. (ANSI)

CreateDirectoryExW

Creates a new directory with the attributes of a specified template directory. (Unicode)

CreateDirectoryTransactedA

Creates a new directory as a transacted operation, with the attributes of a specified template
directory. (ANSI)

CreateDirectoryTransactedW

Creates a new directory as a transacted operation, with the attributes of a specified template
directory. (Unicode)

CreateFiber

Allocates a fiber object, assigns it a stack, and sets up execution to begin at the specified start
address, typically the fiber function. This function does not schedule the fiber. (CreateFiber)

CreateFiberEx

Allocates a fiber object, assigns it a stack, and sets up execution to begin at the specified start
address, typically the fiber function. This function does not schedule the fiber. (CreateFiberEx)

CreateFileMappingA

Creates or opens a named or unnamed file mapping object for a specified file.
(CreateFileMappingA)
CreateFileMappingNumaA

Creates or opens a named or unnamed file mapping object for a specified file and specifies the
NUMA node for the physical memory. (CreateFileMappingNumaA)

CreateFileTransactedA

Creates or opens a file, file stream, or directory as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

CreateFileTransactedW

Creates or opens a file, file stream, or directory as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

CreateHardLinkA

Establishes a hard link between an existing file and a new file. (ANSI)

CreateHardLinkTransactedA

Establishes a hard link between an existing file and a new file as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

CreateHardLinkTransactedW

Establishes a hard link between an existing file and a new file as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

CreateHardLinkW

Establishes a hard link between an existing file and a new file. (Unicode)

CreateJobObjectA

Creates or opens a job object. (CreateJobObjectA)

CreateMailslotA

Creates a mailslot with the specified name and returns a handle that a mailslot server can use to
perform operations on the mailslot. (ANSI)

CreateMailslotW

Creates a mailslot with the specified name and returns a handle that a mailslot server can use to
perform operations on the mailslot. (Unicode)

CreateNamedPipeA

The CreateNamedPipeA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) creates an instance of a named pipe and
returns a handle for subsequent pipe operations.
CreatePrivateNamespaceA

The CreatePrivateNamespaceA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) creates a private namespace.

CreateProcessWithLogonW

Creates a new process and its primary thread. Then the new process runs the specified executable
file in the security context of the specified credentials (user, domain, and password). It can
optionally load the user profile for a specified user.

CreateProcessWithTokenW

Creates a new process and its primary thread. The new process runs in the security context of the
specified token. It can optionally load the user profile for the specified user.

CreateSemaphoreA

Creates or opens a named or unnamed semaphore object. (CreateSemaphoreA)

CreateSemaphoreExA

Creates or opens a named or unnamed semaphore object and returns a handle to the object.
(CreateSemaphoreExA)

CreateSymbolicLinkA

Creates a symbolic link. (ANSI)

CreateSymbolicLinkTransactedA

Creates a symbolic link as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

CreateSymbolicLinkTransactedW

Creates a symbolic link as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

CreateSymbolicLinkW

Creates a symbolic link. (Unicode)

CreateTapePartition

Reformats a tape.

CreateUmsCompletionList

Creates a user-mode scheduling (UMS) completion list.

CreateUmsThreadContext

Creates a user-mode scheduling (UMS) thread context to represent a UMS worker thread.

DeactivateActCtx

The DeactivateActCtx function deactivates the activation context corresponding to the specified
cookie.

DebugBreakProcess

Causes a breakpoint exception to occur in the specified process. This allows the calling thread to
signal the debugger to handle the exception.

DebugSetProcessKillOnExit

Sets the action to be performed when the calling thread exits.

DecryptFileA

Decrypts an encrypted file or directory. (ANSI)

DecryptFileW

Decrypts an encrypted file or directory. (Unicode)

DefineDosDeviceA

Defines, redefines, or deletes MS-DOS device names. (DefineDosDeviceA)

DeleteAtom

Decrements the reference count of a local string atom. If the atom's reference count is reduced to
zero, DeleteAtom removes the string associated with the atom from the local atom table.

DeleteFiber

Deletes an existing fiber.

DeleteFile

The DeleteFile function (winbase.h) deletes an existing file.

DeleteFileTransactedA

Deletes an existing file as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

DeleteFileTransactedW

Deletes an existing file as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

DeleteUmsCompletionList

Deletes the specified user-mode scheduling (UMS) completion list. The list must be empty.

DeleteUmsThreadContext

Deletes the specified user-mode scheduling (UMS) thread context. The thread must be
terminated.

DeleteVolumeMountPointA

Deletes a drive letter or mounted folder. (DeleteVolumeMountPointA)

DequeueUmsCompletionListItems

Retrieves user-mode scheduling (UMS) worker threads from the specified UMS completion list.

DeregisterEventSource

Closes the specified event log. (DeregisterEventSource)

DestroyThreadpoolEnvironment

Deletes the specified callback environment. Call this function when the callback environment is no
longer needed for creating new thread pool objects. (DestroyThreadpoolEnvironment)

DisableThreadProfiling

Disables thread profiling.

DnsHostnameToComputerNameA

Converts a DNS-style host name to a NetBIOS-style computer name. (ANSI)

DnsHostnameToComputerNameW

Converts a DNS-style host name to a NetBIOS-style computer name. (Unicode)

DosDateTimeToFileTime

Converts MS-DOS date and time values to a file time.

EnableProcessOptionalXStateFeatures

The EnableProcessOptionalXStateFeatures function enables a set of optional XState features for

the current process.

EnableThreadProfiling

Enables thread profiling on the specified thread.

EncryptFileA

Encrypts a file or directory. (ANSI)

EncryptFileW

Encrypts a file or directory. (Unicode)

EndUpdateResourceA

Commits or discards changes made prior to a call to UpdateResource. (ANSI)

EndUpdateResourceW

Commits or discards changes made prior to a call to UpdateResource. (Unicode)

EnterUmsSchedulingMode

Converts the calling thread into a user-mode scheduling (UMS) scheduler thread.

EnumResourceLanguagesA

Enumerates language-specific resources, of the specified type and name, associated with a binary
module. (ANSI)

EnumResourceLanguagesW

Enumerates language-specific resources, of the specified type and name, associated with a binary
module. (Unicode)

EnumResourceTypesA

Enumerates resource types within a binary module. (ANSI)

EnumResourceTypesW

Enumerates resource types within a binary module. (Unicode)

EraseTape

Erases all or part of a tape.

EscapeCommFunction

Directs the specified communications device to perform an extended function.

ExecuteUmsThread

Runs the specified UMS worker thread.

FatalExit

Transfers execution control to the debugger. The behavior of the debugger thereafter is specific to
the type of debugger used.

FileEncryptionStatusA

Retrieves the encryption status of the specified file. (ANSI)

FileEncryptionStatusW

Retrieves the encryption status of the specified file. (Unicode)

FileTimeToDosDateTime

Converts a file time to MS-DOS date and time values.

FindActCtxSectionGuid

The FindActCtxSectionGuid function retrieves information on a specific GUID in the current

activation context and returns a ACTCTX_SECTION_KEYED_DATA structure.

FindActCtxSectionStringA

The FindActCtxSectionString function retrieves information on a specific string in the current

activation context and returns a ACTCTX_SECTION_KEYED_DATA structure. (ANSI)

FindActCtxSectionStringW

The FindActCtxSectionString function retrieves information on a specific string in the current

activation context and returns a ACTCTX_SECTION_KEYED_DATA structure. (Unicode)

FindAtomA

Searches the local atom table for the specified character string and retrieves the atom associated
with that string. (ANSI)
FindAtomW

Searches the local atom table for the specified character string and retrieves the atom associated
with that string. (Unicode)

FindFirstFileNameTransactedW

Creates an enumeration of all the hard links to the specified file as a transacted operation. The
function returns a handle to the enumeration that can be used on subsequent calls to the
FindNextFileNameW function.

FindFirstFileTransactedA

Searches a directory for a file or subdirectory with a name that matches a specific name as a
transacted operation. (ANSI)

FindFirstFileTransactedW

Searches a directory for a file or subdirectory with a name that matches a specific name as a
transacted operation. (Unicode)

FindFirstStreamTransactedW

Enumerates the first stream in the specified file or directory as a transacted operation.

FindFirstVolumeA

Retrieves the name of a volume on a computer. (FindFirstVolumeA)

FindFirstVolumeMountPointA

Retrieves the name of a mounted folder on the specified volume. (ANSI)

FindFirstVolumeMountPointW

Retrieves the name of a mounted folder on the specified volume. (Unicode)

FindNextVolumeA

Continues a volume search started by a call to the FindFirstVolume function. (FindNextVolumeA)

FindNextVolumeMountPointA

Continues a mounted folder search started by a call to the FindFirstVolumeMountPoint function.

(ANSI)
FindNextVolumeMountPointW

Continues a mounted folder search started by a call to the FindFirstVolumeMountPoint function.

(Unicode)

FindResourceA

Determines the location of a resource with the specified type and name in the specified module.
(FindResourceA)

FindResourceExA

Determines the location of the resource with the specified type, name, and language in the
specified module. (FindResourceExA)

FindVolumeMountPointClose

Closes the specified mounted folder search handle.

FormatMessage

The FormatMessage function (winbase.h) formats a message string.

FormatMessageA

Formats a message string. (FormatMessageA)

FormatMessageW

The FormatMessageW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) formats a message string.

GetActiveProcessorCount

Returns the number of active processors in a processor group or in the system.

GetActiveProcessorGroupCount

Returns the number of active processor groups in the system.

GetApplicationRecoveryCallback

Retrieves a pointer to the callback routine registered for the specified process. The address
returned is in the virtual address space of the process.

GetApplicationRestartSettings

Retrieves the restart information registered for the specified process.

GetAtomNameA

Retrieves a copy of the character string associated with the specified local atom. (ANSI)

GetAtomNameW

Retrieves a copy of the character string associated with the specified local atom. (Unicode)

GetBinaryTypeA

Determines whether a file is an executable (.exe) file, and if so, which subsystem runs the
executable file. (ANSI)

GetBinaryTypeW

Determines whether a file is an executable (.exe) file, and if so, which subsystem runs the
executable file. (Unicode)

GetCommConfig

Retrieves the current configuration of a communications device.

GetCommMask

Retrieves the value of the event mask for a specified communications device.

GetCommModemStatus

Retrieves the modem control-register values.

GetCommPorts

Gets an array that contains the well-formed COM ports.

GetCommProperties

Retrieves information about the communications properties for a specified communications

device.

GetCommState

Retrieves the current control settings for a specified communications device.

GetCommTimeouts

Retrieves the time-out parameters for all read and write operations on a specified
communications device.
GetCompressedFileSizeTransactedA

Retrieves the actual number of bytes of disk storage used to store a specified file as a transacted
operation. (ANSI)

GetCompressedFileSizeTransactedW

Retrieves the actual number of bytes of disk storage used to store a specified file as a transacted
operation. (Unicode)

GetComputerNameA

Retrieves the NetBIOS name of the local computer. This name is established at system startup,
when the system reads it from the registry. (ANSI)

GetComputerNameW

Retrieves the NetBIOS name of the local computer. This name is established at system startup,
when the system reads it from the registry. (Unicode)

GetCurrentActCtx

The GetCurrentActCtx function returns the handle to the active activation context of the calling
thread.

GetCurrentDirectory

Retrieves the current directory for the current process.

GetCurrentHwProfileA

Retrieves information about the current hardware profile for the local computer. (ANSI)

GetCurrentHwProfileW

Retrieves information about the current hardware profile for the local computer. (Unicode)

GetCurrentUmsThread

Returns the user-mode scheduling (UMS) thread context of the calling UMS thread.

GetDefaultCommConfigA

Retrieves the default configuration for the specified communications device. (ANSI)

GetDefaultCommConfigW

Retrieves the default configuration for the specified communications device. (Unicode)
GetDevicePowerState

Retrieves the current power state of the specified device.

GetDllDirectoryA

Retrieves the application-specific portion of the search path used to locate DLLs for the
application. (ANSI)

GetDllDirectoryW

Retrieves the application-specific portion of the search path used to locate DLLs for the
application. (Unicode)

GetEnabledXStateFeatures

Gets a mask of enabled XState features on x86 or x64 processors.

GetEnvironmentVariable

The GetEnvironmentVariable function (winbase.h) retrieves the contents of the specified variable
from the environment block of the calling process.

GetEventLogInformation

Retrieves information about the specified event log.

GetFileAttributesTransactedA

Retrieves file system attributes for a specified file or directory as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

GetFileAttributesTransactedW

Retrieves file system attributes for a specified file or directory as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

GetFileBandwidthReservation

Retrieves the bandwidth reservation properties of the volume on which the specified file resides.

GetFileInformationByHandleEx

Retrieves file information for the specified file. (GetFileInformationByHandleEx)

GetFileSecurityA

Obtains specified information about the security of a file or directory. The information obtained is
constrained by the caller's access rights and privileges. (GetFileSecurityA)
GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableA

Retrieves the value of the specified firmware environment variable. (ANSI)

GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExA

Retrieves the value of the specified firmware environment variable and its attributes. (ANSI)

GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW

Retrieves the value of the specified firmware environment variable and its attributes. (Unicode)

GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableW

Retrieves the value of the specified firmware environment variable. (Unicode)

GetFirmwareType

Retrieves the firmware type of the local computer.

GetFullPathNameTransactedA

Retrieves the full path and file name of the specified file as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

GetFullPathNameTransactedW

Retrieves the full path and file name of the specified file as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

GetLogicalDriveStringsA

Fills a buffer with strings that specify valid drives in the system. (GetLogicalDriveStringsA)

GetLongPathNameTransactedA

Converts the specified path to its long form as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

GetLongPathNameTransactedW

Converts the specified path to its long form as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

GetMailslotInfo

Retrieves information about the specified mailslot.

GetMaximumProcessorCount

Returns the maximum number of logical processors that a processor group or the system can
have.
GetMaximumProcessorGroupCount

Returns the maximum number of processor groups that the system can have.

GetNamedPipeClientComputerNameA

The GetNamedPipeClientComputerNameA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) retrieves the client

computer name for the specified named pipe.

GetNamedPipeClientProcessId

Retrieves the client process identifier for the specified named pipe.

GetNamedPipeClientSessionId

Retrieves the client session identifier for the specified named pipe.

GetNamedPipeHandleStateA

The GetNamedPipeHandleStateA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) retrieves information about a

specified named pipe.

GetNamedPipeServerProcessId

Retrieves the server process identifier for the specified named pipe.

GetNamedPipeServerSessionId

Retrieves the server session identifier for the specified named pipe.

GetNextUmsListItem

Returns the next user-mode scheduling (UMS) thread context in a list of thread contexts.

GetNumaAvailableMemoryNode

Retrieves the amount of memory available in the specified node.

GetNumaAvailableMemoryNodeEx

Retrieves the amount of memory that is available in a node specified as a USHORT value.

GetNumaNodeNumberFromHandle

Retrieves the NUMA node associated with the file or I/O device represented by the specified file
handle.
GetNumaNodeProcessorMask

Retrieves the processor mask for the specified node.

GetNumaProcessorNode

Retrieves the node number for the specified processor.

GetNumaProcessorNodeEx

Retrieves the node number as a USHORT value for the specified logical processor.

GetNumaProximityNode

Retrieves the NUMA node number that corresponds to the specified proximity domain identifier.

GetNumberOfEventLogRecords

Retrieves the number of records in the specified event log.

GetOldestEventLogRecord

Retrieves the absolute record number of the oldest record in the specified event log.

GetPrivateProfileInt

The GetPrivateProfileInt function (winbase.h) retrieves an integer associated with a key in the
specified section of an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileIntA

Retrieves an integer associated with a key in the specified section of an initialization file.
(GetPrivateProfileIntA)

GetPrivateProfileIntW

The GetPrivateProfileIntW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) retrieves an integer associated with a

key in the specified section of an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileSection

The GetPrivateProfileSection function (winbase.h) retrieves all the keys and values for the specified
section of an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileSectionA

Retrieves all the keys and values for the specified section of an initialization file.
(GetPrivateProfileSectionA)
GetPrivateProfileSectionNames

The GetPrivateProfileSectionNames function (winbase.h) retrieves the names of all sections in an

initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileSectionNamesA

Retrieves the names of all sections in an initialization file. (GetPrivateProfileSectionNamesA)

GetPrivateProfileSectionNamesW

The GetPrivateProfileSectionNamesW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) retrieves the names of all

sections in an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileSectionW

The GetPrivateProfileSectionW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) retrieves all the keys and values for
the specified section of an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileString

The GetPrivateProfileString function (winbase.h) retrieves a string from the specified section in an
initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileStringA

Retrieves a string from the specified section in an initialization file. (GetPrivateProfileStringA)

GetPrivateProfileStringW

The GetPrivateProfileStringW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) retrieves a string from the specified
section in an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileStruct

The GetPrivateProfileStruct function (winbase.h) retrieves the data associated with a key in the
specified section of an initialization file.

GetPrivateProfileStructA

Retrieves the data associated with a key in the specified section of an initialization file.
(GetPrivateProfileStructA)

GetPrivateProfileStructW

The GetPrivateProfileStructW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) retrieves the data associated with a
key in the specified section of an initialization file.
GetProcessAffinityMask

Retrieves the process affinity mask for the specified process and the system affinity mask for the
system.

GetProcessDEPPolicy

Gets the data execution prevention (DEP) and DEP-ATL thunk emulation settings for the specified
32-bit process.Windows XP with SP3: Gets the DEP and DEP-ATL thunk emulation settings for the
current process.

GetProcessIoCounters

Retrieves accounting information for all I/O operations performed by the specified process.

GetProfileIntA

Retrieves an integer from a key in the specified section of the Win.ini file. (ANSI)

GetProfileIntW

Retrieves an integer from a key in the specified section of the Win.ini file. (Unicode)

GetProfileSectionA

Retrieves all the keys and values for the specified section of the Win.ini file. (ANSI)

GetProfileSectionW

Retrieves all the keys and values for the specified section of the Win.ini file. (Unicode)

GetProfileStringA

Retrieves the string associated with a key in the specified section of the Win.ini file. (ANSI)

GetProfileStringW

Retrieves the string associated with a key in the specified section of the Win.ini file. (Unicode)

GetShortPathNameA

Retrieves the short path form of the specified path. (GetShortPathNameA)

GetSystemDEPPolicy

Gets the data execution prevention (DEP) policy setting for the system.
GetSystemPowerStatus

Retrieves the power status of the system. The status indicates whether the system is running on
AC or DC power, whether the battery is currently charging, how much battery life remains, and if
battery saver is on or off.

GetSystemRegistryQuota

Retrieves the current size of the registry and the maximum size that the registry is allowed to
attain on the system.

GetTapeParameters

Retrieves information that describes the tape or the tape drive.

GetTapePosition

Retrieves the current address of the tape, in logical or absolute blocks.

GetTapeStatus

Determines whether the tape device is ready to process tape commands.

GetTempFileName

The GetTempFileName function (winbase.h) creates a name for a temporary file. If a unique file
name is generated, an empty file is created and the handle to it is released; otherwise, only a file
name is generated.

GetThreadEnabledXStateFeatures

The GetThreadEnabledXStateFeatures function returns the set of XState features that are currently
enabled for the current thread.

GetThreadSelectorEntry

Retrieves a descriptor table entry for the specified selector and thread.

GetUmsCompletionListEvent

Retrieves a handle to the event associated with the specified user-mode scheduling (UMS)
completion list.

GetUmsSystemThreadInformation

Queries whether the specified thread is a UMS scheduler thread, a UMS worker thread, or a non-
UMS thread.
GetUserNameA

Retrieves the name of the user associated with the current thread. (ANSI)

GetUserNameW

Retrieves the name of the user associated with the current thread. (Unicode)

GetVolumeNameForVolumeMountPointA

Retrieves a volume GUID path for the volume that is associated with the specified volume mount
point ( drive letter, volume GUID path, or mounted folder).
(GetVolumeNameForVolumeMountPointA)

GetVolumePathNameA

Retrieves the volume mount point where the specified path is mounted. (GetVolumePathNameA)

GetVolumePathNamesForVolumeNameA

Retrieves a list of drive letters and mounted folder paths for the specified volume.
(GetVolumePathNamesForVolumeNameA)

GetXStateFeaturesMask

Returns the mask of XState features set within a CONTEXT structure.

GlobalAddAtomA

Adds a character string to the global atom table and returns a unique value (an atom) identifying
the string. (GlobalAddAtomA)

GlobalAddAtomExA

Adds a character string to the global atom table and returns a unique value (an atom) identifying
the string. (GlobalAddAtomExA)

GlobalAddAtomExW

Adds a character string to the global atom table and returns a unique value (an atom) identifying
the string. (GlobalAddAtomExW)

GlobalAddAtomW

Adds a character string to the global atom table and returns a unique value (an atom) identifying
the string. (GlobalAddAtomW)
GlobalAlloc

Allocates the specified number of bytes from the heap. (GlobalAlloc)

GlobalDeleteAtom

Decrements the reference count of a global string atom. If the atom's reference count reaches
zero, GlobalDeleteAtom removes the string associated with the atom from the global atom table.

GlobalDiscard

Discards the specified global memory block.

GlobalFindAtomA

Searches the global atom table for the specified character string and retrieves the global atom
associated with that string. (ANSI)

GlobalFindAtomW

Searches the global atom table for the specified character string and retrieves the global atom
associated with that string. (Unicode)

GlobalFlags

Retrieves information about the specified global memory object.

GlobalFree

Frees the specified global memory object and invalidates its handle.

GlobalGetAtomNameA

Retrieves a copy of the character string associated with the specified global atom. (ANSI)

GlobalGetAtomNameW

Retrieves a copy of the character string associated with the specified global atom. (Unicode)

GlobalHandle

Retrieves the handle associated with the specified pointer to a global memory block.

GlobalLock

Locks a global memory object and returns a pointer to the first byte of the object's memory block.
GlobalMemoryStatus

Retrieves information about the system's current usage of both physical and virtual memory.
(GlobalMemoryStatus)

GlobalReAlloc

Changes the size or attributes of a specified global memory object. The size can increase or
decrease.

GlobalSize

Retrieves the current size of the specified global memory object, in bytes.

GlobalUnlock

Decrements the lock count associated with a memory object that was allocated with
GMEM_MOVEABLE.

HasOverlappedIoCompleted

Provides a high performance test operation that can be used to poll for the completion of an
outstanding I/O operation.

InitAtomTable

Initializes the local atom table and sets the number of hash buckets to the specified size.

InitializeContext

Initializes a CONTEXT structure inside a buffer with the necessary size and alignment.

InitializeContext2

Initializes a CONTEXT structure inside a buffer with the necessary size and alignment, with the
option to specify an XSTATE compaction mask.

InitializeThreadpoolEnvironment

Initializes a callback environment.

InterlockedExchangeSubtract

Performs an atomic subtraction of two values.

IsBadCodePtr

Determines whether the calling process has read access to the memory at the specified address.
IsBadReadPtr

Verifies that the calling process has read access to the specified range of memory. (IsBadReadPtr)

IsBadStringPtrA

Verifies that the calling process has read access to the specified range of memory.
(IsBadStringPtrA)

IsBadStringPtrW

Verifies that the calling process has read access to the specified range of memory.
(IsBadStringPtrW)

IsBadWritePtr

Verifies that the calling process has write access to the specified range of memory.

IsNativeVhdBoot

Indicates if the OS was booted from a VHD container.

IsSystemResumeAutomatic

Determines the current state of the computer.

IsTextUnicode

Determines if a buffer is likely to contain a form of Unicode text.

LoadModule

Loads and executes an application or creates a new instance of an existing application.

LoadPackagedLibrary

Loads the specified packaged module and its dependencies into the address space of the calling
process.

LocalAlloc

Allocates the specified number of bytes from the heap. (LocalAlloc)

LocalFlags

Retrieves information about the specified local memory object.

LocalFree

Frees the specified local memory object and invalidates its handle.

LocalHandle

Retrieves the handle associated with the specified pointer to a local memory object.

LocalLock

Locks a local memory object and returns a pointer to the first byte of the object's memory block.

LocalReAlloc

Changes the size or the attributes of a specified local memory object. The size can increase or
decrease.

LocalSize

Retrieves the current size of the specified local memory object, in bytes.

LocalUnlock

Decrements the lock count associated with a memory object that was allocated with
LMEM_MOVEABLE.

LocateXStateFeature

Retrieves a pointer to the processor state for an XState feature within a CONTEXT structure.

LogonUserA

The Win32 LogonUser function attempts to log a user on to the local computer. LogonUser
returns a handle to a user token that you can use to impersonate user. (ANSI)

LogonUserExA

The LogonUserEx function attempts to log a user on to the local computer. (ANSI)

LogonUserExW

The LogonUserEx function attempts to log a user on to the local computer. (Unicode)

LogonUserW

The Win32 LogonUser function attempts to log a user on to the local computer. LogonUser
returns a handle to a user token that you can use to impersonate user. (Unicode)
LookupAccountNameA

Accepts the name of a system and an account as input. It retrieves a security identifier (SID) for
the account and the name of the domain on which the account was found. (ANSI)

LookupAccountNameW

Accepts the name of a system and an account as input. It retrieves a security identifier (SID) for
the account and the name of the domain on which the account was found. (Unicode)

LookupAccountSidA

Accepts a security identifier (SID) as input. It retrieves the name of the account for this SID and the
name of the first domain on which this SID is found. (ANSI)

LookupAccountSidLocalA

Retrieves the name of the account for the specified SID on the local machine. (ANSI)

LookupAccountSidLocalW

Retrieves the name of the account for the specified SID on the local machine. (Unicode)

LookupAccountSidW

Accepts a security identifier (SID) as input. It retrieves the name of the account for this SID and the
name of the first domain on which this SID is found. (Unicode)

LookupPrivilegeDisplayNameA

Retrieves the display name that represents a specified privilege. (ANSI)

LookupPrivilegeDisplayNameW

Retrieves the display name that represents a specified privilege. (Unicode)

LookupPrivilegeNameA

Retrieves the name that corresponds to the privilege represented on a specific system by a
specified locally unique identifier (LUID). (ANSI)

LookupPrivilegeNameW

Retrieves the name that corresponds to the privilege represented on a specific system by a
specified locally unique identifier (LUID). (Unicode)
LookupPrivilegeValueA

Retrieves the locally unique identifier (LUID) used on a specified system to locally represent the
specified privilege name. (ANSI)

LookupPrivilegeValueW

Retrieves the locally unique identifier (LUID) used on a specified system to locally represent the
specified privilege name. (Unicode)

lstrcatA

Appends one string to another.Warning Do not use. (ANSI)

lstrcatW

Appends one string to another.Warning Do not use. (Unicode)

lstrcmpA

Compares two character strings. The comparison is case-sensitive. (ANSI)

lstrcmpiA

Compares two character strings. The comparison is not case-sensitive. (ANSI)

lstrcmpiW

Compares two character strings. The comparison is not case-sensitive. (Unicode)

lstrcmpW

Compares two character strings. The comparison is case-sensitive. (Unicode)

lstrcpyA

Copies a string to a buffer. (ANSI)

lstrcpynA

Copies a specified number of characters from a source string into a buffer.Warning Do not use.
(ANSI)

lstrcpynW

Copies a specified number of characters from a source string into a buffer.Warning Do not use.
(Unicode)
lstrcpyW

Copies a string to a buffer. (Unicode)

lstrlenA

Determines the length of the specified string (not including the terminating null character). (ANSI)

lstrlenW

Determines the length of the specified string (not including the terminating null character).
(Unicode)

MAKEINTATOM

Converts the specified atom into a string, so it can be passed to functions which accept either
atoms or strings.

MapUserPhysicalPagesScatter

Maps previously allocated physical memory pages at a specified address in an Address

Windowing Extensions (AWE) region. (MapUserPhysicalPagesScatter)

MapViewOfFileExNuma

Maps a view of a file mapping into the address space of a calling process and specifies the NUMA
node for the physical memory.

MoveFile

The MoveFile function (winbase.h) moves an existing file or a directory, including its children.

MoveFileA

Moves an existing file or a directory, including its children. (MoveFileA)

MoveFileExA

Moves an existing file or directory, including its children, with various move options. (ANSI)

MoveFileExW

Moves an existing file or directory, including its children, with various move options. (Unicode)

MoveFileTransactedA

Moves an existing file or a directory, including its children, as a transacted operation. (ANSI)
MoveFileTransactedW

Moves an existing file or a directory, including its children, as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

MoveFileW

The MoveFileW (Unicode) function (winbase.h) moves an existing file or a directory, including its
children.

MoveFileWithProgressA

Moves a file or directory, including its children. You can provide a callback function that receives
progress notifications. (ANSI)

MoveFileWithProgressW

Moves a file or directory, including its children. You can provide a callback function that receives
progress notifications. (Unicode)

MulDiv

Multiplies two 32-bit values and then divides the 64-bit result by a third 32-bit value.

NotifyChangeEventLog

Enables an application to receive notification when an event is written to the specified event log.

ObjectCloseAuditAlarmA

Generates an audit message in the security event log when a handle to a private object is deleted.
(ObjectCloseAuditAlarmA)

ObjectDeleteAuditAlarmA

The ObjectDeleteAuditAlarmA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) generates audit messages when an

object is deleted.

ObjectOpenAuditAlarmA

Generates audit messages when a client application attempts to gain access to an object or to
create a new one. (ObjectOpenAuditAlarmA)

ObjectPrivilegeAuditAlarmA

Generates an audit message in the security event log. (ObjectPrivilegeAuditAlarmA)

OpenBackupEventLogA

Opens a handle to a backup event log created by the BackupEventLog function. (ANSI)
OpenBackupEventLogW

Opens a handle to a backup event log created by the BackupEventLog function. (Unicode)

OpenCommPort

Attempts to open a communication device.

OpenEncryptedFileRawA

Opens an encrypted file in order to backup (export) or restore (import) the file. (ANSI)

OpenEncryptedFileRawW

Opens an encrypted file in order to backup (export) or restore (import) the file. (Unicode)

OpenEventLogA

Opens a handle to the specified event log. (ANSI)

OpenEventLogW

Opens a handle to the specified event log. (Unicode)

OpenFile

Creates, opens, reopens, or deletes a file.

OpenFileById

Opens the file that matches the specified identifier.

OpenFileMappingA

Opens a named file mapping object. (OpenFileMappingA)

OpenJobObjectA

Opens an existing job object. (OpenJobObjectA)

OpenPrivateNamespaceA

The OpenPrivateNamespaceA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) opens a private namespace.

OperationEnd

Notifies the system that the application is about to end an operation.

OperationStart

Notifies the system that the application is about to start an operation.

PowerClearRequest

Decrements the count of power requests of the specified type for a power request object.

PowerCreateRequest

Creates a new power request object.

PowerSetRequest

Increments the count of power requests of the specified type for a power request object.

PrepareTape

Prepares the tape to be accessed or removed.

PrivilegedServiceAuditAlarmA

Generates an audit message in the security event log. (PrivilegedServiceAuditAlarmA)

PulseEvent

Sets the specified event object to the signaled state and then resets it to the nonsignaled state
after releasing the appropriate number of waiting threads.

PurgeComm

Discards all characters from the output or input buffer of a specified communications resource. It
can also terminate pending read or write operations on the resource.

QueryActCtxSettingsW

The QueryActCtxSettingsW function specifies the activation context, and the namespace and
name of the attribute that is to be queried.

QueryActCtxW

The QueryActCtxW function queries the activation context.

QueryDosDeviceA

Retrieves information about MS-DOS device names. (QueryDosDeviceA)

QueryFullProcessImageNameA

Retrieves the full name of the executable image for the specified process. (ANSI)

QueryFullProcessImageNameW

Retrieves the full name of the executable image for the specified process. (Unicode)

QueryThreadProfiling

Determines whether thread profiling is enabled for the specified thread.

QueryUmsThreadInformation

Retrieves information about the specified user-mode scheduling (UMS) worker thread.

ReadDirectoryChangesExW

Retrieves information that describes the changes within the specified directory, which can include
extended information if that information type is specified.

ReadDirectoryChangesW

Retrieves information that describes the changes within the specified directory.

ReadEncryptedFileRaw

Backs up (export) encrypted files.

ReadEventLogA

Reads the specified number of entries from the specified event log. (ANSI)

ReadEventLogW

Reads the specified number of entries from the specified event log. (Unicode)

ReadThreadProfilingData

Reads the specified profiling data associated with the thread.

RegisterApplicationRecoveryCallback

Registers the active instance of an application for recovery.

RegisterApplicationRestart

Registers the active instance of an application for restart.

RegisterEventSourceA

Retrieves a registered handle to the specified event log. (ANSI)

RegisterEventSourceW

Retrieves a registered handle to the specified event log. (Unicode)

RegisterWaitForSingleObject

Directs a wait thread in the thread pool to wait on the object.

ReleaseActCtx

The ReleaseActCtx function decrements the reference count of the specified activation context.

RemoveDirectoryTransactedA

Deletes an existing empty directory as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

RemoveDirectoryTransactedW

Deletes an existing empty directory as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

RemoveSecureMemoryCacheCallback

Unregisters a callback function that was previously registered with the

AddSecureMemoryCacheCallback function.

ReOpenFile

Reopens the specified file system object with different access rights, sharing mode, and flags.

ReplaceFileA

Replaces one file with another file, with the option of creating a backup copy of the original file.
(ANSI)

ReplaceFileW

Replaces one file with another file, with the option of creating a backup copy of the original file.
(Unicode)

ReportEventA

Writes an entry at the end of the specified event log. (ANSI)

ReportEventW

Writes an entry at the end of the specified event log. (Unicode)

RequestWakeupLatency

Has no effect and returns STATUS_NOT_SUPPORTED. This function is provided only for
compatibility with earlier versions of Windows.Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista: Has no
effect and always returns success.

SetCommBreak

Suspends character transmission for a specified communications device and places the
transmission line in a break state until the ClearCommBreak function is called.

SetCommConfig

Sets the current configuration of a communications device.

SetCommMask

Specifies a set of events to be monitored for a communications device.

SetCommState

Configures a communications device according to the specifications in a device-control block (a

DCB structure). The function reinitializes all hardware and control settings, but it does not empty
output or input queues.

SetCommTimeouts

Sets the time-out parameters for all read and write operations on a specified communications
device.

SetCurrentDirectory

Changes the current directory for the current process.

SetDefaultCommConfigA

Sets the default configuration for a communications device. (ANSI)

SetDefaultCommConfigW

Sets the default configuration for a communications device. (Unicode)

SetDllDirectoryA

Adds a directory to the search path used to locate DLLs for the application. (ANSI)
SetDllDirectoryW

Adds a directory to the search path used to locate DLLs for the application. (Unicode)

SetEnvironmentVariable

The SetEnvironmentVariable function (winbase.h) sets the contents of the specified environment
variable for the current process.

SetFileAttributesTransactedA

Sets the attributes for a file or directory as a transacted operation. (ANSI)

SetFileAttributesTransactedW

Sets the attributes for a file or directory as a transacted operation. (Unicode)

SetFileBandwidthReservation

Requests that bandwidth for the specified file stream be reserved. The reservation is specified as a
number of bytes in a period of milliseconds for I/O requests on the specified file handle.

SetFileCompletionNotificationModes

Sets the notification modes for a file handle, allowing you to specify how completion notifications
work for the specified file.

SetFileSecurityA

The SetFileSecurityA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) sets the security of a file or directory object.

SetFileShortNameA

Sets the short name for the specified file. (ANSI)

SetFileShortNameW

Sets the short name for the specified file. (Unicode)

SetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableA

Sets the value of the specified firmware environment variable. (ANSI)

SetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExA

Sets the value of the specified firmware environment variable as the attributes that indicate how
this variable is stored and maintained.
SetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW

Sets the value of the specified firmware environment variable and the attributes that indicate how
this variable is stored and maintained.

SetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableW

Sets the value of the specified firmware environment variable. (Unicode)

SetHandleCount

The SetHandleCount function changes the number of file handles available to a process.

SetMailslotInfo

Sets the time-out value used by the specified mailslot for a read operation.

SetProcessAffinityMask

Sets a processor affinity mask for the threads of the specified process.

SetProcessDEPPolicy

Changes data execution prevention (DEP) and DEP-ATL thunk emulation settings for a 32-bit
process.

SetSearchPathMode

Sets the per-process mode that the SearchPath function uses when locating files.

SetSystemPowerState

Suspends the system by shutting power down. Depending on the ForceFlag parameter, the
function either suspends operation immediately or requests permission from all applications and
device drivers before doing so.

SetTapeParameters

Specifies the block size of a tape or configures the tape device.

SetTapePosition

Sets the tape position on the specified device.

SetThreadAffinityMask

Sets a processor affinity mask for the specified thread.

SetThreadExecutionState

Enables an application to inform the system that it is in use, thereby preventing the system from
entering sleep or turning off the display while the application is running.

SetThreadpoolCallbackCleanupGroup

Associates the specified cleanup group with the specified callback environment.
(SetThreadpoolCallbackCleanupGroup)

SetThreadpoolCallbackLibrary

Ensures that the specified DLL remains loaded as long as there are outstanding callbacks.
(SetThreadpoolCallbackLibrary)

SetThreadpoolCallbackPersistent

Specifies that the callback should run on a persistent thread. (SetThreadpoolCallbackPersistent)

SetThreadpoolCallbackPool

Sets the thread pool to be used when generating callbacks.

SetThreadpoolCallbackPriority

Specifies the priority of a callback function relative to other work items in the same thread pool.
(SetThreadpoolCallbackPriority)

SetThreadpoolCallbackRunsLong

Indicates that callbacks associated with this callback environment may not return quickly.
(SetThreadpoolCallbackRunsLong)

SetUmsThreadInformation

Sets application-specific context information for the specified user-mode scheduling (UMS)
worker thread.

SetupComm

Initializes the communications parameters for a specified communications device.

SetVolumeLabelA

Sets the label of a file system volume. (ANSI)

SetVolumeLabelW

Sets the label of a file system volume. (Unicode)

SetVolumeMountPointA

Associates a volume with a drive letter or a directory on another volume. (ANSI)

SetVolumeMountPointW

Associates a volume with a drive letter or a directory on another volume. (Unicode)

SetXStateFeaturesMask

Sets the mask of XState features set within a CONTEXT structure.

SwitchToFiber

Schedules a fiber. The function must be called on a fiber.

TransmitCommChar

Transmits a specified character ahead of any pending data in the output buffer of the specified
communications device.

UmsThreadYield

Yields control to the user-mode scheduling (UMS) scheduler thread on which the calling UMS
worker thread is running.

UnregisterApplicationRecoveryCallback

Removes the active instance of an application from the recovery list.

UnregisterApplicationRestart

Removes the active instance of an application from the restart list.

UnregisterWait

Cancels a registered wait operation issued by the RegisterWaitForSingleObject function.

(UnregisterWait)

UpdateResourceA

Adds, deletes, or replaces a resource in a portable executable (PE) file. (ANSI)

UpdateResourceW

Adds, deletes, or replaces a resource in a portable executable (PE) file. (Unicode)

VerifyVersionInfoA

Compares a set of operating system version requirements to the corresponding values for the
currently running version of the system. (ANSI)

VerifyVersionInfoW

Compares a set of operating system version requirements to the corresponding values for the
currently running version of the system. (Unicode)

WaitCommEvent

Waits for an event to occur for a specified communications device. The set of events that are
monitored by this function is contained in the event mask associated with the device handle.

WaitNamedPipeA

The WaitNamedPipeA (ANSI) function (winbase.h) waits until either a time-out interval elapses or
an instance of the specified named pipe is available for connection (that is, the pipe's server
process has a pending ConnectNamedPipe operation on the pipe).

WinExec

Runs the specified application.

WinMain

The user-provided entry point for a graphical Windows-based application.

Wow64GetThreadSelectorEntry

Retrieves a descriptor table entry for the specified selector and WOW64 thread.

WriteEncryptedFileRaw

Restores (import) encrypted files.

WritePrivateProfileSectionA

Replaces the keys and values for the specified section in an initialization file. (ANSI)

WritePrivateProfileSectionW

Replaces the keys and values for the specified section in an initialization file. (Unicode)

WritePrivateProfileStringA

Copies a string into the specified section of an initialization file. (ANSI)

WritePrivateProfileStringW

Copies a string into the specified section of an initialization file. (Unicode)

WritePrivateProfileStructA

Copies data into a key in the specified section of an initialization file. As it copies the data, the
function calculates a checksum and appends it to the end of the data. (ANSI)

WritePrivateProfileStructW

Copies data into a key in the specified section of an initialization file. As it copies the data, the
function calculates a checksum and appends it to the end of the data. (Unicode)

WriteProfileSectionA

Replaces the contents of the specified section in the Win.ini file with specified keys and values.
(ANSI)

WriteProfileSectionW

Replaces the contents of the specified section in the Win.ini file with specified keys and values.
(Unicode)

WriteProfileStringA

Copies a string into the specified section of the Win.ini file. (ANSI)

WriteProfileStringW

Copies a string into the specified section of the Win.ini file. (Unicode)

WriteTapemark

Writes a specified number of filemarks, setmarks, short filemarks, or long filemarks to a tape
device.

WTSGetActiveConsoleSessionId

Retrieves the session identifier of the console session.

ZombifyActCtx

The ZombifyActCtx function deactivates the specified activation context, but does not deallocate
it.

Callback functions
LPPROGRESS_ROUTINE

An application-defined callback function used with the CopyFileEx, MoveFileTransacted, and

MoveFileWithProgress functions.

PCOPYFILE2_PROGRESS_ROUTINE

An application-defined callback function used with the CopyFile2 function.

PFE_EXPORT_FUNC

An application-defined callback function used with ReadEncryptedFileRaw.

PFE_IMPORT_FUNC

An application-defined callback function used with WriteEncryptedFileRaw. The system calls

ImportCallback one or more times, each time to retrieve a portion of a backup file's data.

PFIBER_START_ROUTINE

An application-defined function used with the CreateFiber function. It serves as the starting
address for a fiber.

Structures

ACTCTX_SECTION_KEYED_DATA

The ACTCTX_SECTION_KEYED_DATA structure is used by the FindActCtxSectionString and

FindActCtxSectionGuid functions to return the activation context information along with either the
GUID or 32-bit integer-tagged activation context section.

ACTCTXA

The ACTCTX structure is used by the CreateActCtx function to create the activation context. (ANSI)

ACTCTXW

The ACTCTX structure is used by the CreateActCtx function to create the activation context.
(Unicode)

COMMCONFIG

Contains information about the configuration state of a communications device.

COMMPROP

Contains information about a communications driver.

COMMTIMEOUTS

Contains the time-out parameters for a communications device.

COMSTAT

Contains information about a communications device.

COPYFILE2_EXTENDED_PARAMETERS

Contains extended parameters for the CopyFile2 function.

COPYFILE2_MESSAGE

Passed to the CopyFile2ProgressRoutine callback function with information about a pending copy
operation.

DCB

Defines the control setting for a serial communications device.

EVENTLOG_FULL_INFORMATION

Indicates whether the event log is full.

FILE_ALIGNMENT_INFO

Contains alignment information for a file.

FILE_ALLOCATION_INFO

Contains the total number of bytes that should be allocated for a file.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TAG_INFO

Receives the requested file attribute information. Used for any handles.

FILE_BASIC_INFO

Contains the basic information for a file. Used for file handles.

FILE_COMPRESSION_INFO

Receives file compression information.

FILE_DISPOSITION_INFO

Indicates whether a file should be deleted. Used for any handles.

FILE_END_OF_FILE_INFO

Contains the specified value to which the end of the file should be set.

FILE_FULL_DIR_INFO

Contains directory information for a file. (FILE_FULL_DIR_INFO)

FILE_ID_BOTH_DIR_INFO

Contains information about files in the specified directory.

FILE_ID_DESCRIPTOR

Specifies the type of ID that is being used.

FILE_ID_EXTD_DIR_INFO

Contains identification information for a file. (FILE_ID_EXTD_DIR_INFO)

FILE_ID_INFO

Contains identification information for a file. (FILE_ID_INFO)

FILE_IO_PRIORITY_HINT_INFO

Specifies the priority hint for a file I/O operation.

FILE_NAME_INFO

Receives the file name.

FILE_REMOTE_PROTOCOL_INFO

Contains file remote protocol information.

FILE_RENAME_INFO

Contains the name to which the file should be renamed.

FILE_STANDARD_INFO

Receives extended information for the file.

FILE_STORAGE_INFO

Contains directory information for a file. (FILE_STORAGE_INFO)

FILE_STREAM_INFO

Receives file stream information for the specified file.

HW_PROFILE_INFOA

Contains information about a hardware profile. (ANSI)

HW_PROFILE_INFOW

Contains information about a hardware profile. (Unicode)

MEMORYSTATUS

Contains information about the current state of both physical and virtual memory.

OFSTRUCT

Contains information about a file that the OpenFile function opened or attempted to open.

OPERATION_END_PARAMETERS

This structure is used by the OperationEnd function.

OPERATION_START_PARAMETERS

This structure is used by the OperationStart function.

STARTUPINFOEXA

Specifies the window station, desktop, standard handles, and attributes for a new process. It is
used with the CreateProcess and CreateProcessAsUser functions. (ANSI)

STARTUPINFOEXW

Specifies the window station, desktop, standard handles, and attributes for a new process. It is
used with the CreateProcess and CreateProcessAsUser functions. (Unicode)

SYSTEM_POWER_STATUS

Contains information about the power status of the system.

UMS_SCHEDULER_STARTUP_INFO

Specifies attributes for a user-mode scheduling (UMS) scheduler thread.

 UMS_SYSTEM_THREAD_INFORMATION

Specifies a UMS scheduler thread, UMS worker thread, or non-UMS thread. The
GetUmsSystemThreadInformation function uses this structure.

WIN32_STREAM_ID

Contains stream data.

Enumerations

COPYFILE2_COPY_PHASE

Indicates the phase of a copy at the time of an error.

COPYFILE2_MESSAGE_ACTION

Returned by the CopyFile2ProgressRoutine callback function to indicate what action should be

taken for the pending copy operation.

COPYFILE2_MESSAGE_TYPE

Indicates the type of message passed in the COPYFILE2_MESSAGE structure to the

CopyFile2ProgressRoutine callback function.

FILE_ID_TYPE

Discriminator for the union in the FILE_ID_DESCRIPTOR structure.

PRIORITY_HINT

Defines values that are used with the FILE_IO_PRIORITY_HINT_INFO structure to specify the
priority hint for a file I/O operation.

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WinMain function (winbase.h)
Article10/13/2021

The user-provided entry point for a graphical Windows-based application.

WinMain is the conventional name used for the application entry point. For more
information, see Remarks.

Syntax
C++

int __clrcall WinMain(

[in] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
[in] LPSTR lpCmdLine,
[in] int nShowCmd
);

Parameters
[in] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the current instance of the application.

[in] hPrevInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the previous instance of the application. This parameter is always NULL. If
you need to detect whether another instance already exists, create a uniquely named
mutex using the CreateMutex function. CreateMutex will succeed even if the mutex
already exists, but the function will return ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS. This indicates that
another instance of your application exists, because it created the mutex first. However,
a malicious user can create this mutex before you do and prevent your application from
starting. To prevent this situation, create a randomly named mutex and store the name
so that it can only be obtained by an authorized user. Alternatively, you can use a file for
this purpose. To limit your application to one instance per user, create a locked file in
the user's profile directory.
[in] lpCmdLine

Type: LPSTR

The command line for the application, excluding the program name. To retrieve the
entire command line, use the GetCommandLine function.

[in] nShowCmd

Type: int

Controls how the window is to be shown. This parameter can be any of the values that
can be specified in the nCmdShow parameter for the ShowWindow function.

Return value
Type: int

If the function succeeds, terminating when it receives a WM_QUIT message, it should

return the exit value contained in that message's wParam parameter. If the function
terminates before entering the message loop, it should return zero.

Remarks
The name WinMain is used by convention by many programming frameworks.
Depending on the programming framework, the call to the WinMain function can be
preceded and followed by additional activities specific to that framework.

Your WinMain should initialize the application, display its main window, and enter a
message retrieval-and-dispatch loop that is the top-level control structure for the
remainder of the application's execution. Terminate the message loop when it receives a
WM_QUIT message. At that point, your WinMain should exit the application, returning
the value passed in the WM_QUIT message's wParam parameter. If WM_QUIT was
received as a result of calling PostQuitMessage, the value of wParam is the value of the
PostQuitMessage function's nExitCode parameter. For more information, see Creating a
Message Loop.

ANSI applications can use the lpCmdLine parameter of the WinMain function to access
the command-line string, excluding the program name. Note that lpCmdLine uses the
LPSTR data type instead of the LPTSTR data type. This means that WinMain cannot be
used by Unicode programs. The GetCommandLineW function can be used to obtain the
command line as a Unicode string. Some programming frameworks might provide an
alternative entry point that provides a Unicode command line. For example, the
Microsoft Visual Studio C++ complier uses the name wWinMain for the Unicode entry
point.

Example
The following code example demonstrates the use of WinMain

C++

#include <windows.h>

int APIENTRY WinMain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hInstPrev, PSTR cmdline, int

cmdshow)
{
return MessageBox(NULL, "hello, world", "caption", 0);
}

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winbase.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

CreateMutex

DispatchMessage

GetCommandLine

GetMessage

Other Resources

PostQuitMessage
Reference

TranslateMessage

Windows

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windef.h header
Article01/24/2023

This header is used by multiple technologies. For more information, see:

Display Devices Reference

High DPI
Windows Accessibility Features
Windows and Messages
Windows GDI

windef.h contains the following programming interfaces:

Structures

POINT

The POINT structure defines the x- and y-coordinates of a point.

POINTL

The POINTL structure defines the x- and y-coordinates of a point.

POINTS

The POINTS structure defines the x- and y-coordinates of a point.

RECT

The RECT structure defines a rectangle by the coordinates of its upper-left and lower-right
corners.

RECTL

The RECTL structure defines a rectangle by the coordinates of its upper-left and lower-right
corners.

SIZE

The SIZE structure defines the width and height of a rectangle.

Enumerations
 DPI_AWARENESS

Identifies the dots per inch (dpi) setting for a thread, process, or window.

DPI_HOSTING_BEHAVIOR

Identifies the DPI hosting behavior for a window. This behavior allows windows created in the
thread to host child windows with a different DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT.

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windowsx.h header
Article01/24/2023

This header is used by multiple technologies. For more information, see:

Developer Notes
Windows and Messages
Windows Controls
Windows GDI

windowsx.h contains the following programming interfaces:

Functions

Button_Enable

Enables or disables a button.

Button_GetCheck

Gets the check state of a radio button or check box. You can use this macro or send the
BM_GETCHECK message explicitly.

Button_GetState

Retrieves the state of a button or check box. You can use this macro or send the BM_GETSTATE
message explicitly.

Button_GetText

Gets the text of a button.

Button_GetTextLength

Gets the number of characters in the text of a button.

Button_SetCheck

Sets the check state of a radio button or check box. You can use this macro or send the
BM_SETCHECK message explicitly.
Button_SetState

Sets the highlight state of a button. The highlight state indicates whether the button is
highlighted as if the user had pushed it. You can use this macro or send the BM_SETSTATE
message explicitly.

Button_SetStyle

Sets the style of a button. You can use this macro or send the BM_SETSTYLE message explicitly.

Button_SetText

Sets the text of a button.

ComboBox_AddItemData

Adds item data to the list in a combo box at the specified location. You can use this macro or send
the CB_ADDSTRING message explicitly.

ComboBox_AddString

Adds a string to a list in a combo box.

ComboBox_DeleteString

Deletes the item at the specified location in a list in a combo box. You can use this macro or send
the CB_DELETESTRING message explicitly.

ComboBox_Dir

Adds names to the list displayed by a combo box.

ComboBox_Enable

Enables or disables a combo box control.

ComboBox_FindItemData

Finds the first item in a combo box list that has the specified item data. You can use this macro or
send the CB_FINDSTRING message explicitly.

ComboBox_FindString

Finds the first string in a combo box list that begins with the specified string. You can use this
macro or send the CB_FINDSTRING message explicitly.
ComboBox_FindStringExact

Finds the first string in a combo box list that exactly matches the specified string, except that the
search is not case sensitive. You can use this macro or send the CB_FINDSTRINGEXACT message
explicitly.

ComboBox_GetCount

Gets the number of items in the list box of a combo box. You can use this macro or send the
CB_GETCOUNT message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetCurSel

Gets the index of the currently selected item in a combo box. You can use this macro or send the
CB_GETCURSEL message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetDroppedControlRect

Retrieves the screen coordinates of a combo box in its dropped-down state. You can use this
macro or send the CB_GETDROPPEDCONTROLRECT message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetDroppedState

Ascertains whether the drop list in a combo box control is visible. You can use this macro or send
the CB_GETDROPPEDSTATE message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetExtendedUI

Ascertains whether a combo box is using the default user interface (UI) or the extended UI. You
can use this macro or send the CB_GETEXTENDEDUI message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetItemData

Gets the application-defined value associated with the specified list item in a combo box. You can
use this macro or send the CB_GETITEMDATA message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetItemHeight

Retrieves the height of list items in a combo box. You can use this macro or send the
CB_GETITEMHEIGHT message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetLBText

Gets a string from a list in a combo box. You can use this macro or send the CB_GETLBTEXT
message explicitly.
ComboBox_GetLBTextLen

Gets the length of a string in the list in a combo box. You can use this macro or send the
CB_GETLBTEXTLEN message explicitly.

ComboBox_GetText

Retrieves the text from a combo box control.

ComboBox_GetTextLength

Gets the number of characters in the text of a combo box.

ComboBox_InsertItemData

Inserts item data in a list in a combo box at the specified location. You can use this macro or send
the CB_INSERTSTRING message explicitly.

ComboBox_InsertString

Adds a string to a list in a combo box at the specified location. You can use this macro or send the
CB_INSERTSTRING message explicitly.

ComboBox_LimitText

Limits the length of the text the user may type into the edit control of a combo box. You can use
this macro or send the CB_LIMITTEXT message explicitly.

ComboBox_ResetContent

Removes all items from the list box and edit control of a combo box. You can use this macro or
send the CB_RESETCONTENT message explicitly.

ComboBox_SelectItemData

Searches a list in a combo box for an item that has the specified item data. If a matching item is
found, the item is selected. You can use this macro or send the CB_SELECTSTRING message
explicitly.

ComboBox_SelectString

Searches a list in a combo box for an item that begins with the characters in a specified string. If a
matching item is found, the item is selected. You can use this macro or send the
CB_SELECTSTRING message explicitly.

ComboBox_SetCurSel

Sets the currently selected item in a combo box. You can use this macro or send the
CB_SETCURSEL message explicitly.
ComboBox_SetExtendedUI

Selects either the default user interface (UI) or the extended UI for a combo box that has the
CBS_DROPDOWN or CBS_DROPDOWNLIST style. You can use this macro or send the
CB_SETEXTENDEDUI message explicitly.

ComboBox_SetItemData

Sets the application-defined value associated with the specified list item in a combo box. You can
use this macro or send the CB_SETITEMDATA message explicitly.

ComboBox_SetItemHeight

Sets the height of list items or the selection field in a combo box. You can use this macro or send
the CB_SETITEMHEIGHT message explicitly.

ComboBox_SetText

Sets the text of a combo box.

ComboBox_ShowDropdown

Shows or hides the list in a combo box. You can use this macro or send the
CB_SHOWDROPDOWN message explicitly.

DeleteFont

The DeleteFont macro deletes a font object, freeing all system resources associated with the font
object.

Edit_CanUndo

Determines whether there are any actions in the undo queue of an edit or rich edit control. You
can use this macro or send the EM_CANUNDO message explicitly.

Edit_EmptyUndoBuffer

Resets the undo flag of an edit or rich edit control. The undo flag is set whenever an operation
within the edit control can be undone. You can use this macro or send the
EM_EMPTYUNDOBUFFER message explicitly.

Edit_Enable

Enables or disables an edit control.

Edit_FmtLines

Sets a flag that determines whether text retrieved from a multiline edit control includes soft line-
break characters.
Edit_GetFirstVisibleLine

Gets the index of the uppermost visible line in a multiline edit or rich edit control. You can use this
macro or send the EM_GETFIRSTVISIBLELINE message explicitly.

Edit_GetHandle

Gets a handle to the memory currently allocated for the text of a multiline edit control. You can
use this macro or send the EM_GETHANDLE message explicitly.

Edit_GetLine

Retrieves a line of text from an edit or rich edit control. You can use this macro or send the
EM_GETLINE message explicitly.

Edit_GetLineCount

Gets the number of lines in the text of an edit control. You can use this macro or send the
EM_GETLINECOUNT message explicitly.

Edit_GetModify

Gets the state of an edit or rich edit control's modification flag. The flag indicates whether the
contents of the control have been modified. You can use this macro or send the EM_GETMODIFY
message explicitly.

Edit_GetPasswordChar

Gets the password character for an edit or rich edit control. You can use this macro or send the
EM_GETPASSWORDCHAR message explicitly.

Edit_GetRect

Gets the formatting rectangle of an edit control. You can use this macro or send the EM_GETRECT
message explicitly.

Edit_GetSel

Gets the starting and ending character positions of the current selection in an edit or rich edit
control. You can use this macro or send the EM_GETSEL message explicitly.

Edit_GetText

Gets the text of an edit control.

Edit_GetTextLength

Gets the number of characters in the text of an edit control.

Edit_GetWordBreakProc

Retrieves the address of an edit or rich edit control's Wordwrap function. You can use this macro
or send the EM_GETWORDBREAKPROC message explicitly.

Edit_LimitText

Limits the length of text that can be entered into an edit control. You can use this macro or send
the EM_LIMITTEXT message explicitly.

Edit_LineFromChar

Gets the index of the line that contains the specified character index in a multiline edit or rich edit
control. You can use this macro or send the EM_LINEFROMCHAR message explicitly.

Edit_LineIndex

Gets the character index of the first character of a specified line in a multiline edit or rich edit
control. You can use this macro or send the EM_LINEINDEX message explicitly.

Edit_LineLength

Retrieves the length, in characters, of a line in an edit or rich edit control. You can use this macro
or send the EM_LINELENGTH message explicitly.

Edit_ReplaceSel

Replaces the selected text in an edit control or a rich edit control with the specified text. You can
use this macro or send the EM_REPLACESEL message explicitly.

Edit_Scroll

Scrolls the text vertically in a multiline edit or rich edit control. You can use this macro or send the
EM_SCROLL message explicitly.

Edit_ScrollCaret

Scrolls the caret into view in an edit or rich edit control. You can use this macro or send the
EM_SCROLLCARET message explicitly.

Edit_SetHandle

Sets the handle of the memory that will be used by a multiline edit control. You can use this
macro or send the EM_SETHANDLE message explicitly.
Edit_SetModify

Sets or clears the modification flag for an edit control. The modification flag indicates whether the
text within the edit control has been modified. You can use this macro or send the
EM_SETMODIFY message explicitly.

Edit_SetPasswordChar

Sets or removes the password character for an edit or rich edit control. When a password
character is set, that character is displayed in place of the characters typed by the user. You can
use this macro or send the EM_SETPASSWORDCHAR message explicitly.

Edit_SetReadOnly

Sets or removes the read-only style (ES_READONLY) of an edit or rich edit control. You can use
this macro or send the EM_SETREADONLY message explicitly.

Edit_SetRect

Sets the formatting rectangle of an edit control. You can use this macro or send the EM_SETRECT
message explicitly.

Edit_SetRectNoPaint

Sets the formatting rectangle of a multiline edit control. This macro is equivalent to Edit_SetRect,
except that it does not redraw the edit control window. You can use this macro or send the
EM_SETRECTNP message explicitly.

Edit_SetSel

Selects a range of characters in an edit or rich edit control. You can use this macro or send the
EM_SETSEL message explicitly.

Edit_SetTabStops

Sets the tab stops in a multiline edit or rich edit control. When text is copied to the control, any
tab character in the text causes space to be generated up to the next tab stop. You can use this
macro or send the EM_SETTABSTOPS message explicitly.

Edit_SetText

Sets the text of an edit control.

Edit_SetWordBreakProc

Replaces an edit control's default Wordwrap function with an application-defined Wordwrap

function. You can use this macro or send the EM_SETWORDBREAKPROC message explicitly.
Edit_Undo

Undoes the last operation in the undo queue of an edit or rich edit control. You can use this
macro or send the EM_UNDO message explicitly.

GET_X_LPARAM

Retrieves the signed x-coordinate from the specified LPARAM value.

GET_Y_LPARAM

Retrieves the signed y-coordinate from the given LPARAM value.

ListBox_AddItemData

Adds item data to the list box at the specified location. You can use this macro or send the
LB_ADDSTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_AddString

Adds a string to a list box.

ListBox_DeleteString

Deletes the item at the specified location in a list box. You can use this macro or send the
LB_DELETESTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_Dir

Adds names to the list displayed by a list box.

ListBox_Enable

Enables or disables a list box control.

ListBox_FindItemData

Finds the first item in a list box that has the specified item data. You can use this macro or send
the LB_FINDSTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_FindString

Finds the first string in a list box that begins with the specified string. You can use this macro or
send the LB_FINDSTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_FindStringExact

Finds the first list box string that exactly matches the specified string, except that the search is not
case sensitive. You can use this macro or send the LB_FINDSTRINGEXACT message explicitly.
ListBox_GetCaretIndex

Retrieves the index of the list box item that has the focus rectangle in a multiple-selection list box.
The item may or may not be selected. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETCARETINDEX
message explicitly.

ListBox_GetCount

Gets the number of items in a list box. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETCOUNT message
explicitly.

ListBox_GetCurSel

Gets the index of the currently selected item in a single-selection list box. You can use this macro
or send the LB_GETCURSEL message explicitly.

ListBox_GetHorizontalExtent

Gets the width that a list box can be scrolled horizontally (the scrollable width) if the list box has a
horizontal scroll bar. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETHORIZONTALEXTENT message
explicitly.

ListBox_GetItemData

Gets the application-defined value associated with the specified list box item. You can use this
macro or send the LB_GETITEMDATA message explicitly.

ListBox_GetItemHeight

Retrieves the height of items in a list box.

ListBox_GetItemRect

Gets the dimensions of the rectangle that bounds a list box item as it is currently displayed in the
list box. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETITEMRECT message explicitly.

ListBox_GetSel

Gets the selection state of an item. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETSEL message
explicitly.

ListBox_GetSelCount

Gets the count of selected items in a multiple-selection list box. You can use this macro or send
the LB_GETSELCOUNT message explicitly.
ListBox_GetSelItems

Gets the indexes of selected items in a multiple-selection list box. You can use this macro or send
the LB_GETSELITEMS message explicitly.

ListBox_GetText

Gets a string from a list box. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETTEXT message explicitly.

ListBox_GetTextLen

Gets the length of a string in a list box. You can use this macro or send the LB_GETTEXTLEN
message explicitly.

ListBox_GetTopIndex

Gets the index of the first visible item in a list box. You can use this macro or send the
LB_GETTOPINDEX message explicitly.

ListBox_InsertItemData

Inserts item data to a list box at the specified location. You can use this macro or send the
LB_INSERTSTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_InsertString

Adds a string to a list box at the specified location. You can use this macro or send the
LB_INSERTSTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_ResetContent

Removes all items from a list box. You can use this macro or send the LB_RESETCONTENT message
explicitly.

ListBox_SelectItemData

Searches a list box for an item that has the specified item data. If a matching item is found, the
item is selected. You can use this macro or send the LB_SELECTSTRING message explicitly.

ListBox_SelectString

Searches a list box for an item that begins with the characters in a specified string. If a matching
item is found, the item is selected. You can use this macro or send the LB_SELECTSTRING message
explicitly.

ListBox_SelItemRange

Selects or deselects one or more consecutive items in a multiple-selection list box. You can use
this macro or send the LB_SELITEMRANGE message explicitly.
ListBox_SetCaretIndex

Sets the focus rectangle to the item at the specified index in a multiple-selection list box. If the
item is not visible, it is scrolled into view. You can use this macro or send the LB_SETCARETINDEX
message explicitly.

ListBox_SetColumnWidth

Sets the width of all columns in a multiple-column list box. You can use this macro or send the
LB_SETCOLUMNWIDTH message explicitly.

ListBox_SetCurSel

Sets the currently selected item in a single-selection list box. You can use this macro or send the
LB_SETCURSEL message explicitly.

ListBox_SetHorizontalExtent

Set the width by which a list box can be scrolled horizontally (the scrollable width).

ListBox_SetItemData

Sets the application-defined value associated with the specified list box item. You can use this
macro or send the LB_SETITEMDATA message explicitly.

ListBox_SetItemHeight

Sets the height of items in a list box.

ListBox_SetSel

Selects or deselects an item in a multiple-selection list box. You can use this macro or send the
LB_SETSEL message explicitly.

ListBox_SetTabStops

Sets the tab-stop positions in a list box. You can use this macro or send the LB_SETTABSTOPS
message explicitly.

ListBox_SetTopIndex

Ensures that the specified item in a list box is visible. You can use this macro or send the
LB_SETTOPINDEX message explicitly.

ScrollBar_Enable

Enables or disables a scroll bar control.

ScrollBar_GetPos

Retrieves the position of the scroll box (thumb) in the specified scroll bar.

ScrollBar_GetRange

Gets the range of a scroll bar.

ScrollBar_SetPos

Sets the position of the scroll box (thumb) in the specified scroll bar and, if requested, redraws the
scroll bar to reflect the new position of the scroll box. (ScrollBar_SetPos)

ScrollBar_SetRange

Sets the range of a scroll bar.

ScrollBar_Show

Shows or hides a scroll bar control.

SelectFont

The SelectFont macro selects a font object into the specified device context (DC). The new font
object replaces the previous font object.

Static_Enable

Enables or disables a static control.

Static_GetIcon

Retrieves a handle to the icon associated with a static control that has the SS_ICON style. You can
use this macro or send the STM_GETICON message explicitly.

Static_GetText

Gets the text of a static control.

Static_GetTextLength

Gets the number of characters in the text of a static control.

Static_SetIcon

Sets the icon for a static control. You can use this macro or send the STM_SETICON message
explicitly.
 Static_SetText

Sets the text of a static control.

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GET_X_LPARAM macro (windowsx.h)
Article04/02/2021

Retrieves the signed x-coordinate from the specified LPARAM value.

Syntax
C++

void GET_X_LPARAM(
lp
);

Parameters
lp

The data from which the x-coordinate is to be extracted.

Return value
Type: int

X-coordinate.

Remarks
Use GET_X_LPARAM instead of LOWORD to extract signed coordinate data. Negative
screen coordinates may be returned on multiple monitor systems.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header windowsx.h (include Windowsx.h)

See also
Conceptual

GET_Y_LPARAM

LOWORD

Reference

Windows Data Types

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GET_Y_LPARAM macro (windowsx.h)
Article04/02/2021

Retrieves the signed y-coordinate from the given LPARAM value.

Syntax
C++

void GET_Y_LPARAM(
lp
);

Parameters
lp

The data from which the y-coordinate is to be extracted.

Return value
Type: int

Y-coordinate.

Remarks
Use GET_Y_LPARAM instead of HIWORD to extract signed coordinate data. Negative
screen coordinates may be returned on multiple monitor systems.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header windowsx.h (include Windowsx.h)

See also
Conceptual

GET_X_LPARAM

HIWORD

Reference

Windows Data Types

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winuser.h header
Article02/17/2023

This header is used by multiple technologies. For more information, see:

Data Exchange
Desktop Window Manager (DWM)
Developer Notes
Dialog Boxes
Display Devices Reference
High DPI
Input Feedback Configuration
Input Source Identification
Internationalization for Windows Applications
Keyboard and Mouse Input
Menus and Other Resources
Mobile Device Management Settings Provider
Pointer Device Input Stack
Pointer Input Messages and Notifications
Remote Desktop Services
Security and Identity
System Services
The Windows Shell
Touch Hit Testing
Touch Injection
Touch Input
Window Stations and Desktops
Windows Accessibility Features
Windows and Messages
Windows Controls
Windows GDI

winuser.h contains the following programming interfaces:

Functions
ActivateKeyboardLayout

Sets the input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout handle) for the calling thread
or the current process. The input locale identifier specifies a locale as well as the physical layout of
the keyboard.

AddClipboardFormatListener

Places the given window in the system-maintained clipboard format listener list.

AdjustWindowRect

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired client-rectangle size.
The window rectangle can then be passed to the CreateWindow function to create a window
whose client area is the desired size.

AdjustWindowRectEx

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired size of the client
rectangle. The window rectangle can then be passed to the CreateWindowEx function to create a
window whose client area is the desired size.

AdjustWindowRectExForDpi

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired size of the client
rectangle and the provided DPI.

AllowSetForegroundWindow

Enables the specified process to set the foreground window using the SetForegroundWindow
function. The calling process must already be able to set the foreground window. For more
information, see Remarks later in this topic.

AnimateWindow

Enables you to produce special effects when showing or hiding windows. There are four types of
animation:_roll, slide, collapse or expand, and alpha-blended fade.

AnyPopup

Indicates whether an owned, visible, top-level pop-up, or overlapped window exists on the screen.
The function searches the entire screen, not just the calling application's client area.

AppendMenuA

Appends a new item to the end of the specified menu bar, drop-down menu, submenu, or
shortcut menu. You can use this function to specify the content, appearance, and behavior of the
menu item. (ANSI)
AppendMenuW

Appends a new item to the end of the specified menu bar, drop-down menu, submenu, or
shortcut menu. You can use this function to specify the content, appearance, and behavior of the
menu item. (Unicode)

AreDpiAwarenessContextsEqual

Determines whether two DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT values are identical.

ArrangeIconicWindows

Arranges all the minimized (iconic) child windows of the specified parent window.

AttachThreadInput

Attaches or detaches the input processing mechanism of one thread to that of another thread.

BeginDeferWindowPos

Allocates memory for a multiple-window- position structure and returns the handle to the
structure.

BeginPaint

The BeginPaint function prepares the specified window for painting and fills a PAINTSTRUCT
structure with information about the painting.

BlockInput

Blocks keyboard and mouse input events from reaching applications.

BringWindowToTop

Brings the specified window to the top of the Z order. If the window is a top-level window, it is
activated. If the window is a child window, the top-level parent window associated with the child
window is activated.

BroadcastSystemMessage

The BroadcastSystemMessage function sends a message to the specified recipients.

(BroadcastSystemMessage)

BroadcastSystemMessageA

Sends a message to the specified recipients. (BroadcastSystemMessageA)

BroadcastSystemMessageExA

Sends a message to the specified recipients. (BroadcastSystemMessageExA)

BroadcastSystemMessageExW

Sends a message to the specified recipients. (BroadcastSystemMessageExW)

BroadcastSystemMessageW

The BroadcastSystemMessageW (Unicode) function sends a message to the specified recipients.

(BroadcastSystemMessageW)

CalculatePopupWindowPosition

Calculates an appropriate pop-up window position using the specified anchor point, pop-up
window size, flags, and the optional exclude rectangle.

CallMsgFilterA

Passes the specified message and hook code to the hook procedures associated with the
WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks. (ANSI)

CallMsgFilterW

Passes the specified message and hook code to the hook procedures associated with the
WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks. (Unicode)

CallNextHookEx

Passes the hook information to the next hook procedure in the current hook chain. A hook
procedure can call this function either before or after processing the hook information.

CallWindowProcA

Passes message information to the specified window procedure. (ANSI)

CallWindowProcW

Passes message information to the specified window procedure. (Unicode)

CascadeWindows

Cascades the specified child windows of the specified parent window.

ChangeClipboardChain

Removes a specified window from the chain of clipboard viewers.

ChangeDisplaySettingsA

The ChangeDisplaySettings function changes the settings of the default display device to the
specified graphics mode. (ANSI)

ChangeDisplaySettingsExA

The ChangeDisplaySettingsEx function changes the settings of the specified display device to the
specified graphics mode. (ANSI)

ChangeDisplaySettingsExW

The ChangeDisplaySettingsEx function changes the settings of the specified display device to the
specified graphics mode. (Unicode)

ChangeDisplaySettingsW

The ChangeDisplaySettings function changes the settings of the default display device to the
specified graphics mode. (Unicode)

ChangeWindowMessageFilter

Adds or removes a message from the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) message filter.

ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx

Modifies the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) message filter for a specified window.

CharLowerA

Converts a character string or a single character to lowercase. If the operand is a character string,
the function converts the characters in place. (ANSI)

CharLowerBuffA

Converts uppercase characters in a buffer to lowercase characters. The function converts the
characters in place. (ANSI)

CharLowerBuffW

Converts uppercase characters in a buffer to lowercase characters. The function converts the
characters in place. (Unicode)

CharLowerW

Converts a character string or a single character to lowercase. If the operand is a character string,
the function converts the characters in place. (Unicode)
CharNextA

Retrieves a pointer to the next character in a string. This function can handle strings consisting of
either single- or multi-byte characters. (ANSI)

CharNextExA

Retrieves the pointer to the next character in a string. This function can handle strings consisting
of either single- or multi-byte characters.

CharNextW

Retrieves a pointer to the next character in a string. This function can handle strings consisting of
either single- or multi-byte characters. (Unicode)

CharPrevA

Retrieves a pointer to the preceding character in a string. This function can handle strings
consisting of either single- or multi-byte characters. (ANSI)

CharPrevExA

Retrieves the pointer to the preceding character in a string. This function can handle strings
consisting of either single- or multi-byte characters.

CharPrevW

Retrieves a pointer to the preceding character in a string. This function can handle strings
consisting of either single- or multi-byte characters. (Unicode)

CharToOemA

Translates a string into the OEM-defined character set.Warning Do not use. (ANSI)

CharToOemBuffA

Translates a specified number of characters in a string into the OEM-defined character set. (ANSI)

CharToOemBuffW

Translates a specified number of characters in a string into the OEM-defined character set.
(Unicode)

CharToOemW

Translates a string into the OEM-defined character set.Warning Do not use. (Unicode)
CharUpperA

Converts a character string or a single character to uppercase. If the operand is a character string,
the function converts the characters in place. (ANSI)

CharUpperBuffA

Converts lowercase characters in a buffer to uppercase characters. The function converts the
characters in place. (ANSI)

CharUpperBuffW

Converts lowercase characters in a buffer to uppercase characters. The function converts the
characters in place. (Unicode)

CharUpperW

Converts a character string or a single character to uppercase. If the operand is a character string,
the function converts the characters in place. (Unicode)

CheckDlgButton

Changes the check state of a button control.

CheckMenuItem

Sets the state of the specified menu item's check-mark attribute to either selected or clear.

CheckMenuRadioItem

Checks a specified menu item and makes it a radio item. At the same time, the function clears all
other menu items in the associated group and clears the radio-item type flag for those items.

CheckRadioButton

Adds a check mark to (checks) a specified radio button in a group and removes a check mark from
(clears) all other radio buttons in the group.

ChildWindowFromPoint

Determines which, if any, of the child windows belonging to a parent window contains the
specified point. The search is restricted to immediate child windows. Grandchildren, and deeper
descendant windows are not searched.

ChildWindowFromPointEx

Determines which, if any, of the child windows belonging to the specified parent window contains
the specified point.
ClientToScreen

The ClientToScreen function converts the client-area coordinates of a specified point to screen
coordinates.

ClipCursor

Confines the cursor to a rectangular area on the screen.

CloseClipboard

Closes the clipboard.

CloseDesktop

Closes an open handle to a desktop object.

CloseGestureInfoHandle

Closes resources associated with a gesture information handle.

CloseTouchInputHandle

Closes a touch input handle, frees process memory associated with it, and invalidates the handle.

CloseWindow

Minimizes (but does not destroy) the specified window.

CloseWindowStation

Closes an open window station handle.

CopyAcceleratorTableA

Copies the specified accelerator table. This function is used to obtain the accelerator-table data
that corresponds to an accelerator-table handle, or to determine the size of the accelerator-table
data. (ANSI)

CopyAcceleratorTableW

Copies the specified accelerator table. This function is used to obtain the accelerator-table data
that corresponds to an accelerator-table handle, or to determine the size of the accelerator-table
data. (Unicode)

CopyCursor

Copies the specified cursor.

CopyIcon

Copies the specified icon from another module to the current module.

CopyImage

Creates a new image (icon, cursor, or bitmap) and copies the attributes of the specified image to
the new one. If necessary, the function stretches the bits to fit the desired size of the new image.

CopyRect

The CopyRect function copies the coordinates of one rectangle to another.

CountClipboardFormats

Retrieves the number of different data formats currently on the clipboard.

CreateAcceleratorTableA

Creates an accelerator table. (ANSI)

CreateAcceleratorTableW

Creates an accelerator table. (Unicode)

CreateCaret

Creates a new shape for the system caret and assigns ownership of the caret to the specified
window. The caret shape can be a line, a block, or a bitmap.

CreateCursor

Creates a cursor having the specified size, bit patterns, and hot spot.

CreateDesktopA

Creates a new desktop, associates it with the current window station of the calling process, and
assigns it to the calling thread. (ANSI)

CreateDesktopExA

Creates a new desktop with the specified heap, associates it with the current window station of
the calling process, and assigns it to the calling thread. (ANSI)

CreateDesktopExW

Creates a new desktop with the specified heap, associates it with the current window station of
the calling process, and assigns it to the calling thread. (Unicode)
CreateDesktopW

Creates a new desktop, associates it with the current window station of the calling process, and
assigns it to the calling thread. (Unicode)

CreateDialogA

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template resource. The CreateDialog macro uses
the CreateDialogParam function. (ANSI)

CreateDialogIndirectA

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. The CreateDialogIndirect
macro uses the CreateDialogIndirectParam function. (ANSI)

CreateDialogIndirectParamA

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. (ANSI)

CreateDialogIndirectParamW

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. (Unicode)

CreateDialogIndirectW

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. The CreateDialogIndirect
macro uses the CreateDialogIndirectParam function. (Unicode)

CreateDialogParamA

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template resource. (ANSI)

CreateDialogParamW

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template resource. (Unicode)

CreateDialogW

Creates a modeless dialog box from a dialog box template resource. The CreateDialog macro uses
the CreateDialogParam function. (Unicode)

CreateIcon

Creates an icon that has the specified size, colors, and bit patterns.

CreateIconFromResource

Creates an icon or cursor from resource bits describing the icon. (CreateIconFromResource)
CreateIconFromResourceEx

Creates an icon or cursor from resource bits describing the icon. (CreateIconFromResourceEx)

CreateIconIndirect

Creates an icon or cursor from an ICONINFO structure.

CreateMDIWindowA

Creates a multiple-document interface (MDI) child window. (ANSI)

CreateMDIWindowW

Creates a multiple-document interface (MDI) child window. (Unicode)

CreateMenu

Creates a menu. The menu is initially empty, but it can be filled with menu items by using the
InsertMenuItem, AppendMenu, and InsertMenu functions.

CreatePopupMenu

Creates a drop-down menu, submenu, or shortcut menu.

CreateSyntheticPointerDevice

Configures the pointer injection device for the calling application, and initializes the maximum
number of simultaneous pointers that the app can inject.

CreateWindowA

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window. (ANSI)

CreateWindowExA

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window with an extended window style; otherwise, this
function is identical to the CreateWindow function. (ANSI)

CreateWindowExW

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window with an extended window style; otherwise, this
function is identical to the CreateWindow function. (Unicode)

CreateWindowStationA

Creates a window station object, associates it with the calling process, and assigns it to the current
session. (ANSI)
CreateWindowStationW

Creates a window station object, associates it with the calling process, and assigns it to the current
session. (Unicode)

CreateWindowW

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window. (Unicode)

DefDlgProcA

Calls the default dialog box window procedure to provide default processing for any window
messages that a dialog box with a private window class does not process. (ANSI)

DefDlgProcW

Calls the default dialog box window procedure to provide default processing for any window
messages that a dialog box with a private window class does not process. (Unicode)

DeferWindowPos

Updates the specified multiple-window � position structure for the specified window.

DefFrameProcA

Provides default processing for any window messages that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) frame window does not process. (ANSI)

DefFrameProcW

Provides default processing for any window messages that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) frame window does not process. (Unicode)

DefMDIChildProcA

Provides default processing for any window message that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) child window does not process. (ANSI)

DefMDIChildProcW

Provides default processing for any window message that the window procedure of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) child window does not process. (Unicode)

DefRawInputProc

Verifies that the size of the RAWINPUTHEADER structure is correct.

DefWindowProcA

Calls the default window procedure to provide default processing for any window messages that
an application does not process. (ANSI)

DefWindowProcW

Calls the default window procedure to provide default processing for any window messages that
an application does not process. (Unicode)

DeleteMenu

Deletes an item from the specified menu. If the menu item opens a menu or submenu, this
function destroys the handle to the menu or submenu and frees the memory used by the menu or
submenu.

DeregisterShellHookWindow

Unregisters a specified Shell window that is registered to receive Shell hook messages.

DestroyAcceleratorTable

Destroys an accelerator table.

DestroyCaret

Destroys the caret's current shape, frees the caret from the window, and removes the caret from
the screen.

DestroyCursor

Destroys a cursor and frees any memory the cursor occupied. Do not use this function to destroy
a shared cursor.

DestroyIcon

Destroys an icon and frees any memory the icon occupied.

DestroyMenu

Destroys the specified menu and frees any memory that the menu occupies.

DestroySyntheticPointerDevice

Destroys the specified pointer injection device.

DestroyWindow

Destroys the specified window.

DialogBoxA

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template resource. DialogBox does not return
control until the specified callback function terminates the modal dialog box by calling the
EndDialog function. (ANSI)

DialogBoxIndirectA

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. DialogBoxIndirect does not
return control until the specified callback function terminates the modal dialog box by calling the
EndDialog function. (ANSI)

DialogBoxIndirectParamA

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. (ANSI)

DialogBoxIndirectParamW

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. (Unicode)

DialogBoxIndirectW

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template in memory. DialogBoxIndirect does not
return control until the specified callback function terminates the modal dialog box by calling the
EndDialog function. (Unicode)

DialogBoxParamA

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template resource. (ANSI)

DialogBoxParamW

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template resource. (Unicode)

DialogBoxW

Creates a modal dialog box from a dialog box template resource. DialogBox does not return
control until the specified callback function terminates the modal dialog box by calling the
EndDialog function. (Unicode)

DisableProcessWindowsGhosting

Disables the window ghosting feature for the calling GUI process. Window ghosting is a Windows
Manager feature that lets the user minimize, move, or close the main window of an application
that is not responding.
DispatchMessage

The DispatchMessage function dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used

to dispatch a message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

DispatchMessageA

Dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used to dispatch a message retrieved

by the GetMessage function. (DispatchMessageA)

DispatchMessageW

The DispatchMessageW (Unicode) function dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is

typically used to dispatch a message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

DisplayConfigGetDeviceInfo

The DisplayConfigGetDeviceInfo function retrieves display configuration information about the

device.

DisplayConfigSetDeviceInfo

The DisplayConfigSetDeviceInfo function sets the properties of a target.

DlgDirListA

Replaces the contents of a list box with the names of the subdirectories and files in a specified
directory. You can filter the list of names by specifying a set of file attributes. The list can
optionally include mapped drives. (ANSI)

DlgDirListComboBoxA

Replaces the contents of a combo box with the names of the subdirectories and files in a specified
directory. You can filter the list of names by specifying a set of file attributes. The list of names can
include mapped drive letters. (ANSI)

DlgDirListComboBoxW

Replaces the contents of a combo box with the names of the subdirectories and files in a specified
directory. You can filter the list of names by specifying a set of file attributes. The list of names can
include mapped drive letters. (Unicode)

DlgDirListW

Replaces the contents of a list box with the names of the subdirectories and files in a specified
directory. You can filter the list of names by specifying a set of file attributes. The list can
optionally include mapped drives. (Unicode)
DlgDirSelectComboBoxExA

Retrieves the current selection from a combo box filled by using the DlgDirListComboBox
function. The selection is interpreted as a drive letter, a file, or a directory name. (ANSI)

DlgDirSelectComboBoxExW

Retrieves the current selection from a combo box filled by using the DlgDirListComboBox
function. The selection is interpreted as a drive letter, a file, or a directory name. (Unicode)

DlgDirSelectExA

Retrieves the current selection from a single-selection list box. It assumes that the list box has
been filled by the DlgDirList function and that the selection is a drive letter, filename, or directory
name. (ANSI)

DlgDirSelectExW

Retrieves the current selection from a single-selection list box. It assumes that the list box has
been filled by the DlgDirList function and that the selection is a drive letter, filename, or directory
name. (Unicode)

DragDetect

Captures the mouse and tracks its movement until the user releases the left button, presses the
ESC key, or moves the mouse outside the drag rectangle around the specified point.

DrawAnimatedRects

Animates the caption of a window to indicate the opening of an icon or the minimizing or
maximizing of a window.

DrawCaption

The DrawCaption function draws a window caption.

DrawEdge

The DrawEdge function draws one or more edges of rectangle.

DrawFocusRect

The DrawFocusRect function draws a rectangle in the style used to indicate that the rectangle has
the focus.

DrawFrameControl

The DrawFrameControl function draws a frame control of the specified type and style.
DrawIcon

Draws an icon or cursor into the specified device context.

DrawIconEx

Draws an icon or cursor into the specified device context, performing the specified raster
operations, and stretching or compressing the icon or cursor as specified.

DrawMenuBar

Redraws the menu bar of the specified window. If the menu bar changes after the system has
created the window, this function must be called to draw the changed menu bar.

DrawStateA

The DrawState function displays an image and applies a visual effect to indicate a state, such as a
disabled or default state. (ANSI)

DrawStateW

The DrawState function displays an image and applies a visual effect to indicate a state, such as a
disabled or default state. (Unicode)

DrawText

The DrawText function draws formatted text in the specified rectangle. (DrawText function)

DrawTextA

The DrawText function draws formatted text in the specified rectangle. It formats the text
according to the specified method (expanding tabs, justifying characters, breaking lines, and so
forth). (DrawTextA)

DrawTextExA

The DrawTextEx function draws formatted text in the specified rectangle. (ANSI)

DrawTextExW

The DrawTextEx function draws formatted text in the specified rectangle. (Unicode)

DrawTextW

The DrawTextW (Unicode) function draws formatted text in the specified rectangle. (DrawTextW
function)
EmptyClipboard

Empties the clipboard and frees handles to data in the clipboard. The function then assigns
ownership of the clipboard to the window that currently has the clipboard open.

EnableMenuItem

Enables, disables, or grays the specified menu item.

EnableMouseInPointer

Enables the mouse to act as a pointer input device and send WM_POINTER messages.

EnableNonClientDpiScaling

In high-DPI displays, enables automatic display scaling of the non-client area portions of the
specified top-level window. Must be called during the initialization of that window.

EnableScrollBar

The EnableScrollBar function enables or disables one or both scroll bar arrows.

EnableWindow

Enables or disables mouse and keyboard input to the specified window or control. When input is
disabled, the window does not receive input such as mouse clicks and key presses. When input is
enabled, the window receives all input.

EndDeferWindowPos

Simultaneously updates the position and size of one or more windows in a single screen-
refreshing cycle.

EndDialog

Destroys a modal dialog box, causing the system to end any processing for the dialog box.

EndMenu

Ends the calling thread's active menu.

EndPaint

The EndPaint function marks the end of painting in the specified window. This function is required
for each call to the BeginPaint function, but only after painting is complete.

EndTask

Forcibly closes the specified window.

EnumChildWindows

Enumerates the child windows that belong to the specified parent window by passing the handle
to each child window, in turn, to an application-defined callback function.

EnumClipboardFormats

Enumerates the data formats currently available on the clipboard.

EnumDesktopsA

Enumerates all desktops associated with the specified window station of the calling process. The
function passes the name of each desktop, in turn, to an application-defined callback function.
(ANSI)

EnumDesktopsW

Enumerates all desktops associated with the specified window station of the calling process. The
function passes the name of each desktop, in turn, to an application-defined callback function.
(Unicode)

EnumDesktopWindows

Enumerates all top-level windows associated with the specified desktop. It passes the handle to
each window, in turn, to an application-defined callback function.

EnumDisplayDevicesA

The EnumDisplayDevices function lets you obtain information about the display devices in the
current session. (ANSI)

EnumDisplayDevicesW

The EnumDisplayDevices function lets you obtain information about the display devices in the
current session. (Unicode)

EnumDisplayMonitors

The EnumDisplayMonitors function enumerates display monitors (including invisible pseudo-

monitors associated with the mirroring drivers) that intersect a region formed by the intersection
of a specified clipping rectangle and the visible region of a device context. EnumDisplayMonitors
calls an application-defined MonitorEnumProc callback function once for each monitor that is
enumerated. Note that GetSystemMetrics (SM_CMONITORS) counts only the display monitors.
EnumDisplaySettingsA

The EnumDisplaySettings function retrieves information about one of the graphics modes for a
display device. To retrieve information for all the graphics modes of a display device, make a series
of calls to this function. (ANSI)

EnumDisplaySettingsExA

The EnumDisplaySettingsEx function retrieves information about one of the graphics modes for a
display device. To retrieve information for all the graphics modes for a display device, make a
series of calls to this function. (ANSI)

EnumDisplaySettingsExW

The EnumDisplaySettingsEx function retrieves information about one of the graphics modes for a
display device. To retrieve information for all the graphics modes for a display device, make a
series of calls to this function. (Unicode)

EnumDisplaySettingsW

The EnumDisplaySettings function retrieves information about one of the graphics modes for a
display device. To retrieve information for all the graphics modes of a display device, make a series
of calls to this function. (Unicode)

EnumPropsA

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumProps continues until the last entry is enumerated or the callback
function returns FALSE. (ANSI)

EnumPropsExA

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumPropsEx continues until the last entry is enumerated or the
callback function returns FALSE. (ANSI)

EnumPropsExW

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumPropsEx continues until the last entry is enumerated or the
callback function returns FALSE. (Unicode)

EnumPropsW

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to the
specified callback function. EnumProps continues until the last entry is enumerated or the callback
function returns FALSE. (Unicode)
EnumThreadWindows

Enumerates all nonchild windows associated with a thread by passing the handle to each window,
in turn, to an application-defined callback function.

EnumWindows

Enumerates all top-level windows on the screen by passing the handle to each window, in turn, to
an application-defined callback function. EnumWindows continues until the last top-level window
is enumerated or the callback function returns FALSE.

EnumWindowStationsA

Enumerates all window stations in the current session. The function passes the name of each
window station, in turn, to an application-defined callback function. (ANSI)

EnumWindowStationsW

Enumerates all window stations in the current session. The function passes the name of each
window station, in turn, to an application-defined callback function. (Unicode)

EqualRect

The EqualRect function determines whether the two specified rectangles are equal by comparing
the coordinates of their upper-left and lower-right corners.

EvaluateProximityToPolygon

Returns the score of a polygon as the probable touch target (compared to all other polygons that
intersect the touch contact area) and an adjusted touch point within the polygon.

EvaluateProximityToRect

Returns the score of a rectangle as the probable touch target, compared to all other rectangles
that intersect the touch contact area, and an adjusted touch point within the rectangle.

ExcludeUpdateRgn

The ExcludeUpdateRgn function prevents drawing within invalid areas of a window by excluding
an updated region in the window from a clipping region.

ExitWindows

Calls the ExitWindowsEx function to log off the interactive user.

ExitWindowsEx

Logs off the interactive user, shuts down the system, or shuts down and restarts the system.
FillRect

The FillRect function fills a rectangle by using the specified brush. This function includes the left
and top borders, but excludes the right and bottom borders of the rectangle.

FindWindowA

Retrieves a handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match the
specified strings. This function does not search child windows. This function does not perform a
case-sensitive search. (ANSI)

FindWindowExA

Retrieves a handle to a window whose class name and window name match the specified strings.
The function searches child windows, beginning with the one following the specified child
window. This function does not perform a case-sensitive search. (ANSI)

FindWindowExW

Retrieves a handle to a window whose class name and window name match the specified strings.
The function searches child windows, beginning with the one following the specified child
window. This function does not perform a case-sensitive search. (Unicode)

FindWindowW

Retrieves a handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match the
specified strings. This function does not search child windows. This function does not perform a
case-sensitive search. (Unicode)

FlashWindow

Flashes the specified window one time. It does not change the active state of the window.

FlashWindowEx

Flashes the specified window. It does not change the active state of the window.

FrameRect

The FrameRect function draws a border around the specified rectangle by using the specified
brush. The width and height of the border are always one logical unit.

GET_APPCOMMAND_LPARAM

Retrieves the application command from the specified LPARAM value.

GET_DEVICE_LPARAM

Retrieves the input device type from the specified LPARAM value.
GET_FLAGS_LPARAM

Retrieves the state of certain virtual keys from the specified LPARAM value. (GET_FLAGS_LPARAM)

GET_KEYSTATE_LPARAM

Retrieves the state of certain virtual keys from the specified LPARAM value.
(GET_KEYSTATE_LPARAM)

GET_KEYSTATE_WPARAM

Retrieves the state of certain virtual keys from the specified WPARAM value.

GET_NCHITTEST_WPARAM

Retrieves the hit-test value from the specified WPARAM value.

GET_POINTERID_WPARAM

Retrieves the pointer ID using the specified value.

GET_RAWINPUT_CODE_WPARAM

Retrieves the input code from wParam in WM_INPUT.

GET_WHEEL_DELTA_WPARAM

Retrieves the wheel-delta value from the specified WPARAM value.

GET_XBUTTON_WPARAM

Retrieves the state of certain buttons from the specified WPARAM value.

GetActiveWindow

Retrieves the window handle to the active window attached to the calling thread's message
queue.

GetAltTabInfoA

Retrieves status information for the specified window if it is the application-switching (ALT+TAB)
window. (ANSI)

GetAltTabInfoW

Retrieves status information for the specified window if it is the application-switching (ALT+TAB)
window. (Unicode)
GetAncestor

Retrieves the handle to the ancestor of the specified window.

GetAsyncKeyState

Determines whether a key is up or down at the time the function is called, and whether the key
was pressed after a previous call to GetAsyncKeyState.

GetAutoRotationState

Retrieves an AR_STATE value containing the state of screen auto-rotation for the system, for
example whether auto-rotation is supported, and whether it is enabled by the user.

GetAwarenessFromDpiAwarenessContext

Retrieves the DPI_AWARENESS value from a DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT.

GetCapture

Retrieves a handle to the window (if any) that has captured the mouse. Only one window at a time
can capture the mouse; this window receives mouse input whether or not the cursor is within its
borders.

GetCaretBlinkTime

Retrieves the time required to invert the caret's pixels. The user can set this value.

GetCaretPos

Copies the caret's position to the specified POINT structure.

GetCIMSSM

Retrieves the source of the input message (GetCurrentInputMessageSourceInSendMessage).

GetClassInfoA

Retrieves information about a window class. (ANSI)

GetClassInfoExA

Retrieves information about a window class, including a handle to the small icon associated with
the window class. The GetClassInfo function does not retrieve a handle to the small icon. (ANSI)
GetClassInfoExW

Retrieves information about a window class, including a handle to the small icon associated with
the window class. The GetClassInfo function does not retrieve a handle to the small icon.
(Unicode)

GetClassInfoW

Retrieves information about a window class. (Unicode)

GetClassLongA

Retrieves the specified 32-bit (DWORD) value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with
the specified window. (ANSI)

GetClassLongPtrA

Retrieves the specified value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with the specified
window. (ANSI)

GetClassLongPtrW

Retrieves the specified value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with the specified
window. (Unicode)

GetClassLongW

Retrieves the specified 32-bit (DWORD) value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with
the specified window. (Unicode)

GetClassName

The GetClassName function retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window
belongs. (GetClassName)

GetClassNameA

Retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window belongs. (GetClassNameA)

GetClassNameW

The GetClassNameW (Unicode) function retrieves the name of the class to which the specified
window belongs. (GetClassNameW)

GetClassWord

Retrieves the 16-bit (WORD) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory for the
window class to which the specified window belongs.
GetClientRect

Retrieves the coordinates of a window's client area.

GetClipboardData

Retrieves data from the clipboard in a specified format. The clipboard must have been opened
previously.

GetClipboardFormatNameA

Retrieves from the clipboard the name of the specified registered format. The function copies the
name to the specified buffer. (ANSI)

GetClipboardFormatNameW

Retrieves from the clipboard the name of the specified registered format. The function copies the
name to the specified buffer. (Unicode)

GetClipboardOwner

Retrieves the window handle of the current owner of the clipboard.

GetClipboardSequenceNumber

Retrieves the clipboard sequence number for the current window station.

GetClipboardViewer

Retrieves the handle to the first window in the clipboard viewer chain.

GetClipCursor

Retrieves the screen coordinates of the rectangular area to which the cursor is confined.

GetComboBoxInfo

Retrieves information about the specified combo box.

GetCurrentInputMessageSource

Retrieves the source of the input message.

GetCursor

Retrieves a handle to the current cursor.

GetCursorInfo

Retrieves information about the global cursor.

GetCursorPos

Retrieves the position of the mouse cursor, in screen coordinates.

GetDC

The GetDC function retrieves a handle to a device context (DC) for the client area of a specified
window or for the entire screen.

GetDCEx

The GetDCEx function retrieves a handle to a device context (DC) for the client area of a specified
window or for the entire screen.

GetDesktopWindow

Retrieves a handle to the desktop window. The desktop window covers the entire screen. The
desktop window is the area on top of which other windows are painted.

GetDialogBaseUnits

Retrieves the system's dialog base units, which are the average width and height of characters in
the system font.

GetDialogControlDpiChangeBehavior

Retrieves and per-monitor DPI scaling behavior overrides of a child window in a dialog.

GetDialogDpiChangeBehavior

Returns the flags that might have been set on a given dialog by an earlier call to
SetDialogDpiChangeBehavior.

GetDisplayAutoRotationPreferences

Retrieves the screen auto-rotation preferences for the current process.

GetDisplayAutoRotationPreferencesByProcessId

Retrieves the screen auto-rotation preferences for the process indicated by the dwProcessId
parameter.
GetDisplayConfigBufferSizes

The GetDisplayConfigBufferSizes function retrieves the size of the buffers that are required to call
the QueryDisplayConfig function.

GetDlgCtrlID

Retrieves the identifier of the specified control.

GetDlgItem

Retrieves a handle to a control in the specified dialog box.

GetDlgItemInt

Translates the text of a specified control in a dialog box into an integer value.

GetDlgItemTextA

Retrieves the title or text associated with a control in a dialog box. (ANSI)

GetDlgItemTextW

Retrieves the title or text associated with a control in a dialog box. (Unicode)

GetDoubleClickTime

Retrieves the current double-click time for the mouse.

GetDpiAwarenessContextForProcess

Gets a DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT handle for the specified process.

GetDpiForSystem

Returns the system DPI.

GetDpiForWindow

Returns the dots per inch (dpi) value for the specified window.

GetDpiFromDpiAwarenessContext

Retrieves the DPI from a given DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT handle. This enables you to determine
the DPI of a thread without needed to examine a window created within that thread.
GetFocus

Retrieves the handle to the window that has the keyboard focus, if the window is attached to the
calling thread's message queue.

GetForegroundWindow

Retrieves a handle to the foreground window (the window with which the user is currently
working). The system assigns a slightly higher priority to the thread that creates the foreground
window than it does to other threads.

GetGestureConfig

Retrieves the configuration for which Windows Touch gesture messages are sent from a window.

GetGestureExtraArgs

Retrieves additional information about a gesture from its GESTUREINFO handle.

GetGestureInfo

Retrieves a GESTUREINFO structure given a handle to the gesture information.

GetGuiResources

Retrieves the count of handles to graphical user interface (GUI) objects in use by the specified
process.

GetGUIThreadInfo

Retrieves information about the active window or a specified GUI thread.

GetIconInfo

Retrieves information about the specified icon or cursor.

GetIconInfoExW

Retrieves information about the specified icon or cursor. GetIconInfoEx extends GetIconInfo by
using the newer ICONINFOEX structure. (Unicode)

GetInputState

Determines whether there are mouse-button or keyboard messages in the calling thread's
message queue.

GetKBCodePage

Retrieves the current code page.

GetKeyboardLayout

Retrieves the active input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout).

GetKeyboardLayoutList

Retrieves the input locale identifiers (formerly called keyboard layout handles) corresponding to
the current set of input locales in the system. The function copies the identifiers to the specified
buffer.

GetKeyboardLayoutNameA

Retrieves the name of the active input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) for
the system. (ANSI)

GetKeyboardLayoutNameW

Retrieves the name of the active input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) for
the system. (Unicode)

GetKeyboardState

Copies the status of the 256 virtual keys to the specified buffer.

GetKeyboardType

Retrieves information about the current keyboard.

GetKeyNameTextA

Retrieves a string that represents the name of a key. (ANSI)

GetKeyNameTextW

Retrieves a string that represents the name of a key. (Unicode)

GetKeyState

Retrieves the status of the specified virtual key. The status specifies whether the key is up, down,
or toggled (on, off�alternating each time the key is pressed).

GetLastActivePopup

Determines which pop-up window owned by the specified window was most recently active.

GetLastInputInfo

Retrieves the time of the last input event.

GetLayeredWindowAttributes

Retrieves the opacity and transparency color key of a layered window.

GetListBoxInfo

Retrieves the number of items per column in a specified list box.

GetMenu

Retrieves a handle to the menu assigned to the specified window.

GetMenuBarInfo

Retrieves information about the specified menu bar.

GetMenuCheckMarkDimensions

Retrieves the dimensions of the default check-mark bitmap.

GetMenuContextHelpId

Retrieves the Help context identifier associated with the specified menu.

GetMenuDefaultItem

Determines the default menu item on the specified menu.

GetMenuInfo

Retrieves information about a specified menu.

GetMenuItemCount

Determines the number of items in the specified menu.

GetMenuItemID

Retrieves the menu item identifier of a menu item located at the specified position in a menu.

GetMenuItemInfoA

Retrieves information about a menu item. (ANSI)

GetMenuItemInfoW

Retrieves information about a menu item. (Unicode)

GetMenuItemRect

Retrieves the bounding rectangle for the specified menu item.

GetMenuState

Retrieves the menu flags associated with the specified menu item.

GetMenuStringA

Copies the text string of the specified menu item into the specified buffer. (ANSI)

GetMenuStringW

Copies the text string of the specified menu item into the specified buffer. (Unicode)

GetMessage

The GetMessage function retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue.
(GetMessage)

GetMessageA

Retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue. The function dispatches incoming
sent messages until a posted message is available for retrieval. (GetMessageA)

GetMessageExtraInfo

Retrieves the extra message information for the current thread. Extra message information is an
application- or driver-defined value associated with the current thread's message queue.

GetMessagePos

Retrieves the cursor position for the last message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

GetMessageTime

Retrieves the message time for the last message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

GetMessageW

The GetMessageW function (Unicode) retrieves a message from the calling thread's message
queue. (GetMessageW)

GetMonitorInfoA

The GetMonitorInfo function retrieves information about a display monitor. (ANSI)

GetMonitorInfoW

The GetMonitorInfo function retrieves information about a display monitor. (Unicode)

GetMouseMovePointsEx

Retrieves a history of up to 64 previous coordinates of the mouse or pen.

GetNextDlgGroupItem

Retrieves a handle to the first control in a group of controls that precedes (or follows) the
specified control in a dialog box.

GetNextDlgTabItem

Retrieves a handle to the first control that has the WS_TABSTOP style that precedes (or follows)
the specified control.

GetNextWindow

Retrieves a handle to the next or previous window in the Z-Order. The next window is below the
specified window; the previous window is above.

GetOpenClipboardWindow

Retrieves the handle to the window that currently has the clipboard open.

GetParent

Retrieves a handle to the specified window's parent or owner.

GetPhysicalCursorPos

Retrieves the position of the cursor in physical coordinates.

GetPointerCursorId

Retrieves the cursor identifier associated with the specified pointer.

GetPointerDevice

Gets information about the pointer device.

GetPointerDeviceCursors

Gets the cursor IDs that are mapped to the cursors associated with a pointer device.
GetPointerDeviceProperties

Gets device properties that aren't included in the POINTER_DEVICE_INFO structure.

GetPointerDeviceRects

Gets the x and y range for the pointer device (in himetric) and the x and y range (current
resolution) for the display that the pointer device is mapped to.

GetPointerDevices

Gets information about the pointer devices attached to the system.

GetPointerFrameInfo

Gets the entire frame of information for the specified pointers associated with the current
message.

GetPointerFrameInfoHistory

Gets the entire frame of information (including coalesced input frames) for the specified pointers
associated with the current message.

GetPointerFramePenInfo

Gets the entire frame of pen-based information for the specified pointers (of type PT_PEN)
associated with the current message.

GetPointerFramePenInfoHistory

Gets the entire frame of pen-based information (including coalesced input frames) for the
specified pointers (of type PT_PEN) associated with the current message.

GetPointerFrameTouchInfo

Gets the entire frame of touch-based information for the specified pointers (of type PT_TOUCH)
associated with the current message.

GetPointerFrameTouchInfoHistory

Gets the entire frame of touch-based information (including coalesced input frames) for the
specified pointers (of type PT_TOUCH) associated with the current message.

GetPointerInfo

Gets the information for the specified pointer associated with the current message.
GetPointerInfoHistory

Gets the information associated with the individual inputs, if any, that were coalesced into the
current message for the specified pointer.

GetPointerInputTransform

Gets one or more transforms for the pointer information coordinates associated with the current
message.

GetPointerPenInfo

Gets the pen-based information for the specified pointer (of type PT_PEN) associated with the
current message.

GetPointerPenInfoHistory

Gets the pen-based information associated with the individual inputs, if any, that were coalesced
into the current message for the specified pointer (of type PT_PEN).

GetPointerTouchInfo

Gets the touch-based information for the specified pointer (of type PT_TOUCH) associated with
the current message.

GetPointerTouchInfoHistory

Gets the touch-based information associated with the individual inputs, if any, that were
coalesced into the current message for the specified pointer (of type PT_TOUCH).

GetPointerType

Retrieves the pointer type for a specified pointer.

GetPriorityClipboardFormat

Retrieves the first available clipboard format in the specified list.

GetProcessDefaultLayout

Retrieves the default layout that is used when windows are created with no parent or owner.

GetProcessWindowStation

Retrieves a handle to the current window station for the calling process.
GetPropA

Retrieves a data handle from the property list of the specified window. The character string
identifies the handle to be retrieved. The string and handle must have been added to the property
list by a previous call to the SetProp function. (ANSI)

GetPropW

Retrieves a data handle from the property list of the specified window. The character string
identifies the handle to be retrieved. The string and handle must have been added to the property
list by a previous call to the SetProp function. (Unicode)

GetQueueStatus

Retrieves the type of messages found in the calling thread's message queue.

GetRawInputBuffer

Performs a buffered read of the raw input data.

GetRawInputData

Retrieves the raw input from the specified device.

GetRawInputDeviceInfoA

Retrieves information about the raw input device. (ANSI)

GetRawInputDeviceInfoW

Retrieves information about the raw input device. (Unicode)

GetRawInputDeviceList

Enumerates the raw input devices attached to the system.

GetRawPointerDeviceData

Gets the raw input data from the pointer device.

GetRegisteredRawInputDevices

Retrieves the information about the raw input devices for the current application.

GetScrollBarInfo

The GetScrollBarInfo function retrieves information about the specified scroll bar.
GetScrollInfo

The GetScrollInfo function retrieves the parameters of a scroll bar, including the minimum and
maximum scrolling positions, the page size, and the position of the scroll box (thumb).

GetScrollPos

The GetScrollPos function retrieves the current position of the scroll box (thumb) in the specified
scroll bar.

GetScrollRange

The GetScrollRange function retrieves the current minimum and maximum scroll box (thumb)
positions for the specified scroll bar.

GetShellWindow

Retrieves a handle to the Shell's desktop window.

GetSubMenu

Retrieves a handle to the drop-down menu or submenu activated by the specified menu item.

GetSysColor

Retrieves the current color of the specified display element.

GetSysColorBrush

The GetSysColorBrush function retrieves a handle identifying a logical brush that corresponds to
the specified color index.

GetSystemDpiForProcess

Retrieves the system DPI associated with a given process. This is useful for avoiding compatibility
issues that arise from sharing DPI-sensitive information between multiple system-aware processes
with different system DPI values.

GetSystemMenu

Enables the application to access the window menu (also known as the system menu or the
control menu) for copying and modifying.

GetSystemMetrics

Retrieves the specified system metric or system configuration setting.

GetSystemMetricsForDpi

Retrieves the specified system metric or system configuration setting taking into account a
provided DPI.

GetTabbedTextExtentA

The GetTabbedTextExtent function computes the width and height of a character string. (ANSI)

GetTabbedTextExtentW

The GetTabbedTextExtent function computes the width and height of a character string. (Unicode)

GetThreadDesktop

Retrieves a handle to the desktop assigned to the specified thread.

GetThreadDpiAwarenessContext

Gets the DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT for the current thread.

GetThreadDpiHostingBehavior

Retrieves the DPI_HOSTING_BEHAVIOR from the current thread.

GetTitleBarInfo

Retrieves information about the specified title bar.

GetTopWindow

Examines the Z order of the child windows associated with the specified parent window and
retrieves a handle to the child window at the top of the Z order.

GetTouchInputInfo

Retrieves detailed information about touch inputs associated with a particular touch input handle.

GetUnpredictedMessagePos

Gets pointer data before it has gone through touch prediction processing.

GetUpdatedClipboardFormats

Retrieves the currently supported clipboard formats.

GetUpdateRect

The GetUpdateRect function retrieves the coordinates of the smallest rectangle that completely
encloses the update region of the specified window.

GetUpdateRgn

The GetUpdateRgn function retrieves the update region of a window by copying it into the
specified region. The coordinates of the update region are relative to the upper-left corner of the
window (that is, they are client coordinates).

GetUserObjectInformationA

Retrieves information about the specified window station or desktop object. (ANSI)

GetUserObjectInformationW

Retrieves information about the specified window station or desktop object. (Unicode)

GetUserObjectSecurity

Retrieves security information for the specified user object.

GetWindow

Retrieves a handle to a window that has the specified relationship (Z-Order or owner) to the
specified window.

GetWindowContextHelpId

Retrieves the Help context identifier, if any, associated with the specified window.

GetWindowDC

The GetWindowDC function retrieves the device context (DC) for the entire window, including title
bar, menus, and scroll bars.

GetWindowDisplayAffinity

Retrieves the current display affinity setting, from any process, for a given window.

GetWindowDpiAwarenessContext

Returns the DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT associated with a window.

GetWindowDpiHostingBehavior

Returns the DPI_HOSTING_BEHAVIOR of the specified window.

GetWindowFeedbackSetting

Retrieves the feedback configuration for a window.

GetWindowInfo

Retrieves information about the specified window. (GetWindowInfo)

GetWindowLongA

Retrieves information about the specified window. (GetWindowLongA)

GetWindowLongPtrA

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the value at a
specified offset into the extra window memory. (ANSI)

GetWindowLongPtrW

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the value at a
specified offset into the extra window memory. (Unicode)

GetWindowLongW

Retrieves information about the specified window. (GetWindowLongW)

GetWindowModuleFileNameA

Retrieves the full path and file name of the module associated with the specified window handle.
(ANSI)

GetWindowModuleFileNameW

Retrieves the full path and file name of the module associated with the specified window handle.
(Unicode)

GetWindowPlacement

Retrieves the show state and the restored, minimized, and maximized positions of the specified
window.

GetWindowRect

Retrieves the dimensions of the bounding rectangle of the specified window. The dimensions are
given in screen coordinates that are relative to the upper-left corner of the screen.

GetWindowRgn

The GetWindowRgn function obtains a copy of the window region of a window.

GetWindowRgnBox

The GetWindowRgnBox function retrieves the dimensions of the tightest bounding rectangle for
the window region of a window.

GetWindowTextA

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer. If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is copied. However, GetWindowText cannot retrieve
the text of a control in another application. (ANSI)

GetWindowTextLengthA

Retrieves the length, in characters, of the specified window's title bar text (if the window has a title
bar). (ANSI)

GetWindowTextLengthW

Retrieves the length, in characters, of the specified window's title bar text (if the window has a title
bar). (Unicode)

GetWindowTextW

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer. If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is copied. However, GetWindowText cannot retrieve
the text of a control in another application. (Unicode)

GetWindowThreadProcessId

Retrieves the identifier of the thread that created the specified window and, optionally, the
identifier of the process that created the window.

GetWindowWord

Retrieves the 16-bit (DWORD) value at the specified offset into the extra window memor

GID_ROTATE_ANGLE_FROM_ARGUMENT

The GID_ROTATE_ANGLE_FROM_ARGUMENT macro is used to interpret the GID_ROTATE

ullArgument value when receiving the value in the WM_GESTURE structure.

GID_ROTATE_ANGLE_TO_ARGUMENT

Converts a radian value to an argument for rotation gesture messages.

GrayStringA

The GrayString function draws gray text at the specified location. (ANSI)
GrayStringW

The GrayString function draws gray text at the specified location. (Unicode)

HAS_POINTER_CONFIDENCE_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer message is considered intentional rather than accidental.

HideCaret

Removes the caret from the screen. Hiding a caret does not destroy its current shape or invalidate
the insertion point.

HiliteMenuItem

Adds or removes highlighting from an item in a menu bar.

InflateRect

The InflateRect function increases or decreases the width and height of the specified rectangle.

InheritWindowMonitor

Causes a specified window to inherit the monitor of another window.

InitializeTouchInjection

Configures the touch injection context for the calling application and initializes the maximum
number of simultaneous contacts that the app can inject.

InjectSyntheticPointerInput

Simulates pointer input (pen or touch).

InjectTouchInput

Simulates touch input.

InSendMessage

Determines whether the current window procedure is processing a message that was sent from
another thread (in the same process or a different process) by a call to the SendMessage function.

InSendMessageEx

Determines whether the current window procedure is processing a message that was sent from
another thread (in the same process or a different process).
InsertMenuA

Inserts a new menu item into a menu, moving other items down the menu. (ANSI)

InsertMenuItemA

Inserts a new menu item at the specified position in a menu. (ANSI)

InsertMenuItemW

Inserts a new menu item at the specified position in a menu. (Unicode)

InsertMenuW

Inserts a new menu item into a menu, moving other items down the menu. (Unicode)

InternalGetWindowText

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer.

IntersectRect

The IntersectRect function calculates the intersection of two source rectangles and places the
coordinates of the intersection rectangle into the destination rectangle.

InvalidateRect

The InvalidateRect function adds a rectangle to the specified window's update region. The update
region represents the portion of the window's client area that must be redrawn.

InvalidateRgn

The InvalidateRgn function invalidates the client area within the specified region by adding it to
the current update region of a window.

InvertRect

The InvertRect function inverts a rectangle in a window by performing a logical NOT operation on
the color values for each pixel in the rectangle's interior.

IS_INTRESOURCE

Determines whether a value is an integer identifier for a resource.

IS_POINTER_CANCELED_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer input ended abruptly, or was invalid, indicating the
interaction was not completed.
IS_POINTER_FIFTHBUTTON_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer took fifth action.

IS_POINTER_FIRSTBUTTON_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer took first action.

IS_POINTER_FLAG_SET_WPARAM

Checks whether a pointer macro sets the specified flag.

IS_POINTER_FOURTHBUTTON_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer took fourth action.

IS_POINTER_INCONTACT_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer is in contact.

IS_POINTER_INRANGE_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer is in range.

IS_POINTER_NEW_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer is a new pointer.

IS_POINTER_SECONDBUTTON_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer took second action.

IS_POINTER_THIRDBUTTON_WPARAM

Checks whether the specified pointer took third action.

IsCharAlphaA

Determines whether a character is an alphabetical character. This determination is based on the

semantics of the language selected by the user during setup or through Control Panel. (ANSI)

IsCharAlphaNumericA

Determines whether a character is either an alphabetical or a numeric character. This

determination is based on the semantics of the language selected by the user during setup or
through Control Panel. (ANSI)
IsCharAlphaNumericW

Determines whether a character is either an alphabetical or a numeric character. This

determination is based on the semantics of the language selected by the user during setup or
through Control Panel. (Unicode)

IsCharAlphaW

Determines whether a character is an alphabetical character. This determination is based on the

semantics of the language selected by the user during setup or through Control Panel. (Unicode)

IsCharLowerA

Determines whether a character is lowercase. This determination is based on the semantics of the
language selected by the user during setup or through Control Panel.

IsCharLowerW

The IsCharLowerW (Unicode) function determines whether a character is lowercase.

(IsCharLowerW)

IsCharUpperA

Determines whether a character is uppercase. This determination is based on the semantics of the
language selected by the user during setup or through Control Panel. (ANSI)

IsCharUpperW

Determines whether a character is uppercase. This determination is based on the semantics of the
language selected by the user during setup or through Control Panel. (Unicode)

IsChild

Determines whether a window is a child window or descendant window of a specified parent

window.

IsClipboardFormatAvailable

Determines whether the clipboard contains data in the specified format.

IsDialogMessageA

Determines whether a message is intended for the specified dialog box and, if it is, processes the
message. (ANSI)

IsDialogMessageW

Determines whether a message is intended for the specified dialog box and, if it is, processes the
message. (Unicode)
IsDlgButtonChecked

The IsDlgButtonChecked function determines whether a button control is checked or whether a

three-state button control is checked, unchecked, or indeterminate.

IsGUIThread

Determines whether the calling thread is already a GUI thread. It can also optionally convert the
thread to a GUI thread.

IsHungAppWindow

Determines whether the system considers that a specified application is not responding.

IsIconic

Determines whether the specified window is minimized (iconic).

IsImmersiveProcess

Determines whether the process belongs to a Windows Store app.

IsMenu

Determines whether a handle is a menu handle.

IsMouseInPointerEnabled

Indicates whether EnableMouseInPointer is set for the mouse to act as a pointer input device and
send WM_POINTER messages.

IsProcessDPIAware

IsProcessDPIAware may be altered or unavailable. Instead, use GetProcessDPIAwareness.

IsRectEmpty

The IsRectEmpty function determines whether the specified rectangle is empty.

IsTouchWindow

Checks whether a specified window is touch-capable and, optionally, retrieves the modifier flags
set for the window's touch capability.

IsValidDpiAwarenessContext

Determines if a specified DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT is valid and supported by the current

system.
IsWindow

Determines whether the specified window handle identifies an existing window.

IsWindowArranged

Determines whether the specified window is arranged (that is, whether it's snapped).

IsWindowEnabled

Determines whether the specified window is enabled for mouse and keyboard input.

IsWindowUnicode

Determines whether the specified window is a native Unicode window.

IsWindowVisible

Determines the visibility state of the specified window.

IsWinEventHookInstalled

Determines whether there is an installed WinEvent hook that might be notified of a specified
event.

IsWow64Message

Determines whether the last message read from the current thread's queue originated from a
WOW64 process.

IsZoomed

Determines whether a window is maximized.

keybd_event

Synthesizes a keystroke.

KillTimer

Destroys the specified timer.

LoadAcceleratorsA

Loads the specified accelerator table. (ANSI)

LoadAcceleratorsW

Loads the specified accelerator table. (Unicode)

LoadBitmapA

The LoadBitmap function loads the specified bitmap resource from a module's executable file.
(ANSI)

LoadBitmapW

The LoadBitmap function loads the specified bitmap resource from a module's executable file.
(Unicode)

LoadCursorA

Loads the specified cursor resource from the executable (.EXE) file associated with an application
instance. (ANSI)

LoadCursorFromFileA

Creates a cursor based on data contained in a file. (ANSI)

LoadCursorFromFileW

Creates a cursor based on data contained in a file. (Unicode)

LoadCursorW

Loads the specified cursor resource from the executable (.EXE) file associated with an application
instance. (Unicode)

LoadIconA

Loads the specified icon resource from the executable (.exe) file associated with an application
instance. (ANSI)

LoadIconW

Loads the specified icon resource from the executable (.exe) file associated with an application
instance. (Unicode)

LoadImageA

Loads an icon, cursor, animated cursor, or bitmap. (ANSI)

LoadImageW

Loads an icon, cursor, animated cursor, or bitmap. (Unicode)

LoadKeyboardLayoutA

Loads a new input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) into the system. (ANSI)
LoadKeyboardLayoutW

Loads a new input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) into the system.
(Unicode)

LoadMenuA

Loads the specified menu resource from the executable (.exe) file associated with an application
instance. (ANSI)

LoadMenuIndirectA

Loads the specified menu template in memory. (ANSI)

LoadMenuIndirectW

Loads the specified menu template in memory. (Unicode)

LoadMenuW

Loads the specified menu resource from the executable (.exe) file associated with an application
instance. (Unicode)

LoadStringA

Loads a string resource from the executable file associated with a specified module, copies the
string into a buffer, and appends a terminating null character. (ANSI)

LoadStringW

Loads a string resource from the executable file associated with a specified module, copies the
string into a buffer, and appends a terminating null character. (Unicode)

LockSetForegroundWindow

The foreground process can call the LockSetForegroundWindow function to disable calls to the
SetForegroundWindow function.

LockWindowUpdate

The LockWindowUpdate function disables or enables drawing in the specified window. Only one
window can be locked at a time.

LockWorkStation

Locks the workstation's display.

LogicalToPhysicalPoint

Converts the logical coordinates of a point in a window to physical coordinates.

LogicalToPhysicalPointForPerMonitorDPI

Converts a point in a window from logical coordinates into physical coordinates, regardless of the
dots per inch (dpi) awareness of the caller.

LookupIconIdFromDirectory

Searches through icon or cursor data for the icon or cursor that best fits the current display
device. (LookupIconIdFromDirectory)

LookupIconIdFromDirectoryEx

Searches through icon or cursor data for the icon or cursor that best fits the current display
device. (LookupIconIdFromDirectoryEx)

MAKEINTRESOURCEA

Converts an integer value to a resource type compatible with the resource-management

functions. This macro is used in place of a string containing the name of the resource. (ANSI)

MAKEINTRESOURCEW

Converts an integer value to a resource type compatible with the resource-management

functions. This macro is used in place of a string containing the name of the resource. (Unicode)

MAKELPARAM

Creates a value for use as an lParam parameter in a message. The macro concatenates the
specified values.

MAKELRESULT

Creates a value for use as a return value from a window procedure. The macro concatenates the
specified values.

MAKEWPARAM

Creates a value for use as a wParam parameter in a message. The macro concatenates the
specified values.

MapDialogRect

Converts the specified dialog box units to screen units (pixels).

MapVirtualKeyA

Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code
into a virtual-key code. (ANSI)

MapVirtualKeyExA

Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code
into a virtual-key code. The function translates the codes using the input language and an input
locale identifier. (ANSI)

MapVirtualKeyExW

Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code
into a virtual-key code. The function translates the codes using the input language and an input
locale identifier. (Unicode)

MapVirtualKeyW

Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code
into a virtual-key code. (Unicode)

MapWindowPoints

The MapWindowPoints function converts (maps) a set of points from a coordinate space relative
to one window to a coordinate space relative to another window.

MenuItemFromPoint

Determines which menu item, if any, is at the specified location.

MessageBeep

Plays a waveform sound. The waveform sound for each sound type is identified by an entry in the
registry.

MessageBox

The MessageBox function displays a modal dialog box that contains a system icon, a set of
buttons, and a brief application-specific message.

MessageBoxA

Displays a modal dialog box that contains a system icon, a set of buttons, and a brief application-
specific message, such as status or error information. The message box returns an integer value
that indicates which button the user clicked. (MessageBoxA)
MessageBoxExA

Creates, displays, and operates a message box. (ANSI)

MessageBoxExW

Creates, displays, and operates a message box. (Unicode)

MessageBoxIndirectA

Creates, displays, and operates a message box. The message box contains application-defined
message text and title, any icon, and any combination of predefined push buttons. (ANSI)

MessageBoxIndirectW

Creates, displays, and operates a message box. The message box contains application-defined
message text and title, any icon, and any combination of predefined push buttons. (Unicode)

MessageBoxW

The MessageBoxW (Unicode) function displays a modal dialog box that contains a system icon, a
set of buttons, and a brief application-specific message.

ModifyMenuA

Changes an existing menu item. (ANSI)

ModifyMenuW

Changes an existing menu item. (Unicode)

MonitorFromPoint

The MonitorFromPoint function retrieves a handle to the display monitor that contains a specified
point.

MonitorFromRect

The MonitorFromRect function retrieves a handle to the display monitor that has the largest area
of intersection with a specified rectangle.

MonitorFromWindow

The MonitorFromWindow function retrieves a handle to the display monitor that has the largest
area of intersection with the bounding rectangle of a specified window.

mouse_event

The mouse_event function synthesizes mouse motion and button clicks.

MoveWindow

Changes the position and dimensions of the specified window.

MsgWaitForMultipleObjects

Waits until one or all of the specified objects are in the signaled state or the time-out interval
elapses. The objects can include input event objects.

MsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx

Waits until one or all of the specified objects are in the signaled state, an I/O completion routine
or asynchronous procedure call (APC) is queued to the thread, or the time-out interval elapses.
The array of objects can include input event objects.

NEXTRAWINPUTBLOCK

Retrieves the location of the next structure in an array of RAWINPUT structures.

NotifyWinEvent

Signals the system that a predefined event occurred. If any client applications have registered a
hook function for the event, the system calls the client's hook function.

OemKeyScan

Maps OEMASCII codes 0 through 0x0FF into the OEM scan codes and shift states. The function
provides information that allows a program to send OEM text to another program by simulating
keyboard input.

OemToCharA

Translates a string from the OEM-defined character set into either an ANSI or a wide-character
string.Warning Do not use. (ANSI)

OemToCharBuffA

Translates a specified number of characters in a string from the OEM-defined character set into
either an ANSI or a wide-character string. (ANSI)

OemToCharBuffW

Translates a specified number of characters in a string from the OEM-defined character set into
either an ANSI or a wide-character string. (Unicode)

OemToCharW

Translates a string from the OEM-defined character set into either an ANSI or a wide-character
string.Warning Do not use. (Unicode)
OffsetRect

The OffsetRect function moves the specified rectangle by the specified offsets.

OpenClipboard

Opens the clipboard for examination and prevents other applications from modifying the
clipboard content.

OpenDesktopA

Opens the specified desktop object. (ANSI)

OpenDesktopW

Opens the specified desktop object. (Unicode)

OpenIcon

Restores a minimized (iconic) window to its previous size and position; it then activates the
window.

OpenInputDesktop

Opens the desktop that receives user input.

OpenWindowStationA

Opens the specified window station. (ANSI)

OpenWindowStationW

Opens the specified window station. (Unicode)

PackTouchHitTestingProximityEvaluation

Returns the proximity evaluation score and the adjusted touch-point coordinates as a packed
value for the WM_TOUCHHITTESTING callback.

PaintDesktop

The PaintDesktop function fills the clipping region in the specified device context with the desktop
pattern or wallpaper. The function is provided primarily for shell desktops.

PeekMessageA

Dispatches incoming nonqueued messages, checks the thread message queue for a posted
message, and retrieves the message (if any exist). (ANSI)
PeekMessageW

Dispatches incoming nonqueued messages, checks the thread message queue for a posted
message, and retrieves the message (if any exist). (Unicode)

PhysicalToLogicalPoint

Converts the physical coordinates of a point in a window to logical coordinates.

PhysicalToLogicalPointForPerMonitorDPI

Converts a point in a window from physical coordinates into logical coordinates, regardless of the
dots per inch (dpi) awareness of the caller.

POINTSTOPOINT

The POINTSTOPOINT macro copies the contents of a POINTS structure into a POINT structure.

POINTTOPOINTS

The POINTTOPOINTS macro converts a POINT structure to a POINTS structure.

PostMessageA

Places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created the
specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message. (ANSI)

PostMessageW

Places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created the
specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message. (Unicode)

PostQuitMessage

Indicates to the system that a thread has made a request to terminate (quit). It is typically used in
response to a WM_DESTROY message.

PostThreadMessageA

Posts a message to the message queue of the specified thread. It returns without waiting for the
thread to process the message. (ANSI)

PostThreadMessageW

Posts a message to the message queue of the specified thread. It returns without waiting for the
thread to process the message. (Unicode)
PrintWindow

The PrintWindow function copies a visual window into the specified device context (DC), typically
a printer DC.

PrivateExtractIconsA

Creates an array of handles to icons that are extracted from a specified file. (ANSI)

PrivateExtractIconsW

Creates an array of handles to icons that are extracted from a specified file. (Unicode)

PtInRect

The PtInRect function determines whether the specified point lies within the specified rectangle.

QueryDisplayConfig

The QueryDisplayConfig function retrieves information about all possible display paths for all
display devices, or views, in the current setting.

RealChildWindowFromPoint

Retrieves a handle to the child window at the specified point. The search is restricted to
immediate child windows; grandchildren and deeper descendant windows are not searched.

RealGetWindowClassA

Retrieves a string that specifies the window type. (ANSI)

RealGetWindowClassW

Retrieves a string that specifies the window type. (Unicode)

RedrawWindow

The RedrawWindow function updates the specified rectangle or region in a window's client area.

RegisterClassA

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassA)

RegisterClassExA

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassExA)
RegisterClassExW

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassExW)

RegisterClassW

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx
function. (RegisterClassW)

RegisterClipboardFormatA

Registers a new clipboard format. This format can then be used as a valid clipboard format. (ANSI)

RegisterClipboardFormatW

Registers a new clipboard format. This format can then be used as a valid clipboard format.
(Unicode)

RegisterDeviceNotificationA

Registers the device or type of device for which a window will receive notifications. (ANSI)

RegisterDeviceNotificationW

Registers the device or type of device for which a window will receive notifications. (Unicode)

RegisterForTooltipDismissNotification

Lets apps or UI frameworks register and unregister windows to receive notification to dismiss their
tooltip windows.

RegisterHotKey

Defines a system-wide hot key.

RegisterPointerDeviceNotifications

Registers a window to process the WM_POINTERDEVICECHANGE, WM_POINTERDEVICEINRANGE,

and WM_POINTERDEVICEOUTOFRANGE pointer device notifications.

RegisterPointerInputTarget

Allows the caller to register a target window to which all pointer input of the specified type is
redirected.
RegisterPointerInputTargetEx

RegisterPointerInputTargetEx may be altered or unavailable. Instead, use

RegisterPointerInputTarget.

RegisterPowerSettingNotification

Registers the application to receive power setting notifications for the specific power setting
event.

RegisterRawInputDevices

Registers the devices that supply the raw input data.

RegisterShellHookWindow

Registers a specified Shell window to receive certain messages for events or notifications that are
useful to Shell applications.

RegisterSuspendResumeNotification

Registers to receive notification when the system is suspended or resumed. Similar to

PowerRegisterSuspendResumeNotification, but operates in user mode and can take a window
handle.

RegisterTouchHitTestingWindow

Registers a window to process the WM_TOUCHHITTESTING notification.

RegisterTouchWindow

Registers a window as being touch-capable.

RegisterWindowMessageA

Defines a new window message that is guaranteed to be unique throughout the system. The
message value can be used when sending or posting messages. (ANSI)

RegisterWindowMessageW

Defines a new window message that is guaranteed to be unique throughout the system. The
message value can be used when sending or posting messages. (Unicode)

ReleaseCapture

Releases the mouse capture from a window in the current thread and restores normal mouse
input processing.
ReleaseDC

The ReleaseDC function releases a device context (DC), freeing it for use by other applications. The
effect of the ReleaseDC function depends on the type of DC. It frees only common and window
DCs. It has no effect on class or private DCs.

RemoveClipboardFormatListener

Removes the given window from the system-maintained clipboard format listener list.

RemoveMenu

Deletes a menu item or detaches a submenu from the specified menu.

RemovePropA

Removes an entry from the property list of the specified window. The specified character string
identifies the entry to be removed. (ANSI)

RemovePropW

Removes an entry from the property list of the specified window. The specified character string
identifies the entry to be removed. (Unicode)

ReplyMessage

Replies to a message sent from another thread by the SendMessage function.

ScreenToClient

The ScreenToClient function converts the screen coordinates of a specified point on the screen to
client-area coordinates.

ScrollDC

The ScrollDC function scrolls a rectangle of bits horizontally and vertically.

ScrollWindow

The ScrollWindow function scrolls the contents of the specified window's client area.

ScrollWindowEx

The ScrollWindowEx function scrolls the contents of the specified window's client area.

SendDlgItemMessageA

Sends a message to the specified control in a dialog box. (ANSI)

SendDlgItemMessageW

Sends a message to the specified control in a dialog box. (Unicode)

SendInput

Synthesizes keystrokes, mouse motions, and button clicks.

SendMessage

The SendMessage function sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendMessage
function)

SendMessageA

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. The SendMessage function calls the
window procedure for the specified window and does not return until the window procedure has
processed the message. (SendMessageA)

SendMessageCallbackA

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendMessageCallbackA)

SendMessageCallbackW

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendMessageCallbackW)

SendMessageTimeoutA

Sends the specified message to one or more windows. (ANSI)

SendMessageTimeoutW

Sends the specified message to one or more windows. (Unicode)

SendMessageW

The SendMessageW (Unicode) function sends the specified message to a window or windows.
(SendMessageW)

SendNotifyMessageA

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendNotifyMessageA)

SendNotifyMessageW

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. (SendNotifyMessageW)

SetActiveWindow

Activates a window. The window must be attached to the calling thread's message queue.

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses is a performance assist API to help applications with a

multi-process application model where multiple processes contribute to a foreground experience,
either as data or rendering.

SetCapture

Sets the mouse capture to the specified window belonging to the current thread.

SetCaretBlinkTime

Sets the caret blink time to the specified number of milliseconds. The blink time is the elapsed
time, in milliseconds, required to invert the caret's pixels.

SetCaretPos

Moves the caret to the specified coordinates. If the window that owns the caret was created with
the CS_OWNDC class style, then the specified coordinates are subject to the mapping mode of
the device context associated with that window.

SetClassLongA

Replaces the specified 32-bit (long) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory or the
WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (ANSI)

SetClassLongPtrA

Replaces the specified value at the specified offset in the extra class memory or the WNDCLASSEX
structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (ANSI)

SetClassLongPtrW

Replaces the specified value at the specified offset in the extra class memory or the WNDCLASSEX
structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (Unicode)

SetClassLongW

Replaces the specified 32-bit (long) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory or the
WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window belongs. (Unicode)

SetClassWord

Replaces the 16-bit (WORD) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory for the
window class to which the specified window belongs.
SetClipboardData

Places data on the clipboard in a specified clipboard format.

SetClipboardViewer

Adds the specified window to the chain of clipboard viewers. Clipboard viewer windows receive a
WM_DRAWCLIPBOARD message whenever the content of the clipboard changes. This function is
used for backward compatibility with earlier versions of Windows.

SetCoalescableTimer

Creates a timer with the specified time-out value and coalescing tolerance delay.

SetCursor

Sets the cursor shape.

SetCursorPos

Moves the cursor to the specified screen coordinates.

SetDialogControlDpiChangeBehavior

Overrides the default per-monitor DPI scaling behavior of a child window in a dialog.

SetDialogDpiChangeBehavior

Dialogs in Per-Monitor v2 contexts are automatically DPI scaled. This method lets you customize
their DPI change behavior.

SetDisplayAutoRotationPreferences

Sets the screen auto-rotation preferences for the current process.

SetDisplayConfig

The SetDisplayConfig function modifies the display topology, source, and target modes by
exclusively enabling the specified paths in the current session.

SetDlgItemInt

Sets the text of a control in a dialog box to the string representation of a specified integer value.

SetDlgItemTextA

Sets the title or text of a control in a dialog box. (ANSI)

SetDlgItemTextW

Sets the title or text of a control in a dialog box. (Unicode)

SetDoubleClickTime

Sets the double-click time for the mouse.

SetFocus

Sets the keyboard focus to the specified window. The window must be attached to the calling
thread's message queue.

SetForegroundWindow

Brings the thread that created the specified window into the foreground and activates the
window.

SetGestureConfig

Configures the messages that are sent from a window for Windows Touch gestures.

SetKeyboardState

Copies an array of keyboard key states into the calling thread's keyboard input-state table. This is
the same table accessed by the GetKeyboardState and GetKeyState functions. Changes made to
this table do not affect keyboard input to any other thread.

SetLastErrorEx

Sets the last-error code.

SetLayeredWindowAttributes

Sets the opacity and transparency color key of a layered window.

SetMenu

Assigns a new menu to the specified window.

SetMenuContextHelpId

Associates a Help context identifier with a menu.

SetMenuDefaultItem

Sets the default menu item for the specified menu.

SetMenuInfo

Sets information for a specified menu.

SetMenuItemBitmaps

Associates the specified bitmap with a menu item. Whether the menu item is selected or clear, the
system displays the appropriate bitmap next to the menu item.

SetMenuItemInfoA

Changes information about a menu item. (ANSI)

SetMenuItemInfoW

Changes information about a menu item. (Unicode)

SetMessageExtraInfo

Sets the extra message information for the current thread.

SetParent

Changes the parent window of the specified child window.

SetPhysicalCursorPos

Sets the position of the cursor in physical coordinates.

SetProcessDefaultLayout

Changes the default layout when windows are created with no parent or owner only for the
currently running process.

SetProcessDPIAware

SetProcessDPIAware may be altered or unavailable. Instead, use SetProcessDPIAwareness.

SetProcessDpiAwarenessContext

Sets the current process to a specified dots per inch (dpi) awareness context. The DPI awareness
contexts are from the DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT value.

SetProcessRestrictionExemption

Exempts the calling process from restrictions preventing desktop processes from interacting with
the Windows Store app environment. This function is used by development and debugging tools.
SetProcessWindowStation

Assigns the specified window station to the calling process.

SetPropA

Adds a new entry or changes an existing entry in the property list of the specified window. (ANSI)

SetPropW

Adds a new entry or changes an existing entry in the property list of the specified window.
(Unicode)

SetRect

The SetRect function sets the coordinates of the specified rectangle. This is equivalent to
assigning the left, top, right, and bottom arguments to the appropriate members of the RECT
structure.

SetRectEmpty

The SetRectEmpty function creates an empty rectangle in which all coordinates are set to zero.

SetScrollInfo

The SetScrollInfo function sets the parameters of a scroll bar, including the minimum and
maximum scrolling positions, the page size, and the position of the scroll box (thumb). The
function also redraws the scroll bar, if requested.

SetScrollPos

The SetScrollPos function sets the position of the scroll box (thumb) in the specified scroll bar and,
if requested, redraws the scroll bar to reflect the new position of the scroll box.

SetScrollRange

The SetScrollRange function sets the minimum and maximum scroll box positions for the specified
scroll bar.

SetSysColors

Sets the colors for the specified display elements.

SetSystemCursor

Enables an application to customize the system cursors. It replaces the contents of the system
cursor specified by the id parameter with the contents of the cursor specified by the hcur
parameter and then destroys hcur.
SetThreadCursorCreationScaling

Sets the DPI scale for which the cursors being created on this thread are intended. This value is
taken into account when scaling the cursor for the specific monitor on which it is being shown.

SetThreadDesktop

Assigns the specified desktop to the calling thread. All subsequent operations on the desktop use
the access rights granted to the desktop.

SetThreadDpiAwarenessContext

Set the DPI awareness for the current thread to the provided value.

SetThreadDpiHostingBehavior

Sets the thread's DPI_HOSTING_BEHAVIOR. This behavior allows windows created in the thread to
host child windows with a different DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT.

SetTimer

Creates a timer with the specified time-out value.

SetUserObjectInformationA

Sets information about the specified window station or desktop object. (ANSI)

SetUserObjectInformationW

Sets information about the specified window station or desktop object. (Unicode)

SetUserObjectSecurity

Sets the security of a user object. This can be, for example, a window or a DDE conversation.

SetWindowContextHelpId

Associates a Help context identifier with the specified window.

SetWindowDisplayAffinity

Stores the display affinity setting in kernel mode on the hWnd associated with the window.

SetWindowFeedbackSetting

Sets the feedback configuration for a window.

SetWindowLongA

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets the 32-bit (long) value at the
specified offset into the extra window memory. (ANSI)

SetWindowLongPtrA

Changes an attribute of the specified window. (ANSI)

SetWindowLongPtrW

Changes an attribute of the specified window. (Unicode)

SetWindowLongW

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets the 32-bit (long) value at the
specified offset into the extra window memory. (Unicode)

SetWindowPlacement

Sets the show state and the restored, minimized, and maximized positions of the specified
window.

SetWindowPos

Changes the size, position, and Z order of a child, pop-up, or top-level window. These windows
are ordered according to their appearance on the screen. The topmost window receives the
highest rank and is the first window in the Z order.

SetWindowRgn

The SetWindowRgn function sets the window region of a window.

SetWindowsHookExA

Installs an application-defined hook procedure into a hook chain. (ANSI)

SetWindowsHookExW

Installs an application-defined hook procedure into a hook chain. (Unicode)

SetWindowTextA

Changes the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one). If the specified window is a
control, the text of the control is changed. However, SetWindowText cannot change the text of a
control in another application. (ANSI)
SetWindowTextW

Changes the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one). If the specified window is a
control, the text of the control is changed. However, SetWindowText cannot change the text of a
control in another application. (Unicode)

SetWinEventHook

Sets an event hook function for a range of events.

ShowCaret

Makes the caret visible on the screen at the caret's current position. When the caret becomes
visible, it begins flashing automatically.

ShowCursor

Displays or hides the cursor. (ShowCursor)

ShowOwnedPopups

Shows or hides all pop-up windows owned by the specified window.

ShowScrollBar

The ShowScrollBar function shows or hides the specified scroll bar.

ShowWindow

Sets the specified window's show state.

ShowWindowAsync

Sets the show state of a window without waiting for the operation to complete.

ShutdownBlockReasonCreate

Indicates that the system cannot be shut down and sets a reason string to be displayed to the
user if system shutdown is initiated.

ShutdownBlockReasonDestroy

Indicates that the system can be shut down and frees the reason string.

ShutdownBlockReasonQuery

Retrieves the reason string set by the ShutdownBlockReasonCreate function.

SkipPointerFrameMessages

Determines which pointer input frame generated the most recently retrieved message for the
specified pointer and discards any queued (unretrieved) pointer input messages generated from
the same pointer input frame.

SoundSentry

Triggers a visual signal to indicate that a sound is playing.

SubtractRect

The SubtractRect function determines the coordinates of a rectangle formed by subtracting one
rectangle from another.

SwapMouseButton

Reverses or restores the meaning of the left and right mouse buttons.

SwitchDesktop

Makes the specified desktop visible and activates it. This enables the desktop to receive input
from the user.

SwitchToThisWindow

Switches focus to the specified window and brings it to the foreground.

SystemParametersInfoA

Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. (ANSI)

SystemParametersInfoForDpi

Retrieves the value of one of the system-wide parameters, taking into account the provided DPI
value.

SystemParametersInfoW

Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. (Unicode)

TabbedTextOutA

The TabbedTextOut function writes a character string at a specified location, expanding tabs to the
values specified in an array of tab-stop positions. Text is written in the currently selected font,
background color, and text color. (ANSI)
TabbedTextOutW

The TabbedTextOut function writes a character string at a specified location, expanding tabs to the
values specified in an array of tab-stop positions. Text is written in the currently selected font,
background color, and text color. (Unicode)

TileWindows

Tiles the specified child windows of the specified parent window.

ToAscii

Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding character or
characters.

ToAsciiEx

Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding character or
characters. The function translates the code using the input language and physical keyboard
layout identified by the input locale identifier.

TOUCH_COORD_TO_PIXEL

Converts touch coordinates to pixels.

ToUnicode

Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding Unicode
character or characters. (ToUnicode)

ToUnicodeEx

Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding Unicode
character or characters. (ToUnicodeEx)

TrackMouseEvent

Posts messages when the mouse pointer leaves a window or hovers over a window for a specified
amount of time.

TrackPopupMenu

Displays a shortcut menu at the specified location and tracks the selection of items on the menu.
The shortcut menu can appear anywhere on the screen.

TrackPopupMenuEx

Displays a shortcut menu at the specified location and tracks the selection of items on the
shortcut menu. The shortcut menu can appear anywhere on the screen.
TranslateAcceleratorA

Processes accelerator keys for menu commands. (ANSI)

TranslateAcceleratorW

Processes accelerator keys for menu commands. (Unicode)

TranslateMDISysAccel

Processes accelerator keystrokes for window menu commands of the multiple-document interface
(MDI) child windows associated with the specified MDI client window.

TranslateMessage

Translates virtual-key messages into character messages. The character messages are posted to
the calling thread's message queue, to be read the next time the thread calls the GetMessage or
PeekMessage function.

UnhookWindowsHookEx

Removes a hook procedure installed in a hook chain by the SetWindowsHookEx function.

UnhookWinEvent

Removes an event hook function created by a previous call to SetWinEventHook.

UnionRect

The UnionRect function creates the union of two rectangles. The union is the smallest rectangle
that contains both source rectangles.

UnloadKeyboardLayout

Unloads an input locale identifier (formerly called a keyboard layout).

UnregisterClassA

Unregisters a window class, freeing the memory required for the class. (ANSI)

UnregisterClassW

Unregisters a window class, freeing the memory required for the class. (Unicode)

UnregisterDeviceNotification

Closes the specified device notification handle.

UnregisterHotKey

Frees a hot key previously registered by the calling thread.

UnregisterPointerInputTarget

Allows the caller to unregister a target window to which all pointer input of the specified type is
redirected.

UnregisterPointerInputTargetEx

UnregisterPointerInputTargetEx may be altered or unavailable. Instead, use

UnregisterPointerInputTarget.

UnregisterPowerSettingNotification

Unregisters the power setting notification.

UnregisterSuspendResumeNotification

Cancels a registration to receive notification when the system is suspended or resumed. Similar to
PowerUnregisterSuspendResumeNotification but operates in user mode.

UnregisterTouchWindow

Registers a window as no longer being touch-capable.

UpdateLayeredWindow

Updates the position, size, shape, content, and translucency of a layered window.

UpdateWindow

The UpdateWindow function updates the client area of the specified window by sending a
WM_PAINT message to the window if the window's update region is not empty.

UserHandleGrantAccess

Grants or denies access to a handle to a User object to a job that has a user-interface restriction.

ValidateRect

The ValidateRect function validates the client area within a rectangle by removing the rectangle
from the update region of the specified window.

ValidateRgn

The ValidateRgn function validates the client area within a region by removing the region from the
current update region of the specified window.
VkKeyScanA

Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state for the current
keyboard. (ANSI)

VkKeyScanExA

Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state. The function
translates the character using the input language and physical keyboard layout identified by the
input locale identifier. (ANSI)

VkKeyScanExW

Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state. The function
translates the character using the input language and physical keyboard layout identified by the
input locale identifier. (Unicode)

VkKeyScanW

Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state for the current
keyboard. (Unicode)

WaitForInputIdle

Waits until the specified process has finished processing its initial input and is waiting for user
input with no input pending, or until the time-out interval has elapsed.

WaitMessage

Yields control to other threads when a thread has no other messages in its message queue. The
WaitMessage function suspends the thread and does not return until a new message is placed in
the thread's message queue.

WindowFromDC

The WindowFromDC function returns a handle to the window associated with the specified
display device context (DC). Output functions that use the specified device context draw into this
window.

WindowFromPhysicalPoint

Retrieves a handle to the window that contains the specified physical point.

WindowFromPoint

Retrieves a handle to the window that contains the specified point.

WinHelpA

Launches Windows Help (Winhelp.exe) and passes additional data that indicates the nature of the
help requested by the application. (ANSI)

WinHelpW

Launches Windows Help (Winhelp.exe) and passes additional data that indicates the nature of the
help requested by the application. (Unicode)

wsprintfA

Writes formatted data to the specified buffer. (ANSI)

wsprintfW

Writes formatted data to the specified buffer. (Unicode)

wvsprintfA

Writes formatted data to the specified buffer using a pointer to a list of arguments. (ANSI)

wvsprintfW

Writes formatted data to the specified buffer using a pointer to a list of arguments. (Unicode)

Callback functions

DLGPROC

Application-defined callback function used with the CreateDialog and DialogBox families of
functions.

DRAWSTATEPROC

The DrawStateProc function is an application-defined callback function that renders a complex

image for the DrawState function.

EDITWORDBREAKPROCA

An application-defined callback function used with the EM_SETWORDBREAKPROC message.

(ANSI)
EDITWORDBREAKPROCW

An application-defined callback function used with the EM_SETWORDBREAKPROC message.

(Unicode)

GRAYSTRINGPROC

The OutputProc function is an application-defined callback function used with the GrayString
function.

HOOKPROC

An application-defined or library-defined callback function used with the SetWindowsHookEx

function. The system calls this function after the SendMessage function is called. The hook
procedure can examine the message; it cannot modify it.

MONITORENUMPROC

A MonitorEnumProc function is an application-defined callback function that is called by the

EnumDisplayMonitors function.

MSGBOXCALLBACK

A callback function, which you define in your application, that processes help events for the
message box.

PROPENUMPROCA

An application-defined callback function used with the EnumProps function. (ANSI)

PROPENUMPROCEXA

Application-defined callback function used with the EnumPropsEx function. (ANSI)

PROPENUMPROCEXW

Application-defined callback function used with the EnumPropsEx function. (Unicode)

PROPENUMPROCW

An application-defined callback function used with the EnumProps function. (Unicode)

SENDASYNCPROC

An application-defined callback function used with the SendMessageCallback function.

TIMERPROC

An application-defined callback function that processes WM_TIMER messages. The TIMERPROC

type defines a pointer to this callback function. TimerProc is a placeholder for the application-
defined function name.

WINEVENTPROC

An application-defined callback (or hook) function that the system calls in response to events
generated by an accessible object.

WNDPROC

A callback function, which you define in your application, that processes messages sent to a
window.

Structures

ACCEL

Defines an accelerator key used in an accelerator table.

ACCESSTIMEOUT

Contains information about the time-out period associated with the accessibility features.

ALTTABINFO

Contains status information for the application-switching (ALT+TAB) window.

ANIMATIONINFO

Describes the animation effects associated with user actions.

AUDIODESCRIPTION

Contains information associated with audio descriptions. This structure is used with the
SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETAUDIODESCRIPTION or
SPI_SETAUDIODESCRIPTION action value is specified.

BSMINFO

Contains information about a window that denied a request from BroadcastSystemMessageEx.

CBT_CREATEWNDA

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is created.
(ANSI)

CBT_CREATEWNDW

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is created.
(Unicode)

CBTACTIVATESTRUCT

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is

activated.

CHANGEFILTERSTRUCT

Contains extended result information obtained by calling the ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx

function.

CLIENTCREATESTRUCT

Contains information about the menu and first multiple-document interface (MDI) child window
of an MDI client window.

COMBOBOXINFO

Contains combo box status information.

COMPAREITEMSTRUCT

Supplies the identifiers and application-supplied data for two items in a sorted, owner-drawn list
box or combo box.

COPYDATASTRUCT

Contains data to be passed to another application by the WM_COPYDATA message.

CREATESTRUCTA

Defines the initialization parameters passed to the window procedure of an application. These
members are identical to the parameters of the CreateWindowEx function. (ANSI)

CREATESTRUCTW

Defines the initialization parameters passed to the window procedure of an application. These
members are identical to the parameters of the CreateWindowEx function. (Unicode)
CURSORINFO

Contains global cursor information.

CURSORSHAPE

Contains information about a cursor.

CWPRETSTRUCT

Defines the message parameters passed to a WH_CALLWNDPROCRET hook procedure,

CallWndRetProc.

CWPSTRUCT

Defines the message parameters passed to a WH_CALLWNDPROC hook procedure, CallWndProc.

DEBUGHOOKINFO

Contains debugging information passed to a WH_DEBUG hook procedure, DebugProc.

DELETEITEMSTRUCT

Describes a deleted list box or combo box item.

DLGITEMTEMPLATE

Defines the dimensions and style of a control in a dialog box. One or more of these structures are
combined with a DLGTEMPLATE structure to form a standard template for a dialog box.

DLGTEMPLATE

Defines the dimensions and style of a dialog box.

DRAWITEMSTRUCT

Provides information that the owner window uses to determine how to paint an owner-drawn
control or menu item.

DRAWTEXTPARAMS

The DRAWTEXTPARAMS structure contains extended formatting options for the DrawTextEx
function.

EVENTMSG

Contains information about a hardware message sent to the system message queue. This
structure is used to store message information for the JournalPlaybackProc callback function.
FILTERKEYS

Contains information about the FilterKeys accessibility feature, which enables a user with
disabilities to set the keyboard repeat rate (RepeatKeys), acceptance delay (SlowKeys), and bounce
rate (BounceKeys).

FLASHWINFO

Contains the flash status for a window and the number of times the system should flash the
window.

GESTURECONFIG

Gets and sets the configuration for enabling gesture messages and the type of this configuration.

GESTUREINFO

Stores information about a gesture.

GESTURENOTIFYSTRUCT

When transmitted with WM_GESTURENOTIFY messages, passes information about a gesture.

GUITHREADINFO

Contains information about a GUI thread.

HARDWAREINPUT

Contains information about a simulated message generated by an input device other than a
keyboard or mouse.

HELPINFO

Contains information about an item for which context-sensitive help has been requested.

HELPWININFOA

Contains the size and position of either a primary or secondary Help window. An application can
set this information by calling the WinHelp function with the HELP_SETWINPOS value. (ANSI)

HELPWININFOW

Contains the size and position of either a primary or secondary Help window. An application can
set this information by calling the WinHelp function with the HELP_SETWINPOS value. (Unicode)

HIGHCONTRASTA

Contains information about the high contrast accessibility feature. (ANSI)

HIGHCONTRASTW

Contains information about the high contrast accessibility feature. (Unicode)

ICONINFO

Contains information about an icon or a cursor.

ICONINFOEXA

Contains information about an icon or a cursor. Extends ICONINFO. Used by GetIconInfoEx. (ANSI)

ICONINFOEXW

Contains information about an icon or a cursor. Extends ICONINFO. Used by GetIconInfoEx.

(Unicode)

ICONMETRICSA

Contains the scalable metrics associated with icons. This structure is used with the
SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETICONMETRICS or SPI_SETICONMETRICS action is
specified. (ANSI)

ICONMETRICSW

Contains the scalable metrics associated with icons. This structure is used with the
SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETICONMETRICS or SPI_SETICONMETRICS action is
specified. (Unicode)

INPUT

Used by SendInput to store information for synthesizing input events such as keystrokes, mouse
movement, and mouse clicks.

INPUT_INJECTION_VALUE

Contains the input injection details.

INPUT_MESSAGE_SOURCE

Contains information about the source of the input message.

INPUT_TRANSFORM

Defines the matrix that represents a transform on a message consumer.

KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT

Contains information about a low-level keyboard input event.

KEYBDINPUT

Contains information about a simulated keyboard event.

LASTINPUTINFO

Contains the time of the last input.

MDICREATESTRUCTA

Contains information about the class, title, owner, location, and size of a multiple-document
interface (MDI) child window. (ANSI)

MDICREATESTRUCTW

Contains information about the class, title, owner, location, and size of a multiple-document
interface (MDI) child window. (Unicode)

MDINEXTMENU

Contains information about the menu to be activated.

MEASUREITEMSTRUCT

Informs the system of the dimensions of an owner-drawn control or menu item. This allows the
system to process user interaction with the control correctly.

MENUBARINFO

Contains menu bar information.

MENUGETOBJECTINFO

Contains information about the menu that the mouse cursor is on.

MENUINFO

Contains information about a menu.

MENUITEMINFOA

Contains information about a menu item. (MENUITEMINFOA)

MENUITEMINFOW

Contains information about a menu item. (MENUITEMINFOW)

MENUITEMTEMPLATE

Defines a menu item in a menu template.

MENUITEMTEMPLATEHEADER

Defines the header for a menu template. A complete menu template consists of a header and one
or more menu item lists.

MINIMIZEDMETRICS

Contains the scalable metrics associated with minimized windows.

MINMAXINFO

Contains information about a window's maximized size and position and its minimum and
maximum tracking size.

MONITORINFO

The MONITORINFO structure contains information about a display monitor.The GetMonitorInfo

function stores information in a MONITORINFO structure or a MONITORINFOEX structure.The
MONITORINFO structure is a subset of the MONITORINFOEX structure.

MONITORINFOEXA

The MONITORINFOEX structure contains information about a display monitor.The GetMonitorInfo

function stores information into a MONITORINFOEX structure or a MONITORINFO structure.The
MONITORINFOEX structure is a superset of the MONITORINFO structure. (ANSI)

MONITORINFOEXW

The MONITORINFOEX structure contains information about a display monitor.The GetMonitorInfo

function stores information into a MONITORINFOEX structure or a MONITORINFO structure.The
MONITORINFOEX structure is a superset of the MONITORINFO structure. (Unicode)

MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT

Contains information about a mouse event passed to a WH_MOUSE hook procedure, MouseProc.

MOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX

Contains information about a mouse event passed to a WH_MOUSE hook procedure, MouseProc.
This is an extension of the MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT structure that includes information about wheel
movement or the use of the X button.

MOUSEINPUT

Contains information about a simulated mouse event.

MOUSEKEYS

Contains information about the MouseKeys accessibility feature.

MOUSEMOVEPOINT

Contains information about the mouse's location in screen coordinates.

MSG

Contains message information from a thread's message queue.

MSGBOXPARAMSA

Contains information used to display a message box. The MessageBoxIndirect function uses this
structure. (ANSI)

MSGBOXPARAMSW

Contains information used to display a message box. The MessageBoxIndirect function uses this
structure. (Unicode)

MSLLHOOKSTRUCT

Contains information about a low-level mouse input event.

MULTIKEYHELPA

Specifies a keyword to search for and the keyword table to be searched by Windows Help. (ANSI)

MULTIKEYHELPW

Specifies a keyword to search for and the keyword table to be searched by Windows Help.
(Unicode)

NCCALCSIZE_PARAMS

Contains information that an application can use while processing the WM_NCCALCSIZE message
to calculate the size, position, and valid contents of the client area of a window.

NMHDR

The NMHDR structure contains information about a notification message. (NMHDR structure)

NONCLIENTMETRICSA

Contains the scalable metrics associated with the nonclient area of a nonminimized window.
(ANSI)
NONCLIENTMETRICSW

Contains the scalable metrics associated with the nonclient area of a nonminimized window.
(Unicode)

PAINTSTRUCT

The PAINTSTRUCT structure contains information for an application. This information can be used
to paint the client area of a window owned by that application.

POINTER_DEVICE_CURSOR_INFO

Contains cursor ID mappings for pointer devices.

POINTER_DEVICE_INFO

Contains information about a pointer device. An array of these structures is returned from the
GetPointerDevices function. A single structure is returned from a call to the GetPointerDevice
function.

POINTER_DEVICE_PROPERTY

Contains pointer-based device properties (Human Interface Device (HID) global items that
correspond to HID usages).

POINTER_INFO

Contains basic pointer information common to all pointer types. Applications can retrieve this
information using the GetPointerInfo, GetPointerFrameInfo, GetPointerInfoHistory and
GetPointerFrameInfoHistory functions.

POINTER_PEN_INFO

Defines basic pen information common to all pointer types.

POINTER_TOUCH_INFO

Defines basic touch information common to all pointer types.

POINTER_TYPE_INFO

Contains information about the pointer input type.

POWERBROADCAST_SETTING

Sent with a power setting event and contains data about the specific change.
RAWHID

Describes the format of the raw input from a Human Interface Device (HID).

RAWINPUT

Contains the raw input from a device.

RAWINPUTDEVICE

Defines information for the raw input devices.

RAWINPUTDEVICELIST

Contains information about a raw input device.

RAWINPUTHEADER

Contains the header information that is part of the raw input data.

RAWKEYBOARD

Contains information about the state of the keyboard.

RAWMOUSE

Contains information about the state of the mouse.

RID_DEVICE_INFO

Defines the raw input data coming from any device.

RID_DEVICE_INFO_HID

Defines the raw input data coming from the specified Human Interface Device (HID).

RID_DEVICE_INFO_KEYBOARD

Defines the raw input data coming from the specified keyboard.

RID_DEVICE_INFO_MOUSE

Defines the raw input data coming from the specified mouse.

SCROLLBARINFO

The SCROLLBARINFO structure contains scroll bar information.

SCROLLINFO

The SCROLLINFO structure contains scroll bar parameters to be set by the SetScrollInfo function
(or SBM_SETSCROLLINFO message), or retrieved by the GetScrollInfo function (or
SBM_GETSCROLLINFO message).

SERIALKEYSA

Contains information about the SerialKeys accessibility feature, which interprets data from a
communication aid attached to a serial port as commands causing the system to simulate
keyboard and mouse input. (ANSI)

SERIALKEYSW

Contains information about the SerialKeys accessibility feature, which interprets data from a
communication aid attached to a serial port as commands causing the system to simulate
keyboard and mouse input. (Unicode)

SOUNDSENTRYA

Contains information about the SoundSentry accessibility feature. When the SoundSentry feature
is on, the computer displays a visual indication only when a sound is generated. (ANSI)

SOUNDSENTRYW

Contains information about the SoundSentry accessibility feature. When the SoundSentry feature
is on, the computer displays a visual indication only when a sound is generated. (Unicode)

STICKYKEYS

Contains information about the StickyKeys accessibility feature.

STYLESTRUCT

Contains the styles for a window.

TITLEBARINFO

Contains title bar information.

TITLEBARINFOEX

Expands on the information described in the TITLEBARINFO structure by including the coordinates
of each element of the title bar.

TOGGLEKEYS

Contains information about the ToggleKeys accessibility feature.

TOUCH_HIT_TESTING_INPUT

Contains information about the touch contact area reported by the touch digitizer.

TOUCH_HIT_TESTING_PROXIMITY_EVALUATION

Contains the hit test score that indicates whether the object is the likely target of the touch
contact area, relative to other objects that intersect the touch contact area.

TOUCHINPUT

Encapsulates data for touch input.

TOUCHPREDICTIONPARAMETERS

Contains hardware input details that can be used to predict touch targets and help compensate
for hardware latency when processing touch and gesture input that contains distance and velocity
data.

TPMPARAMS

Contains extended parameters for the TrackPopupMenuEx function.

TRACKMOUSEEVENT

Used by the TrackMouseEvent function to track when the mouse pointer leaves a window or
hovers over a window for a specified amount of time.

UPDATELAYEREDWINDOWINFO

Used by UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect to provide position, size, shape, content, and translucency

information for a layered window.

USAGE_PROPERTIES

Contains device properties (Human Interface Device (HID) global items that correspond to HID
usages) for any type of HID input device.

USEROBJECTFLAGS

Contains information about a window station or desktop handle.

WINDOWINFO

Contains window information.

WINDOWPLACEMENT

Contains information about the placement of a window on the screen.

WINDOWPOS

Contains information about the size and position of a window.

WNDCLASSA

Contains the window class attributes that are registered by the RegisterClass function. (ANSI)

WNDCLASSEXA

Contains window class information. (ANSI)

WNDCLASSEXW

Contains window class information. (Unicode)

WNDCLASSW

Contains the window class attributes that are registered by the RegisterClass function. (Unicode)

WTSSESSION_NOTIFICATION

Provides information about the session change notification. A service receives this structure in its
HandlerEx function in response to a session change event.

Enumerations

AR_STATE

Indicates the state of screen auto-rotation for the system. For example, whether auto-rotation is
supported, and whether it is enabled by the user.

DIALOG_CONTROL_DPI_CHANGE_BEHAVIORS

Describes per-monitor DPI scaling behavior overrides for child windows within dialogs. The values
in this enumeration are bitfields and can be combined.

DIALOG_DPI_CHANGE_BEHAVIORS

In Per Monitor v2 contexts, dialogs will automatically respond to DPI changes by resizing
themselves and re-computing the positions of their child windows (here referred to as re-
layouting).
 FEEDBACK_TYPE

Specifies the visual feedback associated with an event.

INPUT_MESSAGE_DEVICE_TYPE

The type of device that sent the input message.

INPUT_MESSAGE_ORIGIN_ID

The ID of the input message source.

ORIENTATION_PREFERENCE

Indicates the screen orientation preference for a desktop app process.

POINTER_BUTTON_CHANGE_TYPE

Identifies a change in the state of a button associated with a pointer.

POINTER_DEVICE_CURSOR_TYPE

Identifies the pointer device cursor types.

POINTER_DEVICE_TYPE

Identifies the pointer device types.

POINTER_FEEDBACK_MODE

Identifies the visual feedback behaviors available to CreateSyntheticPointerDevice.

tagPOINTER_INPUT_TYPE

Identifies the pointer input types.

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AdjustWindowRect function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired client-
rectangle size. The window rectangle can then be passed to the CreateWindow function
to create a window whose client area is the desired size.

To specify an extended window style, use the AdjustWindowRectEx function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL AdjustWindowRect(
[in, out] LPRECT lpRect,
[in] DWORD dwStyle,
[in] BOOL bMenu
);

Parameters
[in, out] lpRect

Type: LPRECT

A pointer to a RECT structure that contains the coordinates of the top-left and bottom-
right corners of the desired client area. When the function returns, the structure contains
the coordinates of the top-left and bottom-right corners of the window to
accommodate the desired client area.

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD

The window style of the window whose required size is to be calculated. Note that you
cannot specify the WS_OVERLAPPED style.

[in] bMenu

Type: BOOL

Indicates whether the window has a menu.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
A client rectangle is the smallest rectangle that completely encloses a client area. A
window rectangle is the smallest rectangle that completely encloses the window, which
includes the client area and the nonclient area.

The AdjustWindowRect function does not add extra space when a menu bar wraps to
two or more rows.

The AdjustWindowRect function does not take the WS_VSCROLL or WS_HSCROLL

styles into account. To account for the scroll bars, call the GetSystemMetrics function
with SM_CXVSCROLL or SM_CYHSCROLL.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
AdjustWindowRectEx

Conceptual

CreateWindow

GetSystemMetrics

Other Resources

RECT

Reference

Windows

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AdjustWindowRectEx function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Calculates the required size of the window rectangle, based on the desired size of the
client rectangle. The window rectangle can then be passed to the CreateWindowEx
function to create a window whose client area is the desired size.

Syntax
C++

BOOL AdjustWindowRectEx(
[in, out] LPRECT lpRect,
[in] DWORD dwStyle,
[in] BOOL bMenu,
[in] DWORD dwExStyle
);

Parameters
[in, out] lpRect

Type: LPRECT

A pointer to a RECT structure that contains the coordinates of the top-left and bottom-
right corners of the desired client area. When the function returns, the structure contains
the coordinates of the top-left and bottom-right corners of the window to
accommodate the desired client area.

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD

The window style of the window whose required size is to be calculated. Note that you
cannot specify the WS_OVERLAPPED style.

[in] bMenu

Type: BOOL

Indicates whether the window has a menu.

[in] dwExStyle

Type: DWORD

The extended window style of the window whose required size is to be calculated.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
A client rectangle is the smallest rectangle that completely encloses a client area. A
window rectangle is the smallest rectangle that completely encloses the window, which
includes the client area and the nonclient area.

The AdjustWindowRectEx function does not add extra space when a menu bar wraps to
two or more rows.

The AdjustWindowRectEx function does not take the WS_VSCROLL or WS_HSCROLL

styles into account. To account for the scroll bars, call the GetSystemMetrics function
with SM_CXVSCROLL or SM_CYHSCROLL.

This API is not DPI aware, and should not be used if the calling thread is per-monitor
DPI aware. For the DPI-aware version of this API, see AdjustWindowsRectExForDPI. For
more information on DPI awareness, see the Windows High DPI documentation.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
AdjustWindowsRectExForDPI

Conceptual

CreateWindowEx

Other Resources

RECT

Reference

Windows

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AllowSetForegroundWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Enables the specified process to set the foreground window using the
SetForegroundWindow function. The calling process must already be able to set the
foreground window. For more information, see Remarks later in this topic.

Syntax
C++

BOOL AllowSetForegroundWindow(
[in] DWORD dwProcessId
);

Parameters
[in] dwProcessId

Type: DWORD

The identifier of the process that will be enabled to set the foreground window. If this
parameter is ASFW_ANY, all processes will be enabled to set the foreground window.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. The function will fail if the calling process
cannot set the foreground window. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
The system restricts which processes can set the foreground window. Normally, a
process can set the foreground window by calling the SetForegroundWindow function
only if:
 All of the following conditions are true:
The calling process belongs to a desktop application, not a UWP app or a
Windows Store app designed for Windows 8 or 8.1.
The foreground process has not disabled calls to SetForegroundWindow by a
previous call to the LockSetForegroundWindow function.
The foreground lock time-out has expired (see
SPI_GETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT in SystemParametersInfo).
No menus are active.
Additionally, at least one of the following conditions is true:
The calling process is the foreground process.
The calling process was started by the foreground process.
There is currently no foreground window, and thus no foreground process.
The calling process received the last input event.
Either the foreground process or the calling process is being debugged.

A process that can set the foreground window can enable another process to set the
foreground window by calling AllowSetForegroundWindow. The process specified by
the dwProcessId parameter loses the ability to set the foreground window the next time
that either the user generates input, unless the input is directed at that process, or the
next time a process calls AllowSetForegroundWindow, unless the same process is
specified as in the previous call to AllowSetForegroundWindow.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
LockSetForegroundWindow

Reference

SetForegroundWindow

Windows

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ALTTABINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Contains status information for the application-switching (ALT+TAB) window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagALTTABINFO {

DWORD cbSize;
int cItems;
int cColumns;
int cRows;
int iColFocus;
int iRowFocus;
int cxItem;
int cyItem;
POINT ptStart;
} ALTTABINFO, *PALTTABINFO, *LPALTTABINFO;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size, in bytes, of the structure. The caller must set this to sizeof(ALTTABINFO) .

cItems

Type: int

The number of items in the window.

cColumns

Type: int

The number of columns in the window.

cRows

Type: int
The number of rows in the window.

iColFocus

Type: int

The column of the item that has the focus.

iRowFocus

Type: int

The row of the item that has the focus.

cxItem

Type: int

The width of each icon in the application-switching window.

cyItem

Type: int

The height of each icon in the application-switching window.

ptStart

Type: POINT

The top-left corner of the first icon.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual
GetAltTabInfo

Reference

Windows

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AnimateWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Enables you to produce special effects when showing or hiding windows. There are four
types of animation: roll, slide, collapse or expand, and alpha-blended fade.

Syntax
C++

BOOL AnimateWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] DWORD dwTime,
[in] DWORD dwFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to animate. The calling thread must own this window.

[in] dwTime

Type: DWORD

The time it takes to play the animation, in milliseconds. Typically, an animation takes 200
milliseconds to play.

[in] dwFlags

Type: DWORD

The type of animation. This parameter can be one or more of the following values. Note
that, by default, these flags take effect when showing a window. To take effect when
hiding a window, use AW_HIDE and a logical OR operator with the appropriate flags.

Value Meaning

AW_ACTIVATE Activates the window. Do not use this value with

0x00020000 AW_HIDE.
 AW_BLEND Uses a fade effect. This flag can be used only if hwnd is a
0x00080000 top-level window.

AW_CENTER Makes the window appear to collapse inward if AW_HIDE

0x00000010 is used or expand outward if the AW_HIDE is not used.
The various direction flags have no effect.

AW_HIDE Hides the window. By default, the window is shown.

0x00010000

AW_HOR_POSITIVE Animates the window from left to right. This flag can be
0x00000001 used with roll or slide animation. It is ignored when used
with AW_CENTER or AW_BLEND.

AW_HOR_NEGATIVE Animates the window from right to left. This flag can be
0x00000002 used with roll or slide animation. It is ignored when used
with AW_CENTER or AW_BLEND.

AW_SLIDE Uses slide animation. By default, roll animation is used.

0x00040000 This flag is ignored when used with AW_CENTER.

AW_VER_POSITIVE Animates the window from top to bottom. This flag can
0x00000004 be used with roll or slide animation. It is ignored when
used with AW_CENTER or AW_BLEND.

AW_VER_NEGATIVE Animates the window from bottom to top. This flag can
0x00000008 be used with roll or slide animation. It is ignored when
used with AW_CENTER or AW_BLEND.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. The function will fail in the following
situations:

If the window is already visible and you are trying to show the window.
If the window is already hidden and you are trying to hide the window.
If there is no direction specified for the slide or roll animation.
When trying to animate a child window with AW_BLEND.
If the thread does not own the window. Note that, in this case, AnimateWindow
fails but GetLastError returns ERROR_SUCCESS.

To get extended error information, call the GetLastError function.

Remarks
To show or hide a window without special effects, use ShowWindow.

When using slide or roll animation, you must specify the direction. It can be either
AW_HOR_POSITIVE, AW_HOR_NEGATIVE, AW_VER_POSITIVE, or AW_VER_NEGATIVE.

You can combine AW_HOR_POSITIVE or AW_HOR_NEGATIVE with AW_VER_POSITIVE

or AW_VER_NEGATIVE to animate a window diagonally.

The window procedures for the window and its child windows should handle any
WM_PRINT or WM_PRINTCLIENT messages. Dialog boxes, controls, and common
controls already handle WM_PRINTCLIENT. The default window procedure already
handles WM_PRINT.

If a child window is displayed partially clipped, when it is animated it will have holes
where it is clipped.

AnimateWindow supports RTL windows.

Avoid animating a window that has a drop shadow because it produces visually
distracting, jerky animations.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
Other Resources

Reference

ShowWindow

WM_PRINT

WM_PRINTCLIENT

Windows

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ANIMATIONINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Describes the animation effects associated with user actions. This structure is used with
the SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETANIMATION or
SPI_SETANIMATION action value is specified.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagANIMATIONINFO {

UINT cbSize;
int iMinAnimate;
} ANIMATIONINFO, *LPANIMATIONINFO;

Members
cbSize

The size of the structure, in bytes. The caller must set this to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO) .

iMinAnimate

If this member is nonzero, minimize and restore animation is enabled; otherwise it is

disabled.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
SystemParametersInfo
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AnyPopup function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Indicates whether an owned, visible, top-level pop-up, or overlapped window exists on

the screen. The function searches the entire screen, not just the calling application's
client area.

This function is provided only for compatibility with 16-bit versions of Windows. It is
generally not useful.

Syntax
C++

BOOL AnyPopup();

Return value
Type: BOOL

If a pop-up window exists, the return value is nonzero, even if the pop-up window is
completely covered by other windows.

If a pop-up window does not exist, the return value is zero.

Remarks
This function does not detect unowned pop-up windows or windows that do not have
the WS_VISIBLE style bit set.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

GetLastActivePopup

Reference

ShowOwnedPopups

Windows

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ArrangeIconicWindows function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Arranges all the minimized (iconic) child windows of the specified parent window.

Syntax
C++

UINT ArrangeIconicWindows(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window.

Return value
Type: UINT

If the function succeeds, the return value is the height of one row of icons.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
An application that maintains its own minimized child windows can use the
ArrangeIconicWindows function to arrange icons in a parent window. This function can
also arrange icons on the desktop. To retrieve the window handle to the desktop
window, use the GetDesktopWindow function.
An application sends the WM_MDIICONARRANGE message to the multiple-document
interface (MDI) client window to prompt the client window to arrange its minimized MDI
child windows.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
CloseWindow

Conceptual

GetDesktopWindow

Reference

Windows

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AUDIODESCRIPTION structure
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information associated with audio descriptions. This structure is used with the
SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETAUDIODESCRIPTION or
SPI_SETAUDIODESCRIPTION action value is specified.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagAUDIODESCRIPTION {

UINT cbSize;
BOOL Enabled;
LCID Locale;
} AUDIODESCRIPTION, *LPAUDIODESCRIPTION;

Members
cbSize

The size of the structure, in bytes. The caller must set this member to
sizeof(AUDIODESCRIPTION) .

Enabled

If this member is TRUE, audio descriptions are enabled; Otherwise, this member is
FALSE.

Locale

The locale identifier (LCID) of the language for the audio description. For more
information, see Locales and Languages.

Remarks
To compile an application that uses this structure, define _WIN32_WINNT as 0x0600 or
later. For more information, see Using the Windows Headers.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
SystemParametersInfo

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BeginDeferWindowPos function
(winuser.h)
Article10/03/2022

Allocates memory for a multiple-window- position structure and returns the handle to
the structure.

Syntax
C++

HDWP BeginDeferWindowPos(
[in] int nNumWindows
);

Parameters
[in] nNumWindows

Type: int

The initial number of windows for which to store position information. The
DeferWindowPos function increases the size of the structure, if necessary.

Return value
Type: HDWP

If the function succeeds, the return value identifies the multiple-window-position

structure. If insufficient system resources are available to allocate the structure, the
return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
The multiple-window-position structure is an internal structure; an application cannot
access it directly.

DeferWindowPos fills the multiple-window-position structure with information about

the target position for one or more windows about to be moved. The
EndDeferWindowPos function accepts the handle to this structure and repositions the
windows by using the information stored in the structure.

If the system must increase the size of the multiple-window- position structure beyond
the initial size specified by the nNumWindows parameter but cannot allocate enough
memory to do so, the system fails the entire window positioning sequence
(BeginDeferWindowPos, DeferWindowPos, and EndDeferWindowPos). By specifying the
maximum size needed, an application can detect and process failure early in the
process.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

DeferWindowPos

EndDeferWindowPos

Reference

SetWindowPos

Windows
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BringWindowToTop function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Brings the specified window to the top of the Z order. If the window is a top-level
window, it is activated. If the window is a child window, the top-level parent window
associated with the child window is activated.

Syntax
C++

BOOL BringWindowToTop(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to bring to the top of the Z order.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Use the BringWindowToTop function to uncover any window that is partially or
completely obscured by other windows.

Calling this function is similar to calling the SetWindowPos function to change a

window's position in the Z order. BringWindowToTop does not make a window a top-
level window.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

SetWindowPos

Windows

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BroadcastSystemMessage function
(winuser.h)
Article08/02/2022

Sends a message to the specified recipients. The recipients can be applications,

installable drivers, network drivers, system-level device drivers, or any combination of
these system components.

To receive additional information if the request is defined, use the

BroadcastSystemMessageEx function.

Syntax
C++

long BroadcastSystemMessage(
[in] DWORD flags,
[in, out, optional] LPDWORD lpInfo,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] flags

Type: DWORD

The broadcast option. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSF_ALLOWSFW Enables the recipient to set the foreground window while

0x00000080 processing the message.

BSF_FLUSHDISK Flushes the disk after each recipient processes the

0x00000004 message.

BSF_FORCEIFHUNG Continues to broadcast the message, even if the time-out

0x00000020 period elapses or one of the recipients is not responding.

BSF_IGNORECURRENTTASK Does not send the message to windows that belong to

 0x00000002 the current task. This prevents an application from
receiving its own message.

BSF_NOHANG Forces a nonresponsive application to time out. If one of

0x00000008 the recipients times out, do not continue broadcasting
the message.

BSF_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG Waits for a response to the message, as long as the

0x00000040 recipient is not being unresponsive. Does not time out.

BSF_POSTMESSAGE Posts the message. Do not use in combination with

0x00000010 BSF_QUERY.

BSF_QUERY Sends the message to one recipient at a time, sending to

0x00000001 a subsequent recipient only if the current recipient
returns TRUE.

BSF_SENDNOTIFYMESSAGE Sends the message using SendNotifyMessage function.

0x00000100 Do not use in combination with BSF_QUERY.

[in, out, optional] lpInfo

Type: LPDWORD

A pointer to a variable that contains and receives information about the recipients of the
message.

When the function returns, this variable receives a combination of these values
identifying which recipients actually received the message.

If this parameter is NULL, the function broadcasts to all components.

This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSM_ALLCOMPONENTS Broadcast to all system components.

0x00000000

BSM_ALLDESKTOPS Broadcast to all desktops. Requires the SE_TCB_NAME

0x00000010 privilege.

BSM_APPLICATIONS Broadcast to applications.

0x00000008

[in] Msg

Type: UINT
The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: long

If the function succeeds, the return value is a positive value.

If the function is unable to broadcast the message, the return value is –1.

If the dwFlags parameter is BSF_QUERY and at least one recipient returned

BROADCAST_QUERY_DENY to the corresponding message, the return value is zero. To
get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
If BSF_QUERY is not specified, the function sends the specified message to all requested
recipients, ignoring values returned by those recipients.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

Examples

For an example, see Terminating a Process.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
BroadcastSystemMessageEx

Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendNotifyMessage

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BroadcastSystemMessageA function
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Sends a message to the specified recipients. The recipients can be applications,

installable drivers, network drivers, system-level device drivers, or any combination of
these system components.

To receive additional information if the request is defined, use the

BroadcastSystemMessageEx function.

Syntax
C++

long BroadcastSystemMessageA(
[in] DWORD flags,
[in, out, optional] LPDWORD lpInfo,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] flags

Type: DWORD

The broadcast option. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSF_ALLOWSFW Enables the recipient to set the foreground window while

0x00000080 processing the message.

BSF_FLUSHDISK Flushes the disk after each recipient processes the

0x00000004 message.

BSF_FORCEIFHUNG Continues to broadcast the message, even if the time-out

0x00000020 period elapses or one of the recipients is not responding.

BSF_IGNORECURRENTTASK Does not send the message to windows that belong to

 0x00000002 the current task. This prevents an application from
receiving its own message.

BSF_NOHANG Forces a nonresponsive application to time out. If one of

0x00000008 the recipients times out, do not continue broadcasting
the message.

BSF_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG Waits for a response to the message, as long as the

0x00000040 recipient is not being unresponsive. Does not time out.

BSF_POSTMESSAGE Posts the message. Do not use in combination with

0x00000010 BSF_QUERY.

BSF_QUERY Sends the message to one recipient at a time, sending to

0x00000001 a subsequent recipient only if the current recipient
returns TRUE.

BSF_SENDNOTIFYMESSAGE Sends the message using SendNotifyMessage function.

0x00000100 Do not use in combination with BSF_QUERY.

[in, out, optional] lpInfo

Type: LPDWORD

A pointer to a variable that contains and receives information about the recipients of the
message.

When the function returns, this variable receives a combination of these values
identifying which recipients actually received the message.

If this parameter is NULL, the function broadcasts to all components.

This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSM_ALLCOMPONENTS Broadcast to all system components.

0x00000000

BSM_ALLDESKTOPS Broadcast to all desktops. Requires the SE_TCB_NAME

0x00000010 privilege.

BSM_APPLICATIONS Broadcast to applications.

0x00000008

[in] Msg

Type: UINT
The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: long

If the function succeeds, the return value is a positive value.

If the function is unable to broadcast the message, the return value is –1.

If the dwFlags parameter is BSF_QUERY and at least one recipient returned

BROADCAST_QUERY_DENY to the corresponding message, the return value is zero. To
get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
If BSF_QUERY is not specified, the function sends the specified message to all requested
recipients, ignoring values returned by those recipients.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

For an example, see Terminating a Process.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines BroadcastSystemMessage as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
 neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
BroadcastSystemMessageEx

Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendNotifyMessage

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BroadcastSystemMessageExA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends a message to the specified recipients. The recipients can be applications,

installable drivers, network drivers, system-level device drivers, or any combination of
these system components.

This function is similar to BroadcastSystemMessage except that this function can return
more information from the recipients.

Syntax
C++

long BroadcastSystemMessageExA(
[in] DWORD flags,
[in, out, optional] LPDWORD lpInfo,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam,
[out, optional] PBSMINFO pbsmInfo
);

Parameters
[in] flags

Type: DWORD

The broadcast option. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSF_ALLOWSFW Enables the recipient to set the foreground window while

0x00000080 processing the message.

BSF_FLUSHDISK Flushes the disk after each recipient processes the

0x00000004 message.

BSF_FORCEIFHUNG Continues to broadcast the message, even if the time-out

0x00000020 period elapses or one of the recipients is not responding.
 BSF_IGNORECURRENTTASK Does not send the message to windows that belong to
0x00000002 the current task. This prevents an application from
receiving its own message.

BSF_LUID If BSF_LUID is set, the message is sent to the window that

0x00000400 has the same LUID as specified in the luid member of the
BSMINFO structure.

Windows 2000: This flag is not supported.

BSF_NOHANG Forces a nonresponsive application to time out. If one of

0x00000008 the recipients times out, do not continue broadcasting
the message.

BSF_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG Waits for a response to the message, as long as the

0x00000040 recipient is not being unresponsive. Does not time out.

BSF_POSTMESSAGE Posts the message. Do not use in combination with

0x00000010 BSF_QUERY.

BSF_RETURNHDESK If access is denied and both this and BSF_QUERY are set,
0x00000200 BSMINFO returns both the desktop handle and the
window handle. If access is denied and only BSF_QUERY
is set, only the window handle is returned by BSMINFO.

Windows 2000: This flag is not supported.

BSF_QUERY Sends the message to one recipient at a time, sending to

0x00000001 a subsequent recipient only if the current recipient
returns TRUE.

BSF_SENDNOTIFYMESSAGE Sends the message using SendNotifyMessage function.

0x00000100 Do not use in combination with BSF_QUERY.

[in, out, optional] lpInfo

Type: LPDWORD

A pointer to a variable that contains and receives information about the recipients of the
message.

When the function returns, this variable receives a combination of these values
identifying which recipients actually received the message.

If this parameter is NULL, the function broadcasts to all components.

This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
 BSM_ALLCOMPONENTS Broadcast to all system components.
0x00000000

BSM_ALLDESKTOPS Broadcast to all desktops. Requires the SE_TCB_NAME

0x00000010 privilege.

BSM_APPLICATIONS Broadcast to applications.

0x00000008

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[out, optional] pbsmInfo

Type: PBSMINFO

A pointer to a BSMINFO structure that contains additional information if the request is

denied and dwFlags is set to BSF_QUERY.

Return value
Type: long

If the function succeeds, the return value is a positive value.

If the function is unable to broadcast the message, the return value is –1.

If the dwFlags parameter is BSF_QUERY and at least one recipient returned

BROADCAST_QUERY_DENY to the corresponding message, the return value is zero. To
get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
If BSF_QUERY is not specified, the function sends the specified message to all requested
recipients, ignoring values returned by those recipients.

If the caller's thread is on a desktop other than that of the window that denied the
request, the caller must call SetThreadDesktop(hdesk) to query anything on that
window. Also, the caller must call CloseDesktop on the returned hdesk handle.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines BroadcastSystemMessageEx as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows XP [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
BSMINFO

BroadcastSystemMessage
Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendNotifyMessage

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BroadcastSystemMessageExW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends a message to the specified recipients. The recipients can be applications,

installable drivers, network drivers, system-level device drivers, or any combination of
these system components.

This function is similar to BroadcastSystemMessage except that this function can return
more information from the recipients.

Syntax
C++

long BroadcastSystemMessageExW(
[in] DWORD flags,
[in, out, optional] LPDWORD lpInfo,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam,
[out, optional] PBSMINFO pbsmInfo
);

Parameters
[in] flags

Type: DWORD

The broadcast option. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSF_ALLOWSFW Enables the recipient to set the foreground window while

0x00000080 processing the message.

BSF_FLUSHDISK Flushes the disk after each recipient processes the

0x00000004 message.

BSF_FORCEIFHUNG Continues to broadcast the message, even if the time-out

0x00000020 period elapses or one of the recipients is not responding.
 BSF_IGNORECURRENTTASK Does not send the message to windows that belong to
0x00000002 the current task. This prevents an application from
receiving its own message.

BSF_LUID If BSF_LUID is set, the message is sent to the window that

0x00000400 has the same LUID as specified in the luid member of the
BSMINFO structure.

Windows 2000: This flag is not supported.

BSF_NOHANG Forces a nonresponsive application to time out. If one of

0x00000008 the recipients times out, do not continue broadcasting
the message.

BSF_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG Waits for a response to the message, as long as the

0x00000040 recipient is not being unresponsive. Does not time out.

BSF_POSTMESSAGE Posts the message. Do not use in combination with

0x00000010 BSF_QUERY.

BSF_RETURNHDESK If access is denied and both this and BSF_QUERY are set,
0x00000200 BSMINFO returns both the desktop handle and the
window handle. If access is denied and only BSF_QUERY
is set, only the window handle is returned by BSMINFO.

Windows 2000: This flag is not supported.

BSF_QUERY Sends the message to one recipient at a time, sending to

0x00000001 a subsequent recipient only if the current recipient
returns TRUE.

BSF_SENDNOTIFYMESSAGE Sends the message using SendNotifyMessage function.

0x00000100 Do not use in combination with BSF_QUERY.

[in, out, optional] lpInfo

Type: LPDWORD

A pointer to a variable that contains and receives information about the recipients of the
message.

When the function returns, this variable receives a combination of these values
identifying which recipients actually received the message.

If this parameter is NULL, the function broadcasts to all components.

This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
 BSM_ALLCOMPONENTS Broadcast to all system components.
0x00000000

BSM_ALLDESKTOPS Broadcast to all desktops. Requires the SE_TCB_NAME

0x00000010 privilege.

BSM_APPLICATIONS Broadcast to applications.

0x00000008

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[out, optional] pbsmInfo

Type: PBSMINFO

A pointer to a BSMINFO structure that contains additional information if the request is

denied and dwFlags is set to BSF_QUERY.

Return value
Type: long

If the function succeeds, the return value is a positive value.

If the function is unable to broadcast the message, the return value is –1.

If the dwFlags parameter is BSF_QUERY and at least one recipient returned

BROADCAST_QUERY_DENY to the corresponding message, the return value is zero. To
get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
If BSF_QUERY is not specified, the function sends the specified message to all requested
recipients, ignoring values returned by those recipients.

If the caller's thread is on a desktop other than that of the window that denied the
request, the caller must call SetThreadDesktop(hdesk) to query anything on that
window. Also, the caller must call CloseDesktop on the returned hdesk handle.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines BroadcastSystemMessageEx as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows XP [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
BSMINFO

BroadcastSystemMessage
Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendNotifyMessage

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BroadcastSystemMessageW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends a message to the specified recipients. The recipients can be applications,

installable drivers, network drivers, system-level device drivers, or any combination of
these system components.

To receive additional information if the request is defined, use the

BroadcastSystemMessageEx function.

Syntax
C++

long BroadcastSystemMessageW(
[in] DWORD flags,
[in, out, optional] LPDWORD lpInfo,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] flags

Type: DWORD

The broadcast option. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSF_ALLOWSFW Enables the recipient to set the foreground window while

0x00000080 processing the message.

BSF_FLUSHDISK Flushes the disk after each recipient processes the

0x00000004 message.

BSF_FORCEIFHUNG Continues to broadcast the message, even if the time-out

0x00000020 period elapses or one of the recipients is not responding.

BSF_IGNORECURRENTTASK Does not send the message to windows that belong to

 0x00000002 the current task. This prevents an application from
receiving its own message.

BSF_NOHANG Forces a nonresponsive application to time out. If one of

0x00000008 the recipients times out, do not continue broadcasting
the message.

BSF_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG Waits for a response to the message, as long as the

0x00000040 recipient is not being unresponsive. Does not time out.

BSF_POSTMESSAGE Posts the message. Do not use in combination with

0x00000010 BSF_QUERY.

BSF_QUERY Sends the message to one recipient at a time, sending to

0x00000001 a subsequent recipient only if the current recipient
returns TRUE.

BSF_SENDNOTIFYMESSAGE Sends the message using SendNotifyMessage function.

0x00000100 Do not use in combination with BSF_QUERY.

[in, out, optional] lpInfo

Type: LPDWORD

A pointer to a variable that contains and receives information about the recipients of the
message.

When the function returns, this variable receives a combination of these values
identifying which recipients actually received the message.

If this parameter is NULL, the function broadcasts to all components.

This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

BSM_ALLCOMPONENTS Broadcast to all system components.

0x00000000

BSM_ALLDESKTOPS Broadcast to all desktops. Requires the SE_TCB_NAME

0x00000010 privilege.

BSM_APPLICATIONS Broadcast to applications.

0x00000008

[in] Msg

Type: UINT
The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: long

If the function succeeds, the return value is a positive value.

If the function is unable to broadcast the message, the return value is –1.

If the dwFlags parameter is BSF_QUERY and at least one recipient returned

BROADCAST_QUERY_DENY to the corresponding message, the return value is zero. To
get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
If BSF_QUERY is not specified, the function sends the specified message to all requested
recipients, ignoring values returned by those recipients.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

Examples

For an example, see Terminating a Process.

７ Note
 The winuser.h header defines BroadcastSystemMessage as an alias which
automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
BroadcastSystemMessageEx

Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendNotifyMessage

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BSMINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article03/13/2023

Contains information about a window that denied a request from

BroadcastSystemMessageEx.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct {
UINT cbSize;
HDESK hdesk;
HWND hwnd;
LUID luid;
} BSMINFO, *PBSMINFO;

Members
cbSize

Type: UINT

The size, in bytes, of this structure.

hdesk

Type: HDESK

A desktop handle to the window specified by hwnd. This value is returned only if
BroadcastSystemMessageEx specifies BSF_RETURNHDESK and BSF_QUERY.

hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that denied the request. This value is returned if
BroadcastSystemMessageEx specifies BSF_QUERY.

luid

Type: LUID

A locally unique identifier (LUID) for the window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows XP [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
BroadcastSystemMessageEx

Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

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CalculatePopupWindowPosition
function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Calculates an appropriate pop-up window position using the specified anchor point,
pop-up window size, flags, and the optional exclude rectangle. When the specified pop-
up window size is smaller than the desktop window size, use the
CalculatePopupWindowPosition function to ensure that the pop-up window is fully
visible on the desktop window, regardless of the specified anchor point.

Syntax
C++

BOOL CalculatePopupWindowPosition(
[in] const POINT *anchorPoint,
[in] const SIZE *windowSize,
[in] UINT flags,
[in, optional] RECT *excludeRect,
[out] RECT *popupWindowPosition
);

Parameters
[in] anchorPoint

Type: const POINT*

The specified anchor point.

[in] windowSize

Type: const SIZE*

The specified window size.

[in] flags

Type: UINT

Use one of the following flags to specify how the function positions the pop-up window
horizontally and vertically. The flags are the same as the vertical and horizontal
positioning flags of the TrackPopupMenuEx function.

Use one of the following flags to specify how the function positions the pop-up window
horizontally.

Value Meaning

TPM_CENTERALIGN Centers pop-up window horizontally relative to the

0x0004L coordinate specified by the anchorPoint->x parameter.

TPM_LEFTALIGN Positions the pop-up window so that its left edge is

0x0000L aligned with the coordinate specified by the anchorPoint-
>x parameter.

TPM_RIGHTALIGN Positions the pop-up window so that its right edge is

0x0008L aligned with the coordinate specified by the anchorPoint-
>x parameter.

Uses one of the following flags to specify how the function positions the pop-up
window vertically.

Value Meaning

TPM_BOTTOMALIGN Positions the pop-up window so that its bottom edge is

0x0020L aligned with the coordinate specified by the anchorPoint-
>y parameter.

TPM_TOPALIGN Positions the pop-up window so that its top edge is

0x0000L aligned with the coordinate specified by the anchorPoint-
>y parameter.

TPM_VCENTERALIGN Centers the pop-up window vertically relative to the

0x0010L coordinate specified by the anchorPoint->y parameter.

Use one of the following flags to specify whether to accommodate horizontal or vertical
alignment.

Value Meaning

TPM_HORIZONTAL If the pop-up window cannot be shown at the specified

0x0000L location without overlapping the excluded rectangle, the
system tries to accommodate the requested horizontal
alignment before the requested vertical alignment.

TPM_VERTICAL If the pop-up window cannot be shown at the specified

0x0040L location without overlapping the excluded rectangle, the
 system tries to accommodate the requested vertical
alignment before the requested horizontal alignment.

The following flag is available starting with Windows 7.

Value Meaning

TPM_WORKAREA Restricts the pop-up window to within the work area. If

0x10000L this flag is not set, the pop-up window is restricted to the
work area only if the input point is within the work area.
For more information, see the rcWork and rcMonitor
members of the MONITORINFO structure.

[in, optional] excludeRect

Type: RECT*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the exclude rectangle. It can be NULL.

[out] popupWindowPosition

Type: RECT*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the pop-up window position.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, it returns TRUE; otherwise, it returns FALSE. To get extended
error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
TPM_WORKAREA is supported for the TrackPopupMenu and TrackPopupMenuEx
functions.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 7 [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 R2 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Reference

TrackPopupMenu

TrackPopupMenuEx

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CallMsgFilterA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Passes the specified message and hook code to the hook procedures associated with
the WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks. A WH_SYSMSGFILTER or
WH_MSGFILTER hook procedure is an application-defined callback function that
examines and, optionally, modifies messages for a dialog box, message box, menu, or
scroll bar.

Syntax
C++

BOOL CallMsgFilterA(
[in] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in] int nCode
);

Parameters
[in] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that contains the message to be passed to the hook
procedures.

[in] nCode

Type: int

An application-defined code used by the hook procedure to determine how to process

the message. The code must not have the same value as system-defined hook codes
(MSGF_ and HC_) associated with the WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the application should process the message further, the return value is zero.
If the application should not process the message further, the return value is nonzero.

Remarks
The system calls CallMsgFilter to enable applications to examine and control the flow of
messages during internal processing of dialog boxes, message boxes, menus, and scroll
bars, or when the user activates a different window by pressing the ALT+TAB key
combination.

Install this hook procedure by using the SetWindowsHookEx function.

Examples

For an example, see WH_MSGFILTER and WH_SYSMSGFILTER Hooks.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CallMsgFilter as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

MSG

MessageProc

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

SysMsgProc

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CallMsgFilterW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Passes the specified message and hook code to the hook procedures associated with
the WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks. A WH_SYSMSGFILTER or
WH_MSGFILTER hook procedure is an application-defined callback function that
examines and, optionally, modifies messages for a dialog box, message box, menu, or
scroll bar.

Syntax
C++

BOOL CallMsgFilterW(
[in] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in] int nCode
);

Parameters
[in] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that contains the message to be passed to the hook
procedures.

[in] nCode

Type: int

An application-defined code used by the hook procedure to determine how to process

the message. The code must not have the same value as system-defined hook codes
(MSGF_ and HC_) associated with the WH_SYSMSGFILTER and WH_MSGFILTER hooks.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the application should process the message further, the return value is zero.
If the application should not process the message further, the return value is nonzero.

Remarks
The system calls CallMsgFilter to enable applications to examine and control the flow of
messages during internal processing of dialog boxes, message boxes, menus, and scroll
bars, or when the user activates a different window by pressing the ALT+TAB key
combination.

Install this hook procedure by using the SetWindowsHookEx function.

Examples

For an example, see WH_MSGFILTER and WH_SYSMSGFILTER Hooks.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CallMsgFilter as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

MSG

MessageProc

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

SysMsgProc

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CallNextHookEx function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Passes the hook information to the next hook procedure in the current hook chain. A
hook procedure can call this function either before or after processing the hook
information.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT CallNextHookEx(
[in, optional] HHOOK hhk,
[in] int nCode,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hhk

Type: HHOOK

This parameter is ignored.

[in] nCode

Type: int

The hook code passed to the current hook procedure. The next hook procedure uses
this code to determine how to process the hook information.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

The wParam value passed to the current hook procedure. The meaning of this
parameter depends on the type of hook associated with the current hook chain.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM
The lParam value passed to the current hook procedure. The meaning of this parameter
depends on the type of hook associated with the current hook chain.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

This value is returned by the next hook procedure in the chain. The current hook
procedure must also return this value. The meaning of the return value depends on the
hook type. For more information, see the descriptions of the individual hook
procedures.

Remarks
Hook procedures are installed in chains for particular hook types. CallNextHookEx calls
the next hook in the chain.

Calling CallNextHookEx is optional, but it is highly recommended; otherwise, other

applications that have installed hooks will not receive hook notifications and may
behave incorrectly as a result. You should call CallNextHookEx unless you absolutely
need to prevent the notification from being seen by other applications.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

UnhookWindowsHookEx

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CallWindowProcA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Passes message information to the specified window procedure.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT CallWindowProcA(
[in] WNDPROC lpPrevWndFunc,
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] lpPrevWndFunc

Type: WNDPROC

The previous window procedure. If this value is obtained by calling the GetWindowLong
function with the nIndex parameter set to GWL_WNDPROC or DWL_DLGPROC, it is
actually either the address of a window or dialog box procedure, or a special internal
value meaningful only to CallWindowProc.

[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window procedure to receive the message.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM
Additional message-specific information. The contents of this parameter depend on the
value of the Msg parameter.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information. The contents of this parameter depend on the

value of the Msg parameter.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing and depends on the
message sent.

Remarks
Use the CallWindowProc function for window subclassing. Usually, all windows with the
same class share one window procedure. A subclass is a window or set of windows with
the same class whose messages are intercepted and processed by another window
procedure (or procedures) before being passed to the window procedure of the class.

The SetWindowLong function creates the subclass by changing the window procedure
associated with a particular window, causing the system to call the new window
procedure instead of the previous one. An application must pass any messages not
processed by the new window procedure to the previous window procedure by calling
CallWindowProc. This allows the application to create a chain of window procedures.

If STRICT is defined, the lpPrevWndFunc parameter has the data type WNDPROC. The
WNDPROC type is declared as follows:

syntax

LRESULT (CALLBACK* WNDPROC) (HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);

If STRICT is not defined, the lpPrevWndFunc parameter has the data type FARPROC. The
FARPROC type is declared as follows:

syntax

int (FAR WINAPI * FARPROC) ()

In C, the FARPROC declaration indicates a callback function that has an unspecified
parameter list. In C++, however, the empty parameter list in the declaration indicates
that a function has no parameters. This subtle distinction can break careless code.
Following is one way to handle this situation:

syntax

#ifdef STRICT
WNDPROC MyWindowProcedure
#else
FARPROC MyWindowProcedure
#endif
...
lResult = CallWindowProc(MyWindowProcedure, ...) ;

For further information about functions declared with empty argument lists, refer to The
C++ Programming Language, Second Edition, by Bjarne Stroustrup.

The CallWindowProc function handles Unicode-to-ANSI conversion. You cannot take

advantage of this conversion if you call the window procedure directly.

Examples
For an example, see Subclassing a Window

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CallWindowProc as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server
 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowLong

Reference

SetClassLong

SetWindowLong

Window Procedures

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CallWindowProcW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Passes message information to the specified window procedure.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT CallWindowProcW(
[in] WNDPROC lpPrevWndFunc,
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] lpPrevWndFunc

Type: WNDPROC

The previous window procedure. If this value is obtained by calling the GetWindowLong
function with the nIndex parameter set to GWL_WNDPROC or DWL_DLGPROC, it is
actually either the address of a window or dialog box procedure, or a special internal
value meaningful only to CallWindowProc.

[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window procedure to receive the message.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM
Additional message-specific information. The contents of this parameter depend on the
value of the Msg parameter.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information. The contents of this parameter depend on the

value of the Msg parameter.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing and depends on the
message sent.

Remarks
Use the CallWindowProc function for window subclassing. Usually, all windows with the
same class share one window procedure. A subclass is a window or set of windows with
the same class whose messages are intercepted and processed by another window
procedure (or procedures) before being passed to the window procedure of the class.

The SetWindowLong function creates the subclass by changing the window procedure
associated with a particular window, causing the system to call the new window
procedure instead of the previous one. An application must pass any messages not
processed by the new window procedure to the previous window procedure by calling
CallWindowProc. This allows the application to create a chain of window procedures.

If STRICT is defined, the lpPrevWndFunc parameter has the data type WNDPROC. The
WNDPROC type is declared as follows:

syntax

LRESULT (CALLBACK* WNDPROC) (HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM);

If STRICT is not defined, the lpPrevWndFunc parameter has the data type FARPROC. The
FARPROC type is declared as follows:

syntax

int (FAR WINAPI * FARPROC) ()

In C, the FARPROC declaration indicates a callback function that has an unspecified
parameter list. In C++, however, the empty parameter list in the declaration indicates
that a function has no parameters. This subtle distinction can break careless code.
Following is one way to handle this situation:

syntax

#ifdef STRICT
WNDPROC MyWindowProcedure
#else
FARPROC MyWindowProcedure
#endif
...
lResult = CallWindowProc(MyWindowProcedure, ...) ;

For further information about functions declared with empty argument lists, refer to The
C++ Programming Language, Second Edition, by Bjarne Stroustrup.

The CallWindowProc function handles Unicode-to-ANSI conversion. You cannot take

advantage of this conversion if you call the window procedure directly.

Examples
For an example, see Subclassing a Window

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CallWindowProc as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server
 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowLong

Reference

SetClassLong

SetWindowLong

Window Procedures

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CascadeWindows function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Cascades the specified child windows of the specified parent window.

Syntax
C++

WORD CascadeWindows(
[in, optional] HWND hwndParent,
[in] UINT wHow,
[in, optional] const RECT *lpRect,
[in] UINT cKids,
[in, optional] const HWND *lpKids
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hwndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window. If this parameter is NULL, the desktop window is
assumed.

[in] wHow

Type: UINT

A cascade flag. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

MDITILE_SKIPDISABLED Prevents disabled MDI child windows from being

0x0002 cascaded.

MDITILE_ZORDER Arranges the windows in Z order. If this value is not

0x0004 specified, the windows are arranged using the order
specified in the lpKids array.

[in, optional] lpRect

Type: const RECT*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the rectangular area, in client coordinates, within
which the windows are arranged. This parameter can be NULL, in which case the client
area of the parent window is used.

[in] cKids

Type: UINT

The number of elements in the array specified by the lpKids parameter. This parameter is
ignored if lpKids is NULL.

[in, optional] lpKids

Type: const HWND*

An array of handles to the child windows to arrange. If a specified child window is a top-
level window with the style WS_EX_TOPMOST or WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, the child
window is not arranged. If this parameter is NULL, all child windows of the specified
parent window (or of the desktop window) are arranged.

Return value
Type: WORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of windows arranged.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
By default, CascadeWindows arranges the windows in the order provided by the lpKids
array, but preserves the Z-Order. If you specify the MDITILE_ZORDER flag,
CascadeWindows arranges the windows in Z order.

Calling CascadeWindows causes all maximized windows to be restored to their previous

size.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Windows Overview

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CBT_CREATEWNDA structure (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is

created.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCBT_CREATEWNDA {

struct tagCREATESTRUCTA *lpcs;
HWND hwndInsertAfter;
} CBT_CREATEWNDA, *LPCBT_CREATEWNDA;

Members
lpcs

Type: LPCREATESTRUCT

A pointer to a CREATESTRUCT structure that contains initialization parameters for the

window about to be created.

hwndInsertAfter

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose position in the Z order precedes that of the window
being created. This member can also be NULL.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CBT_CREATEWND as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CBTProc

CREATESTRUCT

Conceptual

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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CBT_CREATEWNDW structure
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is

created.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCBT_CREATEWNDW {

struct tagCREATESTRUCTW *lpcs;
HWND hwndInsertAfter;
} CBT_CREATEWNDW, *LPCBT_CREATEWNDW;

Members
lpcs

Type: LPCREATESTRUCT

A pointer to a CREATESTRUCT structure that contains initialization parameters for the

window about to be created.

hwndInsertAfter

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose position in the Z order precedes that of the window
being created. This member can also be NULL.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CBT_CREATEWND as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
 code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CBTProc

CREATESTRUCT

Conceptual

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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CBTACTIVATESTRUCT structure
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information passed to a WH_CBT hook procedure, CBTProc, before a window is

activated.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCBTACTIVATESTRUCT {

BOOL fMouse;
HWND hWndActive;
} CBTACTIVATESTRUCT, *LPCBTACTIVATESTRUCT;

Members
fMouse

Type: BOOL

This member is TRUE if a mouse click is causing the activation or FALSE if it is not.

hWndActive

Type: HWND

A handle to the active window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CBTProc

Conceptual

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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CHANGEFILTERSTRUCT structure
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains extended result information obtained by calling the

ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx function.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCHANGEFILTERSTRUCT {

DWORD cbSize;
DWORD ExtStatus;
} CHANGEFILTERSTRUCT, *PCHANGEFILTERSTRUCT;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size of the structure, in bytes. Must be set to sizeof(CHANGEFILTERSTRUCT) , otherwise

the function fails with ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER.

ExtStatus

Type: DWORD

If the function succeeds, this field contains one of the following values.

Value Meaning

MSGFLTINFO_NONE See the Remarks section. Applies to

0 MSGFLT_ALLOW and MSGFLT_DISALLOW.

MSGFLTINFO_ALLOWED_HIGHER The message is allowed at a scope higher than

3 the window. Applies to MSGFLT_DISALLOW.

MSGFLTINFO_ALREADYALLOWED_FORWND The message has already been allowed by this

1 window's message filter, and the function thus
succeeded with no change to the window's
message filter. Applies to MSGFLT_ALLOW.
 MSGFLTINFO_ALREADYDISALLOWED_FORWND The message has already been blocked by this
2 window's message filter, and the function thus
succeeded with no change to the window's
message filter. Applies to MSGFLT_DISALLOW.

Remarks
Certain messages whose value is smaller than WM_USER are required to pass through
the filter, regardless of the filter setting. There will be no effect when you attempt to use
this function to allow or block such messages.

An application may use the ChangeWindowMessageFilter function to allow or block a

message in a process-wide manner. If the message is allowed by either the process
message filter or the window message filter, it will be delivered to the window.

The following table lists the possible values returned in ExtStatus.

Message Message Operation Indicator returned in ExtStatus on success

already already requested
allowed allowed
at higher by
scope window's
message
filter

No No MSGFLT_ALLOW MSGFLTINFO_NONE

No No MSGFLT_DISALLOW MSGFLTINFO_ALREADYDISALLOWED_FORWND

No No MSGFLT_RESET MSGFLTINFO_NONE

No Yes MSGFLT_ALLOW MSGFLTINFO_ALREADYALLOWED_FORWND

No Yes MSGFLT_DISALLOW MSGFLTINFO_NONE

No Yes MSGFLT_RESET MSGFLTINFO_NONE

Yes No MSGFLT_ALLOW MSGFLTINFO_NONE

Yes No MSGFLT_DISALLOW MSGFLTINFO_ALLOWED_HIGHER

Yes No MSGFLT_RESET MSGFLTINFO_NONE

Yes Yes MSGFLT_ALLOW MSGFLTINFO_ALREADYALLOWED_FORWND

Yes Yes MSGFLT_DISALLOW MSGFLTINFO_ALLOWED_HIGHER

Yes Yes MSGFLT_RESET MSGFLTINFO_NONE

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 7 [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 R2 [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx

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ChangeWindowMessageFilter function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[Using the ChangeWindowMessageFilter function is not recommended, as it has

process-wide scope. Instead, use the ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx function to control
access to specific windows as needed. ChangeWindowMessageFilter may not be
supported in future versions of Windows.]

Adds or removes a message from the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) message
filter.

Syntax
C++

BOOL ChangeWindowMessageFilter(
[in] UINT message,
[in] DWORD dwFlag
);

Parameters
[in] message

Type: UINT

The message to add to or remove from the filter.

[in] dwFlag

Type: DWORD

The action to be performed. One of the following values.

Value Meaning

MSGFLT_ADD Adds the message to the filter. This has the effect of
1 allowing the message to be received.

MSGFLT_REMOVE Removes the message from the filter. This has the effect
2 of blocking the message.
Return value
Type: BOOL

TRUE if successful; otherwise, FALSE. To get extended error information, call

GetLastError.

Note A message can be successfully removed from the filter, but that is not a
guarantee that the message will be blocked. See the Remarks section for more
details.

Remarks
UIPI is a security feature that prevents messages from being received from a lower
integrity level sender. All such messages with a value above WM_USER are blocked by
default. The filter, somewhat contrary to intuition, is a list of messages that are allowed
through. Therefore, adding a message to the filter allows that message to be received
from a lower integrity sender, while removing a message blocks that message from
being received.

Certain messages with a value less than WM_USER are required to pass through the
filter regardless of the filter setting. You can call this function to remove one of those
messages from the filter and it will return TRUE. However, the message will still be
received by the calling process.

Processes at or below SECURITY_MANDATORY_LOW_RID are not allowed to change the

filter. If those processes call this function, it will fail.

For more information on integrity levels, see Understanding and Working in Protected
Mode Internet Explorer.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

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ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx
function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Modifies the User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI) message filter for a specified
window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in] UINT message,
[in] DWORD action,
[in, out, optional] PCHANGEFILTERSTRUCT pChangeFilterStruct
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose UIPI message filter is to be modified.

[in] message

Type: UINT

The message that the message filter allows through or blocks.

[in] action

Type: DWORD

The action to be performed, and can take one of the following values:

Value Meaning

MSGFLT_ALLOW Allows the message through the filter. This enables the
1 message to be received by hWnd, regardless of the
 source of the message, even it comes from a lower
privileged process.

MSGFLT_DISALLOW Blocks the message to be delivered to hWnd if it comes

2 from a lower privileged process, unless the message is
allowed process-wide by using the
ChangeWindowMessageFilter function or globally.

MSGFLT_RESET Resets the window message filter for hWnd to the default.
0 Any message allowed globally or process-wide will get
through, but any message not included in those two
categories, and which comes from a lower privileged
process, will be blocked.

[in, out, optional] pChangeFilterStruct

Type: PCHANGEFILTERSTRUCT

Optional pointer to a CHANGEFILTERSTRUCT structure.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, it returns TRUE; otherwise, it returns FALSE. To get extended
error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
UIPI is a security feature that prevents messages from being received from a lower-
integrity-level sender. You can use this function to allow specific messages to be
delivered to a window even if the message originates from a process at a lower integrity
level. Unlike the ChangeWindowMessageFilter function, which controls the process
message filter, the ChangeWindowMessageFilterEx function controls the window
message filter.

An application may use the ChangeWindowMessageFilter function to allow or block a

message in a process-wide manner. If the message is allowed by either the process
message filter or the window message filter, it will be delivered to the window.

Note that processes at or below SECURITY_MANDATORY_LOW_RID are not allowed to

change the message filter. If those processes call this function, it will fail and generate
the extended error code, ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED.
Certain messages whose value is smaller than WM_USER are required to be passed
through the filter, regardless of the filter setting. There will be no effect when you
attempt to use this function to allow or block such messages.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 7 [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows Server 2008 R2 [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-gui-l1-3-0 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
ChangeWindowMessageFilter

Conceptual

Reference

Windows

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ChildWindowFromPoint function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Determines which, if any, of the child windows belonging to a parent window contains
the specified point. The search is restricted to immediate child windows. Grandchildren,
and deeper descendant windows are not searched.

To skip certain child windows, use the ChildWindowFromPointEx function.

Syntax
C++

HWND ChildWindowFromPoint(
[in] HWND hWndParent,
[in] POINT Point
);

Parameters
[in] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window.

[in] Point

Type: POINT

A structure that defines the client coordinates, relative to hWndParent, of the point to be
checked.

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is a handle to the child window that contains the point, even if the child
window is hidden or disabled. If the point lies outside the parent window, the return
value is NULL. If the point is within the parent window but not within any child window,
the return value is a handle to the parent window.

Remarks
The system maintains an internal list, containing the handles of the child windows
associated with a parent window. The order of the handles in the list depends on the Z
order of the child windows. If more than one child window contains the specified point,
the system returns a handle to the first window in the list that contains the point.

ChildWindowFromPoint treats an HTTRANSPARENT area of a standard control the

same as other parts of the control. In contrast, RealChildWindowFromPoint treats an
HTTRANSPARENT area differently; it returns the child window behind a transparent area
of a control. For example, if the point is in a transparent area of a groupbox,
ChildWindowFromPoint returns the groupbox while RealChildWindowFromPoint
returns the child window behind the groupbox. However, both APIs return a static field,
even though it, too, returns HTTRANSPARENT.

Examples

For an example, see "Creating a Combo Box Toolbar" in Using Combo Boxes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)
See also
ChildWindowFromPointEx

Conceptual

Other Resources

POINT

RealChildWindowFromPoint

Reference

WindowFromPoint

Windows

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ChildWindowFromPointEx function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Determines which, if any, of the child windows belonging to the specified parent
window contains the specified point. The function can ignore invisible, disabled, and
transparent child windows. The search is restricted to immediate child windows.
Grandchildren and deeper descendants are not searched.

Syntax
C++

HWND ChildWindowFromPointEx(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in] POINT pt,
[in] UINT flags
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window.

[in] pt

Type: POINT

A structure that defines the client coordinates (relative to hwndParent) of the point to be
checked.

[in] flags

Type: UINT

The child windows to be skipped. This parameter can be one or more of the following
values.

Value Meaning
 CWP_ALL Does not skip any child windows
0x0000

CWP_SKIPDISABLED Skips disabled child windows

0x0002

CWP_SKIPINVISIBLE Skips invisible child windows

0x0001

CWP_SKIPTRANSPARENT Skips transparent child windows

0x0004

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is a handle to the first child window that contains the point and meets
the criteria specified by uFlags. If the point is within the parent window but not within
any child window that meets the criteria, the return value is a handle to the parent
window. If the point lies outside the parent window or if the function fails, the return
value is NULL.

Remarks
The system maintains an internal list that contains the handles of the child windows
associated with a parent window. The order of the handles in the list depends on the Z
order of the child windows. If more than one child window contains the specified point,
the system returns a handle to the first window in the list that contains the point and
meets the criteria specified by uFlags.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

Other Resources

POINT

Reference

WindowFromPoint

Windows

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CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information about the menu and first multiple-document interface (MDI) child
window of an MDI client window. An application passes a pointer to this structure as the
lpParam parameter of the CreateWindow function when creating an MDI client window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCLIENTCREATESTRUCT {

HANDLE hWindowMenu;
UINT idFirstChild;
} CLIENTCREATESTRUCT, *LPCLIENTCREATESTRUCT;

Members
hWindowMenu

Type: HANDLE

A handle to the MDI application's window menu. An MDI application can retrieve this
handle from the menu of the MDI frame window by using the GetSubMenu function.

idFirstChild

Type: UINT

The child window identifier of the first MDI child window created. The system
increments the identifier for each additional MDI child window the application creates,
and reassigns identifiers when the application destroys a window to keep the range of
identifiers contiguous. These identifiers are used in WM_COMMAND messages sent to
the application's MDI frame window when a child window is chosen from the window
menu; they should not conflict with any other command identifiers.

Remarks
When the MDI client window is created by calling CreateWindow, the system sends a
WM_CREATE message to the window. The lParam parameter of WM_CREATE contains a
pointer to a CREATESTRUCT structure. The lpCreateParams member of this structure
contains a pointer to a CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

Conceptual

CreateWindow

GetSubMenu

MDICREATESTRUCT

Reference

WM_COMMAND

Windows

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CloseWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Minimizes (but does not destroy) the specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL CloseWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be minimized.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
To destroy a window, an application must use the DestroyWindow function.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
ArrangeIconicWindows

Conceptual

DestroyWindow

IsIconic

OpenIcon

Reference

Windows

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CreateMDIWindowA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Creates a multiple-document interface (MDI) child window.

Syntax
C++

HWND CreateMDIWindowA(
[in] LPCSTR lpClassName,
[in] LPCSTR lpWindowName,
[in] DWORD dwStyle,
[in] int X,
[in] int Y,
[in] int nWidth,
[in] int nHeight,
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window class of the MDI child window. The class name must have been registered
by a call to the RegisterClassEx function.

[in] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name. The system displays the name in the title bar of the child window.

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD
The style of the MDI child window. If the MDI client window is created with the
MDIS_ALLCHILDSTYLES window style, this parameter can be any combination of the
window styles listed in the Window Styles page. Otherwise, this parameter is limited to
one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

WS_MINIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially minimized.

0x20000000L

WS_MAXIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially maximized.

0x01000000L

WS_HSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a horizontal scroll

0x00100000L bar.

WS_VSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a vertical scroll bar.
0x00200000L

[in] X

Type: int

The initial horizontal position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT ((int)0x80000000), the MDI child window is assigned the
default horizontal position.

[in] Y

Type: int

The initial vertical position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default vertical
position.

[in] nWidth

Type: int

The initial width, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this parameter is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default width.

[in] nHeight

Type: int
The initial height, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this parameter is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default height.

[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI client window that will be the parent of the new MDI child window.

[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the application creating the MDI child window.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is the handle to the created window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CreateMDIWindow as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

CreateWindow

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

RegisterClassEx

WM_MDICREATE

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CreateMDIWindowW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Creates a multiple-document interface (MDI) child window.

Syntax
C++

HWND CreateMDIWindowW(
[in] LPCWSTR lpClassName,
[in] LPCWSTR lpWindowName,
[in] DWORD dwStyle,
[in] int X,
[in] int Y,
[in] int nWidth,
[in] int nHeight,
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window class of the MDI child window. The class name must have been registered
by a call to the RegisterClassEx function.

[in] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name. The system displays the name in the title bar of the child window.

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD
The style of the MDI child window. If the MDI client window is created with the
MDIS_ALLCHILDSTYLES window style, this parameter can be any combination of the
window styles listed in the Window Styles page. Otherwise, this parameter is limited to
one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

WS_MINIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially minimized.

0x20000000L

WS_MAXIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially maximized.

0x01000000L

WS_HSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a horizontal scroll

0x00100000L bar.

WS_VSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a vertical scroll bar.
0x00200000L

[in] X

Type: int

The initial horizontal position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT ((int)0x80000000), the MDI child window is assigned the
default horizontal position.

[in] Y

Type: int

The initial vertical position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default vertical
position.

[in] nWidth

Type: int

The initial width, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this parameter is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default width.

[in] nHeight

Type: int
The initial height, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this parameter is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default height.

[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI client window that will be the parent of the new MDI child window.

[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the application creating the MDI child window.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is the handle to the created window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CreateMDIWindow as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

CreateWindow

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

RegisterClassEx

WM_MDICREATE

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CREATESTRUCTA structure (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Defines the initialization parameters passed to the window procedure of an application.

These members are identical to the parameters of the CreateWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCREATESTRUCTA {

LPVOID lpCreateParams;
HINSTANCE hInstance;
HMENU hMenu;
HWND hwndParent;
int cy;
int cx;
int y;
int x;
LONG style;
LPCSTR lpszName;
LPCSTR lpszClass;
DWORD dwExStyle;
} CREATESTRUCTA, *LPCREATESTRUCTA;

Members
lpCreateParams

Type: LPVOID

Contains additional data which may be used to create the window. If the window is
being created as a result of a call to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx function,
this member contains the value of the lpParam parameter specified in the function call.

If the window being created is a MDI client window, this member contains a pointer to a
CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure. If the window being created is a MDI child window, this
member contains a pointer to an MDICREATESTRUCT structure.

If the window is being created from a dialog template, this member is the address of a
SHORT value that specifies the size, in bytes, of the window creation data. The value is
immediately followed by the creation data. For more information, see the following
Remarks section.
hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the module that owns the new window.

hMenu

Type: HMENU

A handle to the menu to be used by the new window.

hwndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window, if the window is a child window. If the window is owned,
this member identifies the owner window. If the window is not a child or owned window,
this member is NULL.

cy

Type: int

The height of the new window, in pixels.

cx

Type: int

The width of the new window, in pixels.

Type: int

The y-coordinate of the upper left corner of the new window. If the new window is a
child window, coordinates are relative to the parent window. Otherwise, the coordinates
are relative to the screen origin.

Type: int

The x-coordinate of the upper left corner of the new window. If the new window is a
child window, coordinates are relative to the parent window. Otherwise, the coordinates
are relative to the screen origin.
style

Type: LONG

The style for the new window. For a list of possible values, see Window Styles.

lpszName

Type: LPCTSTR

The name of the new window.

lpszClass

Type: LPCTSTR

A pointer to a null-terminated string or an atom that specifies the class name of the new
window.

dwExStyle

Type: DWORD

The extended window style for the new window. For a list of possible values, see
Extended Window Styles.

Remarks
Because the lpszClass member can contain a pointer to a local (and thus inaccessible)
atom, do not obtain the class name by using this member. Use the GetClassName
function instead.

You should access the data represented by the lpCreateParams member using a pointer
that has been declared using the UNALIGNED type, because the pointer may not be
DWORD aligned. This is demonstrated in the following example:

typedef struct tagMyData

{
// Define creation data here.
} MYDATA;

typedef struct tagMyDlgData

{
SHORT cbExtra;
MYDATA myData;
 } MYDLGDATA, UNALIGNED *PMYDLGDATA;

PMYDLGDATA pMyDlgdata = (PMYDLGDATA) (((LPCREATESTRUCT) lParam)-

>lpCreateParams);

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CREATESTRUCT as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

Conceptual

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

MDICREATESTRUCT

Reference

Windows

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CREATESTRUCTW structure (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Defines the initialization parameters passed to the window procedure of an application.

These members are identical to the parameters of the CreateWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCREATESTRUCTW {

LPVOID lpCreateParams;
HINSTANCE hInstance;
HMENU hMenu;
HWND hwndParent;
int cy;
int cx;
int y;
int x;
LONG style;
LPCWSTR lpszName;
LPCWSTR lpszClass;
DWORD dwExStyle;
} CREATESTRUCTW, *LPCREATESTRUCTW;

Members
lpCreateParams

Type: LPVOID

Contains additional data which may be used to create the window. If the window is
being created as a result of a call to the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx function,
this member contains the value of the lpParam parameter specified in the function call.

If the window being created is a MDI client window, this member contains a pointer to a
CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure. If the window being created is a MDI child window, this
member contains a pointer to an MDICREATESTRUCT structure.

If the window is being created from a dialog template, this member is the address of a
SHORT value that specifies the size, in bytes, of the window creation data. The value is
immediately followed by the creation data. For more information, see the following
Remarks section.
hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the module that owns the new window.

hMenu

Type: HMENU

A handle to the menu to be used by the new window.

hwndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window, if the window is a child window. If the window is owned,
this member identifies the owner window. If the window is not a child or owned window,
this member is NULL.

cy

Type: int

The height of the new window, in pixels.

cx

Type: int

The width of the new window, in pixels.

Type: int

The y-coordinate of the upper left corner of the new window. If the new window is a
child window, coordinates are relative to the parent window. Otherwise, the coordinates
are relative to the screen origin.

Type: int

The x-coordinate of the upper left corner of the new window. If the new window is a
child window, coordinates are relative to the parent window. Otherwise, the coordinates
are relative to the screen origin.
style

Type: LONG

The style for the new window. For a list of possible values, see Window Styles.

lpszName

Type: LPCTSTR

The name of the new window.

lpszClass

Type: LPCTSTR

A pointer to a null-terminated string or an atom that specifies the class name of the new
window.

dwExStyle

Type: DWORD

The extended window style for the new window. For a list of possible values, see
Extended Window Styles.

Remarks
Because the lpszClass member can contain a pointer to a local (and thus inaccessible)
atom, do not obtain the class name by using this member. Use the GetClassName
function instead.

You should access the data represented by the lpCreateParams member using a pointer
that has been declared using the UNALIGNED type, because the pointer may not be
DWORD aligned. This is demonstrated in the following example:

typedef struct tagMyData

{
// Define creation data here.
} MYDATA;

typedef struct tagMyDlgData

{
SHORT cbExtra;
MYDATA myData;
 } MYDLGDATA, UNALIGNED *PMYDLGDATA;

PMYDLGDATA pMyDlgdata = (PMYDLGDATA) (((LPCREATESTRUCT) lParam)-

>lpCreateParams);

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CREATESTRUCT as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

Conceptual

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

MDICREATESTRUCT

Reference

Windows

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CreateWindowA macro (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window. It specifies the window class, window
title, window style, and (optionally) the initial position and size of the window. The
function also specifies the window's parent or owner, if any, and the window's menu.

To use extended window styles in addition to the styles supported by CreateWindow,

use the CreateWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

void CreateWindowA(
[in, optional] lpClassName,
[in, optional] lpWindowName,
[in] dwStyle,
[in] x,
[in] y,
[in] nWidth,
[in] nHeight,
[in, optional] hWndParent,
[in, optional] hMenu,
[in, optional] hInstance,
[in, optional] lpParam
);

Parameters
[in, optional] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass

or RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpClassName;
the high-order word must be zero. If lpClassName is a string, it specifies the window
class name. The class name can be any name registered with RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx, provided that the module that registers the class is also the module
that creates the window. The class name can also be any of the predefined system class
names. For a list of system class names, see the Remarks section.

[in, optional] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name. If the window style specifies a title bar, the window title pointed to
by lpWindowName is displayed in the title bar. When using CreateWindow to create
controls, such as buttons, check boxes, and static controls, use lpWindowName to
specify the text of the control. When creating a static control with the SS_ICON style, use
lpWindowName to specify the icon name or identifier. To specify an identifier, use the
syntax "#num".

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD

The style of the window being created. This parameter can be a combination of the
window style values, plus the control styles indicated in the Remarks section.

[in] x

Type: int

The initial horizontal position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the
x parameter is the initial x-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, x is the x-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the
window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. If this
parameter is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects the default position for the
window's upper-left corner and ignores the y parameter. CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only
for overlapped windows; if it is specified for a pop-up or child window, the x and y
parameters are set to zero.

[in] y

Type: int

The initial vertical position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the y
parameter is the initial y-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of
the child window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. For
a list box, y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the list box's client area
relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area.

If an overlapped window is created with the WS_VISIBLE style bit set and the x
parameter is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, then the y parameter determines how the window
is shown. If the y parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT, then the window manager calls
ShowWindow with the SW_SHOW flag after the window has been created. If the y
parameter is some other value, then the window manager calls ShowWindow with that
value as the nCmdShow parameter.

[in] nWidth

Type: int

The width, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nWidth is either the
window's width, in screen coordinates, or CW_USEDEFAULT. If nWidth is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects a default width and height for the window; the
default width extends from the initial x-coordinate to the right edge of the screen, and
the default height extends from the initial y-coordinate to the top of the icon area.
CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only for overlapped windows; if CW_USEDEFAULT is specified
for a pop-up or child window, nWidth and nHeight are set to zero.

[in] nHeight

Type: int

The height, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nHeight is the
window's height, in screen coordinates. If nWidth is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, the system
ignores nHeight.

[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent or owner window of the window being created. To create a child
window or an owned window, supply a valid window handle. This parameter is optional
for pop-up windows.

To create a message-only window, supply HWND_MESSAGE or a handle to an existing

message-only window.

[in, optional] hMenu

Type: HMENU

A handle to a menu, or specifies a child-window identifier depending on the window

style. For an overlapped or pop-up window, hMenu identifies the menu to be used with
the window; it can be NULL if the class menu is to be used. For a child window, hMenu
specifies the child-window identifier, an integer value used by a dialog box control to
notify its parent about events. The application determines the child-window identifier; it
must be unique for all child windows with the same parent window.
[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the module to be associated with the window.

[in, optional] lpParam

Type: LPVOID

A pointer to a value to be passed to the window through the CREATESTRUCT structure

(lpCreateParams member) pointed to by the lParam param of the WM_CREATE
message. This message is sent to the created window by this function before it returns.

If an application calls CreateWindow to create a MDI client window, lpParam should

point to a CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure. If an MDI client window calls CreateWindow
to create an MDI child window, lpParam should point to a MDICREATESTRUCT structure.
lpParam may be NULL if no additional data is needed.

Returns
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the new window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Return value
None

Remarks
Before returning, CreateWindow sends a WM_CREATE message to the window
procedure. For overlapped, pop-up, and child windows, CreateWindow sends
WM_CREATE, WM_GETMINMAXINFO, and WM_NCCREATE messages to the window.
The lParam parameter of the WM_CREATE message contains a pointer to a
CREATESTRUCT structure. If the WS_VISIBLE style is specified, CreateWindow sends the
window all the messages required to activate and show the window.

If the created window is a child window, its default position is at the bottom of the Z-
order. If the created window is a top-level window, its default position is at the top of
the Z-order (but beneath all topmost windows unless the created window is itself
topmost).

For information on controlling whether the Taskbar displays a button for the created
window, see Managing Taskbar Buttons.

For information on removing a window, see the DestroyWindow function.

The following predefined system classes can be specified in the lpClassName parameter.
Note the corresponding control styles you can use in the dwStyle parameter.

System class Meaning

BUTTON Designates a small rectangular child window that represents a button the user
can click to turn it on or off. Button controls can be used alone or in groups,
and they can either be labeled or appear without text. Button controls
typically change appearance when the user clicks them. For more information,
see Buttons

For a table of the button styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
Button Styles.

COMBOBOX Designates a control consisting of a list box and a selection field similar to an
edit control. When using this style, an application should either display the list
box at all times or enable a drop-down list box. If the list box is visible, typing
characters into the selection field highlights the first list box entry that
matches the characters typed. Conversely, selecting an item in the list box
displays the selected text in the selection field.
For more information, see Combo Boxes. For a table of the combo box styles
you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see Combo Box Styles.

EDIT Designates a rectangular child window into which the user can type text from
the keyboard. The user selects the control and gives it the keyboard focus by
clicking it or moving to it by pressing the TAB key. The user can type text
when the edit control displays a flashing caret; use the mouse to move the
cursor, select characters to be replaced, or position the cursor for inserting
characters; or use the BACKSPACE key to delete characters. For more
information, see Edit Controls.

For a table of the edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter,
see Edit Control Styles.

LISTBOX Designates a list of character strings. Specify this control whenever an

application must present a list of names, such as file names, from which the
user can choose. The user can select a string by clicking it. A selected string is
highlighted, and a notification message is passed to the parent window. For
more information, see List Boxes.

For a table of the list box styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
List Box Styles.
 MDICLIENT Designates an MDI client window. This window receives messages that control
the MDI application's child windows. The recommended style bits are
WS_CLIPCHILDREN and WS_CHILD. Specify the WS_HSCROLL and
WS_VSCROLL styles to create an MDI client window that allows the user to
scroll MDI child windows into view.

For more information, see Multiple Document Interface.

RichEdit Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 1.0 control. This window lets the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded Component Object Model (COM) objects. For more information,
see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

RICHEDIT_CLASS Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 2.0 control. This controls let the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded COM objects. For more information, see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

SCROLLBAR Designates a rectangle that contains a scroll box and has direction arrows at
both ends. The scroll bar sends a notification message to its parent window
whenever the user clicks the control. The parent window is responsible for
updating the position of the scroll box, if necessary. For more information, see
Scroll Bars.

For a table of the scroll bar control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Scroll Bar Control Styles.

STATIC Designates a simple text field, box, or rectangle used to label, box, or separate
other controls. Static controls take no input and provide no output. For more
information, see Static Controls.

For a table of the static control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Static Control Styles.

CreateWindow is implemented as a call to the CreateWindowEx function, as shown

below.

syntax

#define CreateWindowA(lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,

nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)\
CreateWindowExA(0L, lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,
nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)

#define CreateWindowW(lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,

 nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)\
CreateWindowExW(0L, lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,
nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)

#ifdef UNICODE
#define CreateWindow CreateWindowW
#else
#define CreateWindow CreateWindowA
#endif

Examples
For an example, see Using Window Classes.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CreateWindow as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

Common Control Window Classes

Conceptual

CreateWindowEx
DestroyWindow

EnableWindow

Other Resources

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

ShowWindow

WM_COMMAND

WM_CREATE

WM_GETMINMAXINFO

WM_NCCREATE

WM_PAINT

Windows

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CreateWindowExA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window with an extended window style;

otherwise, this function is identical to the CreateWindow function. For more information
about creating a window and for full descriptions of the other parameters of
CreateWindowEx, see CreateWindow.

Syntax
C++

HWND CreateWindowExA(
[in] DWORD dwExStyle,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpClassName,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpWindowName,
[in] DWORD dwStyle,
[in] int X,
[in] int Y,
[in] int nWidth,
[in] int nHeight,
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in, optional] HMENU hMenu,
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in, optional] LPVOID lpParam
);

Parameters
[in] dwExStyle

Type: DWORD

The extended window style of the window being created. For a list of possible values,
see Extended Window Styles.

[in, optional] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass

or RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpClassName;
the high-order word must be zero. If lpClassName is a string, it specifies the window
class name. The class name can be any name registered with RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx, provided that the module that registers the class is also the module
that creates the window. The class name can also be any of the predefined system class
names.

[in, optional] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name. If the window style specifies a title bar, the window title pointed to
by lpWindowName is displayed in the title bar. When using CreateWindow to create
controls, such as buttons, check boxes, and static controls, use lpWindowName to
specify the text of the control. When creating a static control with the SS_ICON style, use
lpWindowName to specify the icon name or identifier. To specify an identifier, use the
syntax "#num".

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD

The style of the window being created. This parameter can be a combination of the
window style values, plus the control styles indicated in the Remarks section.

[in] X

Type: int

The initial horizontal position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the
x parameter is the initial x-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, x is the x-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the
window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. If x is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects the default position for the window's upper-left
corner and ignores the y parameter. CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only for overlapped
windows; if it is specified for a pop-up or child window, the x and y parameters are set
to zero.

[in] Y

Type: int

The initial vertical position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the y
parameter is the initial y-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of
the child window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. For
a list box y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the list box's client area
relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area.
If an overlapped window is created with the WS_VISIBLE style bit set and the x
parameter is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, then the y parameter determines how the window
is shown. If the y parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT, then the window manager calls
ShowWindow with the SW_SHOW flag after the window has been created. If the y
parameter is some other value, then the window manager calls ShowWindow with that
value as the nCmdShow parameter.

[in] nWidth

Type: int

The width, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nWidth is the
window's width, in screen coordinates, or CW_USEDEFAULT. If nWidth is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects a default width and height for the window; the
default width extends from the initial x-coordinates to the right edge of the screen; the
default height extends from the initial y-coordinate to the top of the icon area.
CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only for overlapped windows; if CW_USEDEFAULT is specified
for a pop-up or child window, the nWidth and nHeight parameter are set to zero.

[in] nHeight

Type: int

The height, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nHeight is the
window's height, in screen coordinates. If the nWidth parameter is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system ignores nHeight.

[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent or owner window of the window being created. To create a child
window or an owned window, supply a valid window handle. This parameter is optional
for pop-up windows.

To create a message-only window, supply HWND_MESSAGE or a handle to an existing

message-only window.

[in, optional] hMenu

Type: HMENU

A handle to a menu, or specifies a child-window identifier, depending on the window

style. For an overlapped or pop-up window, hMenu identifies the menu to be used with
the window; it can be NULL if the class menu is to be used. For a child window, hMenu
specifies the child-window identifier, an integer value used by a dialog box control to
notify its parent about events. The application determines the child-window identifier; it
must be unique for all child windows with the same parent window.

[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the module to be associated with the window.

[in, optional] lpParam

Type: LPVOID

Pointer to a value to be passed to the window through the CREATESTRUCT structure

(lpCreateParams member) pointed to by the lParam param of the WM_CREATE
message. This message is sent to the created window by this function before it returns.

If an application calls CreateWindow to create a MDI client window, lpParam should

point to a CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure. If an MDI client window calls CreateWindow
to create an MDI child window, lpParam should point to a MDICREATESTRUCT structure.
lpParam may be NULL if no additional data is needed.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the new window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

This function typically fails for one of the following reasons:

an invalid parameter value

the system class was registered by a different module
The WH_CBT hook is installed and returns a failure code
if one of the controls in the dialog template is not registered, or its window
window procedure fails WM_CREATE or WM_NCCREATE

Remarks
The CreateWindowEx function sends WM_NCCREATE, WM_NCCALCSIZE, and
WM_CREATE messages to the window being created.
If the created window is a child window, its default position is at the bottom of the Z-
order. If the created window is a top-level window, its default position is at the top of
the Z-order (but beneath all topmost windows unless the created window is itself
topmost).

For information on controlling whether the Taskbar displays a button for the created
window, see Managing Taskbar Buttons.

For information on removing a window, see the DestroyWindow function.

The following predefined control classes can be specified in the lpClassName parameter.
Note the corresponding control styles you can use in the dwStyle parameter.

Class Meaning

BUTTON Designates a small rectangular child window that represents a button the user
can click to turn it on or off. Button controls can be used alone or in groups,
and they can either be labeled or appear without text. Button controls
typically change appearance when the user clicks them. For more information,
see Buttons.

For a table of the button styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
Button Styles.

COMBOBOX Designates a control consisting of a list box and a selection field similar to an
edit control. When using this style, an application should either display the list
box at all times or enable a drop-down list box. If the list box is visible, typing
characters into the selection field highlights the first list box entry that
matches the characters typed. Conversely, selecting an item in the list box
displays the selected text in the selection field. For more information, see
Combo Boxes.

For a table of the combo box styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter,
see Combo Box Styles.

EDIT Designates a rectangular child window into which the user can type text from
the keyboard. The user selects the control and gives it the keyboard focus by
clicking it or moving to it by pressing the TAB key. The user can type text
when the edit control displays a flashing caret; use the mouse to move the
cursor, select characters to be replaced, or position the cursor for inserting
characters; or use the key to delete characters. For more information, see Edit
Controls.

For a table of the edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter,
see Edit Control Styles.

LISTBOX Designates a list of character strings. Specify this control whenever an

application must present a list of names, such as filenames, from which the
user can choose. The user can select a string by clicking it. A selected string is
 highlighted, and a notification message is passed to the parent window. For
more information, see List Boxes.

For a table of the list box styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
List Box Styles.

MDICLIENT Designates an MDI client window. This window receives messages that control
the MDI application's child windows. The recommended style bits are
WS_CLIPCHILDREN and WS_CHILD. Specify the WS_HSCROLL and
WS_VSCROLL styles to create an MDI client window that allows the user to
scroll MDI child windows into view. For more information, see Multiple
Document Interface.

RichEdit Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 1.0 control. This window lets the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded Component Object Model (COM) objects. For more information,
see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

RICHEDIT_CLASS Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 2.0 control. This controls let the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded COM objects. For more information, see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

SCROLLBAR Designates a rectangle that contains a scroll box and has direction arrows at
both ends. The scroll bar sends a notification message to its parent window
whenever the user clicks the control. The parent window is responsible for
updating the position of the scroll box, if necessary. For more information, see
Scroll Bars.

For a table of the scroll bar control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Scroll Bar Control Styles.

STATIC Designates a simple text field, box, or rectangle used to label, box, or separate
other controls. Static controls take no input and provide no output. For more
information, see Static Controls.

For a table of the static control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Static Control Styles.

The WS_EX_NOACTIVATE value for dwExStyle prevents foreground activation by the

system. To prevent queue activation when the user clicks on the window, you must
process the WM_MOUSEACTIVATE message appropriately. To bring the window to the
foreground or to activate it programmatically, use SetForegroundWindow or
SetActiveWindow. Returning FALSE to WM_NCACTIVATE prevents the window from
losing queue activation. However, the return value is ignored at activation time.

With WS_EX_COMPOSITED set, all descendants of a window get bottom-to-top

painting order using double-buffering. Bottom-to-top painting order allows a
descendent window to have translucency (alpha) and transparency (color-key) effects,
but only if the descendent window also has the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT bit set. Double-
buffering allows the window and its descendents to be painted without flicker.

Example
The following sample code illustrates the use of CreateWindowExA.

C++

BOOL Create(
PCWSTR lpWindowName,
DWORD dwStyle,
DWORD dwExStyle = 0,
int x = CW_USEDEFAULT,
int y = CW_USEDEFAULT,
int nWidth = CW_USEDEFAULT,
int nHeight = CW_USEDEFAULT,
HWND hWndParent = 0,
HMENU hMenu = 0
)
{
WNDCLASS wc = {0};

wc.lpfnWndProc = DERIVED_TYPE::WindowProc;
wc.hInstance = GetModuleHandle(NULL);
wc.lpszClassName = ClassName();

RegisterClass(&wc);

m_hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
dwExStyle, ClassName(), lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y,
nWidth, nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, GetModuleHandle(NULL), this
);

return (m_hwnd ? TRUE : FALSE);

}

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CreateWindowEx as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
 UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

CLIENTCREATESTRUCT

CREATESTRUCT

Conceptual

CreateWindow

DestroyWindow

EnableWindow

Other Resources

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx
SetActiveWindow

SetForegroundWindow

SetWindowLong

SetWindowPos

ShowWindow

WM_CREATE

WM_NCCALCSIZE

WM_NCCREATE

WM_PAINT

WM_PARENTNOTIFY

Windows

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CreateWindowExW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window with an extended window style;

otherwise, this function is identical to the CreateWindow function. For more information
about creating a window and for full descriptions of the other parameters of
CreateWindowEx, see CreateWindow.

Syntax
C++

HWND CreateWindowExW(
[in] DWORD dwExStyle,
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpClassName,
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpWindowName,
[in] DWORD dwStyle,
[in] int X,
[in] int Y,
[in] int nWidth,
[in] int nHeight,
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in, optional] HMENU hMenu,
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in, optional] LPVOID lpParam
);

Parameters
[in] dwExStyle

Type: DWORD

The extended window style of the window being created. For a list of possible values,
see Extended Window Styles.

[in, optional] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass

or RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpClassName;
the high-order word must be zero. If lpClassName is a string, it specifies the window
class name. The class name can be any name registered with RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx, provided that the module that registers the class is also the module
that creates the window. The class name can also be any of the predefined system class
names.

[in, optional] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name. If the window style specifies a title bar, the window title pointed to
by lpWindowName is displayed in the title bar. When using CreateWindow to create
controls, such as buttons, check boxes, and static controls, use lpWindowName to
specify the text of the control. When creating a static control with the SS_ICON style, use
lpWindowName to specify the icon name or identifier. To specify an identifier, use the
syntax "#num".

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD

The style of the window being created. This parameter can be a combination of the
window style values, plus the control styles indicated in the Remarks section.

[in] X

Type: int

The initial horizontal position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the
x parameter is the initial x-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, x is the x-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the
window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. If x is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects the default position for the window's upper-left
corner and ignores the y parameter. CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only for overlapped
windows; if it is specified for a pop-up or child window, the x and y parameters are set
to zero.

[in] Y

Type: int

The initial vertical position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the y
parameter is the initial y-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of
the child window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. For
a list box y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the list box's client area
relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area.
If an overlapped window is created with the WS_VISIBLE style bit set and the x
parameter is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, then the y parameter determines how the window
is shown. If the y parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT, then the window manager calls
ShowWindow with the SW_SHOW flag after the window has been created. If the y
parameter is some other value, then the window manager calls ShowWindow with that
value as the nCmdShow parameter.

[in] nWidth

Type: int

The width, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nWidth is the
window's width, in screen coordinates, or CW_USEDEFAULT. If nWidth is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects a default width and height for the window; the
default width extends from the initial x-coordinates to the right edge of the screen; the
default height extends from the initial y-coordinate to the top of the icon area.
CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only for overlapped windows; if CW_USEDEFAULT is specified
for a pop-up or child window, the nWidth and nHeight parameter are set to zero.

[in] nHeight

Type: int

The height, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nHeight is the
window's height, in screen coordinates. If the nWidth parameter is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system ignores nHeight.

[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent or owner window of the window being created. To create a child
window or an owned window, supply a valid window handle. This parameter is optional
for pop-up windows.

To create a message-only window, supply HWND_MESSAGE or a handle to an existing

message-only window.

[in, optional] hMenu

Type: HMENU

A handle to a menu, or specifies a child-window identifier, depending on the window

style. For an overlapped or pop-up window, hMenu identifies the menu to be used with
the window; it can be NULL if the class menu is to be used. For a child window, hMenu
specifies the child-window identifier, an integer value used by a dialog box control to
notify its parent about events. The application determines the child-window identifier; it
must be unique for all child windows with the same parent window.

[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the module to be associated with the window.

[in, optional] lpParam

Type: LPVOID

Pointer to a value to be passed to the window through the CREATESTRUCT structure

(lpCreateParams member) pointed to by the lParam param of the WM_CREATE
message. This message is sent to the created window by this function before it returns.

If an application calls CreateWindow to create a MDI client window, lpParam should

point to a CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure. If an MDI client window calls CreateWindow
to create an MDI child window, lpParam should point to a MDICREATESTRUCT structure.
lpParam may be NULL if no additional data is needed.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the new window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

This function typically fails for one of the following reasons:

an invalid parameter value

the system class was registered by a different module
The WH_CBT hook is installed and returns a failure code
if one of the controls in the dialog template is not registered, or its window
window procedure fails WM_CREATE or WM_NCCREATE

Remarks
The CreateWindowEx function sends WM_NCCREATE, WM_NCCALCSIZE, and
WM_CREATE messages to the window being created.
If the created window is a child window, its default position is at the bottom of the Z-
order. If the created window is a top-level window, its default position is at the top of
the Z-order (but beneath all topmost windows unless the created window is itself
topmost).

For information on controlling whether the Taskbar displays a button for the created
window, see Managing Taskbar Buttons.

For information on removing a window, see the DestroyWindow function.

The following predefined control classes can be specified in the lpClassName parameter.
Note the corresponding control styles you can use in the dwStyle parameter.

Class Meaning

BUTTON Designates a small rectangular child window that represents a button the user
can click to turn it on or off. Button controls can be used alone or in groups,
and they can either be labeled or appear without text. Button controls
typically change appearance when the user clicks them. For more information,
see Buttons.

For a table of the button styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
Button Styles.

COMBOBOX Designates a control consisting of a list box and a selection field similar to an
edit control. When using this style, an application should either display the list
box at all times or enable a drop-down list box. If the list box is visible, typing
characters into the selection field highlights the first list box entry that
matches the characters typed. Conversely, selecting an item in the list box
displays the selected text in the selection field. For more information, see
Combo Boxes.

For a table of the combo box styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter,
see Combo Box Styles.

EDIT Designates a rectangular child window into which the user can type text from
the keyboard. The user selects the control and gives it the keyboard focus by
clicking it or moving to it by pressing the TAB key. The user can type text
when the edit control displays a flashing caret; use the mouse to move the
cursor, select characters to be replaced, or position the cursor for inserting
characters; or use the key to delete characters. For more information, see Edit
Controls.

For a table of the edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter,
see Edit Control Styles.

LISTBOX Designates a list of character strings. Specify this control whenever an

application must present a list of names, such as filenames, from which the
user can choose. The user can select a string by clicking it. A selected string is
 highlighted, and a notification message is passed to the parent window. For
more information, see List Boxes.

For a table of the list box styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
List Box Styles.

MDICLIENT Designates an MDI client window. This window receives messages that control
the MDI application's child windows. The recommended style bits are
WS_CLIPCHILDREN and WS_CHILD. Specify the WS_HSCROLL and
WS_VSCROLL styles to create an MDI client window that allows the user to
scroll MDI child windows into view. For more information, see Multiple
Document Interface.

RichEdit Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 1.0 control. This window lets the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded Component Object Model (COM) objects. For more information,
see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

RICHEDIT_CLASS Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 2.0 control. This controls let the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded COM objects. For more information, see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

SCROLLBAR Designates a rectangle that contains a scroll box and has direction arrows at
both ends. The scroll bar sends a notification message to its parent window
whenever the user clicks the control. The parent window is responsible for
updating the position of the scroll box, if necessary. For more information, see
Scroll Bars.

For a table of the scroll bar control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Scroll Bar Control Styles.

STATIC Designates a simple text field, box, or rectangle used to label, box, or separate
other controls. Static controls take no input and provide no output. For more
information, see Static Controls.

For a table of the static control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Static Control Styles.

The WS_EX_NOACTIVATE value for dwExStyle prevents foreground activation by the

system. To prevent queue activation when the user clicks on the window, you must
process the WM_MOUSEACTIVATE message appropriately. To bring the window to the
foreground or to activate it programmatically, use SetForegroundWindow or
SetActiveWindow. Returning FALSE to WM_NCACTIVATE prevents the window from
losing queue activation. However, the return value is ignored at activation time.

With WS_EX_COMPOSITED set, all descendants of a window get bottom-to-top

painting order using double-buffering. Bottom-to-top painting order allows a
descendent window to have translucency (alpha) and transparency (color-key) effects,
but only if the descendent window also has the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT bit set. Double-
buffering allows the window and its descendents to be painted without flicker.

Example
The following sample code illustrates the use of CreateWindowExA.

C++

BOOL Create(
PCWSTR lpWindowName,
DWORD dwStyle,
DWORD dwExStyle = 0,
int x = CW_USEDEFAULT,
int y = CW_USEDEFAULT,
int nWidth = CW_USEDEFAULT,
int nHeight = CW_USEDEFAULT,
HWND hWndParent = 0,
HMENU hMenu = 0
)
{
WNDCLASS wc = {0};

wc.lpfnWndProc = DERIVED_TYPE::WindowProc;
wc.hInstance = GetModuleHandle(NULL);
wc.lpszClassName = ClassName();

RegisterClass(&wc);

m_hwnd = CreateWindowEx(
dwExStyle, ClassName(), lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y,
nWidth, nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, GetModuleHandle(NULL), this
);

return (m_hwnd ? TRUE : FALSE);

}

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CreateWindowEx as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
 UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

CLIENTCREATESTRUCT

CREATESTRUCT

Conceptual

CreateWindow

DestroyWindow

EnableWindow

Other Resources

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx
SetActiveWindow

SetForegroundWindow

SetWindowLong

SetWindowPos

ShowWindow

WM_CREATE

WM_NCCALCSIZE

WM_NCCREATE

WM_PAINT

WM_PARENTNOTIFY

Windows

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CreateWindowW macro (winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Creates an overlapped, pop-up, or child window. It specifies the window class, window
title, window style, and (optionally) the initial position and size of the window. The
function also specifies the window's parent or owner, if any, and the window's menu.

To use extended window styles in addition to the styles supported by CreateWindow,

use the CreateWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

HWND CreateWindowW(
[in, optional] lpClassName,
[in, optional] lpWindowName,
[in] dwStyle,
[in] x,
[in] y,
[in] nWidth,
[in] nHeight,
[in, optional] hWndParent,
[in, optional] hMenu,
[in, optional] hInstance,
[in, optional] lpParam
);

Parameters
[in, optional] lpClassName

Type: LPCWSTR

A null-terminated string or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass

or RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpClassName;
the high-order word must be zero. If lpClassName is a string, it specifies the window
class name. The class name can be any name registered with RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx, provided that the module that registers the class is also the module
that creates the window. The class name can also be any of the predefined system class
names. For a list of system class names, see the Remarks section.

[in, optional] lpWindowName

Type: LPCWSTR

The window name. If the window style specifies a title bar, the window title pointed to
by lpWindowName is displayed in the title bar. When using CreateWindow to create
controls, such as buttons, check boxes, and static controls, use lpWindowName to
specify the text of the control. When creating a static control with the SS_ICON style, use
lpWindowName to specify the icon name or identifier. To specify an identifier, use the
syntax "#num".

[in] dwStyle

Type: DWORD

The style of the window being created. This parameter can be a combination of the
window style values, plus the control styles indicated in the Remarks section.

[in] x

Type: int

The initial horizontal position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the
x parameter is the initial x-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, x is the x-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the
window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. If this
parameter is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects the default position for the
window's upper-left corner and ignores the y parameter. CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only
for overlapped windows; if it is specified for a pop-up or child window, the x and y
parameters are set to zero.

[in] y

Type: int

The initial vertical position of the window. For an overlapped or pop-up window, the y
parameter is the initial y-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner, in screen
coordinates. For a child window, y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of
the child window relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area. For
a list box, y is the initial y-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the list box's client area
relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client area.

If an overlapped window is created with the WS_VISIBLE style bit set and the x
parameter is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, then the y parameter determines how the window
is shown. If the y parameter is CW_USEDEFAULT, then the window manager calls
ShowWindow with the SW_SHOW flag after the window has been created. If the y
parameter is some other value, then the window manager calls ShowWindow with that
value as the nCmdShow parameter.

[in] nWidth

Type: int

The width, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nWidth is either the
window's width, in screen coordinates, or CW_USEDEFAULT. If nWidth is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the system selects a default width and height for the window; the
default width extends from the initial x-coordinate to the right edge of the screen, and
the default height extends from the initial y-coordinate to the top of the icon area.
CW_USEDEFAULT is valid only for overlapped windows; if CW_USEDEFAULT is specified
for a pop-up or child window, nWidth and nHeight are set to zero.

[in] nHeight

Type: int

The height, in device units, of the window. For overlapped windows, nHeight is the
window's height, in screen coordinates. If nWidth is set to CW_USEDEFAULT, the system
ignores nHeight.

[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent or owner window of the window being created. To create a child
window or an owned window, supply a valid window handle. This parameter is optional
for pop-up windows.

To create a message-only window, supply HWND_MESSAGE or a handle to an existing

message-only window.

[in, optional] hMenu

Type: HMENU

A handle to a menu, or specifies a child-window identifier depending on the window

style. For an overlapped or pop-up window, hMenu identifies the menu to be used with
the window; it can be NULL if the class menu is to be used. For a child window, hMenu
specifies the child-window identifier, an integer value used by a dialog box control to
notify its parent about events. The application determines the child-window identifier; it
must be unique for all child windows with the same parent window.
[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the module to be associated with the window.

[in, optional] lpParam

Type: LPVOID

A pointer to a value to be passed to the window through the CREATESTRUCT structure

(lpCreateParams member) pointed to by the lParam param of the WM_CREATE
message. This message is sent to the created window by this function before it returns.

If an application calls CreateWindow to create a MDI client window, lpParam should

point to a CLIENTCREATESTRUCT structure. If an MDI client window calls CreateWindow
to create an MDI child window, lpParam should point to a MDICREATESTRUCT structure.
lpParam may be NULL if no additional data is needed.

Returns
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the new window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Return value
None

Remarks
Before returning, CreateWindow sends a WM_CREATE message to the window
procedure. For overlapped, pop-up, and child windows, CreateWindow sends
WM_CREATE, WM_GETMINMAXINFO, and WM_NCCREATE messages to the window.
The lParam parameter of the WM_CREATE message contains a pointer to a
CREATESTRUCT structure. If the WS_VISIBLE style is specified, CreateWindow sends the
window all the messages required to activate and show the window.

If the created window is a child window, its default position is at the bottom of the Z-
order. If the created window is a top-level window, its default position is at the top of
the Z-order (but beneath all topmost windows unless the created window is itself
topmost).

For information on controlling whether the Taskbar displays a button for the created
window, see Managing Taskbar Buttons.

For information on removing a window, see the DestroyWindow function.

The following predefined system classes can be specified in the lpClassName parameter.
Note the corresponding control styles you can use in the dwStyle parameter.

System class Meaning

BUTTON Designates a small rectangular child window that represents a button the user
can click to turn it on or off. Button controls can be used alone or in groups,
and they can either be labeled or appear without text. Button controls
typically change appearance when the user clicks them. For more information,
see Buttons

For a table of the button styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
Button Styles.

COMBOBOX Designates a control consisting of a list box and a selection field similar to an
edit control. When using this style, an application should either display the list
box at all times or enable a drop-down list box. If the list box is visible, typing
characters into the selection field highlights the first list box entry that
matches the characters typed. Conversely, selecting an item in the list box
displays the selected text in the selection field.
For more information, see Combo Boxes. For a table of the combo box styles
you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see Combo Box Styles.

EDIT Designates a rectangular child window into which the user can type text from
the keyboard. The user selects the control and gives it the keyboard focus by
clicking it or moving to it by pressing the TAB key. The user can type text
when the edit control displays a flashing caret; use the mouse to move the
cursor, select characters to be replaced, or position the cursor for inserting
characters; or use the BACKSPACE key to delete characters. For more
information, see Edit Controls.

For a table of the edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter,
see Edit Control Styles.

LISTBOX Designates a list of character strings. Specify this control whenever an

application must present a list of names, such as file names, from which the
user can choose. The user can select a string by clicking it. A selected string is
highlighted, and a notification message is passed to the parent window. For
more information, see List Boxes.

For a table of the list box styles you can specify in the dwStyle parameter, see
List Box Styles.
 MDICLIENT Designates an MDI client window. This window receives messages that control
the MDI application's child windows. The recommended style bits are
WS_CLIPCHILDREN and WS_CHILD. Specify the WS_HSCROLL and
WS_VSCROLL styles to create an MDI client window that allows the user to
scroll MDI child windows into view.

For more information, see Multiple Document Interface.

RichEdit Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 1.0 control. This window lets the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded Component Object Model (COM) objects. For more information,
see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

RICHEDIT_CLASS Designates a Microsoft Rich Edit 2.0 control. This controls let the user view
and edit text with character and paragraph formatting, and can include
embedded COM objects. For more information, see Rich Edit Controls.

For a table of the rich edit control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Rich Edit Control Styles.

SCROLLBAR Designates a rectangle that contains a scroll box and has direction arrows at
both ends. The scroll bar sends a notification message to its parent window
whenever the user clicks the control. The parent window is responsible for
updating the position of the scroll box, if necessary. For more information, see
Scroll Bars.

For a table of the scroll bar control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Scroll Bar Control Styles.

STATIC Designates a simple text field, box, or rectangle used to label, box, or separate
other controls. Static controls take no input and provide no output. For more
information, see Static Controls.

For a table of the static control styles you can specify in the dwStyle
parameter, see Static Control Styles.

CreateWindow is implemented as a call to the CreateWindowEx function, as shown

below.

syntax

#define CreateWindowA(lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,

nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)\
CreateWindowExA(0L, lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,
nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)

#define CreateWindowW(lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,

 nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)\
CreateWindowExW(0L, lpClassName, lpWindowName, dwStyle, x, y, nWidth,
nHeight, hWndParent, hMenu, hInstance, lpParam)

#ifdef UNICODE
#define CreateWindow CreateWindowW
#else
#define CreateWindow CreateWindowA
#endif

Examples
For an example, see Using Window Classes.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines CreateWindow as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
About the Multiple Document Interface

Common Control Window Classes

Conceptual

CreateWindowEx
DestroyWindow

EnableWindow

Other Resources

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

ShowWindow

WM_COMMAND

WM_CREATE

WM_GETMINMAXINFO

WM_NCCREATE

WM_PAINT

Windows

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CWPRETSTRUCT structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Defines the message parameters passed to a WH_CALLWNDPROCRET hook procedure,

CallWndRetProc.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCWPRETSTRUCT {

LRESULT lResult;
LPARAM lParam;
WPARAM wParam;
UINT message;
HWND hwnd;
} CWPRETSTRUCT, *PCWPRETSTRUCT, *NPCWPRETSTRUCT, *LPCWPRETSTRUCT;

Members
lResult

Type: LRESULT

The return value of the window procedure that processed the message specified by the
message value.

lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the message
value.

wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the message
value.

message
Type: UINT

The message.

hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that processed the message specified by the message value.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CallWndRetProc

Conceptual

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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CWPSTRUCT structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Defines the message parameters passed to a WH_CALLWNDPROC hook procedure,

CallWndProc.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagCWPSTRUCT {

LPARAM lParam;
WPARAM wParam;
UINT message;
HWND hwnd;
} CWPSTRUCT, *PCWPSTRUCT, *NPCWPSTRUCT, *LPCWPSTRUCT;

Members
lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the message
value.

wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the message
value.

message

Type: UINT

The message.

hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to receive the message.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CallWndProc

Conceptual

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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DEBUGHOOKINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains debugging information passed to a WH_DEBUG hook procedure, DebugProc.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagDEBUGHOOKINFO {

DWORD idThread;
DWORD idThreadInstaller;
LPARAM lParam;
WPARAM wParam;
int code;
} DEBUGHOOKINFO, *PDEBUGHOOKINFO, *NPDEBUGHOOKINFO, *LPDEBUGHOOKINFO;

Members
idThread

Type: DWORD

A handle to the thread containing the filter function.

idThreadInstaller

Type: DWORD

A handle to the thread that installed the debugging filter function.

lParam

Type: LPARAM

The value to be passed to the hook in the lParam parameter of the DebugProc callback
function.

wParam

Type: WPARAM

The value to be passed to the hook in the wParam parameter of the DebugProc callback
function.
code

Type: int

The value to be passed to the hook in the nCode parameter of the DebugProc callback
function.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

DebugProc

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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DeferWindowPos function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Updates the specified multiple-window – position structure for the specified window.
The function then returns a handle to the updated structure. The EndDeferWindowPos
function uses the information in this structure to change the position and size of a
number of windows simultaneously. The BeginDeferWindowPos function creates the
structure.

Syntax
C++

HDWP DeferWindowPos(
[in] HDWP hWinPosInfo,
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, optional] HWND hWndInsertAfter,
[in] int x,
[in] int y,
[in] int cx,
[in] int cy,
[in] UINT uFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hWinPosInfo

Type: HDWP

A handle to a multiple-window – position structure that contains size and position

information for one or more windows. This structure is returned by
BeginDeferWindowPos or by the most recent call to DeferWindowPos.

[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window for which update information is stored in the structure. All
windows in a multiple-window – position structure must have the same parent.

[in, optional] hWndInsertAfter

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that precedes the positioned window in the Z order. This
parameter must be a window handle or one of the following values. This parameter is
ignored if the SWP_NOZORDER flag is set in the uFlags parameter.

Value Meaning

HWND_BOTTOM Places the window at the bottom of the Z order. If the

((HWND)1) hWnd parameter identifies a topmost window, the
window loses its topmost status and is placed at the
bottom of all other windows.

HWND_NOTOPMOST Places the window above all non-topmost windows (that

((HWND)-2) is, behind all topmost windows). This flag has no effect if
the window is already a non-topmost window.

HWND_TOP Places the window at the top of the Z order.

((HWND)0)

HWND_TOPMOST Places the window above all non-topmost windows. The

((HWND)-1) window maintains its topmost position even when it is
deactivated.

[in] x

Type: int

The x-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner.

[in] y

Type: int

The y-coordinate of the window's upper-left corner.

[in] cx

Type: int

The window's new width, in pixels.

[in] cy

Type: int

The window's new height, in pixels.

[in] uFlags
Type: UINT

A combination of the following values that affect the size and position of the window.

Value Meaning

SWP_DRAWFRAME Draws a frame (defined in the window's class description)

0x0020 around the window.

SWP_FRAMECHANGED Sends a WM_NCCALCSIZE message to the window, even

0x0020 if the window's size is not being changed. If this flag is
not specified, WM_NCCALCSIZE is sent only when the
window's size is being changed.

SWP_HIDEWINDOW Hides the window.

0x0080

SWP_NOACTIVATE Does not activate the window. If this flag is not set, the
0x0010 window is activated and moved to the top of either the
topmost or non-topmost group (depending on the
setting of the hWndInsertAfter parameter).

SWP_NOCOPYBITS Discards the entire contents of the client area. If this flag
0x0100 is not specified, the valid contents of the client area are
saved and copied back into the client area after the
window is sized or repositioned.

SWP_NOMOVE Retains the current position (ignores the x and y

0x0002 parameters).

SWP_NOOWNERZORDER Does not change the owner window's position in the Z

0x0200 order.

SWP_NOREDRAW Does not redraw changes. If this flag is set, no repainting

0x0008 of any kind occurs. This applies to the client area, the
nonclient area (including the title bar and scroll bars), and
any part of the parent window uncovered as a result of
the window being moved. When this flag is set, the
application must explicitly invalidate or redraw any parts
of the window and parent window that need redrawing.

SWP_NOREPOSITION Same as the SWP_NOOWNERZORDER flag.

0x0200

SWP_NOSENDCHANGING Prevents the window from receiving the

0x0400 WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING message.

SWP_NOSIZE Retains the current size (ignores the cx and cy

0x0001 parameters).

SWP_NOZORDER Retains the current Z order (ignores the hWndInsertAfter

 0x0004 parameter).

SWP_SHOWWINDOW Displays the window.

0x0040

Return value
Type: HDWP

The return value identifies the updated multiple-window – position structure. The
handle returned by this function may differ from the handle passed to the function. The
new handle that this function returns should be passed during the next call to the
DeferWindowPos or EndDeferWindowPos function.

If insufficient system resources are available for the function to succeed, the return value
is NULL. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
If a call to DeferWindowPos fails, the application should abandon the window-
positioning operation and not call EndDeferWindowPos.

If SWP_NOZORDER is not specified, the system places the window identified by the
hWnd parameter in the position following the window identified by the hWndInsertAfter
parameter. If hWndInsertAfter is NULL or HWND_TOP, the system places the hWnd
window at the top of the Z order. If hWndInsertAfter is set to HWND_BOTTOM, the
system places the hWnd window at the bottom of the Z order.

All coordinates for child windows are relative to the upper-left corner of the parent
window's client area.

A window can be made a topmost window either by setting hWndInsertAfter to the

HWND_TOPMOST flag and ensuring that the SWP_NOZORDER flag is not set, or by
setting the window's position in the Z order so that it is above any existing topmost
windows. When a non-topmost window is made topmost, its owned windows are also
made topmost. Its owners, however, are not changed.

If neither the SWP_NOACTIVATE nor SWP_NOZORDER flag is specified (that is, when
the application requests that a window be simultaneously activated and its position in
the Z order changed), the value specified in hWndInsertAfter is used only in the
following circumstances:
 Neither the HWND_TOPMOST nor HWND_NOTOPMOST flag is specified in
hWndInsertAfter.
The window identified by hWnd is not the active window.

An application cannot activate an inactive window without also bringing it to the top of
the Z order. An application can change an activated window's position in the Z order
without restrictions, or it can activate a window and then move it to the top of the
topmost or non-topmost windows.

A topmost window is no longer topmost if it is repositioned to the bottom

(HWND_BOTTOM) of the Z order or after any non-topmost window. When a topmost
window is made non-topmost, its owners and its owned windows are also made non-
topmost windows.

A non-topmost window may own a topmost window, but not vice versa. Any window
(for example, a dialog box) owned by a topmost window is itself made a topmost
window to ensure that all owned windows stay above their owner.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
BeginDeferWindowPos

Conceptual
EndDeferWindowPos

Reference

ShowWindow

Windows

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DefFrameProcA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Provides default processing for any window messages that the window procedure of a
multiple-document interface (MDI) frame window does not process. All window
messages that are not explicitly processed by the window procedure must be passed to
the DefFrameProc function, not the DefWindowProc function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DefFrameProcA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] HWND hWndMDIClient,
[in] UINT uMsg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI frame window.

[in] hWndMDIClient

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI client window.

[in] uMsg

Type: UINT

The message to be processed.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM
Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing and depends on the
message. If the hWndMDIClient parameter is NULL, the return value is the same as for
the DefWindowProc function.

Remarks
When an application's window procedure does not handle a message, it typically passes
the message to the DefWindowProc function to process the message. MDI applications
use the DefFrameProc and DefMDIChildProc functions instead of DefWindowProc to
provide default message processing. All messages that an application would usually
pass to DefWindowProc (such as nonclient messages and the WM_SETTEXT message)
should be passed to DefFrameProc instead. The DefFrameProc function also handles
the following messages.

Message Response

WM_COMMAND Activates the MDI child window that the user chooses. This message is sent
when the user chooses an MDI child window from the window menu of the
MDI frame window. The window identifier accompanying this message
identifies the MDI child window to be activated.

WM_MENUCHAR Opens the window menu of the active MDI child window when the user
presses the ALT+ – (minus) key combination.

WM_SETFOCUS Passes the keyboard focus to the MDI client window, which in turn passes it to
the active MDI child window.

WM_SIZE Resizes the MDI client window to fit in the new frame window's client area. If
the frame window procedure sizes the MDI client window to a different size, it
should not pass the message to the DefWindowProc function.
 ７ Note

The winuser.h header defines DefFrameProc as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

DefMDIChildProc

DefWindowProc

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

WM_SETTEXT

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Get help at Microsoft Q&A
DefFrameProcW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Provides default processing for any window messages that the window procedure of a
multiple-document interface (MDI) frame window does not process. All window
messages that are not explicitly processed by the window procedure must be passed to
the DefFrameProc function, not the DefWindowProc function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DefFrameProcW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] HWND hWndMDIClient,
[in] UINT uMsg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI frame window.

[in] hWndMDIClient

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI client window.

[in] uMsg

Type: UINT

The message to be processed.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM
Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing and depends on the
message. If the hWndMDIClient parameter is NULL, the return value is the same as for
the DefWindowProc function.

Remarks
When an application's window procedure does not handle a message, it typically passes
the message to the DefWindowProc function to process the message. MDI applications
use the DefFrameProc and DefMDIChildProc functions instead of DefWindowProc to
provide default message processing. All messages that an application would usually
pass to DefWindowProc (such as nonclient messages and the WM_SETTEXT message)
should be passed to DefFrameProc instead. The DefFrameProc function also handles
the following messages.

Message Response

WM_COMMAND Activates the MDI child window that the user chooses. This message is sent
when the user chooses an MDI child window from the window menu of the
MDI frame window. The window identifier accompanying this message
identifies the MDI child window to be activated.

WM_MENUCHAR Opens the window menu of the active MDI child window when the user
presses the ALT+ – (minus) key combination.

WM_SETFOCUS Passes the keyboard focus to the MDI client window, which in turn passes it to
the active MDI child window.

WM_SIZE Resizes the MDI client window to fit in the new frame window's client area. If
the frame window procedure sizes the MDI client window to a different size, it
should not pass the message to the DefWindowProc function.
 ７ Note

The winuser.h header defines DefFrameProc as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

DefMDIChildProc

DefWindowProc

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

WM_SETTEXT

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Get help at Microsoft Q&A
DefMDIChildProcA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Provides default processing for any window message that the window procedure of a
multiple-document interface (MDI) child window does not process. A window message
not processed by the window procedure must be passed to the DefMDIChildProc
function, not to the DefWindowProc function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT LRESULT DefMDIChildProcA(

[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT uMsg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI child window.

[in] uMsg

Type: UINT

The message to be processed.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing and depends on the
message.

Remarks
The DefMDIChildProc function assumes that the parent window of the MDI child
window identified by the hWnd parameter was created with the MDICLIENT class.

When an application's window procedure does not handle a message, it typically passes
the message to the DefWindowProc function to process the message. MDI applications
use the DefFrameProc and DefMDIChildProc functions instead of DefWindowProc to
provide default message processing. All messages that an application would usually
pass to DefWindowProc (such as nonclient messages and the WM_SETTEXT message)
should be passed to DefMDIChildProc instead. In addition, DefMDIChildProc also
handles the following messages.

Message Response

WM_CHILDACTIVATE Performs activation processing when MDI child windows are sized,
moved, or displayed. This message must be passed.

WM_GETMINMAXINFO Calculates the size of a maximized MDI child window, based on the
current size of the MDI client window.

WM_MENUCHAR Passes the message to the MDI frame window.

WM_MOVE Recalculates MDI client scroll bars if they are present.

WM_SETFOCUS Activates the child window if it is not the active MDI child window.

WM_SIZE Performs operations necessary for changing the size of a window,

especially for maximizing or restoring an MDI child window. Failing to
pass this message to the DefMDIChildProc function produces highly
undesirable results.

WM_SYSCOMMAND Handles window menu commands: SC_NEXTWINDOW,

SC_PREVWINDOW, SC_MOVE, SC_SIZE, and SC_MAXIMIZE.

７ Note
 The winuser.h header defines DefMDIChildProc as an alias which automatically
selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

DefFrameProc

DefWindowProc

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

WM_CHILDACTIVATE

WM_GETMINMAXINFO

WM_MENUCHAR

WM_MOVE

WM_SETFOCUS

WM_SETTEXT
WM_SIZE

WM_SYSCOMMAND

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DefMDIChildProcW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Provides default processing for any window message that the window procedure of a
multiple-document interface (MDI) child window does not process. A window message
not processed by the window procedure must be passed to the DefMDIChildProc
function, not to the DefWindowProc function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT LRESULT DefMDIChildProcW(

[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT uMsg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI child window.

[in] uMsg

Type: UINT

The message to be processed.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing and depends on the
message.

Remarks
The DefMDIChildProc function assumes that the parent window of the MDI child
window identified by the hWnd parameter was created with the MDICLIENT class.

When an application's window procedure does not handle a message, it typically passes
the message to the DefWindowProc function to process the message. MDI applications
use the DefFrameProc and DefMDIChildProc functions instead of DefWindowProc to
provide default message processing. All messages that an application would usually
pass to DefWindowProc (such as nonclient messages and the WM_SETTEXT message)
should be passed to DefMDIChildProc instead. In addition, DefMDIChildProc also
handles the following messages.

Message Response

WM_CHILDACTIVATE Performs activation processing when MDI child windows are sized,
moved, or displayed. This message must be passed.

WM_GETMINMAXINFO Calculates the size of a maximized MDI child window, based on the
current size of the MDI client window.

WM_MENUCHAR Passes the message to the MDI frame window.

WM_MOVE Recalculates MDI client scroll bars if they are present.

WM_SETFOCUS Activates the child window if it is not the active MDI child window.

WM_SIZE Performs operations necessary for changing the size of a window,

especially for maximizing or restoring an MDI child window. Failing to
pass this message to the DefMDIChildProc function produces highly
undesirable results.

WM_SYSCOMMAND Handles window menu commands: SC_NEXTWINDOW,

SC_PREVWINDOW, SC_MOVE, SC_SIZE, and SC_MAXIMIZE.

７ Note
 The winuser.h header defines DefMDIChildProc as an alias which automatically
selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

DefFrameProc

DefWindowProc

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

WM_CHILDACTIVATE

WM_GETMINMAXINFO

WM_MENUCHAR

WM_MOVE

WM_SETFOCUS

WM_SETTEXT
WM_SIZE

WM_SYSCOMMAND

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DefWindowProcA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Calls the default window procedure to provide default processing for any window
messages that an application does not process. This function ensures that every
message is processed. DefWindowProc is called with the same parameters received by
the window procedure.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DefWindowProcA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window procedure that received the message.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message information. The content of this parameter depends on the value of
the Msg parameter.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM
Additional message information. The content of this parameter depends on the value of
the Msg parameter.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value is the result of the message processing and depends on the message.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines DefWindowProc as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual
DefDlgProc

Reference

Window Procedures

WindowProc

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DefWindowProcW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Calls the default window procedure to provide default processing for any window
messages that an application does not process. This function ensures that every
message is processed. DefWindowProc is called with the same parameters received by
the window procedure.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DefWindowProcW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window procedure that received the message.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message information. The content of this parameter depends on the value of
the Msg parameter.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM
Additional message information. The content of this parameter depends on the value of
the Msg parameter.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value is the result of the message processing and depends on the message.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines DefWindowProc as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual
DefDlgProc

Reference

Window Procedures

WindowProc

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DeregisterShellHookWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[This function is not intended for general use. It may be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows.]

Unregisters a specified Shell window that is registered to receive Shell hook messages.

Syntax
C++

BOOL DeregisterShellHookWindow(
[in] HWND hwnd
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be unregistered. The window was registered with a call to the
RegisterShellHookWindow function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

TRUE if the function succeeds; FALSE if the function fails.

Remarks
This function was not included in the SDK headers and libraries until Windows XP with
Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2003. If you do not have a header file and
import library for this function, you can call the function using LoadLibrary and
GetProcAddress.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

Reference

RegisterShellHookWindow

Windows

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DestroyWindow function (winuser.h)
Article02/23/2022

Destroys the specified window. The function sends WM_DESTROY and WM_NCDESTROY
messages to the window to deactivate it and remove the keyboard focus from it. The
function also destroys the window's menu, flushes the thread message queue, destroys
timers, removes clipboard ownership, and breaks the clipboard viewer chain (if the
window is at the top of the viewer chain).

If the specified window is a parent or owner window, DestroyWindow automatically

destroys the associated child or owned windows when it destroys the parent or owner
window. The function first destroys child or owned windows, and then it destroys the
parent or owner window.

DestroyWindow also destroys modeless dialog boxes created by the CreateDialog

function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL DestroyWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be destroyed.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
A thread cannot use DestroyWindow to destroy a window created by a different thread.

If the window being destroyed is a child window that does not have the
WS_EX_NOPARENTNOTIFY style, a WM_PARENTNOTIFY message is sent to the parent.

Examples

For an example, see Destroying a Window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

CreateDialog

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

Reference

WM_DESTROY

WM_NCDESTROY

WM_PARENTNOTIFY
Windows

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DispatchMessage function (winuser.h)
Article08/02/2022

Dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used to dispatch a message

retrieved by the GetMessage function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DispatchMessage(
[in] const MSG *lpMsg
);

Parameters
[in] lpMsg

Type: const MSG*

A pointer to a structure that contains the message.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the value returned by the window procedure. Although its
meaning depends on the message being dispatched, the return value generally is
ignored.

Remarks
The MSG structure must contain valid message values. If the lpmsg parameter points to
a WM_TIMER message and the lParam parameter of the WM_TIMER message is not
NULL, lParam points to a function that is called instead of the window procedure.

Note that the application is responsible for retrieving and dispatching input messages to
the dialog box. Most applications use the main message loop for this. However, to
permit the user to move to and to select controls by using the keyboard, the application
must call IsDialogMessage. For more information, see Dialog Box Keyboard Interface.
Examples
For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

IsDialogMessage

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

Reference

TranslateMessage

WM_TIMER

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DispatchMessageA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used to dispatch a message

retrieved by the GetMessage function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DispatchMessageA(
[in] const MSG *lpMsg
);

Parameters
[in] lpMsg

Type: const MSG*

A pointer to a structure that contains the message.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the value returned by the window procedure. Although its
meaning depends on the message being dispatched, the return value generally is
ignored.

Remarks
The MSG structure must contain valid message values. If the lpmsg parameter points to
a WM_TIMER message and the lParam parameter of the WM_TIMER message is not
NULL, lParam points to a function that is called instead of the window procedure.

Note that the application is responsible for retrieving and dispatching input messages to
the dialog box. Most applications use the main message loop for this. However, to
permit the user to move to and to select controls by using the keyboard, the application
must call IsDialogMessage. For more information, see Dialog Box Keyboard Interface.
Examples
For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines DispatchMessage as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

IsDialogMessage

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

Reference
TranslateMessage

WM_TIMER

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DispatchMessageW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Dispatches a message to a window procedure. It is typically used to dispatch a message

retrieved by the GetMessage function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT DispatchMessageW(
[in] const MSG *lpMsg
);

Parameters
[in] lpMsg

Type: const MSG*

A pointer to a structure that contains the message.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the value returned by the window procedure. Although its
meaning depends on the message being dispatched, the return value generally is
ignored.

Remarks
The MSG structure must contain valid message values. If the lpmsg parameter points to
a WM_TIMER message and the lParam parameter of the WM_TIMER message is not
NULL, lParam points to a function that is called instead of the window procedure.

Note that the application is responsible for retrieving and dispatching input messages to
the dialog box. Most applications use the main message loop for this. However, to
permit the user to move to and to select controls by using the keyboard, the application
must call IsDialogMessage. For more information, see Dialog Box Keyboard Interface.
Examples
For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines DispatchMessage as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

IsDialogMessage

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

Reference
TranslateMessage

WM_TIMER

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EndDeferWindowPos function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Simultaneously updates the position and size of one or more windows in a single
screen-refreshing cycle.

Syntax
C++

BOOL EndDeferWindowPos(
[in] HDWP hWinPosInfo
);

Parameters
[in] hWinPosInfo

Type: HDWP

A handle to a multiple-window – position structure that contains size and position

information for one or more windows. This internal structure is returned by the
BeginDeferWindowPos function or by the most recent call to the DeferWindowPos
function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The EndDeferWindowPos function sends the WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING and
WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGED messages to each window identified in the internal
structure.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
BeginDeferWindowPos

Conceptual

DeferWindowPos

Reference

WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGED

WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING

Windows

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EndTask function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[This function is not intended for general use. It may be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows.]

Forcibly closes the specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL EndTask(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] BOOL fShutDown,
[in] BOOL fForce
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be closed.

[in] fShutDown

Type: BOOL

Ignored. Must be FALSE.

[in] fForce

Type: BOOL

A TRUE for this parameter will force the destruction of the window if an initial attempt
fails to gently close the window using WM_CLOSE. With a FALSE for this parameter, only
the close with WM_CLOSE is attempted.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is FALSE. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
This function was not included in the SDK headers and libraries until Windows XP with
Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2003. If you do not have a header file and
import library for this function, you can call the function using LoadLibrary and
GetProcAddress.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
CloseWindow

Conceptual

DestroyWindow

Reference

WM_CLOSE

Windows
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EnumChildWindows function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Enumerates the child windows that belong to the specified parent window by passing
the handle to each child window, in turn, to an application-defined callback function.
EnumChildWindows continues until the last child window is enumerated or the callback
function returns FALSE.

Syntax
C++

BOOL EnumChildWindows(
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in] WNDENUMPROC lpEnumFunc,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window whose child windows are to be enumerated. If this
parameter is NULL, this function is equivalent to EnumWindows.

[in] lpEnumFunc

Type: WNDENUMPROC

A pointer to an application-defined callback function. For more information, see

EnumChildProc.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value to be passed to the callback function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

The return value is not used.

Remarks
If a child window has created child windows of its own, EnumChildWindows enumerates
those windows as well.

A child window that is moved or repositioned in the Z order during the enumeration
process will be properly enumerated. The function does not enumerate a child window
that is destroyed before being enumerated or that is created during the enumeration
process.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

EnumChildProc

EnumThreadWindows

EnumWindows

GetWindow

Reference
Windows

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EnumPropsA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to
the specified callback function. EnumProps continues until the last entry is enumerated
or the callback function returns FALSE.

To pass application-defined data to the callback function, use EnumPropsEx function.

Syntax
C++

int EnumPropsA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] PROPENUMPROCA lpEnumFunc
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be enumerated.

[in] lpEnumFunc

Type: PROPENUMPROC

A pointer to the callback function. For more information about the callback function, see
the PropEnumProc function.

Return value
Type: int

The return value specifies the last value returned by the callback function. It is -1 if the
function did not find a property for enumeration.

Remarks
An application can remove only those properties it has added. It must not remove
properties added by other applications or by the system itself.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines EnumProps as an alias which automatically selects the
ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE
preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that
not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime
errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

EnumPropsEx

PropEnumProc

Reference

Window Properties

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EnumPropsExA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to
the specified callback function. EnumPropsEx continues until the last entry is
enumerated or the callback function returns FALSE.

Syntax
C++

int EnumPropsExA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] PROPENUMPROCEXA lpEnumFunc,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be enumerated.

[in] lpEnumFunc

Type: PROPENUMPROCEX

A pointer to the callback function. For more information about the callback function, see
the PropEnumProcEx function.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Application-defined data to be passed to the callback function.

Return value
Type: int
The return value specifies the last value returned by the callback function. It is -1 if the
function did not find a property for enumeration.

Remarks
An application can remove only those properties it has added. It must not remove
properties added by other applications or by the system itself.

Examples
For an example, see Listing Window Properties for a Given Window.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines EnumPropsEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

PropEnumProcEx
Reference

Window Properties

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EnumPropsExW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to
the specified callback function. EnumPropsEx continues until the last entry is
enumerated or the callback function returns FALSE.

Syntax
C++

int EnumPropsExW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] PROPENUMPROCEXW lpEnumFunc,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be enumerated.

[in] lpEnumFunc

Type: PROPENUMPROCEX

A pointer to the callback function. For more information about the callback function, see
the PropEnumProcEx function.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Application-defined data to be passed to the callback function.

Return value
Type: int
The return value specifies the last value returned by the callback function. It is -1 if the
function did not find a property for enumeration.

Remarks
An application can remove only those properties it has added. It must not remove
properties added by other applications or by the system itself.

Examples
For an example, see Listing Window Properties for a Given Window.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines EnumPropsEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

PropEnumProcEx
Reference

Window Properties

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EnumPropsW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Enumerates all entries in the property list of a window by passing them, one by one, to
the specified callback function. EnumProps continues until the last entry is enumerated
or the callback function returns FALSE.

To pass application-defined data to the callback function, use EnumPropsEx function.

Syntax
C++

int EnumPropsW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] PROPENUMPROCW lpEnumFunc
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be enumerated.

[in] lpEnumFunc

Type: PROPENUMPROC

A pointer to the callback function. For more information about the callback function, see
the PropEnumProc function.

Return value
Type: int

The return value specifies the last value returned by the callback function. It is -1 if the
function did not find a property for enumeration.

Remarks
An application can remove only those properties it has added. It must not remove
properties added by other applications or by the system itself.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines EnumProps as an alias which automatically selects the
ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE
preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that
not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime
errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

EnumPropsEx

PropEnumProc

Reference

Window Properties

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Get help at Microsoft Q&A
EnumThreadWindows function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Enumerates all nonchild windows associated with a thread by passing the handle to
each window, in turn, to an application-defined callback function. EnumThreadWindows
continues until the last window is enumerated or the callback function returns FALSE. To
enumerate child windows of a particular window, use the EnumChildWindows function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL EnumThreadWindows(
[in] DWORD dwThreadId,
[in] WNDENUMPROC lpfn,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] dwThreadId

Type: DWORD

The identifier of the thread whose windows are to be enumerated.

[in] lpfn

Type: WNDENUMPROC

A pointer to an application-defined callback function. For more information, see

EnumThreadWndProc.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value to be passed to the callback function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the callback function returns TRUE for all windows in the thread specified by
dwThreadId, the return value is TRUE. If the callback function returns FALSE on any
enumerated window, or if there are no windows found in the thread specified by
dwThreadId, the return value is FALSE.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

EnumChildWindows

EnumThreadWndProc

EnumWindows

Reference

Windows

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EnumWindows function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Enumerates all top-level windows on the screen by passing the handle to each window,
in turn, to an application-defined callback function. EnumWindows continues until the
last top-level window is enumerated or the callback function returns FALSE.

Syntax
C++

BOOL EnumWindows(
[in] WNDENUMPROC lpEnumFunc,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] lpEnumFunc

Type: WNDENUMPROC

A pointer to an application-defined callback function. For more information, see

EnumWindowsProc.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value to be passed to the callback function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

If EnumWindowsProc returns zero, the return value is also zero. In this case, the callback
function should call SetLastError to obtain a meaningful error code to be returned to the
caller of EnumWindows.

Remarks
The EnumWindows function does not enumerate child windows, with the exception of a
few top-level windows owned by the system that have the WS_CHILD style.

This function is more reliable than calling the GetWindow function in a loop. An
application that calls GetWindow to perform this task risks being caught in an infinite
loop or referencing a handle to a window that has been destroyed.

Note For Windows 8 and later, EnumWindows enumerates only top-level windows
of desktop apps.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

EnumChildWindows

EnumWindowsProc

GetWindow
Reference

Windows

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EVENTMSG structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information about a hardware message sent to the system message queue.
This structure is used to store message information for the JournalPlaybackProc callback
function.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagEVENTMSG {

UINT message;
UINT paramL;
UINT paramH;
DWORD time;
HWND hwnd;
} EVENTMSG, *PEVENTMSGMSG, *NPEVENTMSGMSG, *LPEVENTMSGMSG, *PEVENTMSG,
*NPEVENTMSG, *LPEVENTMSG;

Members
message

Type: UINT

The message.

paramL

Type: UINT

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the message
value.

paramH

Type: UINT

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the message
value.

time
Type: DWORD

The time at which the message was posted.

hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to which the message was posted.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

JournalPlaybackProc

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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FindWindowA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match
the specified strings. This function does not search child windows. This function does
not perform a case-sensitive search.

To search child windows, beginning with a specified child window, use the
FindWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

HWND FindWindowA(
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpClassName,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpWindowName
);

Parameters
[in, optional] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpClassName; the
high-order word must be zero.

If lpClassName points to a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can
be any name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined
control-class names.

If lpClassName is NULL, it finds any window whose title matches the lpWindowName
parameter.

[in, optional] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name (the window's title). If this parameter is NULL, all window names
match.
Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the window that has the
specified class name and window name.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the lpWindowName parameter is not NULL, FindWindow calls the GetWindowText
function to retrieve the window name for comparison. For a description of a potential
problem that can arise, see the Remarks for GetWindowText.

Examples
For an example, see Retrieving the Number of Mouse Wheel Scroll Lines.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines FindWindow as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib
 DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

EnumWindows

FindWindowEx

GetClassName

GetWindowText

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

Windows

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FindWindowExA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a handle to a window whose class name and window name match the
specified strings. The function searches child windows, beginning with the one following
the specified child window. This function does not perform a case-sensitive search.

Syntax
C++

HWND FindWindowExA(
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in, optional] HWND hWndChildAfter,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpszClass,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpszWindow
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window whose child windows are to be searched.

If hwndParent is NULL, the function uses the desktop window as the parent window. The
function searches among windows that are child windows of the desktop.

If hwndParent is HWND_MESSAGE, the function searches all message-only windows.

[in, optional] hWndChildAfter

Type: HWND

A handle to a child window. The search begins with the next child window in the Z order.
The child window must be a direct child window of hwndParent, not just a descendant
window.

If hwndChildAfter is NULL, the search begins with the first child window of hwndParent.

Note that if both hwndParent and hwndChildAfter are NULL, the function searches all
top-level and message-only windows.
[in, optional] lpszClass

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be placed in the low-order word of lpszClass;
the high-order word must be zero.

If lpszClass is a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can be any
name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined control-
class names, or it can be MAKEINTATOM(0x8000) . In this latter case, 0x8000 is the atom for
a menu class. For more information, see the Remarks section of this topic.

[in, optional] lpszWindow

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name (the window's title). If this parameter is NULL, all window names
match.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the window that has the
specified class and window names.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The FindWindowEx function searches only direct child windows. It does not search other
descendants.

If the lpszWindow parameter is not NULL, FindWindowEx calls the GetWindowText

function to retrieve the window name for comparison. For a description of a potential
problem that can arise, see the Remarks section of GetWindowText.

An application can call this function in the following way.

FindWindowEx( NULL, NULL, MAKEINTATOM(0x8000), NULL );

Note that 0x8000 is the atom for a menu class. When an application calls this function,
the function checks whether a context menu is being displayed that the application
created.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines FindWindowEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

EnumWindows

FindWindow

GetClassName

GetWindowText

Reference

RegisterClass
RegisterClassEx

Windows

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FindWindowExW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a handle to a window whose class name and window name match the
specified strings. The function searches child windows, beginning with the one following
the specified child window. This function does not perform a case-sensitive search.

Syntax
C++

HWND FindWindowExW(
[in, optional] HWND hWndParent,
[in, optional] HWND hWndChildAfter,
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpszClass,
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpszWindow
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window whose child windows are to be searched.

If hwndParent is NULL, the function uses the desktop window as the parent window. The
function searches among windows that are child windows of the desktop.

If hwndParent is HWND_MESSAGE, the function searches all message-only windows.

[in, optional] hWndChildAfter

Type: HWND

A handle to a child window. The search begins with the next child window in the Z order.
The child window must be a direct child window of hwndParent, not just a descendant
window.

If hwndChildAfter is NULL, the search begins with the first child window of hwndParent.

Note that if both hwndParent and hwndChildAfter are NULL, the function searches all
top-level and message-only windows.
[in, optional] lpszClass

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be placed in the low-order word of lpszClass;
the high-order word must be zero.

If lpszClass is a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can be any
name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined control-
class names, or it can be MAKEINTATOM(0x8000) . In this latter case, 0x8000 is the atom for
a menu class. For more information, see the Remarks section of this topic.

[in, optional] lpszWindow

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name (the window's title). If this parameter is NULL, all window names
match.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the window that has the
specified class and window names.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The FindWindowEx function searches only direct child windows. It does not search other
descendants.

If the lpszWindow parameter is not NULL, FindWindowEx calls the GetWindowText

function to retrieve the window name for comparison. For a description of a potential
problem that can arise, see the Remarks section of GetWindowText.

An application can call this function in the following way.

FindWindowEx( NULL, NULL, MAKEINTATOM(0x8000), NULL );

Note that 0x8000 is the atom for a menu class. When an application calls this function,
the function checks whether a context menu is being displayed that the application
created.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines FindWindowEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

EnumWindows

FindWindow

GetClassName

GetWindowText

Reference

RegisterClass
RegisterClassEx

Windows

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FindWindowW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match
the specified strings. This function does not search child windows. This function does
not perform a case-sensitive search.

To search child windows, beginning with a specified child window, use the
FindWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

HWND FindWindowW(
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpClassName,
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpWindowName
);

Parameters
[in, optional] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name or a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpClassName; the
high-order word must be zero.

If lpClassName points to a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can
be any name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined
control-class names.

If lpClassName is NULL, it finds any window whose title matches the lpWindowName
parameter.

[in, optional] lpWindowName

Type: LPCTSTR

The window name (the window's title). If this parameter is NULL, all window names
match.
Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the window that has the
specified class name and window name.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the lpWindowName parameter is not NULL, FindWindow calls the GetWindowText
function to retrieve the window name for comparison. For a description of a potential
problem that can arise, see the Remarks for GetWindowText.

Examples
For an example, see Retrieving the Number of Mouse Wheel Scroll Lines.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines FindWindow as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib
 DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

EnumWindows

FindWindowEx

GetClassName

GetWindowText

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

Windows

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GetAltTabInfoA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves status information for the specified window if it is the application-switching

(ALT+TAB) window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetAltTabInfoA(
[in, optional] HWND hwnd,
[in] int iItem,
[in, out] PALTTABINFO pati,
[out, optional] LPSTR pszItemText,
[in] UINT cchItemText
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window for which status information will be retrieved. This window must
be the application-switching window.

[in] iItem

Type: int

The index of the icon in the application-switching window. If the pszItemText parameter
is not NULL, the name of the item is copied to the pszItemText string. If this parameter is
–1, the name of the item is not copied.

[in, out] pati

Type: PALTTABINFO

A pointer to an ALTTABINFO structure to receive the status information. Note that you
must set the csSize member to sizeof(ALTTABINFO) before calling this function.

[out, optional] pszItemText

Type: LPTSTR

The name of the item. If this parameter is NULL, the name of the item is not copied.

[in] cchItemText

Type: UINT

The size, in characters, of the pszItemText buffer.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The application-switching window enables you to switch to the most recently used
application window. To display the application-switching window, press ALT+TAB. To
select an application from the list, continue to hold ALT down and press TAB to move
through the list. Add SHIFT to reverse direction through the list.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetAltTabInfo as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
ALTTABINFO

Conceptual

Reference

Windows

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GetAltTabInfoW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves status information for the specified window if it is the application-switching

(ALT+TAB) window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetAltTabInfoW(
[in, optional] HWND hwnd,
[in] int iItem,
[in, out] PALTTABINFO pati,
[out, optional] LPWSTR pszItemText,
[in] UINT cchItemText
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window for which status information will be retrieved. This window must
be the application-switching window.

[in] iItem

Type: int

The index of the icon in the application-switching window. If the pszItemText parameter
is not NULL, the name of the item is copied to the pszItemText string. If this parameter is
–1, the name of the item is not copied.

[in, out] pati

Type: PALTTABINFO

A pointer to an ALTTABINFO structure to receive the status information. Note that you
must set the csSize member to sizeof(ALTTABINFO) before calling this function.

[out, optional] pszItemText

Type: LPTSTR

The name of the item. If this parameter is NULL, the name of the item is not copied.

[in] cchItemText

Type: UINT

The size, in characters, of the pszItemText buffer.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The application-switching window enables you to switch to the most recently used
application window. To display the application-switching window, press ALT+TAB. To
select an application from the list, continue to hold ALT down and press TAB to move
through the list. Add SHIFT to reverse direction through the list.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetAltTabInfo as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
ALTTABINFO

Conceptual

Reference

Windows

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GetAncestor function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the handle to the ancestor of the specified window.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetAncestor(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in] UINT gaFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose ancestor is to be retrieved. If this parameter is the

desktop window, the function returns NULL.

[in] gaFlags

Type: UINT

The ancestor to be retrieved. This parameter can be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GA_PARENT Retrieves the parent window. This does not include the
1 owner, as it does with the GetParent function.

GA_ROOT Retrieves the root window by walking the chain of parent

2 windows.

GA_ROOTOWNER Retrieves the owned root window by walking the chain of

3 parent and owner windows returned by GetParent.

Return value
Type: HWND
The return value is the handle to the ancestor window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

GetParent

Reference

Windows

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GetClassInfoA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about a window class.

Note The GetClassInfo function has been superseded by the GetClassInfoEx

function. You can still use GetClassInfo, however, if you do not need information
about the class small icon.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetClassInfoA(
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] LPCSTR lpClassName,
[out] LPWNDCLASSA lpWndClass
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the application that created the class. To retrieve information
about classes defined by the system (such as buttons or list boxes), set this parameter to
NULL.

[in] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name. The name must be that of a preregistered class or a class registered by
a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function.

Alternatively, this parameter can be an atom. If so, it must be a class atom created by a
previous call to RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx. The atom must be in the low-order
word of lpClassName; the high-order word must be zero.
[out] lpWndClass

Type: LPWNDCLASS

A pointer to a WNDCLASS structure that receives the information about the class.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function finds a matching class and successfully copies the data, the return value is
nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassInfo as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassInfoEx

GetClassLong

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

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GetClassInfoExA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about a window class, including a handle to the small icon
associated with the window class. The GetClassInfo function does not retrieve a handle
to the small icon.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetClassInfoExA(
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] LPCSTR lpszClass,
[out] LPWNDCLASSEXA lpwcx
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the application that created the class. To retrieve information
about classes defined by the system (such as buttons or list boxes), set this parameter to
NULL.

[in] lpszClass

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name. The name must be that of a preregistered class or a class registered by
a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function. Alternatively, this
parameter can be a class atom created by a previous call to RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpszClass; the high-order
word must be zero.

[out] lpwcx

Type: LPWNDCLASSEX

A pointer to a WNDCLASSEX structure that receives the information about the class.
Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function finds a matching class and successfully copies the data, the return value is
nonzero.

If the function does not find a matching class and successfully copy the data, the return
value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
Class atoms are created using the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function, not the
GlobalAddAtom function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassInfoEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLong

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

Window Classes

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GetClassInfoExW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about a window class, including a handle to the small icon
associated with the window class. The GetClassInfo function does not retrieve a handle
to the small icon.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetClassInfoExW(
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] LPCWSTR lpszClass,
[out] LPWNDCLASSEXW lpwcx
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the application that created the class. To retrieve information
about classes defined by the system (such as buttons or list boxes), set this parameter to
NULL.

[in] lpszClass

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name. The name must be that of a preregistered class or a class registered by
a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function. Alternatively, this
parameter can be a class atom created by a previous call to RegisterClass or
RegisterClassEx. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpszClass; the high-order
word must be zero.

[out] lpwcx

Type: LPWNDCLASSEX

A pointer to a WNDCLASSEX structure that receives the information about the class.
Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function finds a matching class and successfully copies the data, the return value is
nonzero.

If the function does not find a matching class and successfully copy the data, the return
value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
Class atoms are created using the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function, not the
GlobalAddAtom function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassInfoEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLong

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

Window Classes

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GetClassInfoW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about a window class.

Note The GetClassInfo function has been superseded by the GetClassInfoEx

function. You can still use GetClassInfo, however, if you do not need information
about the class small icon.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetClassInfoW(
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance,
[in] LPCWSTR lpClassName,
[out] LPWNDCLASSW lpWndClass
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the application that created the class. To retrieve information
about classes defined by the system (such as buttons or list boxes), set this parameter to
NULL.

[in] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

The class name. The name must be that of a preregistered class or a class registered by
a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function.

Alternatively, this parameter can be an atom. If so, it must be a class atom created by a
previous call to RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx. The atom must be in the low-order
word of lpClassName; the high-order word must be zero.
[out] lpWndClass

Type: LPWNDCLASS

A pointer to a WNDCLASS structure that receives the information about the class.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function finds a matching class and successfully copies the data, the return value is
nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassInfo as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassInfoEx

GetClassLong

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

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GetClassLongA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the specified 32-bit (DWORD) value from the WNDCLASSEX structure
associated with the specified window.

Note If you are retrieving a pointer or a handle, this function has been superseded
by the GetClassLongPtr function. (Pointers and handles are 32 bits on 32-bit
Windows and 64 bits on 64-bit Windows.)

Syntax
C++

DWORD GetClassLongA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be retrieved. To retrieve a value from the extra class memory, specify the
positive, zero-based byte offset of the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range
zero through the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the
third integer. To retrieve any other value from the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify one
of the following values.

Value Meaning
 GCW_ATOM Retrieves an ATOM value that uniquely identifies the
-32 window class. This is the same atom that the
RegisterClassEx function returns.

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra memory

-20 associated with the class.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. For information
on how to access this memory, see GetWindowLong.

GCL_HBRBACKGROUND Retrieves a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCL_HCURSOR Retrieves a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCL_HICON Retrieves a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCL_HICONSM Retrieves a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCL_HMODULE Retrieves a handle to the module that registered the

-16 class.

GCL_MENUNAME Retrieves the address of the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Retrieves the window-class style bits.

-26

GCL_WNDPROC Retrieves the address of the window procedure, or a

-24 handle representing the address of the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

Return value
Type: DWORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassLong as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLongPtr

GetWindowLong

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetClassLong

WNDCLASSEX
Window Classes

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GetClassLongPtrA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the specified value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with the
specified window.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of
Windows, use GetClassLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows,
GetClassLongPtr is defined as a call to the GetClassLong function.

Syntax
C++

ULONG_PTR GetClassLongPtrA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be retrieved. To retrieve a value from the extra class memory, specify the
positive, zero-based byte offset of the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range
zero through the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus eight; for example, if
you specified 24 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 16 would be an index
to the third integer. To retrieve any other value from the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify
one of the following values.

Value Meaning
 GCW_ATOM Retrieves an ATOM value that uniquely identifies the
-32 window class. This is the same atom that the
RegisterClassEx function returns.

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra memory

-20 associated with the class.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. For information
on how to access this memory, see GetWindowLongPtr.

GCLP_HBRBACKGROUND Retrieves a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCLP_HCURSOR Retrieves a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCLP_HICON Retrieves a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCLP_HICONSM Retrieves a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCLP_HMODULE Retrieves a handle to the module that registered the

-16 class.

GCLP_MENUNAME Retrieves the pointer to the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Retrieves the window-class style bits.

-26

GCLP_WNDPROC Retrieves the address of the window procedure, or a

-24 handle representing the address of the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

Return value
Type: ULONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetClassLongPtr

WNDCLASSEX
Window Classes

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GetClassLongPtrW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the specified value from the WNDCLASSEX structure associated with the
specified window.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of
Windows, use GetClassLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows,
GetClassLongPtr is defined as a call to the GetClassLong function.

Syntax
C++

ULONG_PTR GetClassLongPtrW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be retrieved. To retrieve a value from the extra class memory, specify the
positive, zero-based byte offset of the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range
zero through the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus eight; for example, if
you specified 24 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 16 would be an index
to the third integer. To retrieve any other value from the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify
one of the following values.

Value Meaning
 GCW_ATOM Retrieves an ATOM value that uniquely identifies the
-32 window class. This is the same atom that the
RegisterClassEx function returns.

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra memory

-20 associated with the class.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. For information
on how to access this memory, see GetWindowLongPtr.

GCLP_HBRBACKGROUND Retrieves a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCLP_HCURSOR Retrieves a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCLP_HICON Retrieves a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCLP_HICONSM Retrieves a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCLP_HMODULE Retrieves a handle to the module that registered the

-16 class.

GCLP_MENUNAME Retrieves the pointer to the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Retrieves the window-class style bits.

-26

GCLP_WNDPROC Retrieves the address of the window procedure, or a

-24 handle representing the address of the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

Return value
Type: ULONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetClassLongPtr

WNDCLASSEX
Window Classes

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GetClassLongW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the specified 32-bit (DWORD) value from the WNDCLASSEX structure
associated with the specified window.

Note If you are retrieving a pointer or a handle, this function has been superseded
by the GetClassLongPtr function. (Pointers and handles are 32 bits on 32-bit
Windows and 64 bits on 64-bit Windows.)

Syntax
C++

DWORD GetClassLongW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be retrieved. To retrieve a value from the extra class memory, specify the
positive, zero-based byte offset of the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range
zero through the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the
third integer. To retrieve any other value from the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify one
of the following values.

Value Meaning
 GCW_ATOM Retrieves an ATOM value that uniquely identifies the
-32 window class. This is the same atom that the
RegisterClassEx function returns.

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra memory

-20 associated with the class.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Retrieves the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. For information
on how to access this memory, see GetWindowLong.

GCL_HBRBACKGROUND Retrieves a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCL_HCURSOR Retrieves a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCL_HICON Retrieves a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCL_HICONSM Retrieves a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCL_HMODULE Retrieves a handle to the module that registered the

-16 class.

GCL_MENUNAME Retrieves the address of the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Retrieves the window-class style bits.

-26

GCL_WNDPROC Retrieves the address of the window procedure, or a

-24 handle representing the address of the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

Return value
Type: DWORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassLong as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLongPtr

GetWindowLong

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetClassLong

WNDCLASSEX
Window Classes

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GetClassName function (winuser.h)
Article08/02/2022

Retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window belongs.

Syntax
C++

int GetClassName(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPTSTR lpClassName,
[in] int nMaxCount
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[out] lpClassName

Type: LPTSTR

The class name string.

[in] nMaxCount

Type: int

The length of the lpClassName buffer, in characters. The buffer must be large enough to
include the terminating null character; otherwise, the class name string is truncated to
nMaxCount-1 characters.

Return value
Type: int
If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of characters copied to the
buffer, not including the terminating null character.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError function.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
FindWindowA function, GetClassInfoA function, GetClassLongA function, GetClassWord
function, Window Classes

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GetClassNameA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window belongs.

Syntax
C++

int GetClassNameA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPSTR lpClassName,
[in] int nMaxCount
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[out] lpClassName

Type: LPTSTR

The class name string.

[in] nMaxCount

Type: int

The length of the lpClassName buffer, in characters. The buffer must be large enough to
include the terminating null character; otherwise, the class name string is truncated to
nMaxCount-1 characters.

Return value
Type: int
If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of characters copied to the
buffer, not including the terminating null character.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassName as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

FindWindow

GetClassInfo

GetClassLong
GetClassWord

Reference

Window Classes

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GetClassNameW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the name of the class to which the specified window belongs.

Syntax
C++

int GetClassNameW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPWSTR lpClassName,
[in] int nMaxCount
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[out] lpClassName

Type: LPTSTR

The class name string.

[in] nMaxCount

Type: int

The length of the lpClassName buffer, in characters. The buffer must be large enough to
include the terminating null character; otherwise, the class name string is truncated to
nMaxCount-1 characters.

Return value
Type: int
If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of characters copied to the
buffer, not including the terminating null character.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetClassName as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

FindWindow

GetClassInfo

GetClassLong
GetClassWord

Reference

Window Classes

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GetClassWord function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the 16-bit (WORD) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory for
the window class to which the specified window belongs.

Note This function is deprecated for any use other than nIndex set to GCW_ATOM.
The function is provided only for compatibility with 16-bit versions of Windows.
Applications should use the GetClassLong or GetClassLongPtr function.

Syntax
C++

WORD GetClassWord(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based byte offset of the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range
zero through the number of bytes of class memory, minus two; for example, if you
specified 10 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of eight would be an index to
the fifth 16-bit integer. There is an additional valid value as shown in the following table.

Value Meaning

GCW_ATOM Retrieves an ATOM value that uniquely identifies the

-32 window class. This is the same atom that the
 RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function returns.

Return value
Type: WORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested 16-bit value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASS structure used with the RegisterClass function.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLong

Reference
RegisterClass

RegisterClassEx

SetClassWord

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

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GetClientRect function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the coordinates of a window's client area. The client coordinates specify the
upper-left and lower-right corners of the client area. Because client coordinates are
relative to the upper-left corner of a window's client area, the coordinates of the upper-
left corner are (0,0).

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetClientRect(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPRECT lpRect
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose client coordinates are to be retrieved.

[out] lpRect

Type: LPRECT

A pointer to a RECT structure that receives the client coordinates. The left and top
members are zero. The right and bottom members contain the width and height of the
window.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
In conformance with conventions for the RECT structure, the bottom-right coordinates
of the returned rectangle are exclusive. In other words, the pixel at (right, bottom) lies
immediately outside the rectangle.

Examples

For example, see Creating, Enumerating, and Sizing Child Windows.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowRect

Other Resources

RECT

Reference

Windows

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GetDesktopWindow function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Retrieves a handle to the desktop window. The desktop window covers the entire
screen. The desktop window is the area on top of which other windows are painted.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetDesktopWindow();

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is a handle to the desktop window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindow
Reference

Windows

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GetForegroundWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Retrieves a handle to the foreground window (the window with which the user is
currently working). The system assigns a slightly higher priority to the thread that
creates the foreground window than it does to other threads.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetForegroundWindow();

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is a handle to the foreground window. The foreground window can be
NULL in certain circumstances, such as when a window is losing activation.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

SetForegroundWindow

Windows

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GetGUIThreadInfo function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves information about the active window or a specified GUI thread.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetGUIThreadInfo(
[in] DWORD idThread,
[in, out] PGUITHREADINFO pgui
);

Parameters
[in] idThread

Type: DWORD

The identifier for the thread for which information is to be retrieved. To retrieve this
value, use the GetWindowThreadProcessId function. If this parameter is NULL, the
function returns information for the foreground thread.

[in, out] pgui

Type: LPGUITHREADINFO

A pointer to a GUITHREADINFO structure that receives information describing the

thread. Note that you must set the cbSize member to sizeof(GUITHREADINFO) before
calling this function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
This function succeeds even if the active window is not owned by the calling process. If
the specified thread does not exist or have an input queue, the function will fail.

This function is useful for retrieving out-of-context information about a thread. The
information retrieved is the same as if an application retrieved the information about
itself.

For an edit control, the returned rcCaret rectangle contains the caret plus information
on text direction and padding. Thus, it may not give the correct position of the cursor.
The Sans Serif font uses four characters for the cursor:

Cursor character Unicode code point

CURSOR_LTR 0xf00c

CURSOR_RTL 0xf00d

CURSOR_THAI 0xf00e

CURSOR_USA 0xfff (this is a marker value with no associated glyph)

To get the actual insertion point in the rcCaret rectangle, perform the following steps.

1. Call GetKeyboardLayout to retrieve the current input language.

2. Determine the character used for the cursor, based on the current input language.
3. Call CreateFont using Sans Serif for the font, the height given by rcCaret, and a
width of zero . For fnWeight, call SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETCARETWIDTH, 0,
pvParam, 0) . If pvParam is greater than 1, set fnWeight to 700, otherwise set
fnWeight to 400.
4. Select the font into a device context (DC) and use GetCharABCWidths to get the B
width of the appropriate cursor character.
5. Add the B width to rcCaret.left to obtain the actual insertion point.

The function may not return valid window handles in the GUITHREADINFO structure
when called to retrieve information for the foreground thread, such as when a window is
losing activation.

DPI Virtualization
The coordinates returned in the rcCaret rect of the GUITHREADINFO struct are logical
coordinates in terms of the window associated with the caret. They are not virtualized
into the mode of the calling thread.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

GUITHREADINFO

GetCursorInfo

GetWindowThreadProcessId

Reference

Windows

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GetInputState function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Determines whether there are mouse-button or keyboard messages in the calling

thread's message queue.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetInputState();

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the queue contains one or more new mouse-button or keyboard messages, the return
value is nonzero.

If there are no new mouse-button or keyboard messages in the queue, the return value
is zero.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual
GetQueueStatus

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

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GetLastActivePopup function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines which pop-up window owned by the specified window was most recently
active.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetLastActivePopup(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the owner window.

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value identifies the most recently active pop-up window. The return value is
the same as the hWnd parameter, if any of the following conditions are met:

The window identified by hWnd was most recently active.

The window identified by hWnd does not own any pop-up windows.
The window identifies by hWnd is not a top-level window, or it is owned by
another window.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
AnyPopup

Conceptual

Reference

ShowOwnedPopups

Windows

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GetLayeredWindowAttributes function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the opacity and transparency color key of a layered window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetLayeredWindowAttributes(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[out, optional] COLORREF *pcrKey,
[out, optional] BYTE *pbAlpha,
[out, optional] DWORD *pdwFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the layered window. A layered window is created by specifying

WS_EX_LAYERED when creating the window with the CreateWindowEx function or by
setting WS_EX_LAYERED using SetWindowLong after the window has been created.

[out, optional] pcrKey

Type: COLORREF*

A pointer to a COLORREF value that receives the transparency color key to be used
when composing the layered window. All pixels painted by the window in this color will
be transparent. This can be NULL if the argument is not needed.

[out, optional] pbAlpha

Type: BYTE*

The Alpha value used to describe the opacity of the layered window. Similar to the
SourceConstantAlpha member of the BLENDFUNCTION structure. When the variable
referred to by pbAlpha is 0, the window is completely transparent. When the variable
referred to by pbAlpha is 255, the window is opaque. This can be NULL if the argument
is not needed.

[out, optional] pdwFlags

Type: DWORD*

A layering flag. This parameter can be NULL if the value is not needed. The layering flag
can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

LWA_ALPHA Use pbAlpha to determine the opacity of the layered

0x00000002 window.

LWA_COLORKEY Use pcrKey as the transparency color.

0x00000001

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
GetLayeredWindowAttributes can be called only if the application has previously called
SetLayeredWindowAttributes on the window. The function will fail if the layered window
was setup with UpdateLayeredWindow.

For more information, see Using Layered Windows.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows XP [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

CreateWindowEx

Reference

SetLayeredWindowAttributes

SetWindowLong

Using Windows

Windows

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GetMessage function (winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue. The function dispatches
incoming sent messages until a posted message is available for retrieval.

GetMessage functions like PeekMessage, however, GetMessage blocks until a message

is posted before returning.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetMessage(
[out] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMin,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMax
);

Parameters
[out] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that receives message information from the thread's
message queue.

[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose messages are to be retrieved. The window must belong
to the current thread.

If hWnd is NULL, GetMessage retrieves messages for any window that belongs to the
current thread, and any messages on the current thread's message queue whose hwnd
value is NULL (see the MSG structure). Therefore if hWnd is NULL, both window
messages and thread messages are processed.

If hWnd is -1, GetMessage retrieves only messages on the current thread's message
queue whose hwnd value is NULL, that is, thread messages as posted by PostMessage
(when the hWnd parameter is NULL) or PostThreadMessage.

[in] wMsgFilterMin

Type: UINT

The integer value of the lowest message value to be retrieved. Use WM_KEYFIRST
(0x0100) to specify the first keyboard message or WM_MOUSEFIRST (0x0200) to specify
the first mouse message.

Use WM_INPUT here and in wMsgFilterMax to specify only the WM_INPUT messages.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, GetMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wMsgFilterMax

Type: UINT

The integer value of the highest message value to be retrieved. Use WM_KEYLAST to
specify the last keyboard message or WM_MOUSELAST to specify the last mouse
message.

Use WM_INPUT here and in wMsgFilterMin to specify only the WM_INPUT messages.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, GetMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function retrieves a message other than WM_QUIT, the return value is nonzero.

If the function retrieves the WM_QUIT message, the return value is zero.

If there is an error, the return value is -1. For example, the function fails if hWnd is an
invalid window handle or lpMsg is an invalid pointer. To get extended error information,
call GetLastError.

Because the return value can be nonzero, zero, or -1, avoid code like this:

while (GetMessage( lpMsg, hWnd, 0, 0)) ...

The possibility of a -1 return value in the case that hWnd is an invalid parameter (such as
referring to a window that has already been destroyed) means that such code can lead
to fatal application errors. Instead, use code like this:

BOOL bRet;

while( (bRet = GetMessage( &msg, hWnd, 0, 0 )) != 0)

{
if (bRet == -1)
{
// handle the error and possibly exit
}
else
{
TranslateMessage(&msg);
DispatchMessage(&msg);
}
}

Remarks
An application typically uses the return value to determine whether to end the main
message loop and exit the program.

The GetMessage function retrieves messages associated with the window identified by
the hWnd parameter or any of its children, as specified by the IsChild function, and
within the range of message values given by the wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax
parameters. Note that an application can only use the low word in the wMsgFilterMin
and wMsgFilterMax parameters; the high word is reserved for the system.

Note that GetMessage always retrieves WM_QUIT messages, no matter which values
you specify for wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax.

During this call, the system delivers pending, nonqueued messages, that is, messages
sent to windows owned by the calling thread using the SendMessage,
SendMessageCallback, SendMessageTimeout, or SendNotifyMessage function. Then the
first queued message that matches the specified filter is retrieved. The system may also
process internal events. If no filter is specified, messages are processed in the following
order:

Sent messages
Posted messages
Input (hardware) messages and system internal events
 Sent messages (again)
WM_PAINT messages
WM_TIMER messages

To retrieve input messages before posted messages, use the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters.

GetMessage does not remove WM_PAINT messages from the queue. The messages
remain in the queue until processed.

If a top-level window stops responding to messages for more than several seconds, the
system considers the window to be not responding and replaces it with a ghost window
that has the same z-order, location, size, and visual attributes. This allows the user to
move it, resize it, or even close the application. However, these are the only actions
available because the application is actually not responding. When in the debugger
mode, the system does not generate a ghost window.

DPI Virtualization
This API does not participate in DPI virtualization. The output is in the mode of the
window that the message is targeting. The calling thread is not taken into consideration.

Examples
For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

IsChild

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

WaitMessage

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GetMessageA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue. The function dispatches
incoming sent messages until a posted message is available for retrieval.

Unlike GetMessage, the PeekMessage function does not wait for a message to be
posted before returning.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetMessageA(
[out] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMin,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMax
);

Parameters
[out] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that receives message information from the thread's
message queue.

[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose messages are to be retrieved. The window must belong
to the current thread.

If hWnd is NULL, GetMessage retrieves messages for any window that belongs to the
current thread, and any messages on the current thread's message queue whose hwnd
value is NULL (see the MSG structure). Therefore if hWnd is NULL, both window
messages and thread messages are processed.

If hWnd is -1, GetMessage retrieves only messages on the current thread's message
queue whose hwnd value is NULL, that is, thread messages as posted by PostMessage
(when the hWnd parameter is NULL) or PostThreadMessage.

[in] wMsgFilterMin

Type: UINT

The integer value of the lowest message value to be retrieved. Use WM_KEYFIRST
(0x0100) to specify the first keyboard message or WM_MOUSEFIRST (0x0200) to specify
the first mouse message.

Use WM_INPUT here and in wMsgFilterMax to specify only the WM_INPUT messages.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, GetMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wMsgFilterMax

Type: UINT

The integer value of the highest message value to be retrieved. Use WM_KEYLAST to
specify the last keyboard message or WM_MOUSELAST to specify the last mouse
message.

Use WM_INPUT here and in wMsgFilterMin to specify only the WM_INPUT messages.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, GetMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function retrieves a message other than WM_QUIT, the return value is nonzero.

If the function retrieves the WM_QUIT message, the return value is zero.

If there is an error, the return value is -1. For example, the function fails if hWnd is an
invalid window handle or lpMsg is an invalid pointer. To get extended error information,
call GetLastError.

Because the return value can be nonzero, zero, or -1, avoid code like this:

while (GetMessage( lpMsg, hWnd, 0, 0)) ...

The possibility of a -1 return value in the case that hWnd is an invalid parameter (such as
referring to a window that has already been destroyed) means that such code can lead
to fatal application errors. Instead, use code like this:

BOOL bRet;

while( (bRet = GetMessage( &msg, hWnd, 0, 0 )) != 0)

{
if (bRet == -1)
{
// handle the error and possibly exit
}
else
{
TranslateMessage(&msg);
DispatchMessage(&msg);
}
}

Remarks
An application typically uses the return value to determine whether to end the main
message loop and exit the program.

The GetMessage function retrieves messages associated with the window identified by
the hWnd parameter or any of its children, as specified by the IsChild function, and
within the range of message values given by the wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax
parameters. Note that an application can only use the low word in the wMsgFilterMin
and wMsgFilterMax parameters; the high word is reserved for the system.

Note that GetMessage always retrieves WM_QUIT messages, no matter which values
you specify for wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax.

During this call, the system delivers pending, nonqueued messages, that is, messages
sent to windows owned by the calling thread using the SendMessage,
SendMessageCallback, SendMessageTimeout, or SendNotifyMessage function. Then the
first queued message that matches the specified filter is retrieved. The system may also
process internal events. If no filter is specified, messages are processed in the following
order:

Sent messages
Posted messages
Input (hardware) messages and system internal events
 Sent messages (again)
WM_PAINT messages
WM_TIMER messages

To retrieve input messages before posted messages, use the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters.

GetMessage does not remove WM_PAINT messages from the queue. The messages
remain in the queue until processed.

If a top-level window stops responding to messages for more than several seconds, the
system considers the window to be not responding and replaces it with a ghost window
that has the same z-order, location, size, and visual attributes. This allows the user to
move it, resize it, or even close the application. However, these are the only actions
available because the application is actually not responding. When in the debugger
mode, the system does not generate a ghost window.

DPI Virtualization
This API does not participate in DPI virtualization. The output is in the mode of the
window that the message is targeting. The calling thread is not taken into consideration.

Examples
For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

IsChild

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

WaitMessage

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GetMessageExtraInfo function
(winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Retrieves the extra message information for the current thread. Extra message
information is an application- or driver-defined value associated with the current
thread's message queue.

Syntax
C++

LPARAM GetMessageExtraInfo();

Return value
Type: LPARAM

The return value specifies the extra information. The meaning of the extra information is
device specific.

Remarks
To set a thread's extra message information, use the SetMessageExtraInfo function.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib
 DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

Reference

SetMessageExtraInfo

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GetMessagePos function (winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Retrieves the cursor position for the last message retrieved by the GetMessage function.

To determine the current position of the cursor, use the GetCursorPos function.

Syntax
C++

DWORD GetMessagePos();

Return value
Type: DWORD

The return value specifies the x- and y-coordinates of the cursor position. The x-
coordinate is the low order short and the y-coordinate is the high-order short.

Remarks
As noted above, the x-coordinate is in the low-order short of the return value; the y-
coordinate is in the high-order short (both represent signed values because they can
take negative values on systems with multiple monitors). If the return value is assigned
to a variable, you can use the MAKEPOINTS macro to obtain a POINTS structure from
the return value. You can also use the GET_X_LPARAM or GET_Y_LPARAM macro to
extract the x- or y-coordinate.

Important Do not use the LOWORD or HIWORD macros to extract the x- and y-
coordinates of the cursor position because these macros return incorrect results on
systems with multiple monitors. Systems with multiple monitors can have negative
x- and y- coordinates, and LOWORD and HIWORD treat the coordinates as
unsigned quantities.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

GetCursorPos

GetMessage

GetMessageTime

HIWORD

LOWORD

MAKEPOINTS

Messages and Message Queues

Other Resources

POINTS

Reference

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GetMessageTime function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Retrieves the message time for the last message retrieved by the GetMessage function.
The time is a long integer that specifies the elapsed time, in milliseconds, from the time
the system was started to the time the message was created (that is, placed in the
thread's message queue).

Syntax
C++

LONG GetMessageTime();

Return value
Type: LONG

The return value specifies the message time.

Remarks
The return value from the GetMessageTime function does not necessarily increase
between subsequent messages, because the value wraps to the minimum value for a
long integer if the timer count exceeds the maximum value for a long integer.

To calculate time delays between messages, subtract the time of the first message from
the time of the second message (ignoring overflow) and compare the result of the
subtraction against the desired delay amount.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

GetMessagePos

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

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GetMessageW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a message from the calling thread's message queue. The function dispatches
incoming sent messages until a posted message is available for retrieval.

Unlike GetMessage, the PeekMessage function does not wait for a message to be
posted before returning.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetMessageW(
[out] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMin,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMax
);

Parameters
[out] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that receives message information from the thread's
message queue.

[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose messages are to be retrieved. The window must belong
to the current thread.

If hWnd is NULL, GetMessage retrieves messages for any window that belongs to the
current thread, and any messages on the current thread's message queue whose hwnd
value is NULL (see the MSG structure). Therefore if hWnd is NULL, both window
messages and thread messages are processed.

If hWnd is -1, GetMessage retrieves only messages on the current thread's message
queue whose hwnd value is NULL, that is, thread messages as posted by PostMessage
(when the hWnd parameter is NULL) or PostThreadMessage.

[in] wMsgFilterMin

Type: UINT

The integer value of the lowest message value to be retrieved. Use WM_KEYFIRST
(0x0100) to specify the first keyboard message or WM_MOUSEFIRST (0x0200) to specify
the first mouse message.

Use WM_INPUT here and in wMsgFilterMax to specify only the WM_INPUT messages.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, GetMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wMsgFilterMax

Type: UINT

The integer value of the highest message value to be retrieved. Use WM_KEYLAST to
specify the last keyboard message or WM_MOUSELAST to specify the last mouse
message.

Use WM_INPUT here and in wMsgFilterMin to specify only the WM_INPUT messages.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, GetMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function retrieves a message other than WM_QUIT, the return value is nonzero.

If the function retrieves the WM_QUIT message, the return value is zero.

If there is an error, the return value is -1. For example, the function fails if hWnd is an
invalid window handle or lpMsg is an invalid pointer. To get extended error information,
call GetLastError.

Because the return value can be nonzero, zero, or -1, avoid code like this:

while (GetMessage( lpMsg, hWnd, 0, 0)) ...

The possibility of a -1 return value in the case that hWnd is an invalid parameter (such as
referring to a window that has already been destroyed) means that such code can lead
to fatal application errors. Instead, use code like this:

BOOL bRet;

while( (bRet = GetMessage( &msg, hWnd, 0, 0 )) != 0)

{
if (bRet == -1)
{
// handle the error and possibly exit
}
else
{
TranslateMessage(&msg);
DispatchMessage(&msg);
}
}

Remarks
An application typically uses the return value to determine whether to end the main
message loop and exit the program.

The GetMessage function retrieves messages associated with the window identified by
the hWnd parameter or any of its children, as specified by the IsChild function, and
within the range of message values given by the wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax
parameters. Note that an application can only use the low word in the wMsgFilterMin
and wMsgFilterMax parameters; the high word is reserved for the system.

Note that GetMessage always retrieves WM_QUIT messages, no matter which values
you specify for wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax.

During this call, the system delivers pending, nonqueued messages, that is, messages
sent to windows owned by the calling thread using the SendMessage,
SendMessageCallback, SendMessageTimeout, or SendNotifyMessage function. Then the
first queued message that matches the specified filter is retrieved. The system may also
process internal events. If no filter is specified, messages are processed in the following
order:

Sent messages
Posted messages
Input (hardware) messages and system internal events
 Sent messages (again)
WM_PAINT messages
WM_TIMER messages

To retrieve input messages before posted messages, use the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters.

GetMessage does not remove WM_PAINT messages from the queue. The messages
remain in the queue until processed.

If a top-level window stops responding to messages for more than several seconds, the
system considers the window to be not responding and replaces it with a ghost window
that has the same z-order, location, size, and visual attributes. This allows the user to
move it, resize it, or even close the application. However, these are the only actions
available because the application is actually not responding. When in the debugger
mode, the system does not generate a ghost window.

DPI Virtualization
This API does not participate in DPI virtualization. The output is in the mode of the
window that the message is targeting. The calling thread is not taken into consideration.

Examples
For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

IsChild

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

WaitMessage

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GetNextWindow macro (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves a handle to the next or previous window in the Z-Order. The next window is
below the specified window; the previous window is above.

If the specified window is a topmost window, the function searches for a topmost
window. If the specified window is a top-level window, the function searches for a top-
level window. If the specified window is a child window, the function searches for a child
window.

Syntax
C++

void GetNextWindow(
[in] hWnd,
[in] wCmd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to a window. The window handle retrieved is relative to this window, based on
the value of the wCmd parameter.

[in] wCmd

Type: UINT

Indicates whether the function returns a handle to the next window or the previous
window. This parameter can be either of the following values.

Value Meaning

GW_HWNDNEXT Returns a handle to the window below the given window.

2

GW_HWNDPREV Returns a handle to the window above the given window.

3
Return value
None

Remarks
This function is implemented as a call to the GetWindow function.

syntax

#define GetNextWindow(hWnd, wCmd) GetWindow(hWnd, wCmd)

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetTopWindow

GetWindow

Reference

Windows

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GetParent function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves a handle to the specified window's parent or owner.

To retrieve a handle to a specified ancestor, use the GetAncestor function.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetParent(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose parent window handle is to be retrieved.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the window is a child window, the return value is a handle to the parent window. If the
window is a top-level window with the WS_POPUP style, the return value is a handle to
the owner window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

This function typically fails for one of the following reasons:

The window is a top-level window that is unowned or does not have the
WS_POPUP style.
The owner window has WS_POPUP style.
Remarks
To obtain a window's owner window, instead of using GetParent, use GetWindow with
the GW_OWNER flag. To obtain the parent window and not the owner, instead of using
GetParent, use GetAncestor with the GA_PARENT flag.

Examples

For an example, see Initializing a Dialog Box.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetAncestor

GetWindow

Reference

SetParent

Windows

Windows Styles
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GetProcessDefaultLayout function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the default layout that is used when windows are created with no parent or
owner.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetProcessDefaultLayout(
[out] DWORD *pdwDefaultLayout
);

Parameters
[out] pdwDefaultLayout

Type: DWORD*

The current default process layout. For a list of values, see SetProcessDefaultLayout.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The layout specifies how text and graphics are laid out in a window; the default is left to
right. The GetProcessDefaultLayout function lets you know if the default layout has
changed, from using SetProcessDefaultLayout.
Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

SetProcessDefaultLayout

Windows

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GetPropA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a data handle from the property list of the specified window. The character
string identifies the handle to be retrieved. The string and handle must have been added
to the property list by a previous call to the SetProp function.

Syntax
C++

HANDLE GetPropA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] LPCSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be searched.

[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

An atom that identifies a string. If this parameter is an atom, it must have been created
by using the GlobalAddAtom function. The atom, a 16-bit value, must be placed in the
low-order word of the lpString parameter; the high-order word must be zero.

Return value
Type: HANDLE

If the property list contains the string, the return value is the associated data handle.
Otherwise, the return value is NULL.

Remarks
 ７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetProp as an alias which automatically selects the
ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE
preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that
not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime
errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GlobalAddAtom

Reference

SetProp

Window Properties

ITaskbarList2::MarkFullscreenWindow

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GetPropW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a data handle from the property list of the specified window. The character
string identifies the handle to be retrieved. The string and handle must have been added
to the property list by a previous call to the SetProp function.

Syntax
C++

HANDLE GetPropW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] LPCWSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be searched.

[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

An atom that identifies a string. If this parameter is an atom, it must have been created
by using the GlobalAddAtom function. The atom, a 16-bit value, must be placed in the
low-order word of the lpString parameter; the high-order word must be zero.

Return value
Type: HANDLE

If the property list contains the string, the return value is the associated data handle.
Otherwise, the return value is NULL.

Remarks
 ７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetProp as an alias which automatically selects the
ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE
preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that
not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime
errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GlobalAddAtom

Reference

SetProp

Window Properties

ITaskbarList2::MarkFullscreenWindow

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GetQueueStatus function (winuser.h)
Article03/17/2023

Retrieves the type of messages found in the calling thread's message queue.

Syntax
C++

DWORD GetQueueStatus(
[in] UINT flags
);

Parameters
[in] flags

Type: UINT

The types of messages for which to check. This parameter can be one or more of the
following values.

Value Meaning

QS_KEY A WM_KEYUP, WM_KEYDOWN, WM_SYSKEYUP, or

0x0001 WM_SYSKEYDOWN message is in the queue.

QS_MOUSEMOVE A WM_MOUSEMOVE message is in the queue.

0x0002

QS_MOUSEBUTTON A mouse-button message (WM_LBUTTONUP,

0x0004 WM_RBUTTONDOWN, and so on).

QS_POSTMESSAGE A posted message (other than those listed here) is in

0x0008 the queue. For more information, see PostMessage.
This value is cleared when you call GetMessage or
PeekMessage, whether or not you are filtering
messages.

QS_TIMER A WM_TIMER message is in the queue.

0x0010

QS_PAINT A WM_PAINT message is in the queue.

0x0020
 Value Meaning

QS_SENDMESSAGE A message sent by another thread or application is

0x0040 in the queue. For more information, see
SendMessage.

QS_HOTKEY A WM_HOTKEY message is in the queue.

0x0080

QS_ALLPOSTMESSAGE A posted message (other than those listed here) is in

0x0100 the queue. For more information, see PostMessage.
This value is cleared when you call GetMessage or
PeekMessage without filtering messages.

QS_RAWINPUT Windows XP and newer: A raw input message is in

0x0400 the queue. For more information, see Raw Input.

QS_TOUCH Windows 8 and newer: A touch input message is in

0x0800 the queue. For more information, see Touch Input.

QS_POINTER Windows 8 and newer: A pointer input message is in

0x1000 the queue. For more information, see Pointer Input.

QS_MOUSE A WM_MOUSEMOVE message or mouse-button

(QS_MOUSEMOVE | QS_MOUSEBUTTON) message (WM_LBUTTONUP, WM_RBUTTONDOWN,
and so on).

QS_INPUT An input message is in the queue.

(QS_MOUSE | QS_KEY | QS_RAWINPUT |
QS_TOUCH | QS_POINTER)

QS_ALLEVENTS An input, WM_TIMER, WM_PAINT, WM_HOTKEY, or

(QS_INPUT | QS_POSTMESSAGE | posted message is in the queue.
QS_TIMER | QS_PAINT | QS_HOTKEY)

QS_ALLINPUT Any message is in the queue.

(QS_INPUT | QS_POSTMESSAGE |
QS_TIMER | QS_PAINT | QS_HOTKEY |
QS_SENDMESSAGE)

Return value
Type: DWORD

The high-order word of the return value indicates the types of messages currently in the
queue. The low-order word indicates the types of messages that have been added to
the queue and that are still in the queue since the last call to the GetQueueStatus,
GetMessage, or PeekMessage function.
Remarks
The presence of a QS_ flag in the return value does not guarantee that a subsequent call
to the GetMessage or PeekMessage function will return a message. GetMessage and
PeekMessage perform some internal filtering that may cause the message to be
processed internally. For this reason, the return value from GetQueueStatus should be
considered only a hint as to whether GetMessage or PeekMessage should be called.

The QS_ALLPOSTMESSAGE and QS_POSTMESSAGE flags differ in when they are

cleared. QS_POSTMESSAGE is cleared when you call GetMessage or PeekMessage,
whether or not you are filtering messages. QS_ALLPOSTMESSAGE is cleared when you
call GetMessage or PeekMessage without filtering messages (wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax are 0). This can be useful when you call PeekMessage multiple times to
get messages in different ranges.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetInputState

GetMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage
Reference

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GetShellWindow function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Retrieves a handle to the Shell's desktop window.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetShellWindow();

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is the handle of the Shell's desktop window. If no Shell process is
present, the return value is NULL.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetDesktopWindow
GetWindow

Reference

Windows

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GetSysColor function (winuser.h)
Article11/10/2021

Retrieves the current color of the specified display element. Display elements are the
parts of a window and the display that appear on the system display screen.

Syntax
C++

DWORD GetSysColor(
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] nIndex

Type: int

The display element whose color is to be retrieved. This parameter can be one of the
following values.

Value Meaning

COLOR_3DDKSHADOW Dark shadow for three-dimensional display elements.

21 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_3DFACE Face color for three-dimensional display elements and

15 for dialog box backgrounds.

COLOR_3DHIGHLIGHT Highlight color for three-dimensional display elements

20 (for edges facing the light source.)
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_3DHILIGHT Highlight color for three-dimensional display elements

20 (for edges facing the light source.)
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_3DLIGHT Light color for three-dimensional display elements (for

22 edges facing the light source.)
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_3DSHADOW Shadow color for three-dimensional display elements

16 (for edges facing away from the light source).
 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_ACTIVEBORDER Active window border.

10 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION Active window title bar.

2 The associated foreground color is
COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT.

Specifies the left side color in the color gradient of an

active window's title bar if the gradient effect is enabled.

Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_APPWORKSPACE Background color of multiple document interface (MDI)

12 applications.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_BACKGROUND Desktop.
1 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_BTNFACE Face color for three-dimensional display elements and

15 for dialog box backgrounds. The associated foreground
color is COLOR_BTNTEXT.

Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_BTNHIGHLIGHT Highlight color for three-dimensional display elements

20 (for edges facing the light source.)
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_BTNHILIGHT Highlight color for three-dimensional display elements

20 (for edges facing the light source.)
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_BTNSHADOW Shadow color for three-dimensional display elements

16 (for edges facing away from the light source).
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_BTNTEXT Text on push buttons. The associated background color

18 is COLOR_BTNFACE.

COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT Text in caption, size box, and scroll bar arrow box. The
9 associated background color is COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_DESKTOP Desktop.
1 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_GRADIENTACTIVECAPTION Right side color in the color gradient of an active

27 window's title bar. COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION specifies the
left side color. Use SPI_GETGRADIENTCAPTIONS with the
 SystemParametersInfo function to determine whether
the gradient effect is enabled.

Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_GRADIENTINACTIVECAPTION Right side color in the color gradient of an inactive

28 window's title bar. COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION specifies
the left side color.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_GRAYTEXT Grayed (disabled) text. This color is set to 0 if the current

17 display driver does not support a solid gray color.

COLOR_HIGHLIGHT Item(s) selected in a control. The associated foreground

13 color is COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT.

COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT Text of item(s) selected in a control. The associated

14 background color is COLOR_HIGHLIGHT.

COLOR_HOTLIGHT Color for a hyperlink or hot-tracked item. The associated

26 background color is COLOR_WINDOW.

COLOR_INACTIVEBORDER Inactive window border.

11 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION Inactive window caption.

3 The associated foreground color is
COLOR_INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT.

Specifies the left side color in the color gradient of an

inactive window's title bar if the gradient effect is
enabled.

Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT Color of text in an inactive caption. The associated

19 background color is COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_INFOBK Background color for tooltip controls. The associated

24 foreground color is COLOR_INFOTEXT.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_INFOTEXT Text color for tooltip controls. The associated

23 background color is COLOR_INFOBK.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_MENU Menu background. The associated foreground color is

4 COLOR_MENUTEXT.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_MENUHILIGHT The color used to highlight menu items when the menu
 29 appears as a flat menu (see SystemParametersInfo). The
highlighted menu item is outlined with
COLOR_HIGHLIGHT.

Windows 2000, Windows 10 or greater: This value is

not supported.

COLOR_MENUBAR The background color for the menu bar when menus
30 appear as flat menus (see SystemParametersInfo).
However, COLOR_MENU continues to specify the
background color of the menu popup.

Windows 2000, Windows 10 or greater: This value is

not supported.

COLOR_MENUTEXT Text in menus. The associated background color is

7 COLOR_MENU.
Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_SCROLLBAR Scroll bar gray area.

0 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_WINDOW Window background. The associated foreground colors

5 are COLOR_WINDOWTEXT and COLOR_HOTLITE.

COLOR_WINDOWFRAME Window frame.

6 Windows 10 or greater: This value is not supported.

COLOR_WINDOWTEXT Text in windows. The associated background color is

8 COLOR_WINDOW.

Return value
Type: DWORD

The function returns the red, green, blue (RGB) color value of the given element.

If the nIndex parameter is out of range, the return value is zero. Because zero is also a
valid RGB value, you cannot use GetSysColor to determine whether a system color is
supported by the current platform. Instead, use the GetSysColorBrush function, which
returns NULL if the color is not supported.

Remarks
To display the component of the RGB value, use the GetRValue, GetGValue, and
GetBValue macros.
System colors for monochrome displays are usually interpreted as shades of gray.

To paint with a system color brush, an application should use GetSysColorBrush(nIndex) ,

instead of CreateSolidBrush(GetSysColor(nIndex)) , because GetSysColorBrush returns a
cached brush, instead of allocating a new one.

Color is an important visual element of most user interfaces. For guidelines about using
color in your applications, see Color - Win32 and Color in Windows 11.

Windows 10/11 system colors

This table shows the values that are supported in Windows 10 and Windows 11 with
color values from the Windows 11 Aquatic contrast theme.

Color swatch Description

COLOR_WINDOW
Background of pages, panes, popups, and windows.

Pair with COLOR_WINDOWTEXT

COLOR_WINDOWTEXT
Headings, body copy, lists, placeholder text, app and window borders, any UI that
can't be interacted with.

Pair with COLOR_WINDOW

COLOR_HOTLIGHT
Hyperlinks.

Pair with COLOR_WINDOW

COLOR_GRAYTEXT
Inactive (disabled) UI.

Pair with COLOR_WINDOW

COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT
Foreground color for text or UI that is in selected, interacted with (hover,
pressed), or in progress.

Pair with COLOR_HIGHLIGHT

 Color swatch Description

COLOR_HIGHLIGHT
Background or accent color for UI that is in selected, interacted with (hover,
pressed), or in progress.

Pair with COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT

COLOR_BTNTEXT
Foreground color for buttons and any UI that can be interacted with.

Pair with COLOR_3DFACE

COLOR_3DFACE
Background color for buttons and any UI that can be interacted with.

Pair with COLOR_BTNTEXT

These images show how the colors appear when used on a background set to
COLOR_WINDOW.

Example Values

COLOR_WINDOWTEXT

COLOR_HOTLIGHT
 Example Values

COLOR_GRAYTEXT

COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT + HIGHLIGHT

COLOR_BTNTEXT + COLOR_3DFACE

Examples
For an example, see SetSysColors.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
CreateSolidBrush

GetSysColorBrush

SetSysColors

SystemParametersInfo

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GetSystemMetrics function (winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Retrieves the specified system metric or system configuration setting.

Note that all dimensions retrieved by GetSystemMetrics are in pixels.

Syntax
C++

int GetSystemMetrics(
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] nIndex

Type: int

The system metric or configuration setting to be retrieved. This parameter can be one of
the following values. Note that all SM_CX* values are widths and all SM_CY* values are
heights. Also note that all settings designed to return Boolean data represent TRUE as
any nonzero value, and FALSE as a zero value.

Value Meaning

SM_ARRANGE The flags that specify how the system arranged

56 minimized windows. For more information, see the
Remarks section in this topic.

SM_CLEANBOOT The value that specifies how the system is started:

67 0 Normal boot
1 Fail-safe boot
2 Fail-safe with network boot

A fail-safe boot (also called SafeBoot, Safe Mode, or

Clean Boot) bypasses the user startup files.

SM_CMONITORS The number of display monitors on a desktop. For

80 more information, see the Remarks section in this
topic.
SM_CMOUSEBUTTONS The number of buttons on a mouse, or zero if no
43 mouse is installed.

SM_CONVERTIBLESLATEMODE Reflects the state of the laptop or slate mode, 0 for

0x2003 Slate Mode and non-zero otherwise. When this
system metric changes, the system sends a
broadcast message via WM_SETTINGCHANGE with
"ConvertibleSlateMode" in the LPARAM. Note that
this system metric doesn't apply to desktop PCs. In
that case, use GetAutoRotationState.

SM_CXBORDER The width of a window border, in pixels. This is

5 equivalent to the SM_CXEDGE value for windows
with the 3-D look.

SM_CXCURSOR The nominal width of a cursor, in pixels.

13

SM_CXDLGFRAME This value is the same as SM_CXFIXEDFRAME.

7

SM_CXDOUBLECLK The width of the rectangle around the location of a

36 first click in a double-click sequence, in pixels. The
second click must occur within the rectangle that is
defined by SM_CXDOUBLECLK and
SM_CYDOUBLECLK for the system to consider the
two clicks a double-click. The two clicks must also
occur within a specified time.
To set the width of the double-click rectangle, call
SystemParametersInfo with
SPI_SETDOUBLECLKWIDTH.

SM_CXDRAG The number of pixels on either side of a mouse-

68 down point that the mouse pointer can move before
a drag operation begins. This allows the user to click
and release the mouse button easily without
unintentionally starting a drag operation. If this
value is negative, it is subtracted from the left of the
mouse-down point and added to the right of it.

SM_CXEDGE The width of a 3-D border, in pixels. This metric is

45 the 3-D counterpart of SM_CXBORDER.

SM_CXFIXEDFRAME The thickness of the frame around the perimeter of a

7 window that has a caption but is not sizable, in
pixels. SM_CXFIXEDFRAME is the height of the
horizontal border, and SM_CYFIXEDFRAME is the
width of the vertical border.
This value is the same as SM_CXDLGFRAME.

SM_CXFOCUSBORDER The width of the left and right edges of the focus
83 rectangle that the DrawFocusRect draws. This value
is in pixels.

Windows 2000: This value is not supported.

SM_CXFRAME This value is the same as SM_CXSIZEFRAME.

32

SM_CXFULLSCREEN The width of the client area for a full-screen window

16 on the primary display monitor, in pixels. To get the
coordinates of the portion of the screen that is not
obscured by the system taskbar or by application
desktop toolbars, call the SystemParametersInfo
function with the SPI_GETWORKAREA value.

SM_CXHSCROLL The width of the arrow bitmap on a horizontal scroll

21 bar, in pixels.

SM_CXHTHUMB The width of the thumb box in a horizontal scroll

10 bar, in pixels.

SM_CXICON The system large width of an icon, in pixels. The

11 LoadIcon function can load only icons with the
dimensions that SM_CXICON and SM_CYICON
specifies. See Icon Sizes for more info.

SM_CXICONSPACING The width of a grid cell for items in large icon view,
38 in pixels. Each item fits into a rectangle of size
SM_CXICONSPACING by SM_CYICONSPACING when
arranged. This value is always greater than or equal
to SM_CXICON.

SM_CXMAXIMIZED The default width, in pixels, of a maximized top-level

61 window on the primary display monitor.

SM_CXMAXTRACK The default maximum width of a window that has a

59 caption and sizing borders, in pixels. This metric
refers to the entire desktop. The user cannot drag
the window frame to a size larger than these
dimensions. A window can override this value by
processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.

SM_CXMENUCHECK The width of the default menu check-mark bitmap,

71 in pixels.

SM_CXMENUSIZE The width of menu bar buttons, such as the child

54 window close button that is used in the multiple
document interface, in pixels.

SM_CXMIN The minimum width of a window, in pixels.

28
SM_CXMINIMIZED The width of a minimized window, in pixels.
57

SM_CXMINSPACING The width of a grid cell for a minimized window, in

47 pixels. Each minimized window fits into a rectangle
this size when arranged. This value is always greater
than or equal to SM_CXMINIMIZED.

SM_CXMINTRACK The minimum tracking width of a window, in pixels.

34 The user cannot drag the window frame to a size
smaller than these dimensions. A window can
override this value by processing the
WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.

SM_CXPADDEDBORDER The amount of border padding for captioned

92 windows, in pixels.
Windows XP/2000: This value is not supported.

SM_CXSCREEN The width of the screen of the primary display

0 monitor, in pixels. This is the same value obtained by
calling GetDeviceCaps as follows: GetDeviceCaps(
hdcPrimaryMonitor, HORZRES) .

SM_CXSIZE The width of a button in a window caption or title

30 bar, in pixels.

SM_CXSIZEFRAME The thickness of the sizing border around the

32 perimeter of a window that can be resized, in pixels.
SM_CXSIZEFRAME is the width of the horizontal
border, and SM_CYSIZEFRAME is the height of the
vertical border.
This value is the same as SM_CXFRAME.

SM_CXSMICON The system small width of an icon, in pixels. Small

49 icons typically appear in window captions and in
small icon view. See Icon Sizes for more info.

SM_CXSMSIZE The width of small caption buttons, in pixels.

52

SM_CXVIRTUALSCREEN The width of the virtual screen, in pixels. The virtual

78 screen is the bounding rectangle of all display
monitors. The SM_XVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the
coordinates for the left side of the virtual screen.

SM_CXVSCROLL The width of a vertical scroll bar, in pixels.

2

SM_CYBORDER The height of a window border, in pixels. This is

6 equivalent to the SM_CYEDGE value for windows
with the 3-D look.
SM_CYCAPTION The height of a caption area, in pixels.
4

SM_CYCURSOR The nominal height of a cursor, in pixels.

14

SM_CYDLGFRAME This value is the same as SM_CYFIXEDFRAME.

8

SM_CYDOUBLECLK The height of the rectangle around the location of a

37 first click in a double-click sequence, in pixels. The
second click must occur within the rectangle defined
by SM_CXDOUBLECLK and SM_CYDOUBLECLK for
the system to consider the two clicks a double-click.
The two clicks must also occur within a specified
time.
To set the height of the double-click rectangle, call
SystemParametersInfo with
SPI_SETDOUBLECLKHEIGHT.

SM_CYDRAG The number of pixels above and below a mouse-

69 down point that the mouse pointer can move before
a drag operation begins. This allows the user to click
and release the mouse button easily without
unintentionally starting a drag operation. If this
value is negative, it is subtracted from above the
mouse-down point and added below it.

SM_CYEDGE The height of a 3-D border, in pixels. This is the 3-D

46 counterpart of SM_CYBORDER.

SM_CYFIXEDFRAME The thickness of the frame around the perimeter of a

8 window that has a caption but is not sizable, in
pixels. SM_CXFIXEDFRAME is the height of the
horizontal border, and SM_CYFIXEDFRAME is the
width of the vertical border.
This value is the same as SM_CYDLGFRAME.

SM_CYFOCUSBORDER The height of the top and bottom edges of the focus
84 rectangle drawn by DrawFocusRect. This value is in
pixels.

Windows 2000: This value is not supported.

SM_CYFRAME This value is the same as SM_CYSIZEFRAME.

33

SM_CYFULLSCREEN The height of the client area for a full-screen window

17 on the primary display monitor, in pixels. To get the
coordinates of the portion of the screen not
obscured by the system taskbar or by application
 desktop toolbars, call the SystemParametersInfo
function with the SPI_GETWORKAREA value.

SM_CYHSCROLL The height of a horizontal scroll bar, in pixels.

3

SM_CYICON The system large height of an icon, in pixels. The

12 LoadIcon function can load only icons with the
dimensions that SM_CXICON and SM_CYICON
specifies. See Icon Sizes for more info.

SM_CYICONSPACING The height of a grid cell for items in large icon view,
39 in pixels. Each item fits into a rectangle of size
SM_CXICONSPACING by SM_CYICONSPACING when
arranged. This value is always greater than or equal
to SM_CYICON.

SM_CYKANJIWINDOW For double byte character set versions of the system,

18 this is the height of the Kanji window at the bottom
of the screen, in pixels.

SM_CYMAXIMIZED The default height, in pixels, of a maximized top-

62 level window on the primary display monitor.

SM_CYMAXTRACK The default maximum height of a window that has a

60 caption and sizing borders, in pixels. This metric
refers to the entire desktop. The user cannot drag
the window frame to a size larger than these
dimensions. A window can override this value by
processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.

SM_CYMENU The height of a single-line menu bar, in pixels.

15

SM_CYMENUCHECK The height of the default menu check-mark bitmap,

72 in pixels.

SM_CYMENUSIZE The height of menu bar buttons, such as the child

55 window close button that is used in the multiple
document interface, in pixels.

SM_CYMIN The minimum height of a window, in pixels.

29

SM_CYMINIMIZED The height of a minimized window, in pixels.

58

SM_CYMINSPACING The height of a grid cell for a minimized window, in

48 pixels. Each minimized window fits into a rectangle
this size when arranged. This value is always greater
than or equal to SM_CYMINIMIZED.
SM_CYMINTRACK The minimum tracking height of a window, in pixels.
35 The user cannot drag the window frame to a size
smaller than these dimensions. A window can
override this value by processing the
WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.

SM_CYSCREEN The height of the screen of the primary display

1 monitor, in pixels. This is the same value obtained by
calling GetDeviceCaps as follows: GetDeviceCaps(
hdcPrimaryMonitor, VERTRES) .

SM_CYSIZE The height of a button in a window caption or title

31 bar, in pixels.

SM_CYSIZEFRAME The thickness of the sizing border around the

33 perimeter of a window that can be resized, in pixels.
SM_CXSIZEFRAME is the width of the horizontal
border, and SM_CYSIZEFRAME is the height of the
vertical border.
This value is the same as SM_CYFRAME.

SM_CYSMCAPTION The height of a small caption, in pixels.

51

SM_CYSMICON The system small height of an icon, in pixels. Small

50 icons typically appear in window captions and in
small icon view. See Icon Sizes for more info.

SM_CYSMSIZE The height of small caption buttons, in pixels.

53

SM_CYVIRTUALSCREEN The height of the virtual screen, in pixels. The virtual

79 screen is the bounding rectangle of all display
monitors. The SM_YVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the
coordinates for the top of the virtual screen.

SM_CYVSCROLL The height of the arrow bitmap on a vertical scroll

20 bar, in pixels.

SM_CYVTHUMB The height of the thumb box in a vertical scroll bar,

9 in pixels.

SM_DBCSENABLED Nonzero if User32.dll supports DBCS; otherwise, 0.

42

SM_DEBUG Nonzero if the debug version of User.exe is installed;

22 otherwise, 0.

SM_DIGITIZER Nonzero if the current operating system is

94 Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 and the
Tablet PC Input service is started; otherwise, 0. The
return value is a bitmask that specifies the type of
 digitizer input supported by the device. For more
information, see Remarks.
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and
Windows XP/2000: This value is not supported.

SM_IMMENABLED Nonzero if Input Method Manager/Input Method

82 Editor features are enabled; otherwise, 0.
SM_IMMENABLED indicates whether the system is
ready to use a Unicode-based IME on a Unicode
application. To ensure that a language-dependent
IME works, check SM_DBCSENABLED and the system
ANSI code page. Otherwise the ANSI-to-Unicode
conversion may not be performed correctly, or some
components like fonts or registry settings may not
be present.

SM_MAXIMUMTOUCHES Nonzero if there are digitizers in the system;

95 otherwise, 0.
SM_MAXIMUMTOUCHES returns the aggregate
maximum of the maximum number of contacts
supported by every digitizer in the system. If the
system has only single-touch digitizers, the return
value is 1. If the system has multi-touch digitizers,
the return value is the number of simultaneous
contacts the hardware can provide.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and

Windows XP/2000: This value is not supported.

SM_MEDIACENTER Nonzero if the current operating system is the

87 Windows XP, Media Center Edition, 0 if not.

SM_MENUDROPALIGNMENT Nonzero if drop-down menus are right-aligned with

40 the corresponding menu-bar item; 0 if the menus
are left-aligned.

SM_MIDEASTENABLED Nonzero if the system is enabled for Hebrew and

74 Arabic languages, 0 if not.

SM_MOUSEPRESENT Nonzero if a mouse is installed; otherwise, 0. This

19 value is rarely zero, because of support for virtual
mice and because some systems detect the presence
of the port instead of the presence of a mouse.

SM_MOUSEHORIZONTALWHEELPRESENT Nonzero if a mouse with a horizontal scroll wheel is

91 installed; otherwise 0.

SM_MOUSEWHEELPRESENT Nonzero if a mouse with a vertical scroll wheel is

75 installed; otherwise 0.

SM_NETWORK The least significant bit is set if a network is present;

63 otherwise, it is cleared. The other bits are reserved
for future use.

SM_PENWINDOWS Nonzero if the Microsoft Windows for Pen

41 computing extensions are installed; zero otherwise.

SM_REMOTECONTROL This system metric is used in a Terminal Services

0x2001 environment to determine if the current Terminal
Server session is being remotely controlled. Its value
is nonzero if the current session is remotely
controlled; otherwise, 0.
You can use terminal services management tools
such as Terminal Services Manager (tsadmin.msc)
and shadow.exe to control a remote session. When a
session is being remotely controlled, another user
can view the contents of that session and potentially
interact with it.

SM_REMOTESESSION This system metric is used in a Terminal Services

0x1000 environment. If the calling process is associated with
a Terminal Services client session, the return value is
nonzero. If the calling process is associated with the
Terminal Services console session, the return value is
0. Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP: The
console session is not necessarily the physical
console. For more information, see
WTSGetActiveConsoleSessionId.

SM_SAMEDISPLAYFORMAT Nonzero if all the display monitors have the same

81 color format, otherwise, 0. Two displays can have the
same bit depth, but different color formats. For
example, the red, green, and blue pixels can be
encoded with different numbers of bits, or those bits
can be located in different places in a pixel color
value.

SM_SECURE This system metric should be ignored; it always

44 returns 0.

SM_SERVERR2 The build number if the system is Windows

89 Server 2003 R2; otherwise, 0.

SM_SHOWSOUNDS Nonzero if the user requires an application to

70 present information visually in situations where it
would otherwise present the information only in
audible form; otherwise, 0.

SM_SHUTTINGDOWN Nonzero if the current session is shutting down;

0x2000 otherwise, 0.
Windows 2000: This value is not supported.
 SM_SLOWMACHINE Nonzero if the computer has a low-end (slow)
73 processor; otherwise, 0.

SM_STARTER Nonzero if the current operating system is

88 Windows 7 Starter Edition, Windows Vista Starter, or
Windows XP Starter Edition; otherwise, 0.

SM_SWAPBUTTON Nonzero if the meanings of the left and right mouse

23 buttons are swapped; otherwise, 0.

SM_SYSTEMDOCKED Reflects the state of the docking mode, 0 for

0x2004 Undocked Mode and non-zero otherwise. When this
system metric changes, the system sends a
broadcast message via WM_SETTINGCHANGE with
"SystemDockMode" in the LPARAM.

SM_TABLETPC Nonzero if the current operating system is the

86 Windows XP Tablet PC edition or if the current
operating system is Windows Vista or Windows 7
and the Tablet PC Input service is started; otherwise,
0. The SM_DIGITIZER setting indicates the type of
digitizer input supported by a device running
Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. For more
information, see Remarks.

SM_XVIRTUALSCREEN The coordinates for the left side of the virtual screen.
76 The virtual screen is the bounding rectangle of all
display monitors. The SM_CXVIRTUALSCREEN metric
is the width of the virtual screen.

SM_YVIRTUALSCREEN The coordinates for the top of the virtual screen. The
77 virtual screen is the bounding rectangle of all display
monitors. The SM_CYVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the
height of the virtual screen.

Return value
Type: int

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested system metric or
configuration setting.

If the function fails, the return value is 0. GetLastError does not provide extended error
information.

Remarks
System metrics can vary from display to display.

GetSystemMetrics(SM_CMONITORS) counts only visible display monitors. This is

different from EnumDisplayMonitors, which enumerates both visible display monitors
and invisible pseudo-monitors that are associated with mirroring drivers. An invisible
pseudo-monitor is associated with a pseudo-device used to mirror application drawing
for remoting or other purposes.

The SM_ARRANGE setting specifies how the system arranges minimized windows, and
consists of a starting position and a direction. The starting position can be one of the
following values.

Value Meaning

ARW_BOTTOMLEFT Start at the lower-left corner of the screen. The default position.

ARW_BOTTOMRIGHT Start at the lower-right corner of the screen. Equivalent to

ARW_STARTRIGHT.

ARW_TOPLEFT Start at the upper-left corner of the screen. Equivalent to ARW_STARTTOP.

ARW_TOPRIGHT Start at the upper-right corner of the screen. Equivalent to

ARW_STARTTOP | SRW_STARTRIGHT.

The direction in which to arrange minimized windows can be one of the following
values.

Value Meaning

ARW_DOWN Arrange vertically, top to bottom.

ARW_HIDE Hide minimized windows by moving them off the visible area of the screen.

ARW_LEFT Arrange horizontally, left to right.

ARW_RIGHT Arrange horizontally, right to left.

ARW_UP Arrange vertically, bottom to top.

The SM_DIGITIZER setting specifies the type of digitizers that are installed on a device
running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. The return value is a bitmask that
specifies one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
 NID_INTEGRATED_TOUCH The device has an integrated touch digitizer.
0x01

NID_EXTERNAL_TOUCH The device has an external touch digitizer.

0x02

NID_INTEGRATED_PEN The device has an integrated pen digitizer.

0x04

NID_EXTERNAL_PEN The device has an external pen digitizer.

0x08

NID_MULTI_INPUT The device supports multiple sources of digitizer input.

0x40

NID_READY The device is ready to receive digitizer input.

0x80

This API is not DPI aware, and should not be used if the calling thread is per-monitor
DPI aware. For the DPI-aware version of this API, see GetSystemMetricsForDPI. For more
information on DPI awareness, see the Windows High DPI documentation.

Examples
The following example uses the GetSystemMetrics function to determine whether a
mouse is installed and whether the mouse buttons are swapped. The example also uses
the SystemParametersInfo function to retrieve the mouse threshold and speed. It
displays the information in the console.

syntax

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "user32.lib")

void main()
{
BOOL fResult;
int aMouseInfo[3];

fResult = GetSystemMetrics(SM_MOUSEPRESENT);

if (fResult == 0)
printf("No mouse installed.\n");
else
{
printf("Mouse installed.\n");
 // Determine whether the buttons are swapped.

fResult = GetSystemMetrics(SM_SWAPBUTTON);

if (fResult == 0)
printf("Buttons not swapped.\n");
else printf("Buttons swapped.\n");

// Get the mouse speed and the threshold values.

fResult = SystemParametersInfo(
SPI_GETMOUSE, // get mouse information
0, // not used
&aMouseInfo, // holds mouse information
0); // not used

if( fResult )
{
printf("Speed: %d\n", aMouseInfo[2]);
printf("Threshold (x,y): %d,%d\n",
aMouseInfo[0], aMouseInfo[1]);
}
}
}

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-sysparams-ext-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
EnumDisplayMonitors

GetSystemMetricsForDPI
SystemParametersInfo

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GetTitleBarInfo function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves information about the specified title bar.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetTitleBarInfo(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in, out] PTITLEBARINFO pti
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the title bar whose information is to be retrieved.

[in, out] pti

Type: PTITLEBARINFO

A pointer to a TITLEBARINFO structure to receive the information. Note that you must
set the cbSize member to sizeof(TITLEBARINFO) before calling this function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Requirements
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]
client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

TITLEBARINFO

Windows

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GetTopWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Examines the Z order of the child windows associated with the specified parent window
and retrieves a handle to the child window at the top of the Z order.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetTopWindow(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window whose child windows are to be examined. If this
parameter is NULL, the function returns a handle to the window at the top of the Z
order.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the child window at the top of
the Z order. If the specified window has no child windows, the return value is NULL. To
get extended error information, use the GetLastError function.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetNextWindow

GetWindow

Reference

Windows

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GetWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves a handle to a window that has the specified relationship (Z-Order or owner) to
the specified window.

Syntax
C++

HWND GetWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT uCmd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to a window. The window handle retrieved is relative to this window, based on
the value of the uCmd parameter.

[in] uCmd

Type: UINT

The relationship between the specified window and the window whose handle is to be
retrieved. This parameter can be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GW_CHILD The retrieved handle identifies the child window at the

5 top of the Z order, if the specified window is a parent
window; otherwise, the retrieved handle is NULL. The
function examines only child windows of the specified
window. It does not examine descendant windows.

GW_ENABLEDPOPUP The retrieved handle identifies the enabled popup

6 window owned by the specified window (the search uses
the first such window found using GW_HWNDNEXT);
otherwise, if there are no enabled popup windows, the
retrieved handle is that of the specified window.
 GW_HWNDFIRST The retrieved handle identifies the window of the same
0 type that is highest in the Z order.
If the specified window is a topmost window, the handle
identifies a topmost window. If the specified window is a
top-level window, the handle identifies a top-level
window. If the specified window is a child window, the
handle identifies a sibling window.

GW_HWNDLAST The retrieved handle identifies the window of the same

1 type that is lowest in the Z order.
If the specified window is a topmost window, the handle
identifies a topmost window. If the specified window is a
top-level window, the handle identifies a top-level
window. If the specified window is a child window, the
handle identifies a sibling window.

GW_HWNDNEXT The retrieved handle identifies the window below the

2 specified window in the Z order.
If the specified window is a topmost window, the handle
identifies a topmost window. If the specified window is a
top-level window, the handle identifies a top-level
window. If the specified window is a child window, the
handle identifies a sibling window.

GW_HWNDPREV The retrieved handle identifies the window above the

3 specified window in the Z order.
If the specified window is a topmost window, the handle
identifies a topmost window. If the specified window is a
top-level window, the handle identifies a top-level
window. If the specified window is a child window, the
handle identifies a sibling window.

GW_OWNER The retrieved handle identifies the specified window's

4 owner window, if any. For more information, see Owned
Windows.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a window handle. If no window exists with
the specified relationship to the specified window, the return value is NULL. To get
extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
The EnumChildWindows function is more reliable than calling GetWindow in a loop. An
application that calls GetWindow to perform this task risks being caught in an infinite
loop or referencing a handle to a window that has been destroyed.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

EnumChildWindows

Reference

Windows

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GetWindowDisplayAffinity function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the current display affinity setting, from any process, for a given window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetWindowDisplayAffinity(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] DWORD *pdwAffinity
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[out] pdwAffinity

Type: DWORD*

A pointer to a variable that receives the display affinity setting. See

SetWindowDisplayAffinity for a list of affinity settings and their meanings.

Return value
Type: BOOL

This function succeeds only when the window is layered and Desktop Windows Manager
is composing the desktop. If this function succeeds, it returns TRUE; otherwise, it returns
FALSE. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
This function and SetWindowDisplayAffinity are designed to support the window
content protection feature unique to Windows 7. This feature enables applications to
protect their own onscreen window content from being captured or copied via a specific
set of public operating system features and APIs. However, it works only when the
Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is composing the desktop.

It is important to note that unlike a security feature or an implementation of Digital

Rights Management (DRM), there is no guarantee that using SetWindowDisplayAffinity
and GetWindowDisplayAffinity, and other necessary functions such as
DwmIsCompositionEnabled, will strictly protect windowed content, as in the case where
someone takes a photograph of the screen.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 7 [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 R2 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

Windows

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GetWindowInfo function (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Retrieves information about the specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetWindowInfo(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in, out] PWINDOWINFO pwi
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose information is to be retrieved.

[in, out] pwi

Type: PWINDOWINFO

A pointer to a WINDOWINFO structure to receive the information. Note that you must
set the cbSize member to sizeof(WINDOWINFO) before calling this function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero.

To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

WINDOWINFO

Windows

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GetWindowLongA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the 32-bit
(DWORD) value at the specified offset into the extra window memory.

Note If you are retrieving a pointer or a handle, this function has been superseded
by the GetWindowLongPtr function. (Pointers and handles are 32 bits on 32-bit
Windows and 64 bits on 64-bit Windows.) To write code that is compatible with
both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, use GetWindowLongPtr.

Syntax
C++

LONG GetWindowLongA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based offset to the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the third
32-bit integer. To retrieve any other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning
 GWL_EXSTYLE Retrieves the extended window styles.
-20

GWL_HINSTANCE Retrieves a handle to the application instance.

-6

GWL_HWNDPARENT Retrieves a handle to the parent window, if any.

-8

GWL_ID Retrieves the identifier of the window.

-12

GWL_STYLE Retrieves the window styles.

-16

GWL_USERDATA Retrieves the user data associated with the window. This
-21 data is intended for use by the application that created
the window. Its value is initially zero.

GWL_WNDPROC Retrieves the address of the window procedure, or a

-4 handle representing the address of the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWL_DLGPROC Retrieves the address of the dialog box procedure, or a

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT) handle representing the address of the dialog box
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the dialog box procedure.

DWL_MSGRESULT Retrieves the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWL_USER Retrieves extra information private to the application,

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) such as handles or pointers.

Return value
Type: LONG

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

If SetWindowLong has not been called previously, GetWindowLong returns zero for
values in the extra window or class memory.

Remarks
Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra
member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Examples

For an example, see Creating, Enumerating, and Sizing Child Windows.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowLong as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

GetWindowLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetParent

SetWindowLong

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

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GetWindowLongPtrA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the value
at a specified offset into the extra window memory.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of
Windows, use GetWindowLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows,
GetWindowLongPtr is defined as a call to the GetWindowLong function.

Syntax
C++

LONG_PTR GetWindowLongPtrA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based offset to the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus the size of a LONG_PTR.
To retrieve any other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GWL_EXSTYLE Retrieves the extended window styles.

 -20

GWLP_HINSTANCE Retrieves a handle to the application instance.

-6

GWLP_HWNDPARENT Retrieves a handle to the parent window, if there is one.

-8

GWLP_ID Retrieves the identifier of the window.

-12

GWL_STYLE Retrieves the window styles.

-16

GWLP_USERDATA Retrieves the user data associated with the window. This
-21 data is intended for use by the application that created
the window. Its value is initially zero.

GWLP_WNDPROC Retrieves the pointer to the window procedure, or a

-4 handle representing the pointer to the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWLP_DLGPROC Retrieves the pointer to the dialog box procedure, or a

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT) handle representing the pointer to the dialog box
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the dialog box procedure.

DWLP_MSGRESULT Retrieves the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWLP_USER Retrieves extra information private to the application,

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) such as handles or pointers.

Return value
Type: LONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
If SetWindowLong or SetWindowLongPtr has not been called previously,
GetWindowLongPtr returns zero for values in the extra window or class memory.

Remarks
Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra
member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

Reference

RegisterClassEx
SetParent

SetWindowLongPtr

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

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GetWindowLongPtrW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the value
at a specified offset into the extra window memory.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of
Windows, use GetWindowLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows,
GetWindowLongPtr is defined as a call to the GetWindowLong function.

Syntax
C++

LONG_PTR GetWindowLongPtrW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based offset to the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus the size of a LONG_PTR.
To retrieve any other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GWL_EXSTYLE Retrieves the extended window styles.

 -20

GWLP_HINSTANCE Retrieves a handle to the application instance.

-6

GWLP_HWNDPARENT Retrieves a handle to the parent window, if there is one.

-8

GWLP_ID Retrieves the identifier of the window.

-12

GWL_STYLE Retrieves the window styles.

-16

GWLP_USERDATA Retrieves the user data associated with the window. This
-21 data is intended for use by the application that created
the window. Its value is initially zero.

GWLP_WNDPROC Retrieves the pointer to the window procedure, or a

-4 handle representing the pointer to the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWLP_DLGPROC Retrieves the pointer to the dialog box procedure, or a

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT) handle representing the pointer to the dialog box
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the dialog box procedure.

DWLP_MSGRESULT Retrieves the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWLP_USER Retrieves extra information private to the application,

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) such as handles or pointers.

Return value
Type: LONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
If SetWindowLong or SetWindowLongPtr has not been called previously,
GetWindowLongPtr returns zero for values in the extra window or class memory.

Remarks
Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra
member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

Reference

RegisterClassEx
SetParent

SetWindowLongPtr

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

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GetWindowLongW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves information about the specified window. The function also retrieves the 32-bit
(DWORD) value at the specified offset into the extra window memory.

Note If you are retrieving a pointer or a handle, this function has been superseded
by the GetWindowLongPtr function. (Pointers and handles are 32 bits on 32-bit
Windows and 64 bits on 64-bit Windows.) To write code that is compatible with
both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, use GetWindowLongPtr.

Syntax
C++

LONG GetWindowLongW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based offset to the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the third
32-bit integer. To retrieve any other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning
 GWL_EXSTYLE Retrieves the extended window styles.
-20

GWL_HINSTANCE Retrieves a handle to the application instance.

-6

GWL_HWNDPARENT Retrieves a handle to the parent window, if any.

-8

GWL_ID Retrieves the identifier of the window.

-12

GWL_STYLE Retrieves the window styles.

-16

GWL_USERDATA Retrieves the user data associated with the window. This
-21 data is intended for use by the application that created
the window. Its value is initially zero.

GWL_WNDPROC Retrieves the address of the window procedure, or a

-4 handle representing the address of the window
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the window procedure.

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWL_DLGPROC Retrieves the address of the dialog box procedure, or a

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT) handle representing the address of the dialog box
procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to
call the dialog box procedure.

DWL_MSGRESULT Retrieves the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWL_USER Retrieves extra information private to the application,

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) such as handles or pointers.

Return value
Type: LONG

If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

If SetWindowLong has not been called previously, GetWindowLong returns zero for
values in the extra window or class memory.

Remarks
Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra
member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Examples

For an example, see Creating, Enumerating, and Sizing Child Windows.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowLong as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

GetWindowLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetParent

SetWindowLong

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

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GetWindowModuleFileNameA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the full path and file name of the module associated with the specified window
handle.

Syntax
C++

UINT GetWindowModuleFileNameA(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[out] LPSTR pszFileName,
[in] UINT cchFileNameMax
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose module file name is to be retrieved.

[out] pszFileName

Type: LPTSTR

The path and file name.

[in] cchFileNameMax

Type: UINT

The maximum number of characters that can be copied into the lpszFileName buffer.

Return value
Type: UINT

The return value is the total number of characters copied into the buffer.
Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowModuleFileName as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Windows Overview

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GetWindowModuleFileNameW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the full path and file name of the module associated with the specified window
handle.

Syntax
C++

UINT GetWindowModuleFileNameW(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[out] LPWSTR pszFileName,
[in] UINT cchFileNameMax
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose module file name is to be retrieved.

[out] pszFileName

Type: LPTSTR

The path and file name.

[in] cchFileNameMax

Type: UINT

The maximum number of characters that can be copied into the lpszFileName buffer.

Return value
Type: UINT

The return value is the total number of characters copied into the buffer.
Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowModuleFileName as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Windows Overview

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GetWindowPlacement function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the show state and the restored, minimized, and maximized positions of the
specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetWindowPlacement(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, out] WINDOWPLACEMENT *lpwndpl
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in, out] lpwndpl

Type: WINDOWPLACEMENT*

A pointer to the WINDOWPLACEMENT structure that receives the show state and
position information. Before calling GetWindowPlacement, set the length member to
sizeof(WINDOWPLACEMENT) . GetWindowPlacement fails if lpwndpl-> length is not set

correctly.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
The flags member of WINDOWPLACEMENT retrieved by this function is always zero. If
the window identified by the hWnd parameter is maximized, the showCmd member is
SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED. If the window is minimized, showCmd is SW_SHOWMINIMIZED.
Otherwise, it is SW_SHOWNORMAL.

The length member of WINDOWPLACEMENT must be set to

sizeof(WINDOWPLACEMENT). If this member is not set correctly, the function returns
FALSE. For additional remarks on the proper use of window placement coordinates, see
WINDOWPLACEMENT.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

SetWindowPlacement

WINDOWPLACEMENT

Windows

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GetWindowRect function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Retrieves the dimensions of the bounding rectangle of the specified window. The
dimensions are given in screen coordinates that are relative to the upper-left corner of
the screen.

Syntax
C++

BOOL GetWindowRect(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPRECT lpRect
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[out] lpRect

Type: LPRECT

A pointer to a RECT structure that receives the screen coordinates of the upper-left and
lower-right corners of the window.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
In conformance with conventions for the RECT structure, the bottom-right coordinates
of the returned rectangle are exclusive. In other words, the pixel at (right, bottom) lies
immediately outside the rectangle.

GetWindowRect is virtualized for DPI.

In Windows Vista and later, the Window Rect now includes the area occupied by the
drop shadow.

Calling GetWindowRect will have different behavior depending on whether the window
has ever been shown or not. If the window has not been shown before, GetWindowRect
will not include the area of the drop shadow.

To get the window bounds excluding the drop shadow, use DwmGetWindowAttribute,
specifying DWMWA_EXTENDED_FRAME_BOUNDS. Note that unlike the Window Rect,
the DWM Extended Frame Bounds are not adjusted for DPI. Getting the extended frame
bounds can only be done after the window has been shown at least once.

Examples
For an example, see Initializing a Dialog Box.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetClientRect
Reference

ScreenToClient

SetWindowPos

Windows

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GetWindowTextA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer. If the
specified window is a control, the text of the control is copied. However,
GetWindowText cannot retrieve the text of a control in another application.

Syntax
C++

int GetWindowTextA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPSTR lpString,
[in] int nMaxCount
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control containing the text.

[out] lpString

Type: LPTSTR

The buffer that will receive the text. If the string is as long or longer than the buffer, the
string is truncated and terminated with a null character.

[in] nMaxCount

Type: int

The maximum number of characters to copy to the buffer, including the null character. If
the text exceeds this limit, it is truncated.

Return value
Type: int
If the function succeeds, the return value is the length, in characters, of the copied
string, not including the terminating null character. If the window has no title bar or text,
if the title bar is empty, or if the window or control handle is invalid, the return value is
zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

This function cannot retrieve the text of an edit control in another application.

Remarks
If the target window is owned by the current process, GetWindowText causes a
WM_GETTEXT message to be sent to the specified window or control. If the target
window is owned by another process and has a caption, GetWindowText retrieves the
window caption text. If the window does not have a caption, the return value is a null
string. This behavior is by design. It allows applications to call GetWindowText without
becoming unresponsive if the process that owns the target window is not responding.
However, if the target window is not responding and it belongs to the calling
application, GetWindowText will cause the calling application to become unresponsive.

To retrieve the text of a control in another process, send a WM_GETTEXT message

directly instead of calling GetWindowText.

Examples

The following example code demonstrates a call to GetWindowTextA.

C++

hwndCombo = GetDlgItem(hwndDlg, IDD_COMBO);

cTxtLen = GetWindowTextLength(hwndCombo);

// Allocate memory for the string and copy

// the string into the memory.

pszMem = (PSTR) VirtualAlloc((LPVOID) NULL,

(DWORD) (cTxtLen + 1), MEM_COMMIT,
PAGE_READWRITE);
GetWindowText(hwndCombo, pszMem,
cTxtLen + 1);

To see this example in context, see Sending a Message.

７ Note
 The winuser.h header defines GetWindowText as an alias which automatically
selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowTextLength

Reference

SetWindowText

WM_GETTEXT

Windows

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GetWindowTextLengthA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the length, in characters, of the specified window's title bar text (if the window
has a title bar). If the specified window is a control, the function retrieves the length of
the text within the control. However, GetWindowTextLength cannot retrieve the length
of the text of an edit control in another application.

Syntax
C++

int GetWindowTextLengthA(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control.

Return value
Type: int

If the function succeeds, the return value is the length, in characters, of the text. Under
certain conditions, this value might be greater than the length of the text (see Remarks).

If the window has no text, the return value is zero.

Function failure is indicated by a return value of zero and a GetLastError result that is
nonzero.

７ Note
 This function does not clear the most recent error information. To determine
success or failure, clear the most recent error information by calling SetLastError
with 0, then call GetLastError.

Remarks
If the target window is owned by the current process, GetWindowTextLength causes a
WM_GETTEXTLENGTH message to be sent to the specified window or control.

Under certain conditions, the GetWindowTextLength function may return a value that is
larger than the actual length of the text. This occurs with certain mixtures of ANSI and
Unicode, and is due to the system allowing for the possible existence of double-byte
character set (DBCS) characters within the text. The return value, however, will always be
at least as large as the actual length of the text; you can thus always use it to guide
buffer allocation. This behavior can occur when an application uses both ANSI functions
and common dialogs, which use Unicode. It can also occur when an application uses the
ANSI version of GetWindowTextLength with a window whose window procedure is
Unicode, or the Unicode version of GetWindowTextLength with a window whose
window procedure is ANSI. For more information on ANSI and ANSI functions, see
Conventions for Function Prototypes.

To obtain the exact length of the text, use the WM_GETTEXT, LB_GETTEXT, or
CB_GETLBTEXT messages, or the GetWindowText function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowTextLength as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
CB_GETLBTEXT

Conceptual

GetWindowText

LB_GETTEXT

Other Resources

Reference

SetWindowText

WM_GETTEXT

WM_GETTEXTLENGTH

Windows

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GetWindowTextLengthW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves the length, in characters, of the specified window's title bar text (if the window
has a title bar). If the specified window is a control, the function retrieves the length of
the text within the control. However, GetWindowTextLength cannot retrieve the length
of the text of an edit control in another application.

Syntax
C++

int GetWindowTextLengthW(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control.

Return value
Type: int

If the function succeeds, the return value is the length, in characters, of the text. Under
certain conditions, this value might be greater than the length of the text (see Remarks).

If the window has no text, the return value is zero.

Function failure is indicated by a return value of zero and a GetLastError result that is
nonzero.

７ Note
 This function does not clear the most recent error information. To determine
success or failure, clear the most recent error information by calling SetLastError
with 0, then call GetLastError.

Remarks
If the target window is owned by the current process, GetWindowTextLength causes a
WM_GETTEXTLENGTH message to be sent to the specified window or control.

Under certain conditions, the GetWindowTextLength function may return a value that is
larger than the actual length of the text. This occurs with certain mixtures of ANSI and
Unicode, and is due to the system allowing for the possible existence of double-byte
character set (DBCS) characters within the text. The return value, however, will always be
at least as large as the actual length of the text; you can thus always use it to guide
buffer allocation. This behavior can occur when an application uses both ANSI functions
and common dialogs, which use Unicode. It can also occur when an application uses the
ANSI version of GetWindowTextLength with a window whose window procedure is
Unicode, or the Unicode version of GetWindowTextLength with a window whose
window procedure is ANSI. For more information on ANSI and ANSI functions, see
Conventions for Function Prototypes.

To obtain the exact length of the text, use the WM_GETTEXT, LB_GETTEXT, or
CB_GETLBTEXT messages, or the GetWindowText function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowTextLength as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
CB_GETLBTEXT

Conceptual

GetWindowText

LB_GETTEXT

Other Resources

Reference

SetWindowText

WM_GETTEXT

WM_GETTEXTLENGTH

Windows

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GetWindowTextW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer. If the
specified window is a control, the text of the control is copied. However,
GetWindowText cannot retrieve the text of a control in another application.

Syntax
C++

int GetWindowTextW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPWSTR lpString,
[in] int nMaxCount
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control containing the text.

[out] lpString

Type: LPTSTR

The buffer that will receive the text. If the string is as long or longer than the buffer, the
string is truncated and terminated with a null character.

[in] nMaxCount

Type: int

The maximum number of characters to copy to the buffer, including the null character. If
the text exceeds this limit, it is truncated.

Return value
Type: int
If the function succeeds, the return value is the length, in characters, of the copied
string, not including the terminating null character. If the window has no title bar or text,
if the title bar is empty, or if the window or control handle is invalid, the return value is
zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

This function cannot retrieve the text of an edit control in another application.

Remarks
If the target window is owned by the current process, GetWindowText causes a
WM_GETTEXT message to be sent to the specified window or control. If the target
window is owned by another process and has a caption, GetWindowText retrieves the
window caption text. If the window does not have a caption, the return value is a null
string. This behavior is by design. It allows applications to call GetWindowText without
becoming unresponsive if the process that owns the target window is not responding.
However, if the target window is not responding and it belongs to the calling
application, GetWindowText will cause the calling application to become unresponsive.

To retrieve the text of a control in another process, send a WM_GETTEXT message

directly instead of calling GetWindowText.

Examples

For an example, see Sending a Message.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines GetWindowText as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowTextLength

Reference

SetWindowText

WM_GETTEXT

Windows

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GetWindowThreadProcessId function
(winuser.h)
Article03/17/2023

Retrieves the identifier of the thread that created the specified window and, optionally,
the identifier of the process that created the window.

Syntax
C++

DWORD GetWindowThreadProcessId(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out, optional] LPDWORD lpdwProcessId
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[out, optional] lpdwProcessId

Type: LPDWORD

A pointer to a variable that receives the process identifier. If this parameter is not NULL,
GetWindowThreadProcessId copies the identifier of the process to the variable;
otherwise, it does not. If the function fails, the value of the variable is unchanged.

Return value
Type: DWORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the identifier of the thread that created the
window. If the window handle is invalid, the return value is zero. To get extended error
information, call GetLastError.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Windows Overview

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GetWindowWord function (winuser.h)
Article03/21/2023

Retrieves the 16-bit (DWORD) value at the specified offset into the extra window
memory.

Syntax
C++

WORD GetWindowWord(
HWND hWnd,
int nIndex
);

Parameters
hWnd

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

nIndex

The zero-based offset to the value to be retrieved. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the third
32-bit integer. To retrieve any other value, specify one of the following values.

Constant Value Meaning

GWW_HINSTANCE -6 Retrieves a handle to the

application instance.

GWW_HWNDPARENT Retrieves a handle to the parent

-8 window, if any.

GWW_ID -12 Retrieves the identifier of the

window.

Return value
If the function succeeds, the return value is the requested value.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra
member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Requirements

Header winuser.h

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GUITHREADINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information about a GUI thread.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagGUITHREADINFO {

DWORD cbSize;
DWORD flags;
HWND hwndActive;
HWND hwndFocus;
HWND hwndCapture;
HWND hwndMenuOwner;
HWND hwndMoveSize;
HWND hwndCaret;
RECT rcCaret;
} GUITHREADINFO, *PGUITHREADINFO, *LPGUITHREADINFO;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size of this structure, in bytes. The caller must set this member to
sizeof(GUITHREADINFO) .

flags

Type: DWORD

The thread state. This member can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

GUI_CARETBLINKING The caret's blink state. This bit is set if the caret is visible.
0x00000001

GUI_INMENUMODE The thread's menu state. This bit is set if the thread is in
0x00000004 menu mode.

GUI_INMOVESIZE The thread's move state. This bit is set if the thread is in a
 0x00000002 move or size loop.

GUI_POPUPMENUMODE The thread's pop-up menu state. This bit is set if the
0x00000010 thread has an active pop-up menu.

GUI_SYSTEMMENUMODE The thread's system menu state. This bit is set if the
0x00000008 thread is in a system menu mode.

hwndActive

Type: HWND

A handle to the active window within the thread.

hwndFocus

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that has the keyboard focus.

hwndCapture

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that has captured the mouse.

hwndMenuOwner

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that owns any active menus.

hwndMoveSize

Type: HWND

A handle to the window in a move or size loop.

hwndCaret

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that is displaying the caret.

rcCaret

Type: RECT
The caret's bounding rectangle, in client coordinates, relative to the window specified by
the hwndCaret member.

Remarks
This structure is used with the GetGUIThreadInfo function to retrieve information about
the active window or a specified GUI thread.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Redistributable Service Pack 3

See also
Conceptual

GetGUIThreadInfo

Reference

Windows

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HOOKPROC callback function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

An application-defined or library-defined callback function used with the

SetWindowsHookEx function. The system calls this function after the SendMessage
function is called. The hook procedure can examine the message; it cannot modify it.

The HOOKPROC type defines a pointer to this callback function. CallWndRetProc is a

placeholder for the application-defined or library-defined function name.

Syntax
C++

HOOKPROC Hookproc;

LRESULT Hookproc(
int code,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
)
{...}

Parameters
code

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Specifies whether the message is sent by the current process. If the message is sent by
the current process, it is nonzero; otherwise, it is NULL.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

A pointer to a CWPRETSTRUCT structure that contains details about the message.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

If nCode is less than zero, the hook procedure must return the value returned by
CallNextHookEx.

If nCode is greater than or equal to zero, it is highly recommended that you call
CallNextHookEx and return the value it returns; otherwise, other applications that have
installed WH_CALLWNDPROCRET hooks will not receive hook notifications and may
behave incorrectly as a result. If the hook procedure does not call CallNextHookEx, the
return value should be zero.

Remarks
An application installs the hook procedure by specifying the WH_CALLWNDPROCRET
hook type and a pointer to the hook procedure in a call to the SetWindowsHookEx
function.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CWPRETSTRUCT

CallNextHookEx

CallWndProc

Conceptual

Hooks

Reference
SendMessage

SetWindowsHookEx

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InSendMessage function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Determines whether the current window procedure is processing a message that was
sent from another thread (in the same process or a different process) by a call to the
SendMessage function.

To obtain additional information about how the message was sent, use the
InSendMessageEx function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL InSendMessage();

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window procedure is processing a message sent to it from another thread using
the SendMessage function, the return value is nonzero.

If the window procedure is not processing a message sent to it from another thread
using the SendMessage function, the return value is zero.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

InSendMessageEx

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendMessage

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InSendMessageEx function (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Determines whether the current window procedure is processing a message that was
sent from another thread (in the same process or a different process).

Syntax
C++

DWORD InSendMessageEx(
LPVOID lpReserved
);

Parameters
lpReserved

Type: LPVOID

Reserved; must be NULL.

Return value
Type: DWORD

If the message was not sent, the return value is ISMEX_NOSEND (0x00000000).
Otherwise, the return value is one or more of the following values.

Return code/value Description

ISMEX_CALLBACK The message was sent using the SendMessageCallback

0x00000004 function. The thread that sent the message is not
blocked.

ISMEX_NOTIFY The message was sent using the SendNotifyMessage

0x00000002 function. The thread that sent the message is not
blocked.

ISMEX_REPLIED The window procedure has processed the message. The

0x00000008 thread that sent the message is no longer blocked.

ISMEX_SEND The message was sent using the SendMessage or

 0x00000001 SendMessageTimeout function. If ISMEX_REPLIED is not
set, the thread that sent the message is blocked.

Remarks
To determine if the sender is blocked, use the following test:

fBlocked = ( InSendMessageEx(NULL) & (ISMEX_REPLIED|ISMEX_SEND) ) == ISMEX_SEND;

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendMessageTimeout

SendNotifyMessage

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InternalGetWindowText function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[This function is not intended for general use. It may be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows.]

Copies the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one) into a buffer.

This function is similar to the GetWindowText function. However, it obtains the window
text directly from the window structure associated with the specified window's handle
and then always provides the text as a Unicode string. This is unlike GetWindowText
which obtains the text by sending the window a WM_GETTEXT message. If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is obtained.

Syntax
C++

int InternalGetWindowText(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[out] LPWSTR pString,
[in] int cchMaxCount
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control containing the text.

[out] pString

Type: LPWSTR

The buffer that is to receive the text.

If the string is as long or longer than the buffer, the string is truncated and terminated
with a null character.
[in] cchMaxCount

Type: int

The maximum number of characters to be copied to the buffer, including the null
character. If the text exceeds this limit, it is truncated.

Return value
Type: int

If the function succeeds, the return value is the length, in characters, of the copied
string, not including the terminating null character.

If the window has no title bar or text, if the title bar is empty, or if the window or control
handle is invalid, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
This function was not included in the SDK headers and libraries until Windows XP with
Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2003. If you do not have a header file and
import library for this function, you can call the function using LoadLibrary and
GetProcAddress.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowText

GetWindowTextLength

Reference

SetWindowText

Using Messages and Message Queues

WM_GETTEXT

Windows

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IsChild function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines whether a window is a child window or descendant window of a specified

parent window. A child window is the direct descendant of a specified parent window if
that parent window is in the chain of parent windows; the chain of parent windows leads
from the original overlapped or pop-up window to the child window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsChild(
[in] HWND hWndParent,
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window.

[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window is a child or descendant window of the specified parent window, the
return value is nonzero.

If the window is not a child or descendant window of the specified parent window, the
return value is zero.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

IsWindow

Reference

SetParent

Windows

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IsGUIThread function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines whether the calling thread is already a GUI thread. It can also optionally
convert the thread to a GUI thread.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsGUIThread(
[in] BOOL bConvert
);

Parameters
[in] bConvert

Type: BOOL

If TRUE and the thread is not a GUI thread, convert the thread to a GUI thread.

Return value
Type: BOOL

The function returns a nonzero value in the following situations:

If the calling thread is already a GUI thread.

If bConvert is TRUE and the function successfully converts the thread to a GUI
thread.

Otherwise, the function returns zero.

If bConvert is TRUE and the function cannot successfully convert the thread to a GUI
thread, IsGUIThread returns ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows XP [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2003 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Windows Overview

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IsHungAppWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[This function is not intended for general use. It may be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows.]

Determines whether the system considers that a specified application is not responding.
An application is considered to be not responding if it is not waiting for input, is not in
startup processing, and has not called PeekMessage within the internal timeout period
of 5 seconds.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsHungAppWindow(
[in] HWND hwnd
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

The return value is TRUE if the window stops responding; otherwise, it is FALSE. Ghost
windows always return TRUE.

Remarks
The Windows timeout criteria of 5 seconds is subject to change.

This function was not included in the SDK headers and libraries until
Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2003. If you do not have a header
file and import library for this function, you can call the function using LoadLibrary and
GetProcAddress.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

IsWindow

Reference

Windows

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IsIconic function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines whether the specified window is minimized (iconic).

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsIconic(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window is iconic, the return value is nonzero.

If the window is not iconic, the return value is zero.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib
 DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

IsZoomed

Reference

Windows

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IsProcessDPIAware function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

[IsProcessDPIAware is available for use in the operating systems specified in the

Requirements section. It may be altered or unavailable in subsequent versions. Instead,
use GetProcessDPIAwareness.]

Determines whether the current process is dots per inch (dpi) aware such that it adjusts
the sizes of UI elements to compensate for the dpi setting.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsProcessDPIAware();

Return value
Type: BOOL

TRUE if the process is dpi aware; otherwise, FALSE.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

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IsWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines whether the specified window handle identifies an existing window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsWindow(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window handle identifies an existing window, the return value is nonzero.

If the window handle does not identify an existing window, the return value is zero.

Remarks
A thread should not use IsWindow for a window that it did not create because the
window could be destroyed after this function was called. Further, because window
handles are recycled the handle could even point to a different window.

Examples
For an example, see Creating a Modeless Dialog Box.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

IsWindowEnabled

IsWindowVisible

Reference

Windows

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IsWindowArranged function (winuser.h)
Article06/27/2023

） Important

Some information relates to a prerelease product which may be substantially

modified before it's commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express
or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Determines whether a window is arranged.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsWindowArranged(
HWND hwnd
);

Parameters
hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

A nonzero value if the window is arranged; otherwise, zero.

Remarks

 Tip
 At this time, this function does not have an associated header file or library file.
Your application can call LoadLibrary with the DLL name ( User32.dll ) to obtain a
module handle. It can then call GetProcAddress with the module handle and the
name of this function to get the function address.

A snapped window (see Snap your windows ) is considered to be arranged. You should
treat arranged as a window state similar to maximized. Arranged, maximized, and
minimized are mutually exclusive states. An arranged window can be restored to its
original size and position. Restoring a window from minimized can make a window
arranged if the window was arranged before it was minimized. When calling
GetWindowPlacement, keep in mind that the showCmd member on the returned
WINDOWPLACEMENT can have a value of SW_SHOWNORMAL even if the window is
arranged.

Example
C++

// Check whether the window is in the restored state.

BOOL IsRestored(HWND hwnd)
{
if (IsIconic(hwnd) || IsZoomed(hwnd) || IsWindowArranged(hwnd))
{
return false;
}
return true;
}

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 10, version 1903

Header winuser.h

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
 IsIconic
IsZoomed
Windows
Snap your windows

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IsWindowUnicode function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines whether the specified window is a native Unicode window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsWindowUnicode(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window is a native Unicode window, the return value is nonzero.

If the window is not a native Unicode window, the return value is zero. The window is a
native ANSI window.

Remarks
The character set of a window is determined by the use of the RegisterClass function. If
the window class was registered with the ANSI version of RegisterClass (RegisterClassA),
the character set of the window is ANSI. If the window class was registered with the
Unicode version of RegisterClass (RegisterClassW), the character set of the window is
Unicode.

The system does automatic two-way translation (Unicode to ANSI) for window
messages. For example, if an ANSI window message is sent to a window that uses the
Unicode character set, the system translates that message into a Unicode message
before calling the window procedure. The system calls IsWindowUnicode to determine
whether to translate the message.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Windows Overview

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IsWindowVisible function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines the visibility state of the specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsWindowVisible(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the specified window, its parent window, its parent's parent window, and so forth,
have the WS_VISIBLE style, the return value is nonzero. Otherwise, the return value is
zero.

Because the return value specifies whether the window has the WS_VISIBLE style, it may
be nonzero even if the window is totally obscured by other windows.

Remarks
The visibility state of a window is indicated by the WS_VISIBLE style bit. When
WS_VISIBLE is set, the window is displayed and subsequent drawing into it is displayed
as long as the window has the WS_VISIBLE style.

Any drawing to a window with the WS_VISIBLE style will not be displayed if the window
is obscured by other windows or is clipped by its parent window.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

ShowWindow

Windows

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IsZoomed function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Determines whether a window is maximized.

Syntax
C++

BOOL IsZoomed(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be tested.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window is zoomed, the return value is nonzero.

If the window is not zoomed, the return value is zero.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

IsIconic

Reference

Windows

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KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT structure
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information about a low-level keyboard input event.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT {

DWORD vkCode;
DWORD scanCode;
DWORD flags;
DWORD time;
ULONG_PTR dwExtraInfo;
} KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT, *LPKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT, *PKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT;

Members
vkCode

Type: DWORD

A virtual-key code. The code must be a value in the range 1 to 254.

scanCode

Type: DWORD

A hardware scan code for the key.

flags

Type: DWORD

The extended-key flag, event-injected flags, context code, and transition-state flag. This
member is specified as follows. An application can use the following values to test the
keystroke flags. Testing LLKHF_INJECTED (bit 4) will tell you whether the event was
injected. If it was, then testing LLKHF_LOWER_IL_INJECTED (bit 1) will tell you whether or
not the event was injected from a process running at lower integrity level.
 Value Meaning

LLKHF_EXTENDED Test the extended-key flag.

(KF_EXTENDED >> 8)

LLKHF_LOWER_IL_INJECTED Test the event-injected (from a process running at lower

0x00000002 integrity level) flag.

LLKHF_INJECTED Test the event-injected (from any process) flag.

0x00000010

LLKHF_ALTDOWN Test the context code.

(KF_ALTDOWN >> 8)

LLKHF_UP Test the transition-state flag.

(KF_UP >> 8)

The following table describes the layout of this value.

Bits Description

0 Specifies whether the key is an extended key, such as a function key or a key on the
numeric keypad. The value is 1 if the key is an extended key; otherwise, it is 0.

1 Specifies whether the event was injected from a process running at lower integrity level.
The value is 1 if that is the case; otherwise, it is 0. Note that bit 4 is also set whenever bit 1
is set.

2-3 Reserved.

4 Specifies whether the event was injected. The value is 1 if that is the case; otherwise, it is 0.
Note that bit 1 is not necessarily set when bit 4 is set.

5 The context code. The value is 1 if the ALT key is pressed; otherwise, it is 0.

6 Reserved.

7 The transition state. The value is 0 if the key is pressed and 1 if it is being released.

time

Type: DWORD

The time stamp for this message, equivalent to what GetMessageTime would return for
this message.

dwExtraInfo

Type: ULONG_PTR
Additional information associated with the message.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

LowLevelKeyboardProc

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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KillTimer function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Destroys the specified timer.

Syntax
C++

BOOL KillTimer(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT_PTR uIDEvent
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window associated with the specified timer. This value must be the same
as the hWnd value passed to the SetTimer function that created the timer.

[in] uIDEvent

Type: UINT_PTR

The timer to be destroyed. If the window handle passed to SetTimer is valid, this
parameter must be the same as the nIDEvent

value passed to SetTimer. If the application calls SetTimer with hWnd set to NULL, this
parameter must be the timer identifier returned by SetTimer.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
The KillTimer function does not remove WM_TIMER messages already posted to the
message queue.

Examples
For an example, see Destroying a Timer.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

SetTimer

Timers

WM_TIMER

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LockSetForegroundWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

The foreground process can call the LockSetForegroundWindow function to disable

calls to the SetForegroundWindow function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL LockSetForegroundWindow(
[in] UINT uLockCode
);

Parameters
[in] uLockCode

Type: UINT

Specifies whether to enable or disable calls to SetForegroundWindow. This parameter

can be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

LSFW_LOCK Disables calls to SetForegroundWindow.

1

LSFW_UNLOCK Enables calls to SetForegroundWindow.

2

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
The system automatically enables calls to SetForegroundWindow if the user presses the
ALT key or takes some action that causes the system itself to change the foreground
window (for example, clicking a background window).

This function is provided so applications can prevent other applications from making a
foreground change that can interrupt its interaction with the user.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
AllowSetForegroundWindow

Conceptual

Reference

SetForegroundWindow

Windows

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LogicalToPhysicalPoint function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Converts the logical coordinates of a point in a window to physical coordinates.

Syntax
C++

BOOL LogicalToPhysicalPoint(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, out] LPPOINT lpPoint
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose transform is used for the conversion. Top level windows
are fully supported. In the case of child windows, only the area of overlap between the
parent and the child window is converted.

[in, out] lpPoint

Type: LPPOINT

A pointer to a POINT structure that specifies the logical coordinates to be converted.

The new physical coordinates are copied into this structure if the function succeeds.

Return value
None

Remarks
Windows Vista introduces the concept of physical coordinates. Desktop Window
Manager (DWM) scales non-dots per inch (dpi) aware windows when the display is high
dpi. The window seen on the screen corresponds to the physical coordinates. The
application continues to work in logical space. Therefore, the application's view of the
window is different from that which appears on the screen. For scaled windows, logical
and physical coordinates are different.

LogicalToPhysicalPoint is a transformation API that can be called by a process that

declares itself as dpi aware. The function uses the window identified by the hWnd
parameter and the logical coordinates given in the POINT structure to compute the
physical coordinates.

The LogicalToPhysicalPoint function replaces the logical coordinates in the POINT

structure with the physical coordinates. The physical coordinates are relative to the
upper-left corner of the screen. The coordinates have to be inside the client area of
hWnd.

On all platforms, LogicalToPhysicalPoint will fail on a window that has either 0 width or
height; an application must first establish a non-0 width and height by calling, for
example, MoveWindow. On some versions of Windows (including Windows 7),
LogicalToPhysicalPoint will still fail if MoveWindow has been called after a call to
ShowWindow with SH_HIDE has hidden the window.

In Windows 8, system–DPI aware applications translate between physical and logical

space using PhysicalToLogicalPoint and LogicalToPhysicalPoint. In Windows 8.1, the
additional virtualization of the system and inter-process communications means that for
the majority of applications, you do not need these APIs. As a result, in Windows 8.1,
PhysicalToLogicalPoint and LogicalToPhysicalPoint no longer transform points. The
system returns all points to an application in its own coordinate space. This behavior
preserves functionality for the majority of applications, but there are some exceptions in
which you must make changes to ensure that the application works as expected. In
those cases, use PhysicalToLogicalPointForPerMonitorDPI and
LogicalToPhysicalPointForPerMonitorDPI.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

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MAKELPARAM macro (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Creates a value for use as an lParam parameter in a message. The macro concatenates
the specified values.

Syntax
C++

void MAKELPARAM(
l,
h
);

Parameters
l

The low-order word of the new value.

The high-order word of the new value.

Return value
None

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

MAKELONG

MAKELRESULT

MAKEWPARAM

Reference

Windows Data Types

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MAKELRESULT macro (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Creates a value for use as a return value from a window procedure. The macro
concatenates the specified values.

Syntax
C++

void MAKELRESULT(
l,
h
);

Parameters
l

The low-order word of the new value.

The high-order word of the new value.

Return value
None

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

MAKELONG

MAKELPARAM

MAKEWPARAM

Reference

Windows Data Types

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MAKEWPARAM macro (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Creates a value for use as a wParam parameter in a message. The macro concatenates
the specified values.

Syntax
C++

void MAKEWPARAM(
l,
h
);

Parameters
l

The low-order word of the new value.

The high-order word of the new value.

Return value
None

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

MAKELONG

MAKELPARAM

MAKELRESULT

Reference

Windows Data Types

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MDICREATESTRUCTA structure
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains information about the class, title, owner, location, and size of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) child window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMDICREATESTRUCTA {

LPCSTR szClass;
LPCSTR szTitle;
HANDLE hOwner;
int x;
int y;
int cx;
int cy;
DWORD style;
LPARAM lParam;
} MDICREATESTRUCTA, *LPMDICREATESTRUCTA;

Members
szClass

Type: LPCTSTR

The name of the window class of the MDI child window. The class name must have been
registered by a previous call to the RegisterClass function.

szTitle

Type: LPCTSTR

The title of the MDI child window. The system displays the title in the child window's
title bar.

hOwner

Type: HANDLE
A handle to the instance of the application creating the MDI client window.

Type: int

The initial horizontal position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
member is CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default horizontal
position.

Type: int

The initial vertical position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
member is CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default vertical
position.

cx

Type: int

The initial width, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this member is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default width.

cy

Type: int

The initial height, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this member is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default height.

style

Type: DWORD

The style of the MDI child window. If the MDI client window was created with the
MDIS_ALLCHILDSTYLES window style, this member can be any combination of the
window styles listed in the Window Styles page. Otherwise, this member can be one or
more of the following values.

Value Meaning

WS_MINIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially minimized.

0x20000000L

WS_MAXIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially maximized.

 0x01000000L

WS_HSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a horizontal scroll

0x00100000L bar.

WS_VSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a vertical scroll bar.
0x00200000L

lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value.

Remarks
When the MDI client window creates an MDI child window by calling CreateWindow, the
system sends a WM_CREATE message to the created window. The lParam member of
the WM_CREATE message contains a pointer to a CREATESTRUCT structure. The
lpCreateParams member of this structure contains a pointer to the MDICREATESTRUCT
structure passed with the WM_MDICREATE message that created the MDI child window.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines MDICREATESTRUCT as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CLIENTCREATESTRUCT

CREATESTRUCT

Conceptual

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

WM_CREATE

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MDICREATESTRUCTW structure
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains information about the class, title, owner, location, and size of a multiple-
document interface (MDI) child window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMDICREATESTRUCTW {

LPCWSTR szClass;
LPCWSTR szTitle;
HANDLE hOwner;
int x;
int y;
int cx;
int cy;
DWORD style;
LPARAM lParam;
} MDICREATESTRUCTW, *LPMDICREATESTRUCTW;

Members
szClass

Type: LPCTSTR

The name of the window class of the MDI child window. The class name must have been
registered by a previous call to the RegisterClass function.

szTitle

Type: LPCTSTR

The title of the MDI child window. The system displays the title in the child window's
title bar.

hOwner

Type: HANDLE
A handle to the instance of the application creating the MDI client window.

Type: int

The initial horizontal position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
member is CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default horizontal
position.

Type: int

The initial vertical position, in client coordinates, of the MDI child window. If this
member is CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default vertical
position.

cx

Type: int

The initial width, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this member is
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default width.

cy

Type: int

The initial height, in device units, of the MDI child window. If this member is set to
CW_USEDEFAULT, the MDI child window is assigned the default height.

style

Type: DWORD

The style of the MDI child window. If the MDI client window was created with the
MDIS_ALLCHILDSTYLES window style, this member can be any combination of the
window styles listed in the Window Styles page. Otherwise, this member can be one or
more of the following values.

Value Meaning

WS_MINIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially minimized.

0x20000000L

WS_MAXIMIZE Creates an MDI child window that is initially maximized.

 0x01000000L

WS_HSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a horizontal scroll

0x00100000L bar.

WS_VSCROLL Creates an MDI child window that has a vertical scroll bar.
0x00200000L

lParam

Type: LPARAM

An application-defined value.

Remarks
When the MDI client window creates an MDI child window by calling CreateWindow, the
system sends a WM_CREATE message to the created window. The lParam member of
the WM_CREATE message contains a pointer to a CREATESTRUCT structure. The
lpCreateParams member of this structure contains a pointer to the MDICREATESTRUCT
structure passed with the WM_MDICREATE message that created the MDI child window.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines MDICREATESTRUCT as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
CLIENTCREATESTRUCT

CREATESTRUCT

Conceptual

Multiple Document Interface

Reference

WM_CREATE

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MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains the scalable metrics associated with minimized windows. This structure is used
with the SystemParametersInfo function when the SPI_GETMINIMIZEDMETRICS or
SPI_SETMINIMIZEDMETRICS action value is specified.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMINIMIZEDMETRICS {

UINT cbSize;
int iWidth;
int iHorzGap;
int iVertGap;
int iArrange;
} MINIMIZEDMETRICS, *PMINIMIZEDMETRICS, *LPMINIMIZEDMETRICS;

Members
cbSize

The size of the structure, in bytes. The caller must set this to sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS) .

iWidth

The width of minimized windows, in pixels.

iHorzGap

The horizontal space between arranged minimized windows, in pixels.

iVertGap

The vertical space between arranged minimized windows, in pixels.

iArrange

The starting position and direction used when arranging minimized windows. The
starting position must be one of the following values.
 Value Meaning

ARW_BOTTOMLEFT Start at the lower-left corner of the work area.

0x0000L

ARW_BOTTOMRIGHT Start at the lower-right corner of the work area.

0x0001L

ARW_TOPLEFT Start at the upper-left corner of the work area.

0x0002L

ARW_TOPRIGHT Start at the upper-right corner of the work area.

0x0003L

The direction must be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

ARW_LEFT Arrange left (valid with ARW_BOTTOMRIGHT and

0x0000L ARW_TOPRIGHT only).

ARW_RIGHT Arrange right (valid with ARW_BOTTOMLEFT and

0x0000L ARW_TOPLEFT only).

ARW_UP Arrange up (valid with ARW_BOTTOMLEFT and

0x0004L ARW_BOTTOMRIGHT only).

ARW_DOWN Arrange down (valid with ARW_TOPLEFT and

0x0004L ARW_TOPRIGHT only).

ARW_HIDE Hide minimized windows by moving them off the visible

0x0008L area of the screen.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
SystemParametersInfo
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MINMAXINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Contains information about a window's maximized size and position and its minimum
and maximum tracking size.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMINMAXINFO {

POINT ptReserved;
POINT ptMaxSize;
POINT ptMaxPosition;
POINT ptMinTrackSize;
POINT ptMaxTrackSize;
} MINMAXINFO, *PMINMAXINFO, *LPMINMAXINFO;

Members
ptReserved

Type: POINT

Reserved; do not use.

ptMaxSize

Type: POINT

The maximized width (x member) and the maximized height (y member) of the window.
For top-level windows, this value is based on the width of the primary monitor.

ptMaxPosition

Type: POINT

The position of the left side of the maximized window (x member) and the position of
the top of the maximized window (y member). For top-level windows, this value is based
on the position of the primary monitor.

ptMinTrackSize
Type: POINT

The minimum tracking width (x member) and the minimum tracking height (y member)
of the window. This value can be obtained programmatically from the system metrics
SM_CXMINTRACK and SM_CYMINTRACK (see the GetSystemMetrics function).

ptMaxTrackSize

Type: POINT

The maximum tracking width (x member) and the maximum tracking height (y member)
of the window. This value is based on the size of the virtual screen and can be obtained
programmatically from the system metrics SM_CXMAXTRACK and SM_CYMAXTRACK
(see the GetSystemMetrics function).

Remarks
For systems with multiple monitors, the ptMaxSize and ptMaxPosition members
describe the maximized size and position of the window on the primary monitor, even if
the window ultimately maximizes onto a secondary monitor. In that case, the window
manager adjusts these values to compensate for differences between the primary
monitor and the monitor that displays the window. Thus, if the user leaves ptMaxSize
untouched, a window on a monitor larger than the primary monitor maximizes to the
size of the larger monitor.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

POINT

Reference
WM_GETMINMAXINFO

Windows

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MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT structure
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Contains information about a mouse event passed to a WH_MOUSE hook procedure,

MouseProc.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMOUSEHOOKSTRUCT {

POINT pt;
HWND hwnd;
UINT wHitTestCode;
ULONG_PTR dwExtraInfo;
} MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT, *LPMOUSEHOOKSTRUCT, *PMOUSEHOOKSTRUCT;

Members
pt

Type: POINT

The x- and y-coordinates of the cursor, in screen coordinates.

hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that will receive the mouse message corresponding to the
mouse event.

wHitTestCode

Type: UINT

The hit-test value. For a list of hit-test values, see the description of the WM_NCHITTEST
message.

dwExtraInfo
Type: ULONG_PTR

Additional information associated with the message.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

MouseProc

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

WM_NCHITTEST

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MOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX structure
(winuser.h)
Article02/16/2023

Contains information about a mouse event passed to a WH_MOUSE hook procedure,

MouseProc.

This is an extension of the MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT structure that includes information

about wheel movement or the use of the X button.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX : tagMOUSEHOOKSTRUCT {

DWORD mouseData;
} MOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX, *LPMOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX, *PMOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX;

Inheritance
The MOUSEHOOKSTRUCTEX structure implements tagMOUSEHOOKSTRUCT.

Members
mouseData

Type: DWORD

If the message is WM_MOUSEWHEEL, the HIWORD of this member is the wheel delta.
The LOWORD is undefined and reserved. A positive value indicates that the wheel was
rotated forward, away from the user; a negative value indicates that the wheel was
rotated backward, toward the user. One wheel click is defined as WHEEL_DELTA, which is
120.

If the message is WM_XBUTTONDOWN, WM_XBUTTONUP, WM_XBUTTONDBLCLK,

WM_NCXBUTTONDOWN, WM_NCXBUTTONUP, or WM_NCXBUTTONDBLCLK, the
HIWORD of mouseData specifies which X button was pressed or released, and the
LOWORD is undefined and reserved. This member can be one or more of the following
values. Otherwise, mouseData is not used.
 Value Meaning

XBUTTON1 The first X button was pressed or released.

0x0001

XBUTTON2 The second X button was pressed or released.

0x0002

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

MOUSEHOOKSTRUCT

MouseProc

Reference

WM_MOUSEWHEEL

WM_NCXBUTTONDBLCLK

WM_NCXBUTTONDOWN

WM_NCXBUTTONUP

WM_XBUTTONDBLCLK

WM_XBUTTONDOWN

WM_XBUTTONUP

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MoveWindow function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Changes the position and dimensions of the specified window. For a top-level window,
the position and dimensions are relative to the upper-left corner of the screen. For a
child window, they are relative to the upper-left corner of the parent window's client
area.

Syntax
C++

BOOL MoveWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int X,
[in] int Y,
[in] int nWidth,
[in] int nHeight,
[in] BOOL bRepaint
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in] X

Type: int

The new position of the left side of the window.

[in] Y

Type: int

The new position of the top of the window.

[in] nWidth

Type: int
The new width of the window.

[in] nHeight

Type: int

The new height of the window.

[in] bRepaint

Type: BOOL

Indicates whether the window is to be repainted. If this parameter is TRUE, the window
receives a message. If the parameter is FALSE, no repainting of any kind occurs. This
applies to the client area, the nonclient area (including the title bar and scroll bars), and
any part of the parent window uncovered as a result of moving a child window.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the bRepaint parameter is TRUE, the system sends the WM_PAINT message to the
window procedure immediately after moving the window (that is, the MoveWindow
function calls the UpdateWindow function). If bRepaint is FALSE, the application must
explicitly invalidate or redraw any parts of the window and parent window that need
redrawing.

MoveWindow sends the WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING, WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGED,

WM_MOVE, WM_SIZE, and WM_NCCALCSIZE messages to the window.

Examples

For an example, see Creating, Enumerating, and Sizing Child Windows.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Conceptual

Other Resources

Reference

SetWindowPos

UpdateWindow

WM_GETMINMAXINFO

WM_PAINT

Windows

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MSG structure (winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Contains message information from a thread's message queue.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMSG {

HWND hwnd;
UINT message;
WPARAM wParam;
LPARAM lParam;
DWORD time;
POINT pt;
DWORD lPrivate;
} MSG, *PMSG, *NPMSG, *LPMSG;

Members
hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure receives the message. This member is
NULL when the message is a thread message.

message

Type: UINT

The message identifier. Applications can only use the low word; the high word is
reserved by the system.

wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the value of
the message member.

lParam
Type: LPARAM

Additional information about the message. The exact meaning depends on the value of
the message member.

time

Type: DWORD

The time at which the message was posted.

pt

Type: POINT

The cursor position, in screen coordinates, when the message was posted.

lPrivate

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps | UWP apps]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps | UWP apps]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

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MSLLHOOKSTRUCT structure
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Contains information about a low-level mouse input event.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagMSLLHOOKSTRUCT {

POINT pt;
DWORD mouseData;
DWORD flags;
DWORD time;
ULONG_PTR dwExtraInfo;
} MSLLHOOKSTRUCT, *LPMSLLHOOKSTRUCT, *PMSLLHOOKSTRUCT;

Members
pt

Type: POINT

The x- and y-coordinates of the cursor, in per-monitor-aware screen coordinates.

mouseData

Type: DWORD

If the message is WM_MOUSEWHEEL, the high-order word of this member is the wheel
delta. The low-order word is reserved. A positive value indicates that the wheel was
rotated forward, away from the user; a negative value indicates that the wheel was
rotated backward, toward the user. One wheel click is defined as WHEEL_DELTA, which is
120.

If the message is WM_XBUTTONDOWN, WM_XBUTTONUP, WM_XBUTTONDBLCLK,

WM_NCXBUTTONDOWN, WM_NCXBUTTONUP, or WM_NCXBUTTONDBLCLK, the high-
order word specifies which X button was pressed or released, and the low-order word is
reserved. This value can be one or more of the following values. Otherwise, mouseData
is not used.
 Value Meaning

XBUTTON1 The first X button was pressed or released.

0x0001

XBUTTON2 The second X button was pressed or released.

0x0002

flags

Type: DWORD

The event-injected flags. An application can use the following values to test the flags.
Testing LLMHF_INJECTED (bit 0) will tell you whether the event was injected. If it was,
then testing LLMHF_LOWER_IL_INJECTED (bit 1) will tell you whether or not the event
was injected from a process running at lower integrity level.

Value Meaning

LLMHF_INJECTED Test the event-injected (from any process) flag.

0x00000001

LLMHF_LOWER_IL_INJECTED Test the event-injected (from a process running at lower

0x00000002 integrity level) flag.

time

Type: DWORD

The time stamp for this message.

dwExtraInfo

Type: ULONG_PTR

Additional information associated with the message.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

LowLevelMouseProc

Other Resources

POINT

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

WM_MOUSEWHEEL

WM_NCXBUTTONDBLCLK

WM_NCXBUTTONDOWN

WM_NCXBUTTONUP

WM_XBUTTONDBLCLK

WM_XBUTTONDOWN

WM_XBUTTONUP

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NCCALCSIZE_PARAMS structure
(winuser.h)
Article09/01/2022

Contains information that an application can use while processing the WM_NCCALCSIZE
message to calculate the size, position, and valid contents of the client area of a window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagNCCALCSIZE_PARAMS {

RECT rgrc[3];
PWINDOWPOS lppos;
} NCCALCSIZE_PARAMS, *LPNCCALCSIZE_PARAMS;

Members
rgrc[3]

Type: RECT[3]

An array of rectangles. The meaning of the array of rectangles changes during the
processing of the WM_NCCALCSIZE message.

When the window procedure receives the WM_NCCALCSIZE message, the first rectangle
contains the new coordinates of a window that has been moved or resized, that is, it is
the proposed new window coordinates. The second contains the coordinates of the
window before it was moved or resized. The third contains the coordinates of the
window's client area before the window was moved or resized. If the window is a child
window, the coordinates are relative to the client area of the parent window. If the
window is a top-level window, the coordinates are relative to the screen origin.

When the window procedure returns, the first rectangle contains the coordinates of the
new client rectangle resulting from the move or resize. The second rectangle contains
the valid destination rectangle, and the third rectangle contains the valid source
rectangle. The last two rectangles are used in conjunction with the return value of the
WM_NCCALCSIZE message to determine the area of the window to be preserved.

lppos
Type: PWINDOWPOS

A pointer to a WINDOWPOS structure that contains the size and position values
specified in the operation that moved or resized the window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

MoveWindow

Other Resources

RECT

Reference

SetWindowPos

WINDOWPOS

WM_NCCALCSIZE

Windows

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NONCLIENTMETRICSA structure
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains the scalable metrics associated with the nonclient area of a nonminimized
window. This structure is used by the SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS and
SPI_SETNONCLIENTMETRICS actions of the SystemParametersInfo function.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagNONCLIENTMETRICSA {

UINT cbSize;
int iBorderWidth;
int iScrollWidth;
int iScrollHeight;
int iCaptionWidth;
int iCaptionHeight;
LOGFONTA lfCaptionFont;
int iSmCaptionWidth;
int iSmCaptionHeight;
LOGFONTA lfSmCaptionFont;
int iMenuWidth;
int iMenuHeight;
LOGFONTA lfMenuFont;
LOGFONTA lfStatusFont;
LOGFONTA lfMessageFont;
int iPaddedBorderWidth;
} NONCLIENTMETRICSA, *PNONCLIENTMETRICSA, *LPNONCLIENTMETRICSA;

Members
cbSize

The size of the structure, in bytes. The caller must set this to sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS) .
For information about application compatibility, see Remarks.

iBorderWidth

The thickness of the sizing border, in pixels. The default is 1 pixel.

iScrollWidth
The width of a standard vertical scroll bar, in pixels.

iScrollHeight

The height of a standard horizontal scroll bar, in pixels.

iCaptionWidth

The width of caption buttons, in pixels.

iCaptionHeight

The height of caption buttons, in pixels.

lfCaptionFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the caption font.

iSmCaptionWidth

The width of small caption buttons, in pixels.

iSmCaptionHeight

The height of small captions, in pixels.

lfSmCaptionFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the small caption font.

iMenuWidth

The width of menu-bar buttons, in pixels.

iMenuHeight

The height of a menu bar, in pixels.

lfMenuFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the font used in menu bars.

lfStatusFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the font used in status bars and
tooltips.

lfMessageFont
A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the font used in message boxes.

iPaddedBorderWidth

The thickness of the padded border, in pixels. The default value is 4 pixels. The
iPaddedBorderWidth and iBorderWidth members are combined for both resizable and
nonresizable windows in the Windows Aero desktop experience. To compile an
application that uses this member, define _WIN32_WINNT as 0x0600 or later. For more
information, see Remarks.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This member is not supported.

Remarks
If the iPaddedBorderWidth member of the NONCLIENTMETRICS structure is present,
this structure is 4 bytes larger than for an application that is compiled with
_WIN32_WINNT less than or equal to 0x0502. For more information about conditional
compilation, see Using the Windows Headers.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: If an application that is compiled for
Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista must also run on Windows Server 2003 or
Windows XP/2000, use the GetVersionEx function to check the operating system version
at run time and, if the application is running on Windows Server 2003 or
Windows XP/2000, subtract the size of the iPaddedBorderWidth member from the
cbSize member of the NONCLIENTMETRICS structure before calling the
SystemParametersInfo function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines NONCLIENTMETRICS as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
LOGFONT

SystemParametersInfo

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NONCLIENTMETRICSW structure
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains the scalable metrics associated with the nonclient area of a nonminimized
window. This structure is used by the SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS and
SPI_SETNONCLIENTMETRICS actions of the SystemParametersInfo function.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagNONCLIENTMETRICSW {

UINT cbSize;
int iBorderWidth;
int iScrollWidth;
int iScrollHeight;
int iCaptionWidth;
int iCaptionHeight;
LOGFONTW lfCaptionFont;
int iSmCaptionWidth;
int iSmCaptionHeight;
LOGFONTW lfSmCaptionFont;
int iMenuWidth;
int iMenuHeight;
LOGFONTW lfMenuFont;
LOGFONTW lfStatusFont;
LOGFONTW lfMessageFont;
int iPaddedBorderWidth;
} NONCLIENTMETRICSW, *PNONCLIENTMETRICSW, *LPNONCLIENTMETRICSW;

Members
cbSize

The size of the structure, in bytes. The caller must set this to sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS) .
For information about application compatibility, see Remarks.

iBorderWidth

The thickness of the sizing border, in pixels. The default is 1 pixel.

iScrollWidth
The width of a standard vertical scroll bar, in pixels.

iScrollHeight

The height of a standard horizontal scroll bar, in pixels.

iCaptionWidth

The width of caption buttons, in pixels.

iCaptionHeight

The height of caption buttons, in pixels.

lfCaptionFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the caption font.

iSmCaptionWidth

The width of small caption buttons, in pixels.

iSmCaptionHeight

The height of small captions, in pixels.

lfSmCaptionFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the small caption font.

iMenuWidth

The width of menu-bar buttons, in pixels.

iMenuHeight

The height of a menu bar, in pixels.

lfMenuFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the font used in menu bars.

lfStatusFont

A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the font used in status bars and
tooltips.

lfMessageFont
A LOGFONT structure that contains information about the font used in message boxes.

iPaddedBorderWidth

The thickness of the padded border, in pixels. The default value is 4 pixels. The
iPaddedBorderWidth and iBorderWidth members are combined for both resizable and
nonresizable windows in the Windows Aero desktop experience. To compile an
application that uses this member, define _WIN32_WINNT as 0x0600 or later. For more
information, see Remarks.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This member is not supported.

Remarks
If the iPaddedBorderWidth member of the NONCLIENTMETRICS structure is present,
this structure is 4 bytes larger than for an application that is compiled with
_WIN32_WINNT less than or equal to 0x0502. For more information about conditional
compilation, see Using the Windows Headers.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: If an application that is compiled for
Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista must also run on Windows Server 2003 or
Windows XP/2000, use the GetVersionEx function to check the operating system version
at run time and, if the application is running on Windows Server 2003 or
Windows XP/2000, subtract the size of the iPaddedBorderWidth member from the
cbSize member of the NONCLIENTMETRICS structure before calling the
SystemParametersInfo function.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines NONCLIENTMETRICS as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
LOGFONT

SystemParametersInfo

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OpenIcon function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Restores a minimized (iconic) window to its previous size and position; it then activates
the window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL OpenIcon(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be restored and activated.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
OpenIcon sends a WM_QUERYOPEN message to the given window.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
CloseWindow

Conceptual

IsIconic

Reference

ShowWindow

Windows

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PeekMessageA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Dispatches incoming nonqueued messages, checks the thread message queue for a
posted message, and retrieves the message (if any exist).

Syntax
C++

BOOL PeekMessageA(
[out] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMin,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMax,
[in] UINT wRemoveMsg
);

Parameters
[out] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that receives message information.

[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose messages are to be retrieved. The window must belong
to the current thread.

If hWnd is NULL, PeekMessage retrieves messages for any window that belongs to the
current thread, and any messages on the current thread's message queue whose hwnd
value is NULL (see the MSG structure). Therefore if hWnd is NULL, both window
messages and thread messages are processed.

If hWnd is -1, PeekMessage retrieves only messages on the current thread's message
queue whose hwnd value is NULL, that is, thread messages as posted by PostMessage
(when the hWnd parameter is NULL) or PostThreadMessage.

[in] wMsgFilterMin
Type: UINT

The value of the first message in the range of messages to be examined. Use
WM_KEYFIRST (0x0100) to specify the first keyboard message or WM_MOUSEFIRST
(0x0200) to specify the first mouse message.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, PeekMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wMsgFilterMax

Type: UINT

The value of the last message in the range of messages to be examined. Use
WM_KEYLAST to specify the last keyboard message or WM_MOUSELAST to specify the
last mouse message.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, PeekMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wRemoveMsg

Type: UINT

Specifies how messages are to be handled. This parameter can be one or more of the
following values.

Value Meaning

PM_NOREMOVE Messages are not removed from the queue after

0x0000 processing by PeekMessage.

PM_REMOVE Messages are removed from the queue after processing

0x0001 by PeekMessage.

PM_NOYIELD Prevents the system from releasing any thread that is

0x0002 waiting for the caller to go idle (see WaitForInputIdle).

Combine this value with either PM_NOREMOVE or

PM_REMOVE.

By default, all message types are processed. To specify that only certain message should
be processed, specify one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
 PM_QS_INPUT Process mouse and keyboard messages.
(QS_INPUT << 16)

PM_QS_PAINT Process paint messages.

(QS_PAINT << 16)

PM_QS_POSTMESSAGE Process all posted messages, including timers and

((QS_POSTMESSAGE | QS_HOTKEY | hotkeys.
QS_TIMER) << 16)

PM_QS_SENDMESSAGE Process all sent messages.

(QS_SENDMESSAGE << 16)

Return value
Type: BOOL

If a message is available, the return value is nonzero.

If no messages are available, the return value is zero.

Remarks
PeekMessage retrieves messages associated with the window identified by the hWnd
parameter or any of its children as specified by the IsChild function, and within the
range of message values given by the wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax parameters.
Note that an application can only use the low word in the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters; the high word is reserved for the system.

Note that PeekMessage always retrieves WM_QUIT messages, no matter which values
you specify for wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax.

During this call, the system dispatches (DispatchMessage) pending, nonqueued

messages, that is, messages sent to windows owned by the calling thread using the
SendMessage, SendMessageCallback, SendMessageTimeout, or SendNotifyMessage
function. Then the first queued message that matches the specified filter is retrieved.
The system may also process internal events. If no filter is specified, messages are
processed in the following order:

Sent messages
Posted messages
Input (hardware) messages and system internal events
Sent messages (again)
WM_PAINT messages
 WM_TIMER messages

To retrieve input messages before posted messages, use the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters.

The PeekMessage function normally does not remove WM_PAINT messages from the
queue. WM_PAINT messages remain in the queue until they are processed. However, if
a WM_PAINT message has a NULL update region, PeekMessage does remove it from
the queue.

If a top-level window stops responding to messages for more than several seconds, the
system considers the window to be not responding and replaces it with a ghost window
that has the same z-order, location, size, and visual attributes. This allows the user to
move it, resize it, or even close the application. However, these are the only actions
available because the application is actually not responding. When an application is
being debugged, the system does not generate a ghost window.

DPI Virtualization
This API does not participate in DPI virtualization. The output is in the mode of the
window that the message is targeting. The calling thread is not taken into consideration.

Examples
For an example, see Examining a Message Queue.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PeekMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

IsChild

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

Other Resources

Reference

WaitForInputIdle

WaitMessage

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PeekMessageW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Dispatches incoming nonqueued messages, checks the thread message queue for a
posted message, and retrieves the message (if any exist).

Syntax
C++

BOOL PeekMessageW(
[out] LPMSG lpMsg,
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMin,
[in] UINT wMsgFilterMax,
[in] UINT wRemoveMsg
);

Parameters
[out] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to an MSG structure that receives message information.

[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose messages are to be retrieved. The window must belong
to the current thread.

If hWnd is NULL, PeekMessage retrieves messages for any window that belongs to the
current thread, and any messages on the current thread's message queue whose hwnd
value is NULL (see the MSG structure). Therefore if hWnd is NULL, both window
messages and thread messages are processed.

If hWnd is -1, PeekMessage retrieves only messages on the current thread's message
queue whose hwnd value is NULL, that is, thread messages as posted by PostMessage
(when the hWnd parameter is NULL) or PostThreadMessage.

[in] wMsgFilterMin
Type: UINT

The value of the first message in the range of messages to be examined. Use
WM_KEYFIRST (0x0100) to specify the first keyboard message or WM_MOUSEFIRST
(0x0200) to specify the first mouse message.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, PeekMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wMsgFilterMax

Type: UINT

The value of the last message in the range of messages to be examined. Use
WM_KEYLAST to specify the last keyboard message or WM_MOUSELAST to specify the
last mouse message.

If wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax are both zero, PeekMessage returns all available
messages (that is, no range filtering is performed).

[in] wRemoveMsg

Type: UINT

Specifies how messages are to be handled. This parameter can be one or more of the
following values.

Value Meaning

PM_NOREMOVE Messages are not removed from the queue after

0x0000 processing by PeekMessage.

PM_REMOVE Messages are removed from the queue after processing

0x0001 by PeekMessage.

PM_NOYIELD Prevents the system from releasing any thread that is

0x0002 waiting for the caller to go idle (see WaitForInputIdle).

Combine this value with either PM_NOREMOVE or

PM_REMOVE.

By default, all message types are processed. To specify that only certain message should
be processed, specify one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
 PM_QS_INPUT Process mouse and keyboard messages.
(QS_INPUT << 16)

PM_QS_PAINT Process paint messages.

(QS_PAINT << 16)

PM_QS_POSTMESSAGE Process all posted messages, including timers and

((QS_POSTMESSAGE | QS_HOTKEY | hotkeys.
QS_TIMER) << 16)

PM_QS_SENDMESSAGE Process all sent messages.

(QS_SENDMESSAGE << 16)

Return value
Type: BOOL

If a message is available, the return value is nonzero.

If no messages are available, the return value is zero.

Remarks
PeekMessage retrieves messages associated with the window identified by the hWnd
parameter or any of its children as specified by the IsChild function, and within the
range of message values given by the wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax parameters.
Note that an application can only use the low word in the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters; the high word is reserved for the system.

Note that PeekMessage always retrieves WM_QUIT messages, no matter which values
you specify for wMsgFilterMin and wMsgFilterMax.

During this call, the system dispatches (DispatchMessage) pending, nonqueued

messages, that is, messages sent to windows owned by the calling thread using the
SendMessage, SendMessageCallback, SendMessageTimeout, or SendNotifyMessage
function. Then the first queued message that matches the specified filter is retrieved.
The system may also process internal events. If no filter is specified, messages are
processed in the following order:

Sent messages
Posted messages
Input (hardware) messages and system internal events
Sent messages (again)
WM_PAINT messages
 WM_TIMER messages

To retrieve input messages before posted messages, use the wMsgFilterMin and
wMsgFilterMax parameters.

The PeekMessage function normally does not remove WM_PAINT messages from the
queue. WM_PAINT messages remain in the queue until they are processed. However, if
a WM_PAINT message has a NULL update region, PeekMessage does remove it from
the queue.

If a top-level window stops responding to messages for more than several seconds, the
system considers the window to be not responding and replaces it with a ghost window
that has the same z-order, location, size, and visual attributes. This allows the user to
move it, resize it, or even close the application. However, these are the only actions
available because the application is actually not responding. When an application is
being debugged, the system does not generate a ghost window.

DPI Virtualization
This API does not participate in DPI virtualization. The output is in the mode of the
window that the message is targeting. The calling thread is not taken into consideration.

Examples
For an example, see Examining a Message Queue.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PeekMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

IsChild

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

Other Resources

Reference

WaitForInputIdle

WaitMessage

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PhysicalToLogicalPoint function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Converts the physical coordinates of a point in a window to logical coordinates.

Syntax
C++

BOOL PhysicalToLogicalPoint(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, out] LPPOINT lpPoint
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose transform is used for the conversion. Top level windows
are fully supported. In the case of child windows, only the area of overlap between the
parent and the child window is converted.

[in, out] lpPoint

Type: LPPOINT

A pointer to a POINT structure that specifies the physical/screen coordinates to be

converted. The new logical coordinates are copied into this structure if the function
succeeds.

Return value
None

Remarks
Windows Vista introduces the concept of physical coordinates. Desktop Window
Manager (DWM) scales non-dots per inch (dpi) aware windows when the display is high
dpi. The window seen on the screen corresponds to the physical coordinates. The
application continues to work in logical space. Therefore, the application's view of the
window is different from that which appears on the screen. For scaled windows, logical
and physical coordinates are different.

The function uses the window identified by the hWnd parameter and the physical
coordinates given in the POINT structure to compute the logical coordinates. The logical
coordinates are the unscaled coordinates that appear to the application in a
programmatic way. In other words, the logical coordinates are the coordinates the
application recognizes, which can be different from the physical coordinates. The API
then replaces the physical coordinates with the logical coordinates. The new coordinates
are in the world coordinates whose origin is (0, 0) on the desktop. The coordinates
passed to the API have to be on the hWnd.

The source coordinates are in device units.

On all platforms, PhysicalToLogicalPoint will fail on a window that has either 0 width or
height; an application must first establish a non-0 width and height by calling, for
example, MoveWindow. On some versions of Windows (including Windows 7),
PhysicalToLogicalPoint will still fail if MoveWindow has been called after a call to
ShowWindow with SH_HIDE has hidden the window.

In Windows 8, system–DPI aware applications translate between physical and logical

space using PhysicalToLogicalPoint and LogicalToPhysicalPoint. In Windows 8.1, the
additional virtualization of the system and inter-process communications means that for
the majority of applications, you do not need these APIs. As a result, in Windows 8.1,
PhysicalToLogicalPoint and LogicalToPhysicalPoint no longer transform points. The
system returns all points to an application in its own coordinate space. This behavior
preserves functionality for the majority of applications, but there are some exceptions in
which you must make changes to ensure that the application works as expected. In
those cases, use PhysicalToLogicalPointForPerMonitorDPI and
LogicalToPhysicalPointForPerMonitorDPI.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

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PostMessageA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created
the specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message.

To post a message in the message queue associated with a thread, use the
PostThreadMessage function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL PostMessageA(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure is to receive the message. The
following values have special meanings.

Value Meaning

HWND_BROADCAST The message is posted to all top-level windows in the

((HWND)0xffff) system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows,
overlapped windows, and pop-up windows. The message
is not posted to child windows.

NULL The function behaves like a call to PostThreadMessage

with the dwThreadId parameter set to the identifier of the
current thread.

Starting with Windows Vista, message posting is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process
can post messages only to message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal
integrity level.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be posted.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

Messages in a message queue are retrieved by calls to the GetMessage or PeekMessage

function.

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

If you send a message in the range below WM_USER to the asynchronous message
functions (PostMessage, SendNotifyMessage, and SendMessageCallback), its message
parameters cannot include pointers. Otherwise, the operation will fail. The functions will
return before the receiving thread has had a chance to process the message and the
sender will free the memory before it is used.

Do not post the WM_QUIT message using PostMessage; use the PostQuitMessage
function.

An accessibility application can use PostMessage to post WM_APPCOMMAND

messages to the shell to launch applications. This functionality is not guaranteed to
work for other types of applications.

A message queue can contain at most 10,000 messages. This limit should be sufficiently
large. If your application exceeds the limit, it should be redesigned to avoid consuming
so many system resources. To adjust this limit, modify the following registry key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Microsoft
Windows NT
CurrentVersion
Windows
USERPostMessageLimit

If the function fails, call GetLastError to get extended error information. GetLastError
returns ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_QUOTA when the limit is hit.

The minimum acceptable value is 4000.

Examples
The following example shows how to post a private window message using the
PostMessage function. Assume you defined a private window message called
WM_COMPLETE:

C++

#define WM_COMPLETE (WM_USER + 0)

You can post a message to the message queue associated with the thread that created
the specified window as shown below:

C++

WaitForSingleObject (pparams->hEvent, INFINITE) ;

lTime = GetCurrentTime () ;
PostMessage (pparams->hwnd, WM_COMPLETE, 0, lTime);

For more examples, see Initiating a Data Link.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PostMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage
Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostQuitMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage

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PostMessageW function (winuser.h)
Article03/21/2023

Places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created
the specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message.

To post a message in the message queue associated with a thread, use the
PostThreadMessage function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL PostMessageW(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure is to receive the message. The
following values have special meanings.

Value Meaning

HWND_BROADCAST The message is posted to all top-level windows in the

((HWND)0xffff) system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows,
overlapped windows, and pop-up windows. The message
is not posted to child windows.

NULL The function behaves like a call to PostThreadMessage

with the dwThreadId parameter set to the identifier of the
current thread.

Starting with Windows Vista, message posting is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process
can post messages only to message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal
integrity level.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be posted.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

Messages in a message queue are retrieved by calls to the GetMessage or PeekMessage

function.

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

If you send a message in the range below WM_USER to the asynchronous message
functions (PostMessage, SendNotifyMessage, and SendMessageCallback), its message
parameters cannot include pointers. Otherwise, the operation will fail. The functions will
return before the receiving thread has had a chance to process the message and the
sender will free the memory before it is used.

Do not post the WM_QUIT message using PostMessage; use the PostQuitMessage
function.

An accessibility application can use PostMessage to post WM_APPCOMMAND

messages to the shell to launch applications. This functionality is not guaranteed to
work for other types of applications.

There is a limit of 10,000 posted messages per message queue. This limit should be
sufficiently large. If your application exceeds the limit, it should be redesigned to avoid
consuming so many system resources. To adjust this limit, modify the following registry
key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Microsoft
Windows NT
CurrentVersion
Windows
USERPostMessageLimit

If the function fails, call GetLastError to get extended error information. GetLastError
returns ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_QUOTA when the limit is hit.

The minimum acceptable value is 4000.

Examples
The following example shows how to post a private window message using the
PostMessage function. Assume you defined a private window message called
WM_COMPLETE:

C++

#define WM_COMPLETE (WM_USER + 0)

You can post a message to the message queue associated with the thread that created
the specified window as shown below:

C++

WaitForSingleObject (pparams->hEvent, INFINITE) ;

lTime = GetCurrentTime () ;
PostMessage (pparams->hwnd, WM_COMPLETE, 0, lTime);

For more examples, see Initiating a Data Link.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PostMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage
Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostQuitMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage

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PostQuitMessage function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Indicates to the system that a thread has made a request to terminate (quit). It is
typically used in response to a WM_DESTROY message.

Syntax
C++

void PostQuitMessage(
[in] int nExitCode
);

Parameters
[in] nExitCode

Type: int

The application exit code. This value is used as the wParam parameter of the WM_QUIT
message.

Return value
None

Remarks
The PostQuitMessage function posts a WM_QUIT message to the thread's message
queue and returns immediately; the function simply indicates to the system that the
thread is requesting to quit at some time in the future.

When the thread retrieves the WM_QUIT message from its message queue, it should
exit its message loop and return control to the system. The exit value returned to the
system must be the wParam parameter of the WM_QUIT message.

Examples
For an example, see Posting a Message.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

PostMessage

Reference

WM_DESTROY

WM_QUIT

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PostThreadMessageA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Posts a message to the message queue of the specified thread. It returns without
waiting for the thread to process the message.

Syntax
C++

BOOL PostThreadMessageA(
[in] DWORD idThread,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] idThread

Type: DWORD

The identifier of the thread to which the message is to be posted.

The function fails if the specified thread does not have a message queue. The system
creates a thread's message queue when the thread makes its first call to one of the User
or GDI functions. For more information, see the Remarks section.

Message posting is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process can post messages only to
posted-message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal integrity level.

This thread must have the SE_TCB_NAME privilege to post a message to a thread that
belongs to a process with the same locally unique identifier (LUID) but is in a different
desktop. Otherwise, the function fails and returns ERROR_INVALID_THREAD_ID.

This thread must either belong to the same desktop as the calling thread or to a process
with the same LUID. Otherwise, the function fails and returns
ERROR_INVALID_THREAD_ID.

[in] Msg
Type: UINT

The type of message to be posted.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError. GetLastError returns ERROR_INVALID_THREAD_ID if idThread is not a valid
thread identifier, or if the thread specified by idThread does not have a message queue.
GetLastError returns ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_QUOTA when the message limit is hit.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

The thread to which the message is posted must have created a message queue, or else
the call to PostThreadMessage fails. Use the following method to handle this situation.

Create an event object, then create the thread.

Use the WaitForSingleObject function to wait for the event to be set to the
signaled state before calling PostThreadMessage.
In the thread to which the message will be posted, call PeekMessage as shown
here to force the system to create the message queue.

PeekMessage(&msg, NULL, WM_USER, WM_USER, PM_NOREMOVE)

Set the event, to indicate that the thread is ready to receive posted messages.
The thread to which the message is posted retrieves the message by calling the
GetMessage or PeekMessage function. The hwnd member of the returned MSG
structure is NULL.

Messages posted by PostThreadMessage are not associated with a window. As a

general rule, messages that are not associated with a window cannot be dispatched by
the DispatchMessage function. Therefore, if the recipient thread is in a modal loop (as
used by MessageBox or DialogBox), the messages will be lost. To intercept thread
messages while in a modal loop, use a thread-specific hook.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

There is a limit of 10,000 posted messages per message queue. This limit should be
sufficiently large. If your application exceeds the limit, it should be redesigned to avoid
consuming so many system resources. To adjust this limit, modify the following registry
key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Microsoft
Windows NT
CurrentVersion
Windows
USERPostMessageLimit

The minimum acceptable value is 4000.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PostThreadMessage as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetCurrentThreadId

GetMessage

GetWindowThreadProcessId

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

Other Resources

PeekMessage

PostMessage

Reference

Sleep

WaitForSingleObject

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PostThreadMessageW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Posts a message to the message queue of the specified thread. It returns without
waiting for the thread to process the message.

Syntax
C++

BOOL PostThreadMessageW(
[in] DWORD idThread,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] idThread

Type: DWORD

The identifier of the thread to which the message is to be posted.

The function fails if the specified thread does not have a message queue. The system
creates a thread's message queue when the thread makes its first call to one of the User
or GDI functions. For more information, see the Remarks section.

Message posting is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process can post messages only to
posted-message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal integrity level.

This thread must have the SE_TCB_NAME privilege to post a message to a thread that
belongs to a process with the same locally unique identifier (LUID) but is in a different
desktop. Otherwise, the function fails and returns ERROR_INVALID_THREAD_ID.

This thread must either belong to the same desktop as the calling thread or to a process
with the same LUID. Otherwise, the function fails and returns
ERROR_INVALID_THREAD_ID.

[in] Msg
Type: UINT

The type of message to be posted.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError. GetLastError returns ERROR_INVALID_THREAD_ID if idThread is not a valid
thread identifier, or if the thread specified by idThread does not have a message queue.
GetLastError returns ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_QUOTA when the message limit is hit.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

The thread to which the message is posted must have created a message queue, or else
the call to PostThreadMessage fails. Use the following method to handle this situation.

Create an event object, then create the thread.

Use the WaitForSingleObject function to wait for the event to be set to the
signaled state before calling PostThreadMessage.
In the thread to which the message will be posted, call PeekMessage as shown
here to force the system to create the message queue.

PeekMessage(&msg, NULL, WM_USER, WM_USER, PM_NOREMOVE)

Set the event, to indicate that the thread is ready to receive posted messages.
The thread to which the message is posted retrieves the message by calling the
GetMessage or PeekMessage function. The hwnd member of the returned MSG
structure is NULL.

Messages posted by PostThreadMessage are not associated with a window. As a

general rule, messages that are not associated with a window cannot be dispatched by
the DispatchMessage function. Therefore, if the recipient thread is in a modal loop (as
used by MessageBox or DialogBox), the messages will be lost. To intercept thread
messages while in a modal loop, use a thread-specific hook.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

There is a limit of 10,000 posted messages per message queue. This limit should be
sufficiently large. If your application exceeds the limit, it should be redesigned to avoid
consuming so many system resources. To adjust this limit, modify the following registry
key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
SOFTWARE
Microsoft
Windows NT
CurrentVersion
Windows
USERPostMessageLimit

The minimum acceptable value is 4000.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PostThreadMessage as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetCurrentThreadId

GetMessage

GetWindowThreadProcessId

MSG

Messages and Message Queues

Other Resources

PeekMessage

PostMessage

Reference

Sleep

WaitForSingleObject

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PROPENUMPROCA callback function
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

An application-defined callback function used with the EnumProps function. The

function receives property entries from a window's property list. The PROPENUMPROC
type defines a pointer to this callback function. PropEnumProc is a placeholder for the
application-defined function name.

Syntax
C++

PROPENUMPROCA Propenumproca;

BOOL Propenumproca(
HWND unnamedParam1,
LPCSTR unnamedParam2,
HANDLE unnamedParam3
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is being enumerated.

unnamedParam2

Type: LPCTSTR

The string component of a property list entry. This is the string that was specified, along
with a data handle, when the property was added to the window's property list via a call
to the SetProp function.

unnamedParam3

Type: HANDLE
A handle to the data. This handle is the data component of a property list entry.

Return value
Type: BOOL

Return TRUE to continue the property list enumeration.

Return FALSE to stop the property list enumeration.

Remarks
The following restrictions apply to this callback function:

The callback function can call the RemoveProp function. However, RemoveProp
can remove only the property passed to the callback function through the callback
function's parameters.
The callback function should not attempt to add properties.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PROPENUMPROC as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

EnumProps

Reference

RemoveProp

SetProp

Window Properties

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PROPENUMPROCEXA callback function
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Application-defined callback function used with the EnumPropsEx function. The function
receives property entries from a window's property list. The PROPENUMPROCEX type
defines a pointer to this callback function. PropEnumProcEx is a placeholder for the
application-defined function name.

Syntax
C++

PROPENUMPROCEXA Propenumprocexa;

BOOL Propenumprocexa(
HWND unnamedParam1,
LPSTR unnamedParam2,
HANDLE unnamedParam3,
ULONG_PTR unnamedParam4
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is being enumerated.

unnamedParam2

Type: LPTSTR

The string component of a property list entry. This is the string that was specified, along
with a data handle, when the property was added to the window's property list via a call
to the SetProp function.

unnamedParam3

Type: HANDLE
A handle to the data. This handle is the data component of a property list entry.

unnamedParam4

Type: ULONG_PTR

Application-defined data. This is the value that was specified as the lParam parameter of
the call to EnumPropsEx that initiated the enumeration.

Return value
Type: BOOL

Return TRUE to continue the property list enumeration.

Return FALSE to stop the property list enumeration.

Remarks
The following restrictions apply to this callback function:

The callback function can call the RemoveProp function. However, RemoveProp
can remove only the property passed to the callback function through the callback
function's parameters.
The callback function should not attempt to add properties.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PROPENUMPROCEX as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

EnumPropsEx

Reference

RemoveProp

SetProp

Window Properties

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PROPENUMPROCEXW callback function
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Application-defined callback function used with the EnumPropsEx function. The function
receives property entries from a window's property list. The PROPENUMPROCEX type
defines a pointer to this callback function. PropEnumProcEx is a placeholder for the
application-defined function name.

Syntax
C++

PROPENUMPROCEXW Propenumprocexw;

BOOL Propenumprocexw(
HWND unnamedParam1,
LPWSTR unnamedParam2,
HANDLE unnamedParam3,
ULONG_PTR unnamedParam4
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is being enumerated.

unnamedParam2

Type: LPTSTR

The string component of a property list entry. This is the string that was specified, along
with a data handle, when the property was added to the window's property list via a call
to the SetProp function.

unnamedParam3

Type: HANDLE
A handle to the data. This handle is the data component of a property list entry.

unnamedParam4

Type: ULONG_PTR

Application-defined data. This is the value that was specified as the lParam parameter of
the call to EnumPropsEx that initiated the enumeration.

Return value
Type: BOOL

Return TRUE to continue the property list enumeration.

Return FALSE to stop the property list enumeration.

Remarks
The following restrictions apply to this callback function:

The callback function can call the RemoveProp function. However, RemoveProp
can remove only the property passed to the callback function through the callback
function's parameters.
The callback function should not attempt to add properties.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PROPENUMPROCEX as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

EnumPropsEx

Reference

RemoveProp

SetProp

Window Properties

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PROPENUMPROCW callback function
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

An application-defined callback function used with the EnumProps function. The

function receives property entries from a window's property list. The PROPENUMPROC
type defines a pointer to this callback function. PropEnumProc is a placeholder for the
application-defined function name.

Syntax
C++

PROPENUMPROCW Propenumprocw;

BOOL Propenumprocw(
HWND unnamedParam1,
LPCWSTR unnamedParam2,
HANDLE unnamedParam3
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is being enumerated.

unnamedParam2

Type: LPCTSTR

The string component of a property list entry. This is the string that was specified, along
with a data handle, when the property was added to the window's property list via a call
to the SetProp function.

unnamedParam3

Type: HANDLE
A handle to the data. This handle is the data component of a property list entry.

Return value
Type: BOOL

Return TRUE to continue the property list enumeration.

Return FALSE to stop the property list enumeration.

Remarks
The following restrictions apply to this callback function:

The callback function can call the RemoveProp function. However, RemoveProp
can remove only the property passed to the callback function through the callback
function's parameters.
The callback function should not attempt to add properties.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines PROPENUMPROC as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

EnumProps

Reference

RemoveProp

SetProp

Window Properties

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RealChildWindowFromPoint function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Retrieves a handle to the child window at the specified point. The search is restricted to
immediate child windows; grandchildren and deeper descendant windows are not
searched.

Syntax
C++

HWND RealChildWindowFromPoint(
[in] HWND hwndParent,
[in] POINT ptParentClientCoords
);

Parameters
[in] hwndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose child is to be retrieved.

[in] ptParentClientCoords

Type: POINT

A POINT structure that defines the client coordinates of the point to be checked.

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is a handle to the child window that contains the specified point.

Remarks
RealChildWindowFromPoint treats HTTRANSPARENT areas of a standard control
differently from other areas of the control; it returns the child window behind a
transparent part of a control. In contrast, ChildWindowFromPoint treats
HTTRANSPARENT areas of a control the same as other areas. For example, if the point is
in a transparent area of a groupbox, RealChildWindowFromPoint returns the child
window behind a groupbox, whereas ChildWindowFromPoint returns the groupbox.
However, both APIs return a static field, even though it, too, returns HTTRANSPARENT.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
ChildWindowFromPoint

Conceptual

Other Resources

POINT

Reference

Windows

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RealGetWindowClassA function
(winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Retrieves a string that specifies the window type.

Syntax
C++

UINT RealGetWindowClassA(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[out] LPSTR ptszClassName,
[in] UINT cchClassNameMax
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose type will be retrieved.

[out] ptszClassName

Type: LPTSTR

A pointer to a string that receives the window type.

[in] cchClassNameMax

Type: UINT

The length, in characters, of the buffer pointed to by the pszType parameter.

Return value
Type: UINT

If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of characters copied to the
specified buffer.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Windows Overview

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RealGetWindowClassW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves a string that specifies the window type.

Syntax
C++

UINT RealGetWindowClassW(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[out] LPWSTR ptszClassName,
[in] UINT cchClassNameMax
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose type will be retrieved.

[out] ptszClassName

Type: LPTSTR

A pointer to a string that receives the window type.

[in] cchClassNameMax

Type: UINT

The length, in characters, of the buffer pointed to by the pszType parameter.

Return value
Type: UINT

If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of characters copied to the
specified buffer.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
Windows Overview

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RegisterClassA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or

CreateWindowEx function.

Note The RegisterClass function has been superseded by the RegisterClassEx

function. You can still use RegisterClass, however, if you do not need to set the
class small icon.

Syntax
C++

ATOM RegisterClassA(
[in] const WNDCLASSA *lpWndClass
);

Parameters
[in] lpWndClass

Type: const WNDCLASS*

A pointer to a WNDCLASS structure. You must fill the structure with the appropriate
class attributes before passing it to the function.

Return value
Type: ATOM

If the function succeeds, the return value is a class atom that uniquely identifies the class
being registered. This atom can only be used by the CreateWindow, CreateWindowEx,
GetClassInfo, GetClassInfoEx, FindWindow, FindWindowEx, and UnregisterClass
functions and the IActiveIMMap::FilterClientWindows method.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
If you register the window class by using RegisterClassA, the application tells the system
that the windows of the created class expect messages with text or character parameters
to use the ANSI character set; if you register it by using RegisterClassW, the application
requests that the system pass text parameters of messages as Unicode. The
IsWindowUnicode function enables applications to query the nature of each window.
For more information on ANSI and Unicode functions, see Conventions for Function
Prototypes.

All window classes that an application registers are unregistered when it terminates.

No window classes registered by a DLL are unregistered when the DLL is unloaded. A
DLL must explicitly unregister its classes when it is unloaded.

Examples

For an example, see Associating a Window Procedure with a Window Class.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RegisterClass as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

FindWindow

FindWindowEx

GetClassInfo

GetClassInfoEx

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClassEx

UnregisterClass

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

WindowProc

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RegisterClassExA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or

CreateWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

ATOM RegisterClassExA(
[in] const WNDCLASSEXA *unnamedParam1
);

Parameters
[in] unnamedParam1

Type: const WNDCLASSEX*

A pointer to a WNDCLASSEX structure. You must fill the structure with the appropriate
class attributes before passing it to the function.

Return value
Type: ATOM

If the function succeeds, the return value is a class atom that uniquely identifies the class
being registered. This atom can only be used by the CreateWindow, CreateWindowEx,
GetClassInfo, GetClassInfoEx, FindWindow, FindWindowEx, and UnregisterClass
functions and the IActiveIMMap::FilterClientWindows method.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you register the window class by using RegisterClassExA, the application tells the
system that the windows of the created class expect messages with text or character
parameters to use the ANSI character set; if you register it by using RegisterClassExW,
the application requests that the system pass text parameters of messages as Unicode.
The IsWindowUnicode function enables applications to query the nature of each
window. For more information on ANSI and Unicode functions, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

All window classes that an application registers are unregistered when it terminates.

No window classes registered by a DLL are unregistered when the DLL is unloaded. A
DLL must explicitly unregister its classes when it is unloaded.

Examples

For an example, see Using Window Classes.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RegisterClassEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

FindWindow

FindWindowEx

GetClassInfo

GetClassInfoEx

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClass

UnregisterClass

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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RegisterClassExW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or

CreateWindowEx function.

Syntax
C++

ATOM RegisterClassExW(
[in] const WNDCLASSEXW *unnamedParam1
);

Parameters
[in] unnamedParam1

Type: const WNDCLASSEX*

A pointer to a WNDCLASSEX structure. You must fill the structure with the appropriate
class attributes before passing it to the function.

Return value
Type: ATOM

If the function succeeds, the return value is a class atom that uniquely identifies the class
being registered. This atom can only be used by the CreateWindow, CreateWindowEx,
GetClassInfo, GetClassInfoEx, FindWindow, FindWindowEx, and UnregisterClass
functions and the IActiveIMMap::FilterClientWindows method.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you register the window class by using RegisterClassExA, the application tells the
system that the windows of the created class expect messages with text or character
parameters to use the ANSI character set; if you register it by using RegisterClassExW,
the application requests that the system pass text parameters of messages as Unicode.
The IsWindowUnicode function enables applications to query the nature of each
window. For more information on ANSI and Unicode functions, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

All window classes that an application registers are unregistered when it terminates.

No window classes registered by a DLL are unregistered when the DLL is unloaded. A
DLL must explicitly unregister its classes when it is unloaded.

Examples

For an example, see Using Window Classes.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RegisterClassEx as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

FindWindow

FindWindowEx

GetClassInfo

GetClassInfoEx

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClass

UnregisterClass

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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RegisterClassW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Registers a window class for subsequent use in calls to the CreateWindow or

CreateWindowEx function.

Note The RegisterClass function has been superseded by the RegisterClassEx

function. You can still use RegisterClass, however, if you do not need to set the
class small icon.

Syntax
C++

ATOM RegisterClassW(
[in] const WNDCLASSW *lpWndClass
);

Parameters
[in] lpWndClass

Type: const WNDCLASS*

A pointer to a WNDCLASS structure. You must fill the structure with the appropriate
class attributes before passing it to the function.

Return value
Type: ATOM

If the function succeeds, the return value is a class atom that uniquely identifies the class
being registered. This atom can only be used by the CreateWindow, CreateWindowEx,
GetClassInfo, GetClassInfoEx, FindWindow, FindWindowEx, and UnregisterClass
functions and the IActiveIMMap::FilterClientWindows method.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
Remarks
If you register the window class by using RegisterClassA, the application tells the system
that the windows of the created class expect messages with text or character parameters
to use the ANSI character set; if you register it by using RegisterClassW, the application
requests that the system pass text parameters of messages as Unicode. The
IsWindowUnicode function enables applications to query the nature of each window.
For more information on ANSI and Unicode functions, see Conventions for Function
Prototypes.

All window classes that an application registers are unregistered when it terminates.

No window classes registered by a DLL are unregistered when the DLL is unloaded. A
DLL must explicitly unregister its classes when it is unloaded.

Examples

For an example, see Associating a Window Procedure with a Window Class.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RegisterClass as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

FindWindow

FindWindowEx

GetClassInfo

GetClassInfoEx

GetClassName

Reference

RegisterClassEx

UnregisterClass

WNDCLASS

Window Classes

WindowProc

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RegisterShellHookWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[This function is not intended for general use. It may be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows.]

Registers a specified Shell window to receive certain messages for events or notifications
that are useful to Shell applications.

The event messages received are only those sent to the Shell window associated with
the specified window's desktop. Many of the messages are the same as those that can
be received after calling the SetWindowsHookEx function and specifying WH_SHELL for
the hook type. The difference with RegisterShellHookWindow is that the messages are
received through the specified window's WindowProc and not through a call back
procedure.

Syntax
C++

BOOL RegisterShellHookWindow(
[in] HWND hwnd
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to register for Shell hook messages.

Return value
Type: BOOL

TRUE if the function succeeds; otherwise, FALSE.

Remarks
As with normal window messages, the second parameter of the window procedure
identifies the message as a WM_SHELLHOOKMESSAGE. However, for these Shell hook
messages, the message value is not a pre-defined constant like other message IDs such
as WM_COMMAND. The value must be obtained dynamically using a call to
RegisterWindowMessage as shown here:

RegisterWindowMessage(TEXT("SHELLHOOK"));

This precludes handling these messages using a traditional switch statement which
requires ID values that are known at compile time. For handling Shell hook messages,
the normal practice is to code an If statement in the default section of your switch
statement and then handle the message if the value of the message ID is the same as
the value obtained from the RegisterWindowMessage call.

The following table describes the wParam and lParam parameter values passed to the
window procedure for the Shell hook messages.

wParam lParam

HSHELL_GETMINRECT A pointer to a SHELLHOOKINFO structure.

HSHELL_WINDOWACTIVATED A handle to the activated window.

HSHELL_RUDEAPPACTIVATED A handle to the activated window.

HSHELL_WINDOWREPLACING A handle to the window replacing the top-level window.

HSHELL_WINDOWREPLACED A handle to the window being replaced.

HSHELL_WINDOWCREATED A handle to the window being created.

HSHELL_WINDOWDESTROYED A handle to the top-level window being destroyed.

HSHELL_ACTIVATESHELLWINDOW Not used.

HSHELL_TASKMAN Can be ignored.

HSHELL_REDRAW A handle to the window that needs to be redrawn.

HSHELL_FLASH A handle to the window that needs to be flashed.

HSHELL_ENDTASK A handle to the window that should be forced to exit.

HSHELL_APPCOMMAND The APPCOMMAND which has been unhandled by the

application or other hooks. See WM_APPCOMMAND and
use the GET_APPCOMMAND_LPARAM macro to retrieve this
parameter.
 HSHELL_MONITORCHANGED A handle to the window that moved to a different monitor.

This function was not included in the SDK headers and libraries until Windows XP with
Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2003. If you do not have a header file and
import library for this function, you can call the function using LoadLibrary and
GetProcAddress.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

DeregisterShellHookWindow

Other Resources

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

ShellProc

Using Messages and Message Queues

WinEvents

WindowProc

Windows
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RegisterWindowMessageA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Defines a new window message that is guaranteed to be unique throughout the system.
The message value can be used when sending or posting messages.

Syntax
C++

UINT RegisterWindowMessageA(
[in] LPCSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

The message to be registered.

Return value
Type: UINT

If the message is successfully registered, the return value is a message identifier in the
range 0xC000 through 0xFFFF.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The RegisterWindowMessage function is typically used to register messages for
communicating between two cooperating applications.
If two different applications register the same message string, the applications return
the same message value. The message remains registered until the session ends.

Only use RegisterWindowMessage when more than one application must process the
same message. For sending private messages within a window class, an application can
use any integer in the range WM_USER through 0x7FFF. (Messages in this range are
private to a window class, not to an application. For example, predefined control classes
such as BUTTON, EDIT, LISTBOX, and COMBOBOX may use values in this range.)

Examples

For an example, see Finding Text.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RegisterWindowMessage as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

Reference

SendMessage

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RegisterWindowMessageW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Defines a new window message that is guaranteed to be unique throughout the system.
The message value can be used when sending or posting messages.

Syntax
C++

UINT RegisterWindowMessageW(
[in] LPCWSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

The message to be registered.

Return value
Type: UINT

If the message is successfully registered, the return value is a message identifier in the
range 0xC000 through 0xFFFF.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The RegisterWindowMessage function is typically used to register messages for
communicating between two cooperating applications.
If two different applications register the same message string, the applications return
the same message value. The message remains registered until the session ends.

Only use RegisterWindowMessage when more than one application must process the
same message. For sending private messages within a window class, an application can
use any integer in the range WM_USER through 0x7FFF. (Messages in this range are
private to a window class, not to an application. For example, predefined control classes
such as BUTTON, EDIT, LISTBOX, and COMBOBOX may use values in this range.)

Examples

For an example, see Finding Text.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RegisterWindowMessage as an alias which

automatically selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the
definition of the UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-
neutral alias with code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that
result in compilation or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for
Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

Reference

SendMessage

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RemovePropA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Removes an entry from the property list of the specified window. The specified character
string identifies the entry to be removed.

Syntax
C++

HANDLE RemovePropA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] LPCSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be changed.

[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated character string or an atom that identifies a string. If this parameter is

an atom, it must have been created using the GlobalAddAtom function. The atom, a 16-
bit value, must be placed in the low-order word of lpString; the high-order word must
be zero.

Return value
Type: HANDLE

The return value identifies the specified data. If the data cannot be found in the
specified property list, the return value is NULL.

Remarks
The return value is the hData value that was passed to SetProp; it is an application-
defined value. Note, this function only destroys the association between the data and
the window. If appropriate, the application must free the data handles associated with
entries removed from a property list. The application can remove only those properties
it has added. It must not remove properties added by other applications or by the
system itself.

The RemoveProp function returns the data handle associated with the string so that the
application can free the data associated with the handle.

Starting with Windows Vista, RemoveProp is subject to the restrictions of User Interface
Privilege Isolation (UIPI). A process can only call this function on a window belonging to
a process of lesser or equal integrity level. When UIPI blocks property changes,
GetLastError will return 5.

Examples

For an example, see Deleting a Window Property.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RemoveProp as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
AddAtom

Conceptual

GetProp

Reference

SetProp

Window Properties

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RemovePropW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Removes an entry from the property list of the specified window. The specified character
string identifies the entry to be removed.

Syntax
C++

HANDLE RemovePropW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] LPCWSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list is to be changed.

[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated character string or an atom that identifies a string. If this parameter is

an atom, it must have been created using the GlobalAddAtom function. The atom, a 16-
bit value, must be placed in the low-order word of lpString; the high-order word must
be zero.

Return value
Type: HANDLE

The return value identifies the specified data. If the data cannot be found in the
specified property list, the return value is NULL.

Remarks
The return value is the hData value that was passed to SetProp; it is an application-
defined value. Note, this function only destroys the association between the data and
the window. If appropriate, the application must free the data handles associated with
entries removed from a property list. The application can remove only those properties
it has added. It must not remove properties added by other applications or by the
system itself.

The RemoveProp function returns the data handle associated with the string so that the
application can free the data associated with the handle.

Starting with Windows Vista, RemoveProp is subject to the restrictions of User Interface
Privilege Isolation (UIPI). A process can only call this function on a window belonging to
a process of lesser or equal integrity level. When UIPI blocks property changes,
GetLastError will return 5.

Examples

For an example, see Deleting a Window Property.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines RemoveProp as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
AddAtom

Conceptual

GetProp

Reference

SetProp

Window Properties

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ReplyMessage function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Replies to a message sent from another thread by the SendMessage function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL ReplyMessage(
[in] LRESULT lResult
);

Parameters
[in] lResult

Type: LRESULT

The result of the message processing. The possible values are based on the message
sent.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the calling thread was processing a message sent from another thread or process, the
return value is nonzero.

If the calling thread was not processing a message sent from another thread or process,
the return value is zero.

Remarks
By calling this function, the window procedure that receives the message allows the
thread that called SendMessage to continue to run as though the thread receiving the
message had returned control. The thread that calls the ReplyMessage function also
continues to run.
If the message was not sent through SendMessage or if the message was sent by the
same thread, ReplyMessage has no effect.

Examples

For an example, see Sending a Message.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

InSendMessage

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

SendMessage

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Get help at Microsoft Q&A
SENDASYNCPROC callback function
(winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

An application-defined callback function used with the SendMessageCallback function.

The system passes the message to the callback function after passing the message to
the destination window procedure. The SENDASYNCPROC type defines a pointer to this
callback function. SendAsyncProc is a placeholder for the application-defined function
name.

Syntax
C++

SENDASYNCPROC Sendasyncproc;

void Sendasyncproc(
HWND unnamedParam1,
UINT unnamedParam2,
ULONG_PTR unnamedParam3,
LRESULT unnamedParam4
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure received the message.

If the SendMessageCallback function was called with its hwnd parameter set to
HWND_BROADCAST, the system calls the SendAsyncProc function once for each top-
level window.

unnamedParam2

Type: UINT

The message.
unnamedParam3

Type: ULONG_PTR

An application-defined value sent from the SendMessageCallback function.

unnamedParam4

Type: LRESULT

The result of the message processing. This value depends on the message.

Return value
None

Remarks
You install a SendAsyncProc application-defined callback function by passing a
SENDASYNCPROC pointer to the SendMessageCallback function.

The callback function is only called when the thread that called SendMessageCallback
calls GetMessage, PeekMessage, or WaitMessage.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

Reference

SendMessageCallback

WaitMessage

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SendMessage function (winuser.h)
Article08/02/2022

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. The SendMessage function calls
the window procedure for the specified window and does not return until the window
procedure has processed the message.

To send a message and return immediately, use the SendMessageCallback or

SendNotifyMessage function. To post a message to a thread's message queue and
return immediately, use the PostMessage or PostThreadMessage function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT SendMessage(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

Message sending is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process can send messages only to
message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal integrity level.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing; it depends on the
message sent.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

If the specified window was created by the calling thread, the window procedure is
called immediately as a subroutine. If the specified window was created by a different
thread, the system switches to that thread and calls the appropriate window procedure.
Messages sent between threads are processed only when the receiving thread executes
message retrieval code. The sending thread is blocked until the receiving thread
processes the message. However, the sending thread will process incoming nonqueued
messages while waiting for its message to be processed. To prevent this, use
SendMessageTimeout with SMTO_BLOCK set. For more information on nonqueued
messages, see Nonqueued Messages.
An accessibility application can use SendMessage to send WM_APPCOMMAND
messages to the shell to launch applications. This functionality is not guaranteed to
work for other types of applications.

Examples
For an example, see Displaying Keyboard Input.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

InSendMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendDlgItemMessage

SendMessageCallback
SendMessageTimeout

SendNotifyMessage

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SendMessageA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. The SendMessage function calls
the window procedure for the specified window and does not return until the window
procedure has processed the message.

To send a message and return immediately, use the SendMessageCallback or

SendNotifyMessage function. To post a message to a thread's message queue and
return immediately, use the PostMessage or PostThreadMessage function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT SendMessageA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

Message sending is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process can send messages only to
message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal integrity level.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing; it depends on the
message sent.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

If the specified window was created by the calling thread, the window procedure is
called immediately as a subroutine. If the specified window was created by a different
thread, the system switches to that thread and calls the appropriate window procedure.
Messages sent between threads are processed only when the receiving thread executes
message retrieval code. The sending thread is blocked until the receiving thread
processes the message. However, the sending thread will process incoming nonqueued
messages while waiting for its message to be processed. To prevent this, use
SendMessageTimeout with SMTO_BLOCK set. For more information on nonqueued
messages, see Nonqueued Messages.
An accessibility application can use SendMessage to send WM_APPCOMMAND
messages to the shell to launch applications. This functionality is not guaranteed to
work for other types of applications.

Examples
For an example, see Displaying Keyboard Input.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

InSendMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage
PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendDlgItemMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendMessageTimeout

SendNotifyMessage

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SendMessageCallbackA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. It calls the window procedure for
the specified window and returns immediately if the window belongs to another thread.
After the window procedure processes the message, the system calls the specified
callback function, passing the result of the message processing and an application-
defined value to the callback function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SendMessageCallbackA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam,
[in] SENDASYNCPROC lpResultCallBack,
[in] ULONG_PTR dwData
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lpResultCallBack

Type: SENDASYNCPROC

A pointer to a callback function that the system calls after the window procedure
processes the message. For more information, see SendAsyncProc.

If hWnd is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the system calls the SendAsyncProc

callback function once for each top-level window.

[in] dwData

Type: ULONG_PTR

An application-defined value to be sent to the callback function pointed to by the

lpCallBack parameter.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the target window belongs to the same thread as the caller, then the window
procedure is called synchronously, and the callback function is called immediately after
the window procedure returns. If the target window belongs to a different thread from
the caller, then the callback function is called only when the thread that called
SendMessageCallback also calls GetMessage, PeekMessage, or WaitMessage.
If you send a message in the range below WM_USER to the asynchronous message
functions (PostMessage, SendNotifyMessage, and SendMessageCallback), its message
parameters cannot include pointers. Otherwise, the operation will fail. The functions will
return before the receiving thread has had a chance to process the message and the
sender will free the memory before it is used.

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendMessageCallback as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendAsyncProc

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage

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SendMessageCallbackW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. It calls the window procedure for
the specified window and returns immediately if the window belongs to another thread.
After the window procedure processes the message, the system calls the specified
callback function, passing the result of the message processing and an application-
defined value to the callback function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SendMessageCallbackW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam,
[in] SENDASYNCPROC lpResultCallBack,
[in] ULONG_PTR dwData
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lpResultCallBack

Type: SENDASYNCPROC

A pointer to a callback function that the system calls after the window procedure
processes the message. For more information, see SendAsyncProc.

If hWnd is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the system calls the SendAsyncProc

callback function once for each top-level window.

[in] dwData

Type: ULONG_PTR

An application-defined value to be sent to the callback function pointed to by the

lpCallBack parameter.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the target window belongs to the same thread as the caller, then the window
procedure is called synchronously, and the callback function is called immediately after
the window procedure returns. If the target window belongs to a different thread from
the caller, then the callback function is called only when the thread that called
SendMessageCallback also calls GetMessage, PeekMessage, or WaitMessage.
If you send a message in the range below WM_USER to the asynchronous message
functions (PostMessage, SendNotifyMessage, and SendMessageCallback), its message
parameters cannot include pointers. Otherwise, the operation will fail. The functions will
return before the receiving thread has had a chance to process the message and the
sender will free the memory before it is used.

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendMessageCallback as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual
Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendAsyncProc

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage

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SendMessageTimeoutA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to one or more windows.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT SendMessageTimeoutA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam,
[in] UINT fuFlags,
[in] UINT uTimeout,
[out, optional] PDWORD_PTR lpdwResult
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message.

If this parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-

level windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows. The
function does not return until each window has timed out. Therefore, the total wait time
can be up to the value of uTimeout multiplied by the number of top-level windows.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam
Type: WPARAM

Any additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Any additional message-specific information.

[in] fuFlags

Type: UINT

The behavior of this function. This parameter can be one or more of the following
values.

Value Meaning

SMTO_ABORTIFHUNG The function returns without waiting for the time-out

0x0002 period to elapse if the receiving thread appears to not
respond or "hangs."

SMTO_BLOCK Prevents the calling thread from processing any other

0x0001 requests until the function returns.

SMTO_NORMAL The calling thread is not prevented from processing other

0x0000 requests while waiting for the function to return.

SMTO_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG The function does not enforce the time-out period as

0x0008 long as the receiving thread is processing messages.

SMTO_ERRORONEXIT The function should return 0 if the receiving window is

0x0020 destroyed or its owning thread dies while the message is
being processed.

[in] uTimeout

Type: UINT

The duration of the time-out period, in milliseconds. If the message is a broadcast

message, each window can use the full time-out period. For example, if you specify a
five second time-out period and there are three top-level windows that fail to process
the message, you could have up to a 15 second delay.

[out, optional] lpdwResult

Type: PDWORD_PTR
The result of the message processing. The value of this parameter depends on the
message that is specified.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero. SendMessageTimeout does not
provide information about individual windows timing out if HWND_BROADCAST is
used.

If the function fails or times out, the return value is 0. To get extended error information,
call GetLastError. If GetLastError returns ERROR_TIMEOUT, then the function timed out.

Windows 2000: If GetLastError returns 0, then the function timed out.

Remarks
The function calls the window procedure for the specified window and, if the specified
window belongs to a different thread, does not return until the window procedure has
processed the message or the specified time-out period has elapsed. If the window
receiving the message belongs to the same queue as the current thread, the window
procedure is called directly—the time-out value is ignored.

This function considers that a thread is not responding if it has not called GetMessage
or a similar function within five seconds.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendMessageTimeout as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

InSendMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

Reference

SendDlgItemMessage

SendMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage

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SendMessageTimeoutW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to one or more windows.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT SendMessageTimeoutW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam,
[in] UINT fuFlags,
[in] UINT uTimeout,
[out, optional] PDWORD_PTR lpdwResult
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message.

If this parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-

level windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows. The
function does not return until each window has timed out. Therefore, the total wait time
can be up to the value of uTimeout multiplied by the number of top-level windows.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam
Type: WPARAM

Any additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Any additional message-specific information.

[in] fuFlags

Type: UINT

The behavior of this function. This parameter can be one or more of the following
values.

Value Meaning

SMTO_ABORTIFHUNG The function returns without waiting for the time-out

0x0002 period to elapse if the receiving thread appears to not
respond or "hangs."

SMTO_BLOCK Prevents the calling thread from processing any other

0x0001 requests until the function returns.

SMTO_NORMAL The calling thread is not prevented from processing other

0x0000 requests while waiting for the function to return.

SMTO_NOTIMEOUTIFNOTHUNG The function does not enforce the time-out period as

0x0008 long as the receiving thread is processing messages.

SMTO_ERRORONEXIT The function should return 0 if the receiving window is

0x0020 destroyed or its owning thread dies while the message is
being processed.

[in] uTimeout

Type: UINT

The duration of the time-out period, in milliseconds. If the message is a broadcast

message, each window can use the full time-out period. For example, if you specify a
five second time-out period and there are three top-level windows that fail to process
the message, you could have up to a 15 second delay.

[out, optional] lpdwResult

Type: PDWORD_PTR
The result of the message processing. The value of this parameter depends on the
message that is specified.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero. SendMessageTimeout does not
provide information about individual windows timing out if HWND_BROADCAST is
used.

If the function fails or times out, the return value is 0. To get extended error information,
call GetLastError. If GetLastError returns ERROR_TIMEOUT, then the function timed out.

Windows 2000: If GetLastError returns 0, then the function timed out.

Remarks
The function calls the window procedure for the specified window and, if the specified
window belongs to a different thread, does not return until the window procedure has
processed the message or the specified time-out period has elapsed. If the window
receiving the message belongs to the same queue as the current thread, the window
procedure is called directly—the time-out value is ignored.

This function considers that a thread is not responding if it has not called GetMessage
or a similar function within five seconds.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendMessageTimeout as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

InSendMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

Reference

SendDlgItemMessage

SendMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage

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SendMessageW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. The SendMessage function calls
the window procedure for the specified window and does not return until the window
procedure has processed the message.

To send a message and return immediately, use the SendMessageCallback or

SendNotifyMessage function. To post a message to a thread's message queue and
return immediately, use the PostMessage or PostThreadMessage function.

Syntax
C++

LRESULT SendMessageW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

Message sending is subject to UIPI. The thread of a process can send messages only to
message queues of threads in processes of lesser or equal integrity level.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value specifies the result of the message processing; it depends on the
message sent.

Remarks
When a message is blocked by UIPI the last error, retrieved with GetLastError, is set to 5
(access denied).

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

If the specified window was created by the calling thread, the window procedure is
called immediately as a subroutine. If the specified window was created by a different
thread, the system switches to that thread and calls the appropriate window procedure.
Messages sent between threads are processed only when the receiving thread executes
message retrieval code. The sending thread is blocked until the receiving thread
processes the message. However, the sending thread will process incoming nonqueued
messages while waiting for its message to be processed. To prevent this, use
SendMessageTimeout with SMTO_BLOCK set. For more information on nonqueued
messages, see Nonqueued Messages.
An accessibility application can use SendMessage to send WM_APPCOMMAND
messages to the shell to launch applications. This functionality is not guaranteed to
work for other types of applications.

Examples
For an example, see Displaying Keyboard Input.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendMessage as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

InSendMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage
PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendDlgItemMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendMessageTimeout

SendNotifyMessage

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SendNotifyMessageA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. If the window was created by the
calling thread, SendNotifyMessage calls the window procedure for the window and
does not return until the window procedure has processed the message. If the window
was created by a different thread, SendNotifyMessage passes the message to the
window procedure and returns immediately; it does not wait for the window procedure
to finish processing the message.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SendNotifyMessageA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you send a message in the range below WM_USER to the asynchronous message
functions (PostMessage, SendNotifyMessage, and SendMessageCallback), its message
parameters cannot include pointers. Otherwise, the operation will fail. The functions will
return before the receiving thread has had a chance to process the message and the
sender will free the memory before it is used.

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendNotifyMessage as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
 code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage
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SendNotifyMessageW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Sends the specified message to a window or windows. If the window was created by the
calling thread, SendNotifyMessage calls the window procedure for the window and
does not return until the window procedure has processed the message. If the window
was created by a different thread, SendNotifyMessage passes the message to the
window procedure and returns immediately; it does not wait for the window procedure
to finish processing the message.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SendNotifyMessageW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT Msg,
[in] WPARAM wParam,
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose window procedure will receive the message. If this
parameter is HWND_BROADCAST ((HWND)0xffff), the message is sent to all top-level
windows in the system, including disabled or invisible unowned windows, overlapped
windows, and pop-up windows; but the message is not sent to child windows.

[in] Msg

Type: UINT

The message to be sent.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-Defined Messages.

[in] wParam

Type: WPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

Additional message-specific information.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you send a message in the range below WM_USER to the asynchronous message
functions (PostMessage, SendNotifyMessage, and SendMessageCallback), its message
parameters cannot include pointers. Otherwise, the operation will fail. The functions will
return before the receiving thread has had a chance to process the message and the
sender will free the memory before it is used.

Applications that need to communicate using HWND_BROADCAST should use the

RegisterWindowMessage function to obtain a unique message for inter-application
communication.

The system only does marshalling for system messages (those in the range 0 to
(WM_USER-1)). To send other messages (those >= WM_USER) to another process, you
must do custom marshalling.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SendNotifyMessage as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
 code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

Messages and Message Queues

PostMessage

PostThreadMessage

Reference

RegisterWindowMessage

SendMessage

SendMessageCallback

SendNotifyMessage
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SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesse
s function (Winuser.h)
Article05/24/2022

２ Warning

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses is a limited access feature. Contact

[email protected] for more information.

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses is a performance assist API to help

applications with a multi-process application model where multiple processes contribute
to a foreground experience, either as data or rendering. Examples include browsers
(with the browser manager or frame, tabs, plugins, etc. hosted in different processes)
and IDEs (which spawn processes for compilation and other tasks).

Applications can use this API to provide a foreground priority boost to worker processes
that help support the main application. Such applications can have a uniform priority
boost applied to all of their constituent processes when the application's top level
window is in the foreground.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses(
HWND topLevelWindow,
DWORD processHandleCount,
HANDLE *processHandleArray
);

Parameters
topLevelWindow

A handle to the top level window (HWND) of the application.

processHandleCount

The number of process handles in processHandleArray. This function can be called at a

single time with a maximum of 32 handles. Set this parameter to 0 along with setting
processHandleArray to NULL to clear a prior boost configuration.

processHandleArray

A group of process handles to be foreground boosted or de-boosted. Set this

parameter to NULL along with setting processHandleCount to 0 to clear a prior boost
configuration.

Return value
Returns TRUE if the call succeeds in boosting the application, FALSE otherwise.
SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses sets the last error code, so the application can
call GetLastError() to obtain extended information if the call failed (for example,
ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER, ERROR_NOT_ENOUGH_MEMORY, or
ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED).

Remarks
This function takes a group of process handles that all get foreground boosted or de-
boosted when the passed-in top level HWND moves to the foreground or background
respectively. Whenever the passed-in top level HWND becomes the foreground window,
a foreground boost will also be applied to the processes passed in the handle array. A
similar de-boost happens when the top level HWND moves to the background.

The top level HWND passed to this function must be owned by the calling process. The
calling process should have the PROCESS_SET_INFORMATION access right on the
process handles in the processHandleArray - in other words, you must have full control
of every window in your process. If some external component injects a window that
takes foreground, or if a dialog box appears, then you lose your boost.

If you have two top level windows, you need to call this function for each one.

If the passed-in top level HWND is already in the foreground when

SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses is called, all of the processes in the
processHandleArray are immediately boosted.

A process whose handle is in the processHandleArray will get a foreground boost only
when the top level HWND becomes the foreground window.

Additional foreground boost is applied only when:

1. The foreground window changes, or

 2. If this function is called while the window is in the foreground and the new list has
the process handle, or the list does not include the process handle while it was
previously included.

When the process owning the top level HWND exits or terminates, the additional
boosting relationship is torn down and secondary processes do not receive any
additional foreground boosting.

The primary process's top level HWND will continue to hold references to secondary
processes until either the primary process's top level HWND clears its grouped boost
state, or the HWND is destroyed.

Example
In this simple scenario, the application sets up its foreground process boost
configuration when the top level window is created. When WM_CREATE is handled, the
function is called with handles in the lParam and the count of handles in the wParam.
These processes will get foreground or background priority boosted as m_AppWindow
moves in and out of being the foreground window. If the m_AppWindow is the
foreground window when the function is called, the processes will also get an
immediate foreground priority boost.

C++

case WM_CREATE:

//
// Configure the passed in worker processes (handles) in lParam, to get
foreground priority boost when m_AppWindow moves in and
// out of the foreground.
//

HANDLE *pMyHandles = retinterpret_cast<HANDLE*>(lParam);

DWORD cHandles = reinterpret_cast<DWORD>(wParam);

If (!SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses(m_AppWindow, cHandles,
pMyHandles))
{
printf(“SetAdditionalForegroundBoostProcesses() setup failed with
error code : %d\n”, GetLastError());
}

break;

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 11 Build 22621

Header Winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
SetForegroundWindow

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SetClassLongA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Replaces the specified 32-bit (long) value at the specified offset into the extra class
memory or the WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window
belongs.

Note This function has been superseded by the SetClassLongPtr function. To write
code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, use
SetClassLongPtr.

Syntax
C++

DWORD SetClassLongA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be replaced. To set a 32-bit value in the extra class memory, specify the
positive, zero-based byte offset of the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the
third 32-bit integer. To set any other value from the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify one
of the following values.
 Value Meaning

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra memory associated

-20 with the class. Setting this value does not change the
number of extra bytes already allocated.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. Setting this
value does not change the number of extra bytes already
allocated. For information on how to access this memory,
see SetWindowLong.

GCL_HBRBACKGROUND Replaces a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCL_HCURSOR Replaces a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCL_HICON Replaces a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCL_HICONSM Replace a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCL_HMODULE Replaces a handle to the module that registered the class.

-16

GCL_MENUNAME Replaces the address of the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Replaces the window-class style bits.

-26

GCL_WNDPROC Replaces the address of the window procedure associated

-24 with the class.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: DWORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified 32-bit
integer. If the value was not previously set, the return value is zero.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you use the SetClassLong function and the GCL_WNDPROC index to replace the
window procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in
the description of the WindowProc callback function.

Calling SetClassLong with the GCL_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the window
class that affects all windows subsequently created with the class. An application can
subclass a system class, but should not subclass a window class created by another
process.

Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Use the SetClassLong function with care. For example, it is possible to change the
background color for a class by using SetClassLong, but this change does not
immediately repaint all windows belonging to the class.

Examples
For an example, see Displaying an Icon.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetClassLong as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLong

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetClassLongPtr

SetWindowLong

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetClassLongPtrA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Replaces the specified value at the specified offset in the extra class memory or the
WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window belongs.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, use
SetClassLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows, SetClassLongPtr is defined
as a call to the SetClassLong function

Syntax
C++

ULONG_PTR SetClassLongPtrA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG_PTR dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be replaced. To set a value in the extra class memory, specify the positive,
zero-based byte offset of the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero through
the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus eight; for example, if you specified 24
or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 16 would be an index to the third
integer. To set a value other than the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify one of the
following values.
 Value Meaning

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra memory associated

-20 with the class. Setting this value does not change the
number of extra bytes already allocated.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. Setting this
value does not change the number of extra bytes already
allocated. For information on how to access this memory,
see SetWindowLongPtr.

GCLP_ HBRBACKGROUND Replaces a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCLP_HCURSOR Replaces a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCLP_HICON Replaces a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCLP_HICONSM Retrieves a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCLP_HMODULE Replaces a handle to the module that registered the class.

-16

GCLP_MENUNAME Replaces the pointer to the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Replaces the window-class style bits.

-26

GCLP_WNDPROC Replaces the pointer to the window procedure associated

-24 with the class.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG_PTR

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: ULONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified offset. If
this was not previously set, the return value is zero.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you use the SetClassLongPtr function and the GCLP_WNDPROC index to replace the
window procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in
the description of the WindowProc callback function.

Calling SetClassLongPtr with the GCLP_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the

window class that affects all windows subsequently created with the class. An
application can subclass a system class, but should not subclass a window class created
by another process.

Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Use the SetClassLongPtr function with care. For example, it is possible to change the
background color for a class by using SetClassLongPtr, but this change does not
immediately repaint all windows belonging to the class.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetClassLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetWindowLongPtr

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetClassLongPtrW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Replaces the specified value at the specified offset in the extra class memory or the
WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window belongs.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows, use
SetClassLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows, SetClassLongPtr is defined
as a call to the SetClassLong function

Syntax
C++

ULONG_PTR SetClassLongPtrW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG_PTR dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be replaced. To set a value in the extra class memory, specify the positive,
zero-based byte offset of the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero through
the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus eight; for example, if you specified 24
or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 16 would be an index to the third
integer. To set a value other than the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify one of the
following values.
 Value Meaning

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra memory associated

-20 with the class. Setting this value does not change the
number of extra bytes already allocated.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. Setting this
value does not change the number of extra bytes already
allocated. For information on how to access this memory,
see SetWindowLongPtr.

GCLP_ HBRBACKGROUND Replaces a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCLP_HCURSOR Replaces a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCLP_HICON Replaces a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCLP_HICONSM Retrieves a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCLP_HMODULE Replaces a handle to the module that registered the class.

-16

GCLP_MENUNAME Replaces the pointer to the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Replaces the window-class style bits.

-26

GCLP_WNDPROC Replaces the pointer to the window procedure associated

-24 with the class.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG_PTR

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: ULONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified offset. If
this was not previously set, the return value is zero.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you use the SetClassLongPtr function and the GCLP_WNDPROC index to replace the
window procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in
the description of the WindowProc callback function.

Calling SetClassLongPtr with the GCLP_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the

window class that affects all windows subsequently created with the class. An
application can subclass a system class, but should not subclass a window class created
by another process.

Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Use the SetClassLongPtr function with care. For example, it is possible to change the
background color for a class by using SetClassLongPtr, but this change does not
immediately repaint all windows belonging to the class.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetClassLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetWindowLongPtr

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetClassLongW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Replaces the specified 32-bit (long) value at the specified offset into the extra class
memory or the WNDCLASSEX structure for the class to which the specified window
belongs.

Note This function has been superseded by the SetClassLongPtr function. To write
code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, use
SetClassLongPtr.

Syntax
C++

DWORD SetClassLongW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The value to be replaced. To set a 32-bit value in the extra class memory, specify the
positive, zero-based byte offset of the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of extra class memory, minus four; for example, if you
specified 12 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the
third 32-bit integer. To set any other value from the WNDCLASSEX structure, specify one
of the following values.
 Value Meaning

GCL_CBCLSEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra memory associated

-20 with the class. Setting this value does not change the
number of extra bytes already allocated.

GCL_CBWNDEXTRA Sets the size, in bytes, of the extra window memory

-18 associated with each window in the class. Setting this
value does not change the number of extra bytes already
allocated. For information on how to access this memory,
see SetWindowLong.

GCL_HBRBACKGROUND Replaces a handle to the background brush associated

-10 with the class.

GCL_HCURSOR Replaces a handle to the cursor associated with the class.

-12

GCL_HICON Replaces a handle to the icon associated with the class.

-14

GCL_HICONSM Replace a handle to the small icon associated with the

-34 class.

GCL_HMODULE Replaces a handle to the module that registered the class.

-16

GCL_MENUNAME Replaces the address of the menu name string. The string
-8 identifies the menu resource associated with the class.

GCL_STYLE Replaces the window-class style bits.

-26

GCL_WNDPROC Replaces the address of the window procedure associated

-24 with the class.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: DWORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified 32-bit
integer. If the value was not previously set, the return value is zero.
If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If you use the SetClassLong function and the GCL_WNDPROC index to replace the
window procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in
the description of the WindowProc callback function.

Calling SetClassLong with the GCL_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the window
class that affects all windows subsequently created with the class. An application can
subclass a system class, but should not subclass a window class created by another
process.

Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Use the SetClassLong function with care. For example, it is possible to change the
background color for a class by using SetClassLong, but this change does not
immediately repaint all windows belonging to the class.

Examples
For an example, see Displaying an Icon.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetClassLong as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10,

version 10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassLong

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetClassLongPtr

SetWindowLong

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetClassWord function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Replaces the 16-bit (WORD) value at the specified offset into the extra class memory for
the window class to which the specified window belongs.

Note This function is provided only for compatibility with 16-bit versions of
Windows. Applications should use the SetClassLong function.

Syntax
C++

WORD SetClassWord(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] WORD wNewWord
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based byte offset of the value to be replaced. Valid values are in the range zero
through the number of bytes of class memory minus two; for example, if you specified
10 or more bytes of extra class memory, a value of 8 would be an index to the fifth 16-
bit integer.

[in] wNewWord

Type: WORD
The replacement value.

Return value
Type: WORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified 16-bit
integer. If the value was not previously set, the return value is zero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Reserve extra class memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbClsExtra member of
the WNDCLASS structure used with the RegisterClass function.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Conceptual

GetClassWord

Reference

RegisterClass

SetClassLong
WNDCLASS

Window Classes

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SetCoalescableTimer function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Creates a timer with the specified time-out value and coalescing tolerance delay.

Syntax
C++

UINT_PTR SetCoalescableTimer(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT_PTR nIDEvent,
[in] UINT uElapse,
[in, optional] TIMERPROC lpTimerFunc,
[in] ULONG uToleranceDelay
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be associated with the timer. This window must be owned by
the calling thread. If a NULL value for hWnd is passed in along with an nIDEvent of an
existing timer, that timer will be replaced in the same way that an existing non-NULL
hWnd timer will be.

[in] nIDEvent

Type: UINT_PTR

A timer identifier. If the hWnd parameter is NULL, and the nIDEvent does not match an
existing timer, then the nIDEvent is ignored and a new timer ID is generated. If the hWnd
parameter is not NULL and the window specified by hWnd already has a timer with the
value nIDEvent, then the existing timer is replaced by the new timer. When
SetCoalescableTimer replaces a timer, the timer is reset. Therefore, a message will be
sent after the current time-out value elapses, but the previously set time-out value is
ignored. If the call is not intended to replace an existing timer, nIDEvent should be 0 if
the hWnd is NULL.
[in] uElapse

Type: UINT

The time-out value, in milliseconds.

If uElapse is less than USER_TIMER_MINIMUM (0x0000000A), the timeout is set to

USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uElapse is greater than USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM
(0x7FFFFFFF), the timeout is set to USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM.

If the sum of uElapse and uToleranceDelay exceeds USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM, an

ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER exception occurs.

[in, optional] lpTimerFunc

Type: TIMERPROC

A pointer to the function to be notified when the time-out value elapses. For more
information about the function, see TimerProc. If lpTimerFunc is NULL, the system posts
a WM_TIMER message to the application queue. The hwnd member of the message's
MSG structure contains the value of the hWnd parameter.

[in] uToleranceDelay

Type: ULONG

It can be one of the following values:

Value Meaning

TIMERV_DEFAULT_COALESCING Uses the system default timer coalescing.

0x00000000

TIMERV_NO_COALESCING Uses no timer coalescing. When this value is used, the

0xFFFFFFFF created timer is not coalesced, no matter what the system
default timer coalescing is or the application
compatibility flags are.

Note Do not use this value unless you are

certain that the timer requires no coalescing.

0x1 - 0x7FFFFFF5 Specifies the coalescing tolerance delay, in milliseconds.

Applications should set this value to the system default
(TIMERV_DEFAULT_COALESCING) or the largest value
possible.
 If the sum of uElapse and uToleranceDelay exceeds
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM (0x7FFFFFFF), an
ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER exception occurs.

See Windows Timer Coalescing for more details and

best practices.

Any other value An invalid value. If uToleranceDelay is set to an invalid

value, the function fails and returns zero.

Return value
Type: UINT_PTR

If the function succeeds and the hWnd parameter is NULL, the return value is an integer
identifying the new timer. An application can pass this value to the KillTimer function to
destroy the timer.

If the function succeeds and the hWnd parameter is not NULL, then the return value is a
nonzero integer. An application can pass the value of the nIDEvent parameter to the
KillTimer function to destroy the timer.

If the function fails to create a timer, the return value is zero. To get extended error
information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
An application can process WM_TIMER messages by including a WM_TIMER case
statement in the window procedure or by specifying a TimerProc callback function when
creating the timer. When you specify a TimerProc callback function, the default window
procedure calls the callback function when it processes WM_TIMER. Therefore, you need
to dispatch messages in the calling thread, even when you use TimerProc instead of
processing WM_TIMER.

The wParam parameter of the WM_TIMER message contains the value of the nIDEvent
parameter.

The timer identifier, nIDEvent, is specific to the associated window. Another window can
have its own timer which has the same identifier as a timer owned by another window.
The timers are distinct.

SetTimer can reuse timer IDs in the case where hWnd is NULL.
When uToleranceDelay is set to 0, the system default timer coalescing is used and
SetCoalescableTimer behaves the same as SetTimer.

Before using SetCoalescableTimer or other timer-related functions, it is recommended

to set the UOI_TIMERPROC_EXCEPTION_SUPPRESSION flag to false through the
SetUserObjectInformationW function, otherwise the application could behave
unpredictably and could be vulnerable to security exploits. For more info, see
SetUserObjectInformationW.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 8 [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows Server 2012 [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Coalescing timers sample

Conceptual

KeSetCoalescableTimer

KeSetTimer

KillTimer

MSG

Reference
Sample

SetTimer

TimerProc

Timers

Using Timers

WM_TIMER

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SetForegroundWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Brings the thread that created the specified window into the foreground and activates
the window. Keyboard input is directed to the window, and various visual cues are
changed for the user. The system assigns a slightly higher priority to the thread that
created the foreground window than it does to other threads.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetForegroundWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that should be activated and brought to the foreground.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window was brought to the foreground, the return value is nonzero.

If the window was not brought to the foreground, the return value is zero.

Remarks
The system restricts which processes can set the foreground window. A process can set
the foreground window by calling SetForegroundWindow only if:

All of the following conditions are true:

 The calling process belongs to a desktop application, not a UWP app or a
Windows Store app designed for Windows 8 or 8.1.
The foreground process has not disabled calls to SetForegroundWindow by a
previous call to the LockSetForegroundWindow function.
The foreground lock time-out has expired (see
SPI_GETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT in SystemParametersInfo).
No menus are active.
Additionally, at least one of the following conditions is true:
The calling process is the foreground process.
The calling process was started by the foreground process.
There is currently no foreground window, and thus no foreground process.
The calling process received the last input event.
Either the foreground process or the calling process is being debugged.

It is possible for a process to be denied the right to set the foreground window even if it
meets these conditions.

An application cannot force a window to the foreground while the user is working with
another window. Instead, Windows flashes the taskbar button of the window to notify
the user.

A process that can set the foreground window can enable another process to set the
foreground window by calling the AllowSetForegroundWindow function. The process
specified by the dwProcessId parameter to AllowSetForegroundWindow loses the ability
to set the foreground window the next time that either the user generates input, unless
the input is directed at that process, or the next time a process calls
AllowSetForegroundWindow, unless the same process is specified as in the previous
call to AllowSetForegroundWindow.

The foreground process can disable calls to SetForegroundWindow by calling the

LockSetForegroundWindow function.

Example
The following code example demonstrates the use of SetForegroundWindow

C++

// If the window is invisible we will show it and make it topmost without

the
// foreground focus. If the window is visible it will also be made the
// topmost window without the foreground focus. If wParam is TRUE then
// for both cases the window will be forced into the foreground focus
if (uMsg == m_ShowStageMessage) {
 BOOL bVisible = IsWindowVisible(hwnd);
SetWindowPos(hwnd, HWND_TOP, 0, 0, 0, 0,
SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_SHOWWINDOW |
(bVisible ? SWP_NOACTIVATE : 0));
// Should we bring the window to the foreground
if (wParam == TRUE) {
SetForegroundWindow(hwnd);
}
return (LRESULT) 1;
}

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
AllowSetForegroundWindow

Conceptual

FlashWindowEx

GetForegroundWindow

LockSetForegroundWindow

Reference

SetActiveWindow

Windows
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SetLayeredWindowAttributes function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Sets the opacity and transparency color key of a layered window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetLayeredWindowAttributes(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in] COLORREF crKey,
[in] BYTE bAlpha,
[in] DWORD dwFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the layered window. A layered window is created by specifying

WS_EX_LAYERED when creating the window with the CreateWindowEx function or by
setting WS_EX_LAYERED via SetWindowLong after the window has been created.

Windows 8: The WS_EX_LAYERED style is supported for top-level windows and child
windows. Previous Windows versions support WS_EX_LAYERED only for top-level
windows.

[in] crKey

Type: COLORREF

A COLORREF structure that specifies the transparency color key to be used when
composing the layered window. All pixels painted by the window in this color will be
transparent. To generate a COLORREF, use the RGB macro.

[in] bAlpha

Type: BYTE
Alpha value used to describe the opacity of the layered window. Similar to the
SourceConstantAlpha member of the BLENDFUNCTION structure. When bAlpha is 0,
the window is completely transparent. When bAlpha is 255, the window is opaque.

[in] dwFlags

Type: DWORD

An action to be taken. This parameter can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

LWA_ALPHA Use bAlpha to determine the opacity of the layered

0x00000002 window.

LWA_COLORKEY Use crKey as the transparency color.

0x00000001

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Note that once SetLayeredWindowAttributes has been called for a layered window,
subsequent UpdateLayeredWindow calls will fail until the layering style bit is cleared and
set again.

For more information, see Using Layered Windows.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
AlphaBlend

COLORREF

Conceptual

CreateWindowEx

Other Resources

RGB

Reference

SetWindowLong

TransparentBlt

UpdateLayeredWindow

Using Windows

Windows

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SetMessageExtraInfo function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Sets the extra message information for the current thread. Extra message information is
an application- or driver-defined value associated with the current thread's message
queue. An application can use the GetMessageExtraInfo function to retrieve a thread's
extra message information.

Syntax
C++

LPARAM SetMessageExtraInfo(
[in] LPARAM lParam
);

Parameters
[in] lParam

Type: LPARAM

The value to be associated with the current thread.

Return value
Type: LPARAM

The return value is the previous value associated with the current thread.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessageExtraInfo

Messages and Message Queues

Reference

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SetParent function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Changes the parent window of the specified child window.

Syntax
C++

HWND SetParent(
[in] HWND hWndChild,
[in, optional] HWND hWndNewParent
);

Parameters
[in] hWndChild

Type: HWND

A handle to the child window.

[in, optional] hWndNewParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the new parent window. If this parameter is NULL, the desktop window
becomes the new parent window. If this parameter is HWND_MESSAGE, the child
window becomes a message-only window.

Return value
Type: HWND

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the previous parent window.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
An application can use the SetParent function to set the parent window of a pop-up,
overlapped, or child window.

If the window identified by the hWndChild parameter is visible, the system performs the
appropriate redrawing and repainting.

For compatibility reasons, SetParent does not modify the WS_CHILD or WS_POPUP
window styles of the window whose parent is being changed. Therefore, if
hWndNewParent is NULL, you should also clear the WS_CHILD bit and set the
WS_POPUP style after calling SetParent. Conversely, if hWndNewParent is not NULL and
the window was previously a child of the desktop, you should clear the WS_POPUP style
and set the WS_CHILD style before calling SetParent.

When you change the parent of a window, you should synchronize the UISTATE of both
windows. For more information, see WM_CHANGEUISTATE and WM_UPDATEUISTATE.

Unexpected behavior or errors may occur if hWndNewParent and hWndChild are

running in different DPI awareness modes. The table below outlines this behavior:

Operation Windows 8.1 Windows 10 (1607 and Windows 10 (1703 and

earlier) later)

SetParent N/A Forced reset (of current Fail

(In-Proc) process) (ERROR_INVALID_STATE)

SetParent Forced reset (of child Forced reset (of child Forced reset (of child
(Cross-Proc) window's process) window's process) window's process)

For more information on DPI awareness, see the Windows High DPI documentation.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

GetParent

Reference

Windows

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SetProcessDefaultLayout function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Changes the default layout when windows are created with no parent or owner only for
the currently running process.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetProcessDefaultLayout(
[in] DWORD dwDefaultLayout
);

Parameters
[in] dwDefaultLayout

Type: DWORD

The default process layout. This parameter can be 0 or the following value.

Value Meaning

LAYOUT_RTL Sets the default horizontal layout to be right to left.

0x00000001

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The layout specifies how text and graphics are laid out; the default is left to right. The
SetProcessDefaultLayout function changes layout to be right to left, which is the
standard in Arabic and Hebrew cultures.

After the LAYOUT_RTL flag is selected, flags normally specifying right or left are
reversed. To avoid confusion, consider defining alternate words for standard flags, such
as those in the following table.

Standard flag Suggested alternate name

WS_EX_RIGHT WS_EX_TRAILING

WS_EX_RTLREADING WS_EX_REVERSEREADING

WS_EX_LEFTSCROLLBAR WS_EX_LEADSCROLLBAR

ES_LEFT ES_LEAD

ES_RIGHT ES_TRAIL

EC_LEFTMARGIN EC_LEADMARGIN

EC_RIGHTMARGIN EC_TRAILMARGIN

If using this function with a mirrored window, note that the SetProcessDefaultLayout
function does not mirror the whole process and all the device contexts (DCs) created in
it. It mirrors only the mirrored window's DCs. To mirror any DC, use the SetLayout
function.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll
 API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version
10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetProcessDefaultLayout

Other Resources

Reference

SetLayout

Windows

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SetProcessDPIAware function
(winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Sets the process-default DPI awareness to system-DPI awareness. This is equivalent to

calling SetProcessDpiAwarenessContext with a DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT value of
DPI_AWARENESS_CONTEXT_SYSTEM_AWARE.

７ Note

It is recommended that you set the process-default DPI awareness via application
manifest, not an API call. See Setting the default DPI awareness for a process for
more information. Setting the process-default DPI awareness via API call can lead
to unexpected application behavior.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetProcessDPIAware();

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero. Otherwise, the return value is zero.

Remarks
For more information, see Setting the default DPI awareness for a process.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
Setting the default DPI awareness for a process

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SetPropA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Adds a new entry or changes an existing entry in the property list of the specified
window. The function adds a new entry to the list if the specified character string does
not exist already in the list. The new entry contains the string and the handle. Otherwise,
the function replaces the string's current handle with the specified handle.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetPropA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] LPCSTR lpString,
[in, optional] HANDLE hData
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list receives the new entry.

[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or an atom that identifies a string. If this parameter is an atom,

it must be a global atom created by a previous call to the GlobalAddAtom function. The
atom must be placed in the low-order word of lpString; the high-order word must be
zero.

[in, optional] hData

Type: HANDLE

A handle to the data to be copied to the property list. The data handle can identify any
value useful to the application.
Return value
Type: BOOL

If the data handle and string are added to the property list, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Before a window is destroyed (that is, before it returns from processing the
WM_NCDESTROY message), an application must remove all entries it has added to the
property list. The application must use the RemoveProp function to remove the entries.

SetProp is subject to the restrictions of User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI). A process
can only call this function on a window belonging to a process of lesser or equal
integrity level. When UIPI blocks property changes, GetLastError will return 5.

Examples
For an example, see Adding a Window Property.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetProp as an alias which automatically selects the
ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE
preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that
not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime
errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GlobalAddAtom

Reference

RemoveProp

WM_NCDESTROY

Window Properties

ITaskbarList2::MarkFullscreenWindow

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SetPropW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Adds a new entry or changes an existing entry in the property list of the specified
window. The function adds a new entry to the list if the specified character string does
not exist already in the list. The new entry contains the string and the handle. Otherwise,
the function replaces the string's current handle with the specified handle.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetPropW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] LPCWSTR lpString,
[in, optional] HANDLE hData
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window whose property list receives the new entry.

[in] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or an atom that identifies a string. If this parameter is an atom,

it must be a global atom created by a previous call to the GlobalAddAtom function. The
atom must be placed in the low-order word of lpString; the high-order word must be
zero.

[in, optional] hData

Type: HANDLE

A handle to the data to be copied to the property list. The data handle can identify any
value useful to the application.
Return value
Type: BOOL

If the data handle and string are added to the property list, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Before a window is destroyed (that is, before it returns from processing the
WM_NCDESTROY message), an application must remove all entries it has added to the
property list. The application must use the RemoveProp function to remove the entries.

SetProp is subject to the restrictions of User Interface Privilege Isolation (UIPI). A process
can only call this function on a window belonging to a process of lesser or equal
integrity level. When UIPI blocks property changes, GetLastError will return 5.

Examples
For an example, see Adding a Window Property.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetProp as an alias which automatically selects the
ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the UNICODE
preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with code that
not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation or runtime
errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GlobalAddAtom

Reference

RemoveProp

WM_NCDESTROY

Window Properties

ITaskbarList2::MarkFullscreenWindow

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SetSysColors function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Sets the colors for the specified display elements. Display elements are the various parts
of a window and the display that appear on the system display screen.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetSysColors(
[in] int cElements,
[in] const INT *lpaElements,
[in] const COLORREF *lpaRgbValues
);

Parameters
[in] cElements

Type: int

The number of display elements in the lpaElements array.

[in] lpaElements

Type: const INT*

An array of integers that specify the display elements to be changed. For a list of display
elements, see GetSysColor.

[in] lpaRgbValues

Type: const COLORREF*

An array of COLORREF values that contain the new red, green, blue (RGB) color values
for the display elements in the array pointed to by the lpaElements parameter.

To generate a COLORREF, use the RGB macro.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is a nonzero value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The SetSysColors function sends a WM_SYSCOLORCHANGE message to all windows to
inform them of the change in color. It also directs the system to repaint the affected
portions of all currently visible windows.

It is best to respect the color settings specified by the user. If you are writing an
application to enable the user to change the colors, then it is appropriate to use this
function. However, this function affects only the current session. The new colors are not
saved when the system terminates.

Examples
The following example demonstrates the use of the GetSysColor and SetSysColors
functions. First, the example uses GetSysColor to retrieve the colors of the window
background and active caption and displays the red, green, blue (RGB) values in
hexadecimal notation. Next, example uses SetSysColors to change the color of the
window background to light gray and the active title bars to dark purple. After a 10-
second delay, the example restores the previous colors for these elements using
SetSysColors.

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "user32.lib")

void main()
{
int aElements[2] = {COLOR_WINDOW, COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION};
DWORD aOldColors[2];
DWORD aNewColors[2];

// Get the current color of the window background.

aOldColors[0] = GetSysColor(aElements[0]);

printf("Current window color: {0x%x, 0x%x, 0x%x}\n",

GetRValue(aOldColors[0]),
 GetGValue(aOldColors[0]),
GetBValue(aOldColors[0]));

// Get the current color of the active caption.

aOldColors[1] = GetSysColor(aElements[1]);

printf("Current active caption color: {0x%x, 0x%x, 0x%x}\n",

GetRValue(aOldColors[1]),
GetGValue(aOldColors[1]),
GetBValue(aOldColors[1]));

// Define new colors for the elements

aNewColors[0] = RGB(0x80, 0x80, 0x80); // light gray

aNewColors[1] = RGB(0x80, 0x00, 0x80); // dark purple

printf("\nNew window color: {0x%x, 0x%x, 0x%x}\n",

GetRValue(aNewColors[0]),
GetGValue(aNewColors[0]),
GetBValue(aNewColors[0]));

printf("New active caption color: {0x%x, 0x%x, 0x%x}\n",

GetRValue(aNewColors[1]),
GetGValue(aNewColors[1]),
GetBValue(aNewColors[1]));

// Set the elements defined in aElements to the colors defined

// in aNewColors

SetSysColors(2, aElements, aNewColors);

printf("\nWindow background and active border have been changed.\n");

printf("Reverting to previous colors in 10 seconds...\n");

Sleep(10000);

// Restore the elements to their original colors

SetSysColors(2, aElements, aOldColors);

}

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
COLORREF

GetSysColor

RGB

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SetTimer function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Creates a timer with the specified time-out value.

Syntax
C++

UINT_PTR SetTimer(
[in, optional] HWND hWnd,
[in] UINT_PTR nIDEvent,
[in] UINT uElapse,
[in, optional] TIMERPROC lpTimerFunc
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to be associated with the timer. This window must be owned by
the calling thread. If a NULL value for hWnd is passed in along with an nIDEvent of an
existing timer, that timer will be replaced in the same way that an existing non-NULL
hWnd timer will be.

[in] nIDEvent

Type: UINT_PTR

A nonzero timer identifier. If the hWnd parameter is NULL, and the nIDEvent does not
match an existing timer then it is ignored and a new timer ID is generated. If the hWnd
parameter is not NULL and the window specified by hWnd already has a timer with the
value nIDEvent, then the existing timer is replaced by the new timer. When SetTimer
replaces a timer, the timer is reset. Therefore, a message will be sent after the current
time-out value elapses, but the previously set time-out value is ignored. If the call is not
intended to replace an existing timer, nIDEvent should be 0 if the hWnd is NULL.

[in] uElapse

Type: UINT
The time-out value, in milliseconds.

If uElapse is less than USER_TIMER_MINIMUM (0x0000000A), the timeout is set to

USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uElapse is greater than USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM
(0x7FFFFFFF), the timeout is set to USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM.

[in, optional] lpTimerFunc

Type: TIMERPROC

A pointer to the function to be notified when the time-out value elapses. For more
information about the function, see TimerProc. If lpTimerFunc is NULL, the system posts
a WM_TIMER message to the application queue. The hwnd member of the message's
MSG structure contains the value of the hWnd parameter.

Return value
Type: UINT_PTR

If the function succeeds and the hWnd parameter is NULL, the return value is an integer
identifying the new timer. An application can pass this value to the KillTimer function to
destroy the timer.

If the function succeeds and the hWnd parameter is not NULL, then the return value is a
nonzero integer. An application can pass the value of the nIDEvent parameter to the
KillTimer function to destroy the timer.

If the function fails to create a timer, the return value is zero. To get extended error
information, call GetLastError.

Remarks
An application can process WM_TIMER messages by including a WM_TIMER case
statement in the window procedure or by specifying a TimerProc callback function when
creating the timer. When you specify a TimerProc callback function, the
DispatchMessage calls the callback function instead of calling the window procedure
when it processes WM_TIMER with a non-NULL lParam. Therefore, you need to dispatch
messages in the calling thread, even when you use TimerProc instead of processing
WM_TIMER.

The wParam parameter of the WM_TIMER message contains the value of the nIDEvent
parameter.
The timer identifier, nIDEvent, is specific to the associated window. Another window can
have its own timer which has the same identifier as a timer owned by another window.
The timers are distinct.

SetTimer can reuse timer IDs in the case where hWnd is NULL.

Before using SetTimer or other timer-related functions, it is recommended to set the

UOI_TIMERPROC_EXCEPTION_SUPPRESSION flag to false through the
SetUserObjectInformationW function, otherwise the application could behave
unpredictably and could be vulnerable to security exploits. For more info, see
SetUserObjectInformationW.

Examples

For an example, see Creating a Timer.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-2 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

KillTimer

MSG
Reference

SetWaitableTimer

TimerProc

Timers

WM_TIMER

SetCoalescableTimer

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SetWindowDisplayAffinity function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Specifies where the content of the window can be displayed.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetWindowDisplayAffinity(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] DWORD dwAffinity
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the top-level window. The window must belong to the current process.

[in] dwAffinity

Type: DWORD

The display affinity setting that specifies where the content of the window can be
displayed.

This parameter can be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

WDA_NONE Imposes no restrictions on where the window can be

0x00000000 displayed.

WDA_MONITOR The window content is displayed only on a monitor.

0x00000001 Everywhere else, the window appears with no content.

WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE The window is displayed only on a monitor. Everywhere

0x00000011 else, the window does not appear at all.
 One use for this affinity is for windows that show video
recording controls, so that the controls are not included
in the capture.

Introduced in Windows 10 Version 2004. See remarks

about compatibility regarding previous versions of
Windows.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, it returns TRUE; otherwise, it returns FALSE when, for example,
the function call is made on a non top-level window. To get extended error information,
call GetLastError.

Remarks
This function and GetWindowDisplayAffinity are designed to support the window
content protection feature that is new to Windows 7. This feature enables applications
to protect their own onscreen window content from being captured or copied through a
specific set of public operating system features and APIs. However, it works only when
the Desktop Window Manager(DWM) is composing the desktop.

It is important to note that unlike a security feature or an implementation of Digital

Rights Management (DRM), there is no guarantee that using SetWindowDisplayAffinity
and GetWindowDisplayAffinity, and other necessary functions such as
DwmIsCompositionEnabled, will strictly protect windowed content, for example where
someone takes a photograph of the screen.

Starting in Windows 10 Version 2004, WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE is a supported

value. Setting the display affinity to WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE on previous version
of Windows will behave as if WDA_MONITOR is applied.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 7 [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 R2 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
SetWindowDisplayAffinity, Windows

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SetWindowLongA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets the 32-bit (long)
value at the specified offset into the extra window memory.

Note This function has been superseded by the SetWindowLongPtr function. To

write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, use
the SetWindowLongPtr function.

Syntax
C++

LONG SetWindowLongA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based offset to the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero through
the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus the size of an integer. To set any
other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GWL_EXSTYLE Sets a new extended window style.

-20
 GWL_HINSTANCE Sets a new application instance handle.
-6

GWL_ID Sets a new identifier of the child window. The window

-12 cannot be a top-level window.

GWL_STYLE Sets a new window style.

-16

GWL_USERDATA Sets the user data associated with the window. This data
-21 is intended for use by the application that created the
window. Its value is initially zero.

GWL_WNDPROC Sets a new address for the window procedure.

-4 You cannot change this attribute if the window does not
belong to the same process as the calling thread.

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWL_DLGPROC Sets the new address of the dialog box procedure.

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT)

DWL_MSGRESULT Sets the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWL_USER Sets new extra information that is private to the

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) application, such as handles or pointers.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: LONG

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified 32-bit
integer.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
If the previous value of the specified 32-bit integer is zero, and the function succeeds,
the return value is zero, but the function does not clear the last error information. This
makes it difficult to determine success or failure. To deal with this, you should clear the
last error information by calling SetLastError with 0 before calling SetWindowLong.
Then, function failure will be indicated by a return value of zero and a GetLastError result
that is nonzero.

Remarks
Certain window data is cached, so changes you make using SetWindowLong will not
take effect until you call the SetWindowPos function. Specifically, if you change any of
the frame styles, you must call SetWindowPos with the SWP_FRAMECHANGED flag for
the cache to be updated properly.

If you use SetWindowLong with the GWL_WNDPROC index to replace the window
procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in the
description of the WindowProc callback function.

If you use SetWindowLong with the DWL_MSGRESULT index to set the return value for
a message processed by a dialog procedure, you should return TRUE directly afterward.
Otherwise, if you call any function that results in your dialog procedure receiving a
window message, the nested window message could overwrite the return value you set
using DWL_MSGRESULT.

Calling SetWindowLong with the GWL_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the

window class used to create the window. An application can subclass a system class, but
should not subclass a window class created by another process. The SetWindowLong
function creates the window subclass by changing the window procedure associated
with a particular window class, causing the system to call the new window procedure
instead of the previous one. An application must pass any messages not processed by
the new window procedure to the previous window procedure by calling
CallWindowProc. This allows the application to create a chain of window procedures.

Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra

member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

You must not call SetWindowLong with the GWL_HWNDPARENT index to change the
parent of a child window. Instead, use the SetParent function.

If the window has a class style of CS_CLASSDC or CS_OWNDC, do not set the extended
window styles WS_EX_COMPOSITED or WS_EX_LAYERED.

Calling SetWindowLong to set the style on a progressbar will reset its position.
Examples
For an example, see Subclassing a Window.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowLong as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

GetWindowLong

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetParent

SetWindowLongPtr
WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetWindowLongPtrA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets a value at the
specified offset in the extra window memory.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of
Windows, use SetWindowLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows,
SetWindowLongPtr is defined as a call to the SetWindowLong function.

Syntax
C++

LONG_PTR SetWindowLongPtrA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG_PTR dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs. The
SetWindowLongPtr function fails if the process that owns the window specified by the
hWnd parameter is at a higher process privilege in the UIPI hierarchy than the process
the calling thread resides in.

Windows XP/2000: The SetWindowLongPtr function fails if the window specified by

the hWnd parameter does not belong to the same process as the calling thread.

[in] nIndex

Type: int
The zero-based offset to the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero through
the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus the size of a LONG_PTR. To set any
other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GWL_EXSTYLE Sets a new extended window style.

-20

GWLP_HINSTANCE Sets a new application instance handle.

-6

GWLP_ID Sets a new identifier of the child window. The window

-12 cannot be a top-level window.

GWL_STYLE Sets a new window style.

-16

GWLP_USERDATA Sets the user data associated with the window. This data
-21 is intended for use by the application that created the
window. Its value is initially zero.

GWLP_WNDPROC Sets a new address for the window procedure.

-4

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWLP_DLGPROC Sets the new pointer to the dialog box procedure.

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT)

DWLP_MSGRESULT Sets the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWLP_USER Sets new extra information that is private to the

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) application, such as handles or pointers.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG_PTR

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: LONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified offset.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

If the previous value is zero and the function succeeds, the return value is zero, but the
function does not clear the last error information. To determine success or failure, clear
the last error information by calling SetLastError with 0, then call SetWindowLongPtr.
Function failure will be indicated by a return value of zero and a GetLastError result that
is nonzero.

Remarks
Certain window data is cached, so changes you make using SetWindowLongPtr will not
take effect until you call the SetWindowPos function.

If you use SetWindowLongPtr with the GWLP_WNDPROC index to replace the window
procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in the
description of the WindowProc callback function.

If you use SetWindowLongPtr with the DWLP_MSGRESULT index to set the return value
for a message processed by a dialog box procedure, the dialog box procedure should
return TRUE directly afterward. Otherwise, if you call any function that results in your
dialog box procedure receiving a window message, the nested window message could
overwrite the return value you set by using DWLP_MSGRESULT.

Calling SetWindowLongPtr with the GWLP_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the

window class used to create the window. An application can subclass a system class, but
should not subclass a window class created by another process. The SetWindowLongPtr
function creates the window subclass by changing the window procedure associated
with a particular window class, causing the system to call the new window procedure
instead of the previous one. An application must pass any messages not processed by
the new window procedure to the previous window procedure by calling
CallWindowProc. This allows the application to create a chain of window procedures.

Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra

member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Do not call SetWindowLongPtr with the GWLP_HWNDPARENT index to change the

parent of a child window. Instead, use the SetParent function.
If the window has a class style of CS_CLASSDC or CS_PARENTDC, do not set the
extended window styles WS_EX_COMPOSITED or WS_EX_LAYERED.

Calling SetWindowLongPtr to set the style on a progressbar will reset its position.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

GetWindowLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetParent
WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetWindowLongPtrW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets a value at the
specified offset in the extra window memory.

Note To write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of
Windows, use SetWindowLongPtr. When compiling for 32-bit Windows,
SetWindowLongPtr is defined as a call to the SetWindowLong function.

Syntax
C++

LONG_PTR SetWindowLongPtrW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG_PTR dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs. The
SetWindowLongPtr function fails if the process that owns the window specified by the
hWnd parameter is at a higher process privilege in the UIPI hierarchy than the process
the calling thread resides in.

Windows XP/2000: The SetWindowLongPtr function fails if the window specified by

the hWnd parameter does not belong to the same process as the calling thread.

[in] nIndex

Type: int
The zero-based offset to the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero through
the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus the size of a LONG_PTR. To set any
other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GWL_EXSTYLE Sets a new extended window style.

-20

GWLP_HINSTANCE Sets a new application instance handle.

-6

GWLP_ID Sets a new identifier of the child window. The window

-12 cannot be a top-level window.

GWL_STYLE Sets a new window style.

-16

GWLP_USERDATA Sets the user data associated with the window. This data
-21 is intended for use by the application that created the
window. Its value is initially zero.

GWLP_WNDPROC Sets a new address for the window procedure.

-4

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWLP_DLGPROC Sets the new pointer to the dialog box procedure.

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT)

DWLP_MSGRESULT Sets the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWLP_USER Sets new extra information that is private to the

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) application, such as handles or pointers.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG_PTR

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: LONG_PTR

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified offset.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

If the previous value is zero and the function succeeds, the return value is zero, but the
function does not clear the last error information. To determine success or failure, clear
the last error information by calling SetLastError with 0, then call SetWindowLongPtr.
Function failure will be indicated by a return value of zero and a GetLastError result that
is nonzero.

Remarks
Certain window data is cached, so changes you make using SetWindowLongPtr will not
take effect until you call the SetWindowPos function.

If you use SetWindowLongPtr with the GWLP_WNDPROC index to replace the window
procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in the
description of the WindowProc callback function.

If you use SetWindowLongPtr with the DWLP_MSGRESULT index to set the return value
for a message processed by a dialog box procedure, the dialog box procedure should
return TRUE directly afterward. Otherwise, if you call any function that results in your
dialog box procedure receiving a window message, the nested window message could
overwrite the return value you set by using DWLP_MSGRESULT.

Calling SetWindowLongPtr with the GWLP_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the

window class used to create the window. An application can subclass a system class, but
should not subclass a window class created by another process. The SetWindowLongPtr
function creates the window subclass by changing the window procedure associated
with a particular window class, causing the system to call the new window procedure
instead of the previous one. An application must pass any messages not processed by
the new window procedure to the previous window procedure by calling
CallWindowProc. This allows the application to create a chain of window procedures.

Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra

member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

Do not call SetWindowLongPtr with the GWLP_HWNDPARENT index to change the

parent of a child window. Instead, use the SetParent function.
If the window has a class style of CS_CLASSDC or CS_PARENTDC, do not set the
extended window styles WS_EX_COMPOSITED or WS_EX_LAYERED.

Calling SetWindowLongPtr to set the style on a progressbar will reset its position.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowLongPtr as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

GetWindowLongPtr

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetParent
WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetWindowLongW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Changes an attribute of the specified window. The function also sets the 32-bit (long)
value at the specified offset into the extra window memory.

Note This function has been superseded by the SetWindowLongPtr function. To

write code that is compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, use
the SetWindowLongPtr function.

Syntax
C++

LONG SetWindowLongW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nIndex,
[in] LONG dwNewLong
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window and, indirectly, the class to which the window belongs.

[in] nIndex

Type: int

The zero-based offset to the value to be set. Valid values are in the range zero through
the number of bytes of extra window memory, minus the size of an integer. To set any
other value, specify one of the following values.

Value Meaning

GWL_EXSTYLE Sets a new extended window style.

-20
 GWL_HINSTANCE Sets a new application instance handle.
-6

GWL_ID Sets a new identifier of the child window. The window

-12 cannot be a top-level window.

GWL_STYLE Sets a new window style.

-16

GWL_USERDATA Sets the user data associated with the window. This data
-21 is intended for use by the application that created the
window. Its value is initially zero.

GWL_WNDPROC Sets a new address for the window procedure.

-4 You cannot change this attribute if the window does not
belong to the same process as the calling thread.

The following values are also available when the hWnd parameter identifies a dialog
box.

Value Meaning

DWL_DLGPROC Sets the new address of the dialog box procedure.

DWLP_MSGRESULT + sizeof(LRESULT)

DWL_MSGRESULT Sets the return value of a message processed in the

0 dialog box procedure.

DWL_USER Sets new extra information that is private to the

DWLP_DLGPROC + sizeof(DLGPROC) application, such as handles or pointers.

[in] dwNewLong

Type: LONG

The replacement value.

Return value
Type: LONG

If the function succeeds, the return value is the previous value of the specified 32-bit
integer.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.
If the previous value of the specified 32-bit integer is zero, and the function succeeds,
the return value is zero, but the function does not clear the last error information. This
makes it difficult to determine success or failure. To deal with this, you should clear the
last error information by calling SetLastError with 0 before calling SetWindowLong.
Then, function failure will be indicated by a return value of zero and a GetLastError result
that is nonzero.

Remarks
Certain window data is cached, so changes you make using SetWindowLong will not
take effect until you call the SetWindowPos function. Specifically, if you change any of
the frame styles, you must call SetWindowPos with the SWP_FRAMECHANGED flag for
the cache to be updated properly.

If you use SetWindowLong with the GWL_WNDPROC index to replace the window
procedure, the window procedure must conform to the guidelines specified in the
description of the WindowProc callback function.

If you use SetWindowLong with the DWL_MSGRESULT index to set the return value for
a message processed by a dialog procedure, you should return TRUE directly afterward.
Otherwise, if you call any function that results in your dialog procedure receiving a
window message, the nested window message could overwrite the return value you set
using DWL_MSGRESULT.

Calling SetWindowLong with the GWL_WNDPROC index creates a subclass of the

window class used to create the window. An application can subclass a system class, but
should not subclass a window class created by another process. The SetWindowLong
function creates the window subclass by changing the window procedure associated
with a particular window class, causing the system to call the new window procedure
instead of the previous one. An application must pass any messages not processed by
the new window procedure to the previous window procedure by calling
CallWindowProc. This allows the application to create a chain of window procedures.

Reserve extra window memory by specifying a nonzero value in the cbWndExtra

member of the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the RegisterClassEx function.

You must not call SetWindowLong with the GWL_HWNDPARENT index to change the
parent of a child window. Instead, use the SetParent function.

If the window has a class style of CS_CLASSDC or CS_OWNDC, do not set the extended
window styles WS_EX_COMPOSITED or WS_EX_LAYERED.

Calling SetWindowLong to set the style on a progressbar will reset its position.
Examples
For an example, see Subclassing a Window.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowLong as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CallWindowProc

Conceptual

GetWindowLong

Reference

RegisterClassEx

SetParent

SetWindowLongPtr
WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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SetWindowPlacement function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Sets the show state and the restored, minimized, and maximized positions of the
specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetWindowPlacement(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] const WINDOWPLACEMENT *lpwndpl
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in] lpwndpl

Type: const WINDOWPLACEMENT*

A pointer to a WINDOWPLACEMENT structure that specifies the new show state and
window positions.

Before calling SetWindowPlacement, set the length member of the

WINDOWPLACEMENT structure to sizeof(WINDOWPLACEMENT).
SetWindowPlacement fails if the length member is not set correctly.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the information specified in WINDOWPLACEMENT would result in a window that is
completely off the screen, the system will automatically adjust the coordinates so that
the window is visible, taking into account changes in screen resolution and multiple
monitor configuration.

The length member of WINDOWPLACEMENT must be set to sizeof(WINDOWPLACEMENT) .

If this member is not set correctly, the function returns FALSE. For additional remarks on
the proper use of window placement coordinates, see WINDOWPLACEMENT.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowPlacement

Reference

WINDOWPLACEMENT
Windows

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SetWindowPos function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Changes the size, position, and Z order of a child, pop-up, or top-level window. These
windows are ordered according to their appearance on the screen. The topmost window
receives the highest rank and is the first window in the Z order.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetWindowPos(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, optional] HWND hWndInsertAfter,
[in] int X,
[in] int Y,
[in] int cx,
[in] int cy,
[in] UINT uFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in, optional] hWndInsertAfter

Type: HWND

A handle to the window to precede the positioned window in the Z order. This
parameter must be a window handle or one of the following values.

Value Meaning

HWND_BOTTOM Places the window at the bottom of the Z order. If the

(HWND)1 hWnd parameter identifies a topmost window, the
window loses its topmost status and is placed at the
bottom of all other windows.

HWND_NOTOPMOST Places the window above all non-topmost windows (that

 (HWND)-2 is, behind all topmost windows). This flag has no effect if
the window is already a non-topmost window.

HWND_TOP Places the window at the top of the Z order.

(HWND)0

HWND_TOPMOST Places the window above all non-topmost windows. The

(HWND)-1 window maintains its topmost position even when it is
deactivated.

For more information about how this parameter is used, see the following Remarks
section.

[in] X

Type: int

The new position of the left side of the window, in client coordinates.

[in] Y

Type: int

The new position of the top of the window, in client coordinates.

[in] cx

Type: int

The new width of the window, in pixels.

[in] cy

Type: int

The new height of the window, in pixels.

[in] uFlags

Type: UINT

The window sizing and positioning flags. This parameter can be a combination of the
following values.

Value Meaning

SWP_ASYNCWINDOWPOS If the calling thread and the thread that owns the window
0x4000 are attached to different input queues, the system posts
 the request to the thread that owns the window. This
prevents the calling thread from blocking its execution
while other threads process the request.

SWP_DEFERERASE Prevents generation of the WM_SYNCPAINT message.

0x2000

SWP_DRAWFRAME Draws a frame (defined in the window's class description)

0x0020 around the window.

SWP_FRAMECHANGED Applies new frame styles set using the SetWindowLong

0x0020 function. Sends a WM_NCCALCSIZE message to the
window, even if the window's size is not being changed. If
this flag is not specified, WM_NCCALCSIZE is sent only
when the window's size is being changed.

SWP_HIDEWINDOW Hides the window.

0x0080

SWP_NOACTIVATE Does not activate the window. If this flag is not set, the
0x0010 window is activated and moved to the top of either the
topmost or non-topmost group (depending on the
setting of the hWndInsertAfter parameter).

SWP_NOCOPYBITS Discards the entire contents of the client area. If this flag
0x0100 is not specified, the valid contents of the client area are
saved and copied back into the client area after the
window is sized or repositioned.

SWP_NOMOVE Retains the current position (ignores X and Y parameters).

0x0002

SWP_NOOWNERZORDER Does not change the owner window's position in the Z

0x0200 order.

SWP_NOREDRAW Does not redraw changes. If this flag is set, no repainting

0x0008 of any kind occurs. This applies to the client area, the
nonclient area (including the title bar and scroll bars), and
any part of the parent window uncovered as a result of
the window being moved. When this flag is set, the
application must explicitly invalidate or redraw any parts
of the window and parent window that need redrawing.

SWP_NOREPOSITION Same as the SWP_NOOWNERZORDER flag.

0x0200

SWP_NOSENDCHANGING Prevents the window from receiving the

0x0400 WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING message.

SWP_NOSIZE Retains the current size (ignores the cx and cy

0x0001 parameters).
 SWP_NOZORDER Retains the current Z order (ignores the hWndInsertAfter
0x0004 parameter).

SWP_SHOWWINDOW Displays the window.

0x0040

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
As part of the Vista re-architecture, all services were moved off the interactive desktop
into Session 0. hwnd and window manager operations are only effective inside a session
and cross-session attempts to manipulate the hwnd will fail. For more information, see
The Windows Vista Developer Story: Application Compatibility Cookbook.

If you have changed certain window data using SetWindowLong, you must call
SetWindowPos for the changes to take effect. Use the following combination for uFlags:
SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOZORDER | SWP_FRAMECHANGED .

A window can be made a topmost window either by setting the hWndInsertAfter

parameter to HWND_TOPMOST and ensuring that the SWP_NOZORDER flag is not set,
or by setting a window's position in the Z order so that it is above any existing topmost
windows. When a non-topmost window is made topmost, its owned windows are also
made topmost. Its owners, however, are not changed.

If neither the SWP_NOACTIVATE nor SWP_NOZORDER flag is specified (that is, when
the application requests that a window be simultaneously activated and its position in
the Z order changed), the value specified in hWndInsertAfter is used only in the
following circumstances.

Neither the HWND_TOPMOST nor HWND_NOTOPMOST flag is specified in

hWndInsertAfter.
The window identified by hWnd is not the active window.

An application cannot activate an inactive window without also bringing it to the top of
the Z order. Applications can change an activated window's position in the Z order
without restrictions, or it can activate a window and then move it to the top of the
topmost or non-topmost windows.

If a topmost window is repositioned to the bottom (HWND_BOTTOM) of the Z order or

after any non-topmost window, it is no longer topmost. When a topmost window is
made non-topmost, its owners and its owned windows are also made non-topmost
windows.

A non-topmost window can own a topmost window, but the reverse cannot occur. Any
window (for example, a dialog box) owned by a topmost window is itself made a
topmost window, to ensure that all owned windows stay above their owner.

If an application is not in the foreground, and should be in the foreground, it must call
the SetForegroundWindow function.

To use SetWindowPos to bring a window to the top, the process that owns the window
must have SetForegroundWindow permission.

Examples
For an example, see Initializing a Dialog Box.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

MoveWindow
Reference

SetActiveWindow

SetForegroundWindow

Windows

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SetWindowsHookExA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Installs an application-defined hook procedure into a hook chain. You would install a
hook procedure to monitor the system for certain types of events. These events are
associated either with a specific thread or with all threads in the same desktop as the
calling thread.

Syntax
C++

HHOOK SetWindowsHookExA(
[in] int idHook,
[in] HOOKPROC lpfn,
[in] HINSTANCE hmod,
[in] DWORD dwThreadId
);

Parameters
[in] idHook

Type: int

The type of hook procedure to be installed. This parameter can be one of the following
values.

Value Meaning

WH_CALLWNDPROC Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages before

4 the system sends them to the destination window
procedure. For more information, see the CallWndProc
hook procedure.

WH_CALLWNDPROCRET Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages after

12 they have been processed by the destination window
procedure. For more information, see the CallWndRetProc
hook procedure.

WH_CBT Installs a hook procedure that receives notifications

5 useful to a CBT application. For more information, see the
 CBTProc hook procedure.

WH_DEBUG Installs a hook procedure useful for debugging other

9 hook procedures. For more information, see the
DebugProc hook procedure.

WH_FOREGROUNDIDLE Installs a hook procedure that will be called when the

11 application's foreground thread is about to become idle.
This hook is useful for performing low priority tasks
during idle time. For more information, see the
ForegroundIdleProc hook procedure.

WH_GETMESSAGE Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages posted

3 to a message queue. For more information, see the
GetMsgProc hook procedure.

WH_JOURNALPLAYBACK
1
２ Warning

Journaling Hooks APIs are unsupported

starting in Windows 11 and will be removed
in a future release. Because of this, we highly
recommend calling the SendInput TextInput
API instead.

Installs a hook procedure that posts messages previously

recorded by a WH_JOURNALRECORD hook procedure.
For more information, see the JournalPlaybackProc hook
procedure.

WH_JOURNALRECORD
0
２ Warning

Journaling Hooks APIs are unsupported

starting in Windows 11 and will be removed
in a future release. Because of this, we highly
recommend calling the SendInput TextInput
API instead.

Installs a hook procedure that records input messages

posted to the system message queue. This hook is useful
for recording macros. For more information, see the
JournalRecordProc hook procedure.

WH_KEYBOARD Installs a hook procedure that monitors keystroke

2 messages. For more information, see the KeyboardProc
hook procedure.
 WH_KEYBOARD_LL Installs a hook procedure that monitors low-level
13 keyboard input events. For more information, see the
LowLevelKeyboardProc hook procedure.

WH_MOUSE Installs a hook procedure that monitors mouse messages.

7 For more information, see the MouseProc hook
procedure.

WH_MOUSE_LL Installs a hook procedure that monitors low-level mouse

14 input events. For more information, see the
LowLevelMouseProc hook procedure.

WH_MSGFILTER Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages

-1 generated as a result of an input event in a dialog box,
message box, menu, or scroll bar. For more information,
see the MessageProc hook procedure.

WH_SHELL Installs a hook procedure that receives notifications

10 useful to shell applications. For more information, see the
ShellProc hook procedure.

WH_SYSMSGFILTER Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages

6 generated as a result of an input event in a dialog box,
message box, menu, or scroll bar. The hook procedure
monitors these messages for all applications in the same
desktop as the calling thread. For more information, see
the SysMsgProc hook procedure.

[in] lpfn

Type: HOOKPROC

A pointer to the hook procedure. If the dwThreadId parameter is zero or specifies the
identifier of a thread created by a different process, the lpfn parameter must point to a
hook procedure in a DLL. Otherwise, lpfn can point to a hook procedure in the code
associated with the current process.

[in] hmod

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the DLL containing the hook procedure pointed to by the lpfn parameter.
The hMod parameter must be set to NULL if the dwThreadId parameter specifies a
thread created by the current process and if the hook procedure is within the code
associated with the current process.

[in] dwThreadId
Type: DWORD

The identifier of the thread with which the hook procedure is to be associated. For
desktop apps, if this parameter is zero, the hook procedure is associated with all existing
threads running in the same desktop as the calling thread. For Windows Store apps, see
the Remarks section.

Return value
Type: HHOOK

If the function succeeds, the return value is the handle to the hook procedure.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
SetWindowsHookEx can be used to inject a DLL into another process. A 32-bit DLL
cannot be injected into a 64-bit process, and a 64-bit DLL cannot be injected into a 32-
bit process. If an application requires the use of hooks in other processes, it is required
that a 32-bit application call SetWindowsHookEx to inject a 32-bit DLL into 32-bit
processes, and a 64-bit application call SetWindowsHookEx to inject a 64-bit DLL into
64-bit processes. The 32-bit and 64-bit DLLs must have different names.

Because hooks run in the context of an application, they must match the "bitness" of the
application. If a 32-bit application installs a global hook on 64-bit Windows, the 32-bit
hook is injected into each 32-bit process (the usual security boundaries apply). In a 64-
bit process, the threads are still marked as "hooked." However, because a 32-bit
application must run the hook code, the system executes the hook in the hooking app's
context; specifically, on the thread that called SetWindowsHookEx. This means that the
hooking application must continue to pump messages or it might block the normal
functioning of the 64-bit processes.

If a 64-bit application installs a global hook on 64-bit Windows, the 64-bit hook is
injected into each 64-bit process, while all 32-bit processes use a callback to the
hooking application.

To hook all applications on the desktop of a 64-bit Windows installation, install a 32-bit
global hook and a 64-bit global hook, each from appropriate processes, and be sure to
keep pumping messages in the hooking application to avoid blocking normal
functioning. If you already have a 32-bit global hooking application and it doesn't need
to run in each application's context, you may not need to create a 64-bit version.

An error may occur if the hMod parameter is NULL and the dwThreadId parameter is
zero or specifies the identifier of a thread created by another process.

Calling the CallNextHookEx function to chain to the next hook procedure is optional, but
it is highly recommended; otherwise, other applications that have installed hooks will
not receive hook notifications and may behave incorrectly as a result. You should call
CallNextHookEx unless you absolutely need to prevent the notification from being seen
by other applications.

Before terminating, an application must call the UnhookWindowsHookEx function to

free system resources associated with the hook.

The scope of a hook depends on the hook type. Some hooks can be set only with global
scope; others can also be set for only a specific thread, as shown in the following table.

Hook Scope

WH_CALLWNDPROC Thread or global

WH_CALLWNDPROCRET Thread or global

WH_CBT Thread or global

WH_DEBUG Thread or global

WH_FOREGROUNDIDLE Thread or global

WH_GETMESSAGE Thread or global

WH_JOURNALPLAYBACK Global only

WH_JOURNALRECORD Global only

WH_KEYBOARD Thread or global

WH_KEYBOARD_LL Global only

WH_MOUSE Thread or global

WH_MOUSE_LL Global only

WH_MSGFILTER Thread or global

WH_SHELL Thread or global

WH_SYSMSGFILTER Global only

For a specified hook type, thread hooks are called first, then global hooks. Be aware that
the WH_MOUSE, WH_KEYBOARD, WH_JOURNAL*, WH_SHELL, and low-level hooks can
be called on the thread that installed the hook rather than the thread processing the
hook. For these hooks, it is possible that both the 32-bit and 64-bit hooks will be called
if a 32-bit hook is ahead of a 64-bit hook in the hook chain.

The global hooks are a shared resource, and installing one affects all applications in the
same desktop as the calling thread. All global hook functions must be in libraries. Global
hooks should be restricted to special-purpose applications or to use as a development
aid during application debugging. Libraries that no longer need a hook should remove
its hook procedure.

Windows Store app development If dwThreadId is zero, then window hook DLLs are
not loaded in-process for the Windows Store app processes and the Windows Runtime
broker process unless they are installed by either UIAccess processes (accessibility tools).
The notification is delivered on the installer's thread for these hooks:

WH_JOURNALPLAYBACK
WH_JOURNALRECORD
WH_KEYBOARD
WH_KEYBOARD_LL
WH_MOUSE
WH_MOUSE_LL

This behavior is similar to what happens when there is an architecture mismatch

between the hook DLL and the target application process, for example, when the hook
DLL is 32-bit and the application process 64-bit.

Examples
For an example, see Installing and Releasing Hook Procedures.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowsHookEx as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CBTProc

CallNextHookEx

CallWndProc

CallWndRetProc

Conceptual

DebugProc

ForegroundIdleProc

GetMsgProc

Hooks

JournalPlaybackProc

JournalRecordProc

KeyboardProc

LowLevelKeyboardProc

LowLevelMouseProc

MessageProc

MouseProc
Reference

ShellProc

SysMsgProc

UnhookWindowsHookEx

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SetWindowsHookExW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Installs an application-defined hook procedure into a hook chain. You would install a
hook procedure to monitor the system for certain types of events. These events are
associated either with a specific thread or with all threads in the same desktop as the
calling thread.

Syntax
C++

HHOOK SetWindowsHookExW(
[in] int idHook,
[in] HOOKPROC lpfn,
[in] HINSTANCE hmod,
[in] DWORD dwThreadId
);

Parameters
[in] idHook

Type: int

The type of hook procedure to be installed. This parameter can be one of the following
values.

Value Meaning

WH_CALLWNDPROC Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages before

4 the system sends them to the destination window
procedure. For more information, see the CallWndProc
hook procedure.

WH_CALLWNDPROCRET Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages after

12 they have been processed by the destination window
procedure. For more information, see the CallWndRetProc
hook procedure.

WH_CBT Installs a hook procedure that receives notifications

5 useful to a CBT application. For more information, see the
 CBTProc hook procedure.

WH_DEBUG Installs a hook procedure useful for debugging other

9 hook procedures. For more information, see the
DebugProc hook procedure.

WH_FOREGROUNDIDLE Installs a hook procedure that will be called when the

11 application's foreground thread is about to become idle.
This hook is useful for performing low priority tasks
during idle time. For more information, see the
ForegroundIdleProc hook procedure.

WH_GETMESSAGE Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages posted

3 to a message queue. For more information, see the
GetMsgProc hook procedure.

WH_JOURNALPLAYBACK
1
２ Warning

Journaling Hooks APIs are unsupported

starting in Windows 11 and will be removed
in a future release. Because of this, we highly
recommend calling the SendInput TextInput
API instead.

Installs a hook procedure that posts messages previously

recorded by a WH_JOURNALRECORD hook procedure.
For more information, see the JournalPlaybackProc hook
procedure.

WH_JOURNALRECORD
0
２ Warning

Journaling Hooks APIs are unsupported

starting in Windows 11 and will be removed
in a future release. Because of this, we highly
recommend calling the SendInput TextInput
API instead.

Installs a hook procedure that records input messages

posted to the system message queue. This hook is useful
for recording macros. For more information, see the
JournalRecordProc hook procedure.

WH_KEYBOARD Installs a hook procedure that monitors keystroke

2 messages. For more information, see the KeyboardProc
hook procedure.
 WH_KEYBOARD_LL Installs a hook procedure that monitors low-level
13 keyboard input events. For more information, see the
LowLevelKeyboardProc hook procedure.

WH_MOUSE Installs a hook procedure that monitors mouse messages.

7 For more information, see the MouseProc hook
procedure.

WH_MOUSE_LL Installs a hook procedure that monitors low-level mouse

14 input events. For more information, see the
LowLevelMouseProc hook procedure.

WH_MSGFILTER Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages

-1 generated as a result of an input event in a dialog box,
message box, menu, or scroll bar. For more information,
see the MessageProc hook procedure.

WH_SHELL Installs a hook procedure that receives notifications

10 useful to shell applications. For more information, see the
ShellProc hook procedure.

WH_SYSMSGFILTER Installs a hook procedure that monitors messages

6 generated as a result of an input event in a dialog box,
message box, menu, or scroll bar. The hook procedure
monitors these messages for all applications in the same
desktop as the calling thread. For more information, see
the SysMsgProc hook procedure.

[in] lpfn

Type: HOOKPROC

A pointer to the hook procedure. If the dwThreadId parameter is zero or specifies the
identifier of a thread created by a different process, the lpfn parameter must point to a
hook procedure in a DLL. Otherwise, lpfn can point to a hook procedure in the code
associated with the current process.

[in] hmod

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the DLL containing the hook procedure pointed to by the lpfn parameter.
The hMod parameter must be set to NULL if the dwThreadId parameter specifies a
thread created by the current process and if the hook procedure is within the code
associated with the current process.

[in] dwThreadId
Type: DWORD

The identifier of the thread with which the hook procedure is to be associated. For
desktop apps, if this parameter is zero, the hook procedure is associated with all existing
threads running in the same desktop as the calling thread. For Windows Store apps, see
the Remarks section.

Return value
Type: HHOOK

If the function succeeds, the return value is the handle to the hook procedure.

If the function fails, the return value is NULL. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
SetWindowsHookEx can be used to inject a DLL into another process. A 32-bit DLL
cannot be injected into a 64-bit process, and a 64-bit DLL cannot be injected into a 32-
bit process. If an application requires the use of hooks in other processes, it is required
that a 32-bit application call SetWindowsHookEx to inject a 32-bit DLL into 32-bit
processes, and a 64-bit application call SetWindowsHookEx to inject a 64-bit DLL into
64-bit processes. The 32-bit and 64-bit DLLs must have different names.

Because hooks run in the context of an application, they must match the "bitness" of the
application. If a 32-bit application installs a global hook on 64-bit Windows, the 32-bit
hook is injected into each 32-bit process (the usual security boundaries apply). In a 64-
bit process, the threads are still marked as "hooked." However, because a 32-bit
application must run the hook code, the system executes the hook in the hooking app's
context; specifically, on the thread that called SetWindowsHookEx. This means that the
hooking application must continue to pump messages or it might block the normal
functioning of the 64-bit processes.

If a 64-bit application installs a global hook on 64-bit Windows, the 64-bit hook is
injected into each 64-bit process, while all 32-bit processes use a callback to the
hooking application.

To hook all applications on the desktop of a 64-bit Windows installation, install a 32-bit
global hook and a 64-bit global hook, each from appropriate processes, and be sure to
keep pumping messages in the hooking application to avoid blocking normal
functioning. If you already have a 32-bit global hooking application and it doesn't need
to run in each application's context, you may not need to create a 64-bit version.

An error may occur if the hMod parameter is NULL and the dwThreadId parameter is
zero or specifies the identifier of a thread created by another process.

Calling the CallNextHookEx function to chain to the next hook procedure is optional, but
it is highly recommended; otherwise, other applications that have installed hooks will
not receive hook notifications and may behave incorrectly as a result. You should call
CallNextHookEx unless you absolutely need to prevent the notification from being seen
by other applications.

Before terminating, an application must call the UnhookWindowsHookEx function to

free system resources associated with the hook.

The scope of a hook depends on the hook type. Some hooks can be set only with global
scope; others can also be set for only a specific thread, as shown in the following table.

Hook Scope

WH_CALLWNDPROC Thread or global

WH_CALLWNDPROCRET Thread or global

WH_CBT Thread or global

WH_DEBUG Thread or global

WH_FOREGROUNDIDLE Thread or global

WH_GETMESSAGE Thread or global

WH_JOURNALPLAYBACK Global only

WH_JOURNALRECORD Global only

WH_KEYBOARD Thread or global

WH_KEYBOARD_LL Global only

WH_MOUSE Thread or global

WH_MOUSE_LL Global only

WH_MSGFILTER Thread or global

WH_SHELL Thread or global

WH_SYSMSGFILTER Global only

For a specified hook type, thread hooks are called first, then global hooks. Be aware that
the WH_MOUSE, WH_KEYBOARD, WH_JOURNAL*, WH_SHELL, and low-level hooks can
be called on the thread that installed the hook rather than the thread processing the
hook. For these hooks, it is possible that both the 32-bit and 64-bit hooks will be called
if a 32-bit hook is ahead of a 64-bit hook in the hook chain.

The global hooks are a shared resource, and installing one affects all applications in the
same desktop as the calling thread. All global hook functions must be in libraries. Global
hooks should be restricted to special-purpose applications or to use as a development
aid during application debugging. Libraries that no longer need a hook should remove
its hook procedure.

Windows Store app development If dwThreadId is zero, then window hook DLLs are
not loaded in-process for the Windows Store app processes and the Windows Runtime
broker process unless they are installed by either UIAccess processes (accessibility tools).
The notification is delivered on the installer's thread for these hooks:

WH_JOURNALPLAYBACK
WH_JOURNALRECORD
WH_KEYBOARD
WH_KEYBOARD_LL
WH_MOUSE
WH_MOUSE_LL

This behavior is similar to what happens when there is an architecture mismatch

between the hook DLL and the target application process, for example, when the hook
DLL is 32-bit and the application process 64-bit.

Examples
For an example, see Installing and Releasing Hook Procedures.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowsHookEx as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
CBTProc

CallNextHookEx

CallWndProc

CallWndRetProc

Conceptual

DebugProc

ForegroundIdleProc

GetMsgProc

Hooks

JournalPlaybackProc

JournalRecordProc

KeyboardProc

LowLevelKeyboardProc

LowLevelMouseProc

MessageProc

MouseProc
Reference

ShellProc

SysMsgProc

UnhookWindowsHookEx

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SetWindowTextA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Changes the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one). If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is changed. However, SetWindowText cannot
change the text of a control in another application.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetWindowTextA(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, optional] LPCSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control whose text is to be changed.

[in, optional] lpString

Type: LPCTSTR

The new title or control text.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the target window is owned by the current process, SetWindowText causes a
WM_SETTEXT message to be sent to the specified window or control. If the control is a
list box control created with the WS_CAPTION style, however, SetWindowText sets the
text for the control, not for the list box entries.

To set the text of a control in another process, send the WM_SETTEXT message directly
instead of calling SetWindowText.

The SetWindowText function does not expand tab characters (ASCII code 0x09). Tab
characters are displayed as vertical bar (|) characters.

Examples
For an example, see Sending a Message.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowText as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)
See also
Conceptual

GetWindowText

Reference

WM_SETTEXT

Windows

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SetWindowTextW function (winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Changes the text of the specified window's title bar (if it has one). If the specified
window is a control, the text of the control is changed. However, SetWindowText cannot
change the text of a control in another application.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SetWindowTextW(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, optional] LPCWSTR lpString
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window or control whose text is to be changed.

[in, optional] lpString

Type: LPCWSTR

The new title or control text.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
If the target window is owned by the current process, SetWindowText causes a
WM_SETTEXT message to be sent to the specified window or control. If the control is a
list box control created with the WS_CAPTION style, however, SetWindowText sets the
text for the control, not for the list box entries.

To set the text of a control in another process, send the WM_SETTEXT message directly
instead of calling SetWindowText.

The SetWindowText function does not expand tab characters (ASCII code 0x09). Tab
characters are displayed as vertical bar (|) characters.

Examples
For an example, see Sending a Message.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SetWindowText as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)
See also
Conceptual

GetWindowText

Reference

WM_SETTEXT

Windows

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ShowOwnedPopups function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Shows or hides all pop-up windows owned by the specified window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL ShowOwnedPopups(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] BOOL fShow
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window that owns the pop-up windows to be shown or hidden.

[in] fShow

Type: BOOL

If this parameter is TRUE, all hidden pop-up windows are shown. If this parameter is
FALSE, all visible pop-up windows are hidden.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
ShowOwnedPopups shows only windows hidden by a previous call to
ShowOwnedPopups. For example, if a pop-up window is hidden by using the
ShowWindow function, subsequently calling ShowOwnedPopups with the fShow
parameter set to TRUE does not cause the window to be shown.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-3 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.10240)

See also
Conceptual

IsWindowVisible

Reference

ShowWindow

Windows

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ShowWindow function (winuser.h)
Article06/06/2023

Sets the specified window's show state.

Syntax
C++

BOOL ShowWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nCmdShow
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in] nCmdShow

Type: int

Controls how the window is to be shown. This parameter is ignored the first time an
application calls ShowWindow, if the program that launched the application provides a
STARTUPINFO structure. Otherwise, the first time ShowWindow is called, the value
should be the value obtained by the WinMain function in its nCmdShow parameter. In
subsequent calls, this parameter can be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

SW_HIDE Hides the window and activates another window.

0

SW_SHOWNORMAL Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized,

SW_NORMAL maximized, or arranged, the system restores it to its original size and
1 position. An application should specify this flag when displaying the
window for the first time.
 Value Meaning

SW_SHOWMINIMIZED Activates the window and displays it as a minimized window.

2

SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED Activates the window and displays it as a maximized window.

SW_MAXIMIZE
3

SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE Displays a window in its most recent size and position. This value is
4 similar to SW_SHOWNORMAL, except that the window is not
activated.

SW_SHOW Activates the window and displays it in its current size and position.
5

SW_MINIMIZE Minimizes the specified window and activates the next top-level
6 window in the Z order.

SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE Displays the window as a minimized window. This value is similar to

7 SW_SHOWMINIMIZED, except the window is not activated.

SW_SHOWNA Displays the window in its current size and position. This value is
8 similar to SW_SHOW, except that the window is not activated.

SW_RESTORE Activates and displays the window. If the window is minimized,

9 maximized, or arranged, the system restores it to its original size and
position. An application should specify this flag when restoring a
minimized window.

SW_SHOWDEFAULT Sets the show state based on the SW_ value specified in the
10 STARTUPINFO structure passed to the CreateProcess function by the
program that started the application.

SW_FORCEMINIMIZE Minimizes a window, even if the thread that owns the window is not
11 responding. This flag should only be used when minimizing windows
from a different thread.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the window was previously visible, the return value is nonzero.

If the window was previously hidden, the return value is zero.

Remarks
To perform certain special effects when showing or hiding a window, use
AnimateWindow.

The first time an application calls ShowWindow, it should use the WinMain function's
nCmdShow parameter as its nCmdShow parameter. Subsequent calls to ShowWindow
must use one of the values in the given list, instead of the one specified by the WinMain
function's nCmdShow parameter.

As noted in the discussion of the nCmdShow parameter, the nCmdShow value is ignored
in the first call to ShowWindow if the program that launched the application specifies
startup information in the structure. In this case, ShowWindow uses the information
specified in the STARTUPINFO structure to show the window. On subsequent calls, the
application must call ShowWindow with nCmdShow set to SW_SHOWDEFAULT to use
the startup information provided by the program that launched the application. This
behavior is designed for the following situations:

Applications create their main window by calling CreateWindow with the

WS_VISIBLE flag set.
Applications create their main window by calling CreateWindow with the
WS_VISIBLE flag cleared, and later call ShowWindow with the SW_SHOW flag set
to make it visible.

Examples
For an example, see Creating a Main Window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
AnimateWindow

Conceptual

CreateProcess

CreateWindow

Other Resources

Reference

STARTUPINFO

ShowOwnedPopups

ShowWindowAsync

WinMain

Windows

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ShowWindowAsync function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Sets the show state of a window without waiting for the operation to complete.

Syntax
C++

BOOL ShowWindowAsync(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in] int nCmdShow
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in] nCmdShow

Type: int

Controls how the window is to be shown. For a list of possible values, see the
description of the ShowWindow function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the operation was successfully started, the return value is nonzero.

Remarks
This function posts a show-window event to the message queue of the given window.
An application can use this function to avoid becoming nonresponsive while waiting for
a nonresponsive application to finish processing a show-window event.
Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

ShowWindow

Windows

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SoundSentry function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Triggers a visual signal to indicate that a sound is playing.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SoundSentry();

Return value
Type: BOOL

This function returns one of the following values.

Return code Description

TRUE The visual signal was or will be displayed correctly.

FALSE An error prevented the signal from being displayed.

Remarks
Set the notification behavior by calling SystemParametersInfo with the
SPI_SETSOUNDSENTRY value.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib
 DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Reference

SOUNDSENTRY

SoundSentryProc

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STYLESTRUCT structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains the styles for a window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagSTYLESTRUCT {

DWORD styleOld;
DWORD styleNew;
} STYLESTRUCT, *LPSTYLESTRUCT;

Members
styleOld

Type: DWORD

The previous styles for a window. For more information, see the Remarks.

styleNew

Type: DWORD

The new styles for a window. For more information, see the Remarks.

Remarks
The styles in styleOld and styleNew can be either the window styles (WS_) or the
extended window styles (WS_EX_), depending on the wParam of the message that
includes STYLESTRUCT.

The styleOld and styleNew members indicate the styles through their bit pattern. Note
that several styles are equal to zero; to detect these styles, test for the negation of their
inverse style. For example, to see if WS_EX_LEFT is set, you test for ~WS_EX_RIGHT.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

WM_STYLECHANGED

WM_STYLECHANGING

Windows

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SwitchToThisWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

[This function is not intended for general use. It may be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows.]

Switches focus to the specified window and brings it to the foreground.

Syntax
C++

void SwitchToThisWindow(
[in] HWND hwnd,
[in] BOOL fUnknown
);

Parameters
[in] hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

[in] fUnknown

Type: BOOL

A TRUE for this parameter indicates that the window is being switched to using the
Alt/Ctl+Tab key sequence. This parameter should be FALSE otherwise.

Return value
None

Remarks
This function is typically called to maintain window z-ordering.
This function was not included in the SDK headers and libraries until Windows XP with
Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2003. If you do not have a header file and
import library for this function, you can call the function using LoadLibrary and
GetProcAddress.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

IsWindowVisible

Reference

ShowWindow

Windows

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SystemParametersInfoA function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. This function can also
update the user profile while setting a parameter.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SystemParametersInfoA(
[in] UINT uiAction,
[in] UINT uiParam,
[in, out] PVOID pvParam,
[in] UINT fWinIni
);

Parameters
[in] uiAction

Type: UINT

The system-wide parameter to be retrieved or set. The possible values are organized in
the following tables of related parameters:

Accessibility parameters
Desktop parameters
Icon parameters
Input parameters
Menu parameters
Power parameters
Screen saver parameters
Time-out parameters
UI effect parameters
Window parameters

The following are the accessibility parameters.

Accessibility parameter Meaning

SPI_GETACCESSTIMEOUT Retrieves information about the time-out period
0x003C associated with the accessibility features. The pvParam
parameter must point to an ACCESSTIMEOUT
structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize
member of this structure and the uiParam parameter
to sizeof(ACCESSTIMEOUT) .

SPI_GETAUDIODESCRIPTION Determines whether audio descriptions are enabled or

0x0074 disabled. The pvParam parameter is a pointer to an
AUDIODESCRIPTION structure. Set the cbSize
member of this structure and the uiParam parameter
to sizeof(AUDIODESCRIPTION) .

While it is possible for users who have visual

impairments to hear the audio in video content, there
is a lot of action in video that does not have
corresponding audio. Specific audio description of
what is happening in a video helps these users
understand the content better. This flag enables you
to determine whether audio descriptions have been
enabled and in which language.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETCLIENTAREAANIMATION Determines whether animations are enabled or

0x1042 disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if animations are
enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

Display features such as flashing, blinking, flickering,

and moving content can cause seizures in users with
photo-sensitive epilepsy. This flag enables you to
determine whether such animations have been
disabled in the client area.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETDISABLEOVERLAPPEDCONTENT Determines whether overlapped content is enabled or

0x1040 disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Display features such as background images, textured

backgrounds, water marks on documents, alpha
blending, and transparency can reduce the contrast
between the foreground and background, making it
harder for users with low vision to see objects on the
screen. This flag enables you to determine whether
such overlapped content has been disabled.
 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This
parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFILTERKEYS Retrieves information about the FilterKeys accessibility

0x0032 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
FILTERKEYS structure that receives the information. Set
the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam
parameter to sizeof(FILTERKEYS) .

SPI_GETFOCUSBORDERHEIGHT Retrieves the height, in pixels, of the top and bottom

0x2010 edges of the focus rectangle drawn with
DrawFocusRect. The pvParam parameter must point
to a UINT value.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFOCUSBORDERWIDTH Retrieves the width, in pixels, of the left and right

0x200E edges of the focus rectangle drawn with
DrawFocusRect. The pvParam parameter must point
to a UINT.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST Retrieves information about the HighContrast

0x0042 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a HIGHCONTRAST structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(HIGHCONTRAST) .

For a general discussion, see Remarks.

SPI_GETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE Retrieves a value that determines whether Windows 8

0x009E is displaying apps using the default scaling plateau for
the hardware or going to the next higher plateau. This
value is based on the current "Make everything on
your screen bigger" setting, found in the Ease of
Access section of PC settings: 1 is on, 0 is off.

Apps can provide text and image resources for each

of several scaling plateaus: 100%, 140%, and 180%.
Providing separate resources optimized for a
particular scale avoids distortion due to resizing.
Windows 8 determines the appropriate scaling
plateau based on a number of factors, including
screen size and pixel density. When "Make everything
on your screen bigger" is selected
(SPI_GETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE returns a value of 1),
Windows uses resources from the next higher plateau.
For example, in the case of hardware that Windows
determines should use a scale of
SCALE_100_PERCENT, this override causes Windows to
 use the SCALE_140_PERCENT scale value, assuming
that it does not violate other constraints.

Note You should not use this value. It

might be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows. Instead,
use the GetScaleFactorForDevice function
or the DisplayProperties class to retrieve
the preferred scaling factor. Desktop
applications should use desktop logical
DPI rather than scale factor. Desktop
logical DPI can be retrieved through the
GetDeviceCaps function.

SPI_GETMESSAGEDURATION Retrieves the time that notification pop-ups should be

0x2016 displayed, in seconds. The pvParam parameter must
point to a ULONG that receives the message duration.

Users with visual impairments or cognitive conditions

such as ADHD and dyslexia might need a longer time
to read the text in notification messages. This flag
enables you to retrieve the message duration.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSECLICKLOCK Retrieves the state of the Mouse ClickLock feature.

0x101E The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise. For more information, see Mouse Input
Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME Retrieves the time delay before the primary mouse

0x2008 button is locked. The pvParam parameter must point
to DWORD that receives the time delay, in
milliseconds. This is only enabled if
SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCK is set to TRUE. For more
information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEKEYS Retrieves information about the MouseKeys

0x0036 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a MOUSEKEYS structure that receives the
 information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MOUSEKEYS) .

SPI_GETMOUSESONAR Retrieves the state of the Mouse Sonar feature. The

0x101C pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE otherwise. For
more information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEVANISH Retrieves the state of the Mouse Vanish feature. The

0x1020 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE otherwise. For
more information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETSCREENREADER Determines whether a screen reviewer utility is

0x0046 running. A screen reviewer utility directs textual
information to an output device, such as a speech
synthesizer or Braille display. When this flag is set, an
application should provide textual information in
situations where it would otherwise present the
information graphically.
The pvParam parameter is a pointer to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if a screen reviewer utility
is running, or FALSE otherwise.

Note Narrator, the screen reader that is

included with Windows, does not set the
SPI_SETSCREENREADER or
SPI_GETSCREENREADER flags.

SPI_GETSERIALKEYS This parameter is not supported.

0x003E Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: The
user should control this setting through the Control
Panel.

SPI_GETSHOWSOUNDS Determines whether the Show Sounds accessibility

0x0038 flag is on or off. If it is on, the user requires an
application to present information visually in
situations where it would otherwise present the
information only in audible form. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if the feature is on, or FALSE if it is off.

Using this value is equivalent to calling

GetSystemMetrics with SM_SHOWSOUNDS. That is
 the recommended call.

SPI_GETSOUNDSENTRY Retrieves information about the SoundSentry

0x0040 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a SOUNDSENTRY structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(SOUNDSENTRY) .

SPI_GETSTICKYKEYS Retrieves information about the StickyKeys

0x003A accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a STICKYKEYS structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(STICKYKEYS) .

SPI_GETTOGGLEKEYS Retrieves information about the ToggleKeys

0x0034 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a TOGGLEKEYS structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(TOGGLEKEYS) .

SPI_SETACCESSTIMEOUT Sets the time-out period associated with the

0x003D accessibility features. The pvParam parameter must
point to an ACCESSTIMEOUT structure that contains
the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(ACCESSTIMEOUT) .

SPI_SETAUDIODESCRIPTION Turns the audio descriptions feature on or off. The

0x0075 pvParam parameter is a pointer to an
AUDIODESCRIPTION structure.

While it is possible for users who are visually impaired

to hear the audio in video content, there is a lot of
action in video that does not have corresponding
audio. Specific audio description of what is happening
in a video helps these users understand the content
better. This flag enables you to enable or disable
audio descriptions in the languages they are provided
in.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETCLIENTAREAANIMATION Turns client area animations on or off. The pvParam

0x1043 parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to
enable animations and other transient effects in the
client area, or FALSE to disable them.

Display features such as flashing, blinking, flickering,

and moving content can cause seizures in users with
 photo-sensitive epilepsy. This flag enables you to
enable or disable all such animations.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETDISABLEOVERLAPPEDCONTENT Turns overlapped content (such as background

0x1041 images and watermarks) on or off. The pvParam
parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to
disable overlapped content, or FALSE to enable
overlapped content.

Display features such as background images, textured

backgrounds, water marks on documents, alpha
blending, and transparency can reduce the contrast
between the foreground and background, making it
harder for users with low vision to see objects on the
screen. This flag enables you to enable or disable all
such overlapped content.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFILTERKEYS Sets the parameters of the FilterKeys accessibility

0x0033 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
FILTERKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(FILTERKEYS) .

SPI_SETFOCUSBORDERHEIGHT Sets the height of the top and bottom edges of the
0x2011 focus rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect to the
value of the pvParam parameter.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFOCUSBORDERWIDTH Sets the height of the left and right edges of the focus
0x200F rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect to the value of
the pvParam parameter.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETHIGHCONTRAST Sets the parameters of the HighContrast accessibility

0x0043 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
HIGHCONTRAST structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(HIGHCONTRAST) .

SPI_SETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE Do not use.

0x009F

SPI_SETMESSAGEDURATION Sets the time that notification pop-ups should be

0x2017 displayed, in seconds. The pvParam parameter
 specifies the message duration.

Users with visual impairments or cognitive conditions

such as ADHD and dyslexia might need a longer time
to read the text in notification messages. This flag
enables you to set the message duration.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCK Turns the Mouse ClickLock accessibility feature on or

0x101F off. This feature temporarily locks down the primary
mouse button when that button is clicked and held
down for the time specified by
SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME. The pvParam
parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. The
default is off. For more information, see Remarks and
AboutMouse Input.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME Adjusts the time delay before the primary mouse

0x2009 button is locked. The uiParam parameter should be
set to 0. The pvParam parameter points to a DWORD
that specifies the time delay in milliseconds. For
example, specify 1000 for a 1 second delay. The
default is 1200. For more information, see Mouse
Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEKEYS Sets the parameters of the MouseKeys accessibility

0x0037 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
MOUSEKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MOUSEKEYS) .

SPI_SETMOUSESONAR Turns the Sonar accessibility feature on or off. This

0x101D feature briefly shows several concentric circles around
the mouse pointer when the user presses and releases
the CTRL key. The pvParam parameter specifies TRUE
for on and FALSE for off. The default is off. For more
information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEVANISH Turns the Vanish feature on or off. This feature hides

0x1021 the mouse pointer when the user types; the pointer
reappears when the user moves the mouse. The
pvParam parameter specifies TRUE for on and FALSE
for off. The default is off. For more information, see
Mouse Input Overview.
 Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETSCREENREADER Determines whether a screen review utility is running.

0x0047 The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or
FALSE for off.

Note Narrator, the screen reader that is

included with Windows, does not set the
SPI_SETSCREENREADER or
SPI_GETSCREENREADER flags.

SPI_SETSERIALKEYS This parameter is not supported.

0x003F Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: The
user should control this setting through the Control
Panel.

SPI_SETSHOWSOUNDS Turns the ShowSounds accessibility feature on or off.

0x0039 The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or
FALSE for off.

SPI_SETSOUNDSENTRY Sets the parameters of the SoundSentry accessibility

0x0041 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
SOUNDSENTRY structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(SOUNDSENTRY) .

SPI_SETSTICKYKEYS Sets the parameters of the StickyKeys accessibility

0x003B feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
STICKYKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(STICKYKEYS) .

SPI_SETTOGGLEKEYS Sets the parameters of the ToggleKeys accessibility

0x0035 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
TOGGLEKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(TOGGLEKEYS) .

The following are the desktop parameters.

Desktop parameter Meaning

SPI_GETCLEARTYPE Determines whether ClearType is enabled. The

0x1048 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if ClearType is enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.
 ClearType is a software technology that improves the
readability of text on liquid crystal display (LCD)
monitors.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETDESKWALLPAPER Retrieves the full path of the bitmap file for the
0x0073 desktop wallpaper. The pvParam parameter must
point to a buffer to receive the null-terminated path
string. Set the uiParam parameter to the size, in
characters, of the pvParam buffer. The returned
string will not exceed MAX_PATH characters. If there
is no desktop wallpaper, the returned string is empty.

SPI_GETDROPSHADOW Determines whether the drop shadow effect is

0x1024 enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that returns TRUE if enabled or FALSE
if disabled.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFLATMENU Determines whether native User menus have flat

0x1022 menu appearance. The pvParam parameter must
point to a BOOL variable that returns TRUE if the flat
menu appearance is set, or FALSE otherwise.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHING Determines whether the font smoothing feature is

0x004A enabled. This feature uses font antialiasing to make
font curves appear smoother by painting pixels at
different gray levels.
The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if the feature is enabled,
or FALSE if it is not.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHINGCONTRAST Retrieves a contrast value that is used in ClearType

0x200C smoothing. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT that receives the information. Valid contrast
values are from 1000 to 2200. The default value is
1400.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATION Retrieves the font smoothing orientation. The

0x2012 pvParam parameter must point to a UINT that
receives the information. The possible values are
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONBGR (blue-
green-red) and
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONRGB (red-
green-blue).
 Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported
until Windows XP with SP2.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE Retrieves the type of font smoothing. The pvParam

0x200A parameter must point to a UINT that receives the
information. The possible values are
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD and
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETWORKAREA Retrieves the size of the work area on the primary

0x0030 display monitor. The work area is the portion of the
screen not obscured by the system taskbar or by
application desktop toolbars. The pvParam
parameter must point to a RECT structure that
receives the coordinates of the work area, expressed
in physical pixel size. Any DPI virtualization mode of
the caller has no effect on this output.

To get the work area of a monitor other than the

primary display monitor, call the GetMonitorInfo
function.

SPI_SETCLEARTYPE Turns ClearType on or off. The pvParam parameter is

0x1049 a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable
ClearType, or FALSE to disable it.

ClearType is a software technology that improves the

readability of text on LCD monitors.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETCURSORS Reloads the system cursors. Set the uiParam

0x0057 parameter to zero and the pvParam parameter to
NULL.

SPI_SETDESKPATTERN Sets the current desktop pattern by causing Windows

0x0015 to read the Pattern= setting from the WIN.INI file.

SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER
0x0014
Note When the
SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER flag is used,
SystemParametersInfo returns TRUE
unless there is an error (like when the
specified file doesn't exist).

SPI_SETDROPSHADOW Enables or disables the drop shadow effect. Set

0x1025 pvParam to TRUE to enable the drop shadow effect
or FALSE to disable it. You must also have
CS_DROPSHADOW in the window class style.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFLATMENU Enables or disables flat menu appearance for native

0x1023 User menus. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable flat
menu appearance or FALSE to disable it.

When enabled, the menu bar uses

COLOR_MENUBAR for the menubar background,
COLOR_MENU for the menu-popup background,
COLOR_MENUHILIGHT for the fill of the current
menu selection, and COLOR_HILIGHT for the outline
of the current menu selection. If disabled, menus are
drawn using the same metrics and colors as in
Windows 2000.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHING Enables or disables the font smoothing feature,

0x004B which uses font antialiasing to make font curves
appear smoother by painting pixels at different gray
levels.
To enable the feature, set the uiParam parameter to
TRUE. To disable the feature, set uiParam to FALSE.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGCONTRAST Sets the contrast value used in ClearType

0x200D smoothing. The pvParam parameter is the contrast
value. Valid contrast values are from 1000 to 2200.
The default value is 1400.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE must also be set to

FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATION Sets the font smoothing orientation. The pvParam

0x2013 parameter is either
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONBGR (blue-
green-red) or
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONRGB (red-
green-blue).

Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported

until Windows XP with SP2.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE Sets the font smoothing type. The pvParam

0x200B parameter is either
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD, if standard anti-
aliasing is used, or
 FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE, if ClearType is
used. The default is
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHING must also be set.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETWORKAREA Sets the size of the work area. The work area is the
0x002F portion of the screen not obscured by the system
taskbar or by application desktop toolbars. The
pvParam parameter is a pointer to a RECT structure
that specifies the new work area rectangle, expressed
in virtual screen coordinates. In a system with
multiple display monitors, the function sets the work
area of the monitor that contains the specified
rectangle.

The following are the icon parameters.

Icon parameter Meaning

SPI_GETICONMETRICS Retrieves the metrics associated with icons. The pvParam

0x002D parameter must point to an ICONMETRICS structure that
receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(ICONMETRICS) .

SPI_GETICONTITLELOGFONT Retrieves the logical font information for the current

0x001F icon-title font. The uiParam parameter specifies the size
of a LOGFONT structure, and the pvParam parameter
must point to the LOGFONT structure to fill in.

SPI_GETICONTITLEWRAP Determines whether icon-title wrapping is enabled. The

0x0019 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

SPI_ICONHORIZONTALSPACING Sets or retrieves the width, in pixels, of an icon cell. The

0x000D system uses this rectangle to arrange icons in large icon
view.
To set this value, set uiParam to the new value and set
pvParam to NULL. You cannot set this value to less than
SM_CXICON.

To retrieve this value, pvParam must point to an integer

that receives the current value.

SPI_ICONVERTICALSPACING Sets or retrieves the height, in pixels, of an icon cell.

0x0018
 To set this value, set uiParam to the new value and set
pvParam to NULL. You cannot set this value to less than
SM_CYICON.

To retrieve this value, pvParam must point to an integer

that receives the current value.

SPI_SETICONMETRICS Sets the metrics associated with icons. The pvParam

0x002E parameter must point to an ICONMETRICS structure that
contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of
this structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(ICONMETRICS) .

SPI_SETICONS Reloads the system icons. Set the uiParam parameter to

0x0058 zero and the pvParam parameter to NULL.

SPI_SETICONTITLELOGFONT Sets the font that is used for icon titles. The uiParam
0x0022 parameter specifies the size of a LOGFONT structure, and
the pvParam parameter must point to a LOGFONT
structure.

SPI_SETICONTITLEWRAP Turns icon-title wrapping on or off. The uiParam

0x001A parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

The following are the input parameters. They include parameters related to the
keyboard, mouse, pen, input language, and the warning beeper.

Input parameter Meaning

SPI_GETBEEP Determines whether the warning beeper is on.

0x0001 The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if the beeper is on, or FALSE if it is
off.

SPI_GETBLOCKSENDINPUTRESETS Retrieves a BOOL indicating whether an application

0x1026 can reset the screensaver's timer by calling the
SendInput function to simulate keyboard or mouse
input. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if the simulated input will
be blocked, or FALSE otherwise.

SPI_GETCONTACTVISUALIZATION Retrieves the current contact visualization setting. The

0x2018 pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that receives the setting. For more information, see
Contact Visualization.

SPI_GETDEFAULTINPUTLANG Retrieves the input locale identifier for the system

0x0059 default input language. The pvParam parameter must
point to an HKL variable that receives this value. For
 more information, see Languages, Locales, and
Keyboard Layouts.

SPI_GETGESTUREVISUALIZATION Retrieves the current gesture visualization setting. The

0x201A pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that receives the setting. For more information, see
Gesture Visualization.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDCUES Determines whether menu access keys are always

0x100A underlined. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if menu access keys
are always underlined, and FALSE if they are
underlined only when the menu is activated by the
keyboard.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDDELAY Retrieves the keyboard repeat-delay setting, which is a

0x0016 value in the range from 0 (approximately 250 ms
delay) through 3 (approximately 1 second delay). The
actual delay associated with each value may vary
depending on the hardware. The pvParam parameter
must point to an integer variable that receives the
setting.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDPREF Determines whether the user relies on the keyboard

0x0044 instead of the mouse, and wants applications to
display keyboard interfaces that would otherwise be
hidden. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if the user relies on the
keyboard; or FALSE otherwise.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDSPEED Retrieves the keyboard repeat-speed setting, which is a

0x000A value in the range from 0 (approximately 2.5
repetitions per second) through 31 (approximately 30
repetitions per second). The actual repeat rates are
hardware-dependent and may vary from a linear scale
by as much as 20%. The pvParam parameter must
point to a DWORD variable that receives the setting.

SPI_GETMOUSE Retrieves the two mouse threshold values and the

0x0003 mouse acceleration. The pvParam parameter must
point to an array of three integers that receives these
values. See mouse_event for further information.

SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERHEIGHT Retrieves the height, in pixels, of the rectangle within

0x0064 which the mouse pointer has to stay for
TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER
message. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT variable that receives the height.

SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERTIME Retrieves the time, in milliseconds, that the mouse

0x0066 pointer has to stay in the hover rectangle for
 TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER
message. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT variable that receives the time.

SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERWIDTH Retrieves the width, in pixels, of the rectangle within

0x0062 which the mouse pointer has to stay for
TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER
message. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT variable that receives the width.

SPI_GETMOUSESPEED Retrieves the current mouse speed. The mouse speed

0x0070 determines how far the pointer will move based on the
distance the mouse moves. The pvParam parameter
must point to an integer that receives a value which
ranges between 1 (slowest) and 20 (fastest). A value of
10 is the default. The value can be set by an end-user
using the mouse control panel application or by an
application using SPI_SETMOUSESPEED.

SPI_GETMOUSETRAILS Determines whether the Mouse Trails feature is

0x005E enabled. This feature improves the visibility of mouse
cursor movements by briefly showing a trail of cursors
and quickly erasing them.
The pvParam parameter must point to an integer
variable that receives a value. if the value is zero or 1,
the feature is disabled. If the value is greater than 1,
the feature is enabled and the value indicates the
number of cursors drawn in the trail. The uiParam
parameter is not used.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEWHEELROUTING Retrieves the routing setting for mouse wheel input.

0x201C The routing setting determines whether mouse wheel
input is sent to the app with focus (foreground) or the
app under the mouse cursor.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that receives the routing option. The uiParam
parameter is not used.

If the value is zero (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_FOCUS),

mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus.
If the value is 1 (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID),
mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus
(desktop apps) or the app under the mouse pointer
(Windows Store apps).

Starting with Windows 10: If the value is 2

(MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_MOUSE_POS), mouse wheel
input is delivered to the app under the mouse pointer.
This is the new default, and
 MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID is no longer
available in Settings.

SPI_GETPENVISUALIZATION Retrieves the current pen gesture visualization setting.

0x201E The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG
variable that receives the setting. For more
information, see Pen Visualization.

SPI_GETSNAPTODEFBUTTON Determines whether the snap-to-default-button

0x005F feature is enabled. If enabled, the mouse cursor
automatically moves to the default button, such as OK
or Apply, of a dialog box. The pvParam parameter
must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if
the feature is on, or FALSE if it is off.

SPI_GETSYSTEMLANGUAGEBAR Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the

0x1050 system language bar is enabled or disabled. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if the language bar is enabled, or
FALSE otherwise.

SPI_GETTHREADLOCALINPUTSETTINGS Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the

0x104E active input settings have Local (per-thread, TRUE) or
Global (session, FALSE) scope. The pvParam parameter
must point to a BOOL variable.

SPI_GETWHEELSCROLLCHARS Retrieves the number of characters to scroll when the

0x006C horizontal mouse wheel is moved. The pvParam
parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives
the number of lines. The default value is 3.

SPI_GETWHEELSCROLLLINES Retrieves the number of lines to scroll when the

0x0068 vertical mouse wheel is moved. The pvParam
parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives
the number of lines. The default value is 3.

SPI_SETBEEP Turns the warning beeper on or off. The uiParam

0x0002 parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETBLOCKSENDINPUTRESETS Determines whether an application can reset the

0x1027 screensaver's timer by calling the SendInput function
to simulate keyboard or mouse input. The uiParam
parameter specifies TRUE if the screensaver will not be
deactivated by simulated input, or FALSE if the
screensaver will be deactivated by simulated input.

SPI_SETCONTACTVISUALIZATION Sets the current contact visualization setting. The

0x2019 pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that identifies the setting. For more information, see
Contact Visualization.
 Note If contact visualizations are disabled,
gesture visualizations cannot be enabled.

SPI_SETDEFAULTINPUTLANG Sets the default input language for the system shell
0x005A and applications. The specified language must be
displayable using the current system character set. The
pvParam parameter must point to an HKL variable that
contains the input locale identifier for the default
language. For more information, see Languages,
Locales, and Keyboard Layouts.

SPI_SETDOUBLECLICKTIME Sets the double-click time for the mouse to the value
0x0020 of the uiParam parameter. If the uiParam value is
greater than 5000 milliseconds, the system sets the
double-click time to 5000 milliseconds.

The double-click time is the maximum number of

milliseconds that can occur between the first and
second clicks of a double-click. You can also call the
SetDoubleClickTime function to set the double-click
time. To get the current double-click time, call the
GetDoubleClickTime function.

SPI_SETDOUBLECLKHEIGHT Sets the height of the double-click rectangle to the

0x001E value of the uiParam parameter.

The double-click rectangle is the rectangle within

which the second click of a double-click must fall for it
to be registered as a double-click.

To retrieve the height of the double-click rectangle, call

GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CYDOUBLECLK flag.

SPI_SETDOUBLECLKWIDTH Sets the width of the double-click rectangle to the

0x001D value of the uiParam parameter.

The double-click rectangle is the rectangle within

which the second click of a double-click must fall for it
to be registered as a double-click.

To retrieve the width of the double-click rectangle, call

GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CXDOUBLECLK flag.

SPI_SETGESTUREVISUALIZATION Sets the current gesture visualization setting. The

0x201B pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that identifies the setting. For more information, see
Gesture Visualization.
 Note If contact visualizations are disabled,
gesture visualizations cannot be enabled.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDCUES Sets the underlining of menu access key letters. The

0x100B pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to
TRUE to always underline menu access keys, or FALSE
to underline menu access keys only when the menu is
activated from the keyboard.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDDELAY Sets the keyboard repeat-delay setting. The uiParam

0x0017 parameter must specify 0, 1, 2, or 3, where zero sets
the shortest delay approximately 250 ms) and 3 sets
the longest delay (approximately 1 second). The actual
delay associated with each value may vary depending
on the hardware.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDPREF Sets the keyboard preference. The uiParam parameter

0x0045 specifies TRUE if the user relies on the keyboard
instead of the mouse, and wants applications to
display keyboard interfaces that would otherwise be
hidden; uiParam is FALSE otherwise.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDSPEED Sets the keyboard repeat-speed setting. The uiParam

0x000B parameter must specify a value in the range from 0
(approximately 2.5 repetitions per second) through 31
(approximately 30 repetitions per second). The actual
repeat rates are hardware-dependent and may vary
from a linear scale by as much as 20%. If uiParam is
greater than 31, the parameter is set to 31.

SPI_SETLANGTOGGLE Sets the hot key set for switching between input
0x005B languages. The uiParam and pvParam parameters are
not used. The value sets the shortcut keys in the
keyboard property sheets by reading the registry
again. The registry must be set before this flag is used.
the path in the registry is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Toggle

. Valid values are "1" = ALT+SHIFT, "2" = CTRL+SHIFT,

and "3" = none.

SPI_SETMOUSE Sets the two mouse threshold values and the mouse
0x0004 acceleration. The pvParam parameter must point to an
array of three integers that specifies these values. See
mouse_event for further information.

SPI_SETMOUSEBUTTONSWAP Swaps or restores the meaning of the left and right

0x0021 mouse buttons. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE
 to swap the meanings of the buttons, or FALSE to
restore their original meanings.

To retrieve the current setting, call GetSystemMetrics

with the SM_SWAPBUTTON flag.

SPI_SETMOUSEHOVERHEIGHT Sets the height, in pixels, of the rectangle within which

0x0065 the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to
generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. Set the
uiParam parameter to the new height.

SPI_SETMOUSEHOVERTIME Sets the time, in milliseconds, that the mouse pointer

0x0067 has to stay in the hover rectangle for TrackMouseEvent
to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. This is
used only if you pass HOVER_DEFAULT in the
dwHoverTime parameter in the call to
TrackMouseEvent. Set the uiParam parameter to the
new time.

The time specified should be between

USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM and
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uiParam is less than
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM, the function will use
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uiParam is greater than
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM, the function will be
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP: The

operating system does not enforce the use of
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM and
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM until Windows Server 2003
with SP1 and Windows XP with SP2.

SPI_SETMOUSEHOVERWIDTH Sets the width, in pixels, of the rectangle within which

0x0063 the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to
generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. Set the
uiParam parameter to the new width.

SPI_SETMOUSESPEED Sets the current mouse speed. The pvParam parameter

0x0071 is an integer between 1 (slowest) and 20 (fastest). A
value of 10 is the default. This value is typically set
using the mouse control panel application.

SPI_SETMOUSETRAILS Enables or disables the Mouse Trails feature, which

0x005D improves the visibility of mouse cursor movements by
briefly showing a trail of cursors and quickly erasing
them.
To disable the feature, set the uiParam parameter to
zero or 1. To enable the feature, set uiParam to a value
greater than 1 to indicate the number of cursors drawn
in the trail.
 Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEWHEELROUTING Sets the routing setting for mouse wheel input. The
0x201D routing setting determines whether mouse wheel input
is sent to the app with focus (foreground) or the app
under the mouse cursor.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that receives the routing option. Set the
uiParam parameter to zero.

If the value is zero (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_FOCUS),

mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus.
If the value is 1 (MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID),
mouse wheel input is delivered to the app with focus
(desktop apps) or the app under the mouse pointer
(Windows Store apps).

Starting with Windows 10: If the value is 2

(MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_MOUSE_POS), mouse wheel
input is delivered to the app under the mouse pointer.
This is the new default, and
MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID is no longer
available in Settings.

SPI_SETPENVISUALIZATION Sets the current pen gesture visualization setting. The

0x201F pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that identifies the setting. For more information, see
Pen Visualization.

SPI_SETSNAPTODEFBUTTON Enables or disables the snap-to-default-button feature.

0x0060 If enabled, the mouse cursor automatically moves to
the default button, such as OK or Apply, of a dialog
box. Set the uiParam parameter to TRUE to enable the
feature, or FALSE to disable it. Applications should use
the ShowWindow function when displaying a dialog
box so the dialog manager can position the mouse
cursor.

SPI_SETSYSTEMLANGUAGEBAR Starting with Windows 8: Turns the legacy language

0x1051 bar feature on or off. The pvParam parameter is a
pointer to a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to
enable the legacy language bar, or FALSE to disable it.
The flag is supported on Windows 8 where the legacy
language bar is replaced by Input Switcher and
therefore turned off by default. Turning the legacy
language bar on is provided for compatibility reasons
and has no effect on the Input Switcher.

SPI_SETTHREADLOCALINPUTSETTINGS Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the

0x104F active input settings have Local (per-thread, TRUE) or
 Global (session, FALSE) scope. The pvParam parameter
must be a BOOL variable, casted by PVOID.

SPI_SETWHEELSCROLLCHARS Sets the number of characters to scroll when the

0x006D horizontal mouse wheel is moved. The number of
characters is set from the uiParam parameter.

SPI_SETWHEELSCROLLLINES Sets the number of lines to scroll when the vertical

0x0069 mouse wheel is moved. The number of lines is set from
the uiParam parameter.

The number of lines is the suggested number of lines

to scroll when the mouse wheel is rolled without using
modifier keys. If the number is 0, then no scrolling
should occur. If the number of lines to scroll is greater
than the number of lines viewable, and in particular if
it is WHEEL_PAGESCROLL (#defined as UINT_MAX),
the scroll operation should be interpreted as clicking
once in the page down or page up regions of the scroll
bar.

The following are the menu parameters.

Menu parameter Meaning

SPI_GETMENUDROPALIGNMENT Determines whether pop-up menus are left-aligned or

0x001B right-aligned, relative to the corresponding menu-bar
item. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if right-aligned, or FALSE
otherwise.

SPI_GETMENUFADE Determines whether menu fade animation is enabled. The

0x1012 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE when fade animation is enabled and FALSE
when it isdisabled. If fade animation is disabled, menus
use slide animation. This flag is ignored unless menu
animation is enabled, which you can do using the
SPI_SETMENUANIMATION flag. For more information,
see AnimateWindow.

SPI_GETMENUSHOWDELAY Retrieves the time, in milliseconds, that the system waits

0x006A before displaying a shortcut menu when the mouse
cursor is over a submenu item. The pvParam parameter
must point to a DWORD variable that receives the time of
the delay.

SPI_SETMENUDROPALIGNMENT Sets the alignment value of pop-up menus. The uiParam

0x001C parameter specifies TRUE for right alignment, or FALSE
for left alignment.
 SPI_SETMENUFADE Enables or disables menu fade animation. Set pvParam to
0x1013 TRUE to enable the menu fade effect or FALSE to disable
it. If fade animation is disabled, menus use slide
animation. he The menu fade effect is possible only if the
system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. This
flag is ignored unless SPI_MENUANIMATION is also set.
For more information, see AnimateWindow.

SPI_SETMENUSHOWDELAY Sets uiParam to the time, in milliseconds, that the system

0x006B waits before displaying a shortcut menu when the mouse
cursor is over a submenu item.

The following are the power parameters.

Beginning with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, these power parameters are
not supported. Instead, to determine the current display power state, an application
should register for GUID_MONITOR_POWER_STATE notifications. To determine the
current display power down time-out, an application should register for notification of
changes to the GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting. For more
information, see Registering for Power Events.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: To determine the current display power
state, use the following power parameters.

Power parameter Meaning

SPI_GETLOWPOWERACTIVE This parameter is not supported.

0x0053 Windows Server 2003 and
Windows XP/2000: Determines whether the low-power
phase of screen saving is enabled. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE if enabled, or FALSE if disabled. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_GETLOWPOWERTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported.

0x004F Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Retrieves
the time-out value for the low-power phase of screen
saving. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer
variable that receives the value. This flag is supported for
32-bit applications only.

SPI_GETPOWEROFFACTIVE This parameter is not supported. When the power-off

0x0054 phase of screen saving is enabled, the
GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting is
greater than zero.
 Windows Server 2003 and
Windows XP/2000: Determines whether the power-off
phase of screen saving is enabled. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE if enabled, or FALSE if disabled. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_GETPOWEROFFTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported. Instead, check the

0x0050 GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Retrieves

the time-out value for the power-off phase of screen
saving. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer
variable that receives the value. This flag is supported for
32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETLOWPOWERACTIVE This parameter is not supported.

0x0055 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Activates
or deactivates the low-power phase of screen saving. Set
uiParam to 1 to activate, or zero to deactivate. The
pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is supported
for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETLOWPOWERTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported.

0x0051 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Sets the
time-out value, in seconds, for the low-power phase of
screen saving. The uiParam parameter specifies the new
value. The pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETPOWEROFFACTIVE This parameter is not supported. Instead, set the

0x0056 GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Activates

or deactivates the power-off phase of screen saving. Set
uiParam to 1 to activate, or zero to deactivate. The
pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is supported
for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETPOWEROFFTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported. Instead, set the

0x0052 GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting to
a time-out value.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Sets the

time-out value, in seconds, for the power-off phase of
screen saving. The uiParam parameter specifies the new
value. The pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.
The following are the screen saver parameters.

Screen saver parameter Meaning

SPI_GETSCREENSAVEACTIVE Determines whether screen saving is enabled. The

0x0010 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if screen saving is enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and

Windows 2000: The function returns TRUE even when
screen saving is not enabled.

SPI_GETSCREENSAVERRUNNING Determines whether a screen saver is currently running

0x0072 on the window station of the calling process. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if a screen saver is currently running, or
FALSE otherwise. Note that only the interactive window
station, WinSta0, can have a screen saver running.

SPI_GETSCREENSAVESECURE Determines whether the screen saver requires a password

0x0076 to display the Windows desktop. The pvParam parameter
must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the
screen saver requires a password, or FALSE otherwise. The
uiParam parameter is ignored.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETSCREENSAVETIMEOUT Retrieves the screen saver time-out value, in seconds. The

0x000E pvParam parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives the value.

SPI_SETSCREENSAVEACTIVE Sets the state of the screen saver. The uiParam parameter
0x0011 specifies TRUE to activate screen saving, or FALSE to
deactivate it.

If the machine has entered power saving mode or system

lock state, an ERROR_OPERATION_IN_PROGRESS
exception occurs.

SPI_SETSCREENSAVESECURE Sets whether the screen saver requires the user to enter a
0x0077 password to display the Windows desktop. The uiParam
parameter is a BOOL variable. The pvParam parameter is
ignored. Set uiParam to TRUE to require a password, or
FALSE to not require a password.

If the machine has entered power saving mode or system

lock state, an ERROR_OPERATION_IN_PROGRESS
exception occurs.
 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This
parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETSCREENSAVETIMEOUT Sets the screen saver time-out value to the value of the
0x000F uiParam parameter. This value is the amount of time, in
seconds, that the system must be idle before the screen
saver activates.

If the machine has entered power saving mode or system

lock state, an ERROR_OPERATION_IN_PROGRESS
exception occurs.

The following are the time-out parameters for applications and services.

Time-out parameter Meaning

SPI_GETHUNGAPPTIMEOUT Retrieves the number of milliseconds that a thread can

0x0078 go without dispatching a message before the system
considers it unresponsive. The pvParam parameter must
point to an integer variable that receives the value.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETWAITTOKILLTIMEOUT Retrieves the number of milliseconds that the system

0x007A waits before terminating an application that does not
respond to a shutdown request. The pvParam
parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives the value.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETWAITTOKILLSERVICETIMEOUT Retrieves the number of milliseconds that the service

0x007C control manager waits before terminating a service that
does not respond to a shutdown request. The pvParam
parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives the value.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETHUNGAPPTIMEOUT Sets the hung application time-out to the value of the

0x0079 uiParam parameter. This value is the number of
milliseconds that a thread can go without dispatching a
message before the system considers it unresponsive.
 Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETWAITTOKILLTIMEOUT Sets the application shutdown request time-out to the

0x007B value of the uiParam parameter. This value is the
number of milliseconds that the system waits before
terminating an application that does not respond to a
shutdown request.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETWAITTOKILLSERVICETIMEOUT Sets the service shutdown request time-out to the value

0x007D of the uiParam parameter. This value is the number of
milliseconds that the system waits before terminating a
service that does not respond to a shutdown request.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

The following are the UI effects. The SPI_SETUIEFFECTS value is used to enable or
disable all UI effects at once. This table contains the complete list of UI effect values.

UI effects parameter Meaning

SPI_GETCOMBOBOXANIMATION Determines whether the slide-open effect for combo

0x1004 boxes is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to
a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or
FALSE for disabled.

SPI_GETCURSORSHADOW Determines whether the cursor has a shadow around it.

0x101A The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if the shadow is enabled, FALSE if it is
disabled. This effect appears only if the system has a
color depth of more than 256 colors.

SPI_GETGRADIENTCAPTIONS Determines whether the gradient effect for window title

0x1008 bars is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE
for disabled. For more information about the gradient
effect, see the GetSysColor function.

SPI_GETHOTTRACKING Determines whether hot tracking of user-interface

0x100E elements, such as menu names on menu bars, is
enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
 variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE for
disabled.

Hot tracking means that when the cursor moves over an

item, it is highlighted but not selected. You can query
this value to decide whether to use hot tracking in the
user interface of your application.

SPI_GETLISTBOXSMOOTHSCROLLING Determines whether the smooth-scrolling effect for list

0x1006 boxes is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to
a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or
FALSE for disabled.

SPI_GETMENUANIMATION Determines whether the menu animation feature is

0x1002 enabled. This master switch must be on to enable menu
animation effects. The pvParam parameter must point to
a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if animation is
enabled and FALSE if it is disabled.

If animation is enabled, SPI_GETMENUFADE indicates

whether menus use fade or slide animation.

SPI_GETMENUUNDERLINES Same as SPI_GETKEYBOARDCUES.

0x100A

SPI_GETSELECTIONFADE Determines whether the selection fade effect is enabled.

0x1014 The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled.

The selection fade effect causes the menu item selected

by the user to remain on the screen briefly while fading
out after the menu is dismissed.

SPI_GETTOOLTIPANIMATION Determines whether ToolTip animation is enabled. The

0x1016 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled. If ToolTip
animation is enabled, SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE indicates
whether ToolTips use fade or slide animation.

SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE If SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION is enabled,

0x1018 SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE indicates whether ToolTip
animation uses a fade effect or a slide effect. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE for fade animation or FALSE for slide
animation. For more information on slide and fade
effects, see AnimateWindow.

SPI_GETUIEFFECTS Determines whether UI effects are enabled or disabled.

0x103E The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if all UI effects are enabled, or FALSE
if they are disabled.
SPI_SETCOMBOBOXANIMATION Enables or disables the slide-open effect for combo
0x1005 boxes. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable the
gradient effect, or FALSE to disable it.

SPI_SETCURSORSHADOW Enables or disables a shadow around the cursor. The

0x101B pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to
TRUE to enable the shadow or FALSE to disable the
shadow. This effect appears only if the system has a
color depth of more than 256 colors.

SPI_SETGRADIENTCAPTIONS Enables or disables the gradient effect for window title

0x1009 bars. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable it, or
FALSE to disable it. The gradient effect is possible only if
the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors.
For more information about the gradient effect, see the
GetSysColor function.

SPI_SETHOTTRACKING Enables or disables hot tracking of user-interface

0x100F elements such as menu names on menu bars. Set the
pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable it, or FALSE to
disable it.

Hot-tracking means that when the cursor moves over an

item, it is highlighted but not selected.

SPI_SETLISTBOXSMOOTHSCROLLING Enables or disables the smooth-scrolling effect for list

0x1007 boxes. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable the
smooth-scrolling effect, or FALSE to disable it.

SPI_SETMENUANIMATION Enables or disables menu animation. This master switch

0x1003 must be on for any menu animation to occur. The
pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable; set pvParam to
TRUE to enable animation and FALSE to disable
animation.

If animation is enabled, SPI_GETMENUFADE indicates

whether menus use fade or slide animation.

SPI_SETMENUUNDERLINES Same as SPI_SETKEYBOARDCUES.

0x100B

SPI_SETSELECTIONFADE Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the selection fade effect

0x1015 or FALSE to disable it.

The selection fade effect causes the menu item selected

by the user to remain on the screen briefly while fading
out after the menu is dismissed. The selection fade effect
is possible only if the system has a color depth of more
than 256 colors.

SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION Set pvParam to TRUE to enable ToolTip animation or

0x1017 FALSE to disable it. If enabled, you can use
 SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE to specify fade or slide animation.

SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE If the SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION flag is enabled, use

0x1019 SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE to indicate whether ToolTip
animation uses a fade effect or a slide effect. Set
pvParam to TRUE for fade animation or FALSE for slide
animation. The tooltip fade effect is possible only if the
system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. For
more information on the slide and fade effects, see the
AnimateWindow function.

SPI_SETUIEFFECTS Enables or disables UI effects. Set the pvParam

0x103F parameter to TRUE to enable all UI effects or FALSE to
disable all UI effects.

The following are the window parameters.

Window parameter Meaning

SPI_GETACTIVEWINDOWTRACKING Determines whether active window tracking (activating

0x1000 the window the mouse is on) is on or off. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

SPI_GETACTIVEWNDTRKZORDER Determines whether windows activated through active

0x100C window tracking will be brought to the top. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

SPI_GETACTIVEWNDTRKTIMEOUT Retrieves the active window tracking delay, in

0x2002 milliseconds. The pvParam parameter must point to a
DWORD variable that receives the time.

SPI_GETANIMATION Retrieves the animation effects associated with user

0x0048 actions. The pvParam parameter must point to an
ANIMATIONINFO structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO) .

SPI_GETBORDER Retrieves the border multiplier factor that determines

0x0005 the width of a window's sizing border. The pvParam
parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives this value.

SPI_GETCARETWIDTH Retrieves the caret width in edit controls, in pixels. The

0x2006 pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable
that receives this value.

SPI_GETDOCKMOVING Determines whether a window is docked when it is

0x0090 moved to the top, left, or right edges of a monitor or
monitor array. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETDRAGFROMMAXIMIZE Determines whether a maximized window is restored

0x008C when its caption bar is dragged. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETDRAGFULLWINDOWS Determines whether dragging of full windows is

0x0026 enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

SPI_GETFOREGROUNDFLASHCOUNT Retrieves the number of times SetForegroundWindow

0x2004 will flash the taskbar button when rejecting a
foreground switch request. The pvParam parameter
must point to a DWORD variable that receives the
value.

SPI_GETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT Retrieves the amount of time following user input, in

0x2000 milliseconds, during which the system will not allow
applications to force themselves into the foreground.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that receives the time.

SPI_GETMINIMIZEDMETRICS Retrieves the metrics associated with minimized

0x002B windows. The pvParam parameter must point to a
MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS) .

SPI_GETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where docking

0x007E behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a
window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array. The
 default threshold is 1. The pvParam parameter must
point to a DWORD variable that receives the value.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where undocking

0x0084 behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a
window from the edge of a monitor or a monitor array
toward the center. The default threshold is 20.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels from the top of a

0x0088 monitor or a monitor array where a vertically
maximized window is restored when dragged with the
mouse. The default threshold is 50.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS Retrieves the metrics associated with the nonclient area

0x0029 of nonminimized windows. The pvParam parameter
must point to a NONCLIENTMETRICS structure that
receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS) .

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: See

Remarks for NONCLIENTMETRICS.

SPI_GETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where docking

0x0080 behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a
window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array.
The default is 30.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
 not supported.

SPI_GETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where undocking

0x0086 behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a window
from the edge of a monitor or monitor array toward its
center. The default threshold is 30.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels from the top of a

0x008A monitor or monitor array where a vertically maximized
window is restored when dragged with the mouse. The
default threshold is 50.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETSHOWIMEUI Determines whether the IME status window is visible

0x006E (on a per-user basis). The pvParam parameter must
point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the
status window is visible, or FALSE if it is not.

SPI_GETSNAPSIZING Determines whether a window is vertically maximized

0x008E when it is sized to the top or bottom of a monitor or
monitor array. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING Determines whether window arrangement is enabled.

0x0082 The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

Window arrangement reduces the number of mouse,

pen, or touch interactions needed to move and size
top-level windows by simplifying the default behavior
of a window when it is dragged or sized.
 The following parameters retrieve individual window
arrangement settings:
SPI_GETDOCKMOVING
SPI_GETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_GETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_GETSNAPSIZING
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETACTIVEWINDOWTRACKING Sets active window tracking (activating the window the

0x1001 mouse is on) either on or off. Set pvParam to TRUE for
on or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETACTIVEWNDTRKZORDER Determines whether or not windows activated through

0x100D active window tracking should be brought to the top.
Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETACTIVEWNDTRKTIMEOUT Sets the active window tracking delay. Set pvParam to

0x2003 the number of milliseconds to delay before activating
the window under the mouse pointer.

SPI_SETANIMATION Sets the animation effects associated with user actions.

0x0049 The pvParam parameter must point to an
ANIMATIONINFO structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO) .

SPI_SETBORDER Sets the border multiplier factor that determines the

0x0006 width of a window's sizing border. The uiParam
parameter specifies the new value.

SPI_SETCARETWIDTH Sets the caret width in edit controls. Set pvParam to the
0x2007 desired width, in pixels. The default and minimum value
is 1.

SPI_SETDOCKMOVING Sets whether a window is docked when it is moved to

0x0091 the top, left, or right docking targets on a monitor or
monitor array. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for
off.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.
SPI_SETDRAGFROMMAXIMIZE Sets whether a maximized window is restored when its
0x008D caption bar is dragged. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or
FALSE for off.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETDRAGFULLWINDOWS Sets dragging of full windows either on or off. The

0x0025 uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for
off.

SPI_SETDRAGHEIGHT Sets the height, in pixels, of the rectangle used to

0x004D detect the start of a drag operation. Set uiParam to the
new value. To retrieve the drag height, call
GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CYDRAG flag.

SPI_SETDRAGWIDTH Sets the width, in pixels, of the rectangle used to detect

0x004C the start of a drag operation. Set uiParam to the new
value. To retrieve the drag width, call GetSystemMetrics
with the SM_CXDRAG flag.

SPI_SETFOREGROUNDFLASHCOUNT Sets the number of times SetForegroundWindow will

0x2005 flash the taskbar button when rejecting a foreground
switch request. Set pvParam to the number of times to
flash.

SPI_SETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT Sets the amount of time following user input, in

0x2001 milliseconds, during which the system does not allow
applications to force themselves into the foreground.
Set pvParam to the new time-out value.

The calling thread must be able to change the

foreground window, otherwise the call fails.

SPI_SETMINIMIZEDMETRICS Sets the metrics associated with minimized windows.

0x002C The pvParam parameter must point to a
MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS) .

SPI_SETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is

0x007F triggered by using a mouse to drag a window to the
edge of a monitor or monitor array. The default
threshold is 1. The pvParam parameter must point to a
DWORD variable that contains the new value.
 SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this
behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior

0x0085 is triggered by using a mouse to drag a window from
the edge of a monitor or monitor array to its center.
The default threshold is 20. The pvParam parameter
must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new
value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels from the top of the monitor
0x0089 where a vertically maximized window is restored when
dragged with the mouse. The default threshold is 50.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETNONCLIENTMETRICS Sets the metrics associated with the nonclient area of

0x002A nonminimized windows. The pvParam parameter must
point to a NONCLIENTMETRICS structure that contains
the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS) . Also, the lfHeight member
of the LOGFONT structure must be a negative value.

SPI_SETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is

0x0081 triggered by using a pen to drag a window to the edge
of a monitor or monitor array. The default threshold is
30. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.
 Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior

0x0087 is triggered by using a pen to drag a window from the
edge of a monitor or monitor array to its center. The
default threshold is 30. The pvParam parameter must
point to a DWORD variable that contains the new
value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels from the top of the monitor
0x008B where a vertically maximized window is restored when
dragged with a pen. The default threshold is 50. The
pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable
that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETSHOWIMEUI Sets whether the IME status window is visible or not on

0x006F a per-user basis. The uiParam parameter specifies
TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETSNAPSIZING Sets whether a window is vertically maximized when it

0x008F is sized to the top or bottom of the monitor. Set
pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETWINARRANGING Sets whether window arrangement is enabled. Set

0x0083 pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

Window arrangement reduces the number of mouse,

pen, or touch interactions needed to move and size
 top-level windows by simplifying the default behavior
of a window when it is dragged or sized.

The following parameters set individual window

arrangement settings:
SPI_SETDOCKMOVING
SPI_SETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_SETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_SETSNAPSIZING
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

[in] uiParam

Type: UINT

A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried
or set. For more information about system-wide parameters, see the uiAction parameter.
If not otherwise indicated, you must specify zero for this parameter.

[in, out] pvParam

Type: PVOID

A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried
or set. For more information about system-wide parameters, see the uiAction parameter.
If not otherwise indicated, you must specify NULL for this parameter. For information on
the PVOID datatype, see Windows Data Types.

[in] fWinIni

Type: UINT

If a system parameter is being set, specifies whether the user profile is to be updated,
and if so, whether the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message is to be broadcast to all top-level
windows to notify them of the change.

This parameter can be zero if you do not want to update the user profile or broadcast
the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message, or it can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning
 SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE Writes the new system-wide parameter setting to the
user profile.

SPIF_SENDCHANGE Broadcasts the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message after

updating the user profile.

SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE Same as SPIF_SENDCHANGE.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is a nonzero value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
This function is intended for use with applications that allow the user to customize the
environment.

A keyboard layout name should be derived from the hexadecimal value of the language
identifier corresponding to the layout. For example, U.S. English has a language
identifier of 0x0409, so the primary U.S. English layout is named "00000409". Variants of
U.S. English layout, such as the Dvorak layout, are named "00010409", "00020409" and
so on. For a list of the primary language identifiers and sublanguage identifiers that
make up a language identifier, see the MAKELANGID macro.

There is a difference between the High Contrast color scheme and the High Contrast
Mode. The High Contrast color scheme changes the system colors to colors that have
obvious contrast; you switch to this color scheme by using the Display Options in the
control panel. The High Contrast Mode, which uses SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST and
SPI_SETHIGHCONTRAST, advises applications to modify their appearance for visually-
impaired users. It involves such things as audible warning to users and customized color
scheme (using the Accessibility Options in the control panel). For more information, see
HIGHCONTRAST. For more information on general accessibility features, see
Accessibility.

During the time that the primary button is held down to activate the Mouse ClickLock
feature, the user can move the mouse. After the primary button is locked down,
releasing the primary button does not result in a WM_LBUTTONUP message. Thus, it
will appear to an application that the primary button is still down. Any subsequent
button message releases the primary button, sending a WM_LBUTTONUP message to
the application, thus the button can be unlocked programmatically or through the user
clicking any button.

This API is not DPI aware, and should not be used if the calling thread is per-monitor
DPI aware. For the DPI-aware version of this API, see SystemParametersInfoForDPI. For
more information on DPI awareness, see the Windows High DPI documentation.

Examples
The following example uses SystemParametersInfo to double the mouse speed.

C++

#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "user32.lib")

void main()
{
BOOL fResult;
int aMouseInfo[3]; // Array for mouse information

// Get the current mouse speed.

fResult = SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETMOUSE, // Get mouse information
0, // Not used
&aMouseInfo, // Holds mouse
information
0); // Not used

// Double it.
if( fResult )
{
aMouseInfo[2] = 2 * aMouseInfo[2];

// Change the mouse speed to the new value.

SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETMOUSE, // Set mouse information
0, // Not used
aMouseInfo, // Mouse information
SPIF_SENDCHANGE); // Update Win.ini
}
}

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SystemParametersInfo as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
 UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-sysparams-ext-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
ACCESSTIMEOUT

ANIMATIONINFO

AUDIODESCRIPTION

FILTERKEYS

HIGHCONTRAST

ICONMETRICS

LOGFONT

MAKELANGID

MINIMIZEDMETRICS

MOUSEKEYS

NONCLIENTMETRICS
RECT

SERIALKEYS

SOUNDSENTRY

STICKYKEYS

SystemParametersInfoForDPI

TOGGLEKEYS

WM_SETTINGCHANGE

Windows Data Types

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SystemParametersInfoW function
(winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Retrieves or sets the value of one of the system-wide parameters. This function can also
update the user profile while setting a parameter.

Syntax
C++

BOOL SystemParametersInfoW(
[in] UINT uiAction,
[in] UINT uiParam,
[in, out] PVOID pvParam,
[in] UINT fWinIni
);

Parameters
[in] uiAction

Type: UINT

The system-wide parameter to be retrieved or set. The possible values are organized in
the following tables of related parameters:

Accessibility parameters
Desktop parameters
Icon parameters
Input parameters
Menu parameters
Power parameters
Screen saver parameters
Time-out parameters
UI effect parameters
Window parameters

The following are the accessibility parameters.

Accessibility parameter Meaning

SPI_GETACCESSTIMEOUT Retrieves information about the time-out period
0x003C associated with the accessibility features. The pvParam
parameter must point to an ACCESSTIMEOUT
structure that receives the information. Set the cbSize
member of this structure and the uiParam parameter
to sizeof(ACCESSTIMEOUT) .

SPI_GETAUDIODESCRIPTION Determines whether audio descriptions are enabled or

0x0074 disabled. The pvParam parameter is a pointer to an
AUDIODESCRIPTION structure. Set the cbSize
member of this structure and the uiParam parameter
to sizeof(AUDIODESCRIPTION) .

While it is possible for users who have visual

impairments to hear the audio in video content, there
is a lot of action in video that does not have
corresponding audio. Specific audio description of
what is happening in a video helps these users
understand the content better. This flag enables you
to determine whether audio descriptions have been
enabled and in which language.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETCLIENTAREAANIMATION Determines whether animations are enabled or

0x1042 disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if animations are
enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

Display features such as flashing, blinking, flickering,

and moving content can cause seizures in users with
photo-sensitive epilepsy. This flag enables you to
determine whether such animations have been
disabled in the client area.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETDISABLEOVERLAPPEDCONTENT Determines whether overlapped content is enabled or

0x1040 disabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Display features such as background images, textured

backgrounds, water marks on documents, alpha
blending, and transparency can reduce the contrast
between the foreground and background, making it
harder for users with low vision to see objects on the
screen. This flag enables you to determine whether
such overlapped content has been disabled.
 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This
parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFILTERKEYS Retrieves information about the FilterKeys accessibility

0x0032 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
FILTERKEYS structure that receives the information. Set
the cbSize member of this structure and the uiParam
parameter to sizeof(FILTERKEYS) .

SPI_GETFOCUSBORDERHEIGHT Retrieves the height, in pixels, of the top and bottom

0x2010 edges of the focus rectangle drawn with
DrawFocusRect. The pvParam parameter must point
to a UINT value.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFOCUSBORDERWIDTH Retrieves the width, in pixels, of the left and right

0x200E edges of the focus rectangle drawn with
DrawFocusRect. The pvParam parameter must point
to a UINT.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST Retrieves information about the HighContrast

0x0042 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a HIGHCONTRAST structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(HIGHCONTRAST) .

For a general discussion, see Remarks.

SPI_GETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE Retrieves a value that determines whether Windows 8

0x009E is displaying apps using the default scaling plateau for
the hardware or going to the next higher plateau. This
value is based on the current "Make everything on
your screen bigger" setting, found in the Ease of
Access section of PC settings: 1 is on, 0 is off.

Apps can provide text and image resources for each

of several scaling plateaus: 100%, 140%, and 180%.
Providing separate resources optimized for a
particular scale avoids distortion due to resizing.
Windows 8 determines the appropriate scaling
plateau based on a number of factors, including
screen size and pixel density. When "Make everything
on your screen bigger" is selected
(SPI_GETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE returns a value of 1),
Windows uses resources from the next higher plateau.
For example, in the case of hardware that Windows
determines should use a scale of
SCALE_100_PERCENT, this override causes Windows to
 use the SCALE_140_PERCENT scale value, assuming
that it does not violate other constraints.

Note You should not use this value. It

might be altered or unavailable in
subsequent versions of Windows. Instead,
use the GetScaleFactorForDevice function
or the DisplayProperties class to retrieve
the preferred scaling factor. Desktop
applications should use desktop logical
DPI rather than scale factor. Desktop
logical DPI can be retrieved through the
GetDeviceCaps function.

SPI_GETMESSAGEDURATION Retrieves the time that notification pop-ups should be

0x2016 displayed, in seconds. The pvParam parameter must
point to a ULONG that receives the message duration.

Users with visual impairments or cognitive conditions

such as ADHD and dyslexia might need a longer time
to read the text in notification messages. This flag
enables you to retrieve the message duration.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSECLICKLOCK Retrieves the state of the Mouse ClickLock feature.

0x101E The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise. For more information, see Mouse Input
Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME Retrieves the time delay before the primary mouse

0x2008 button is locked. The pvParam parameter must point
to DWORD that receives the time delay, in
milliseconds. This is only enabled if
SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCK is set to TRUE. For more
information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEKEYS Retrieves information about the MouseKeys

0x0036 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a MOUSEKEYS structure that receives the
 information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MOUSEKEYS) .

SPI_GETMOUSESONAR Retrieves the state of the Mouse Sonar feature. The

0x101C pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE otherwise. For
more information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEVANISH Retrieves the state of the Mouse Vanish feature. The

0x1020 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE otherwise. For
more information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETSCREENREADER Determines whether a screen reviewer utility is

0x0046 running. A screen reviewer utility directs textual
information to an output device, such as a speech
synthesizer or Braille display. When this flag is set, an
application should provide textual information in
situations where it would otherwise present the
information graphically.
The pvParam parameter is a pointer to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if a screen reviewer utility
is running, or FALSE otherwise.

Note Narrator, the screen reader that is

included with Windows, does not set the
SPI_SETSCREENREADER or
SPI_GETSCREENREADER flags.

SPI_GETSERIALKEYS This parameter is not supported.

0x003E Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: The
user should control this setting through the Control
Panel.

SPI_GETSHOWSOUNDS Determines whether the Show Sounds accessibility

0x0038 flag is on or off. If it is on, the user requires an
application to present information visually in
situations where it would otherwise present the
information only in audible form. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if the feature is on, or FALSE if it is off.

Using this value is equivalent to calling

GetSystemMetrics with SM_SHOWSOUNDS. That is
 the recommended call.

SPI_GETSOUNDSENTRY Retrieves information about the SoundSentry

0x0040 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a SOUNDSENTRY structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(SOUNDSENTRY) .

SPI_GETSTICKYKEYS Retrieves information about the StickyKeys

0x003A accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a STICKYKEYS structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(STICKYKEYS) .

SPI_GETTOGGLEKEYS Retrieves information about the ToggleKeys

0x0034 accessibility feature. The pvParam parameter must
point to a TOGGLEKEYS structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(TOGGLEKEYS) .

SPI_SETACCESSTIMEOUT Sets the time-out period associated with the

0x003D accessibility features. The pvParam parameter must
point to an ACCESSTIMEOUT structure that contains
the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(ACCESSTIMEOUT) .

SPI_SETAUDIODESCRIPTION Turns the audio descriptions feature on or off. The

0x0075 pvParam parameter is a pointer to an
AUDIODESCRIPTION structure.

While it is possible for users who are visually impaired

to hear the audio in video content, there is a lot of
action in video that does not have corresponding
audio. Specific audio description of what is happening
in a video helps these users understand the content
better. This flag enables you to enable or disable
audio descriptions in the languages they are provided
in.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETCLIENTAREAANIMATION Turns client area animations on or off. The pvParam

0x1043 parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to
enable animations and other transient effects in the
client area, or FALSE to disable them.

Display features such as flashing, blinking, flickering,

and moving content can cause seizures in users with
 photo-sensitive epilepsy. This flag enables you to
enable or disable all such animations.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETDISABLEOVERLAPPEDCONTENT Turns overlapped content (such as background

0x1041 images and watermarks) on or off. The pvParam
parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to
disable overlapped content, or FALSE to enable
overlapped content.

Display features such as background images, textured

backgrounds, water marks on documents, alpha
blending, and transparency can reduce the contrast
between the foreground and background, making it
harder for users with low vision to see objects on the
screen. This flag enables you to enable or disable all
such overlapped content.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFILTERKEYS Sets the parameters of the FilterKeys accessibility

0x0033 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
FILTERKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(FILTERKEYS) .

SPI_SETFOCUSBORDERHEIGHT Sets the height of the top and bottom edges of the
0x2011 focus rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect to the
value of the pvParam parameter.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFOCUSBORDERWIDTH Sets the height of the left and right edges of the focus
0x200F rectangle drawn with DrawFocusRect to the value of
the pvParam parameter.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETHIGHCONTRAST Sets the parameters of the HighContrast accessibility

0x0043 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
HIGHCONTRAST structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(HIGHCONTRAST) .

SPI_SETLOGICALDPIOVERRIDE Do not use.

0x009F

SPI_SETMESSAGEDURATION Sets the time that notification pop-ups should be

0x2017 displayed, in seconds. The pvParam parameter
 specifies the message duration.

Users with visual impairments or cognitive conditions

such as ADHD and dyslexia might need a longer time
to read the text in notification messages. This flag
enables you to set the message duration.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCK Turns the Mouse ClickLock accessibility feature on or

0x101F off. This feature temporarily locks down the primary
mouse button when that button is clicked and held
down for the time specified by
SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME. The pvParam
parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off. The
default is off. For more information, see Remarks and
AboutMouse Input.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSECLICKLOCKTIME Adjusts the time delay before the primary mouse

0x2009 button is locked. The uiParam parameter should be
set to 0. The pvParam parameter points to a DWORD
that specifies the time delay in milliseconds. For
example, specify 1000 for a 1 second delay. The
default is 1200. For more information, see Mouse
Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEKEYS Sets the parameters of the MouseKeys accessibility

0x0037 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
MOUSEKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(MOUSEKEYS) .

SPI_SETMOUSESONAR Turns the Sonar accessibility feature on or off. This

0x101D feature briefly shows several concentric circles around
the mouse pointer when the user presses and releases
the CTRL key. The pvParam parameter specifies TRUE
for on and FALSE for off. The default is off. For more
information, see Mouse Input Overview.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEVANISH Turns the Vanish feature on or off. This feature hides

0x1021 the mouse pointer when the user types; the pointer
reappears when the user moves the mouse. The
pvParam parameter specifies TRUE for on and FALSE
for off. The default is off. For more information, see
Mouse Input Overview.
 Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETSCREENREADER Determines whether a screen review utility is running.

0x0047 The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or
FALSE for off.

Note Narrator, the screen reader that is

included with Windows, does not set the
SPI_SETSCREENREADER or
SPI_GETSCREENREADER flags.

SPI_SETSERIALKEYS This parameter is not supported.

0x003F Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: The
user should control this setting through the Control
Panel.

SPI_SETSHOWSOUNDS Turns the ShowSounds accessibility feature on or off.

0x0039 The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or
FALSE for off.

SPI_SETSOUNDSENTRY Sets the parameters of the SoundSentry accessibility

0x0041 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
SOUNDSENTRY structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(SOUNDSENTRY) .

SPI_SETSTICKYKEYS Sets the parameters of the StickyKeys accessibility

0x003B feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
STICKYKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(STICKYKEYS) .

SPI_SETTOGGLEKEYS Sets the parameters of the ToggleKeys accessibility

0x0035 feature. The pvParam parameter must point to a
TOGGLEKEYS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(TOGGLEKEYS) .

The following are the desktop parameters.

Desktop parameter Meaning

SPI_GETCLEARTYPE Determines whether ClearType is enabled. The

0x1048 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if ClearType is enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.
 ClearType is a software technology that improves the
readability of text on liquid crystal display (LCD)
monitors.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETDESKWALLPAPER Retrieves the full path of the bitmap file for the
0x0073 desktop wallpaper. The pvParam parameter must
point to a buffer to receive the null-terminated path
string. Set the uiParam parameter to the size, in
characters, of the pvParam buffer. The returned
string will not exceed MAX_PATH characters. If there
is no desktop wallpaper, the returned string is empty.

SPI_GETDROPSHADOW Determines whether the drop shadow effect is

0x1024 enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that returns TRUE if enabled or FALSE
if disabled.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFLATMENU Determines whether native User menus have flat

0x1022 menu appearance. The pvParam parameter must
point to a BOOL variable that returns TRUE if the flat
menu appearance is set, or FALSE otherwise.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHING Determines whether the font smoothing feature is

0x004A enabled. This feature uses font antialiasing to make
font curves appear smoother by painting pixels at
different gray levels.
The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if the feature is enabled,
or FALSE if it is not.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHINGCONTRAST Retrieves a contrast value that is used in ClearType

0x200C smoothing. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT that receives the information. Valid contrast
values are from 1000 to 2200. The default value is
1400.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATION Retrieves the font smoothing orientation. The

0x2012 pvParam parameter must point to a UINT that
receives the information. The possible values are
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONBGR (blue-
green-red) and
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONRGB (red-
green-blue).
 Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported
until Windows XP with SP2.

SPI_GETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE Retrieves the type of font smoothing. The pvParam

0x200A parameter must point to a UINT that receives the
information. The possible values are
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD and
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETWORKAREA Retrieves the size of the work area on the primary

0x0030 display monitor. The work area is the portion of the
screen not obscured by the system taskbar or by
application desktop toolbars. The pvParam
parameter must point to a RECT structure that
receives the coordinates of the work area, expressed
in physical pixel size. Any DPI virtualization mode of
the caller has no effect on this output.

To get the work area of a monitor other than the

primary display monitor, call the GetMonitorInfo
function.

SPI_SETCLEARTYPE Turns ClearType on or off. The pvParam parameter is

0x1049 a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable
ClearType, or FALSE to disable it.

ClearType is a software technology that improves the

readability of text on LCD monitors.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETCURSORS Reloads the system cursors. Set the uiParam

0x0057 parameter to zero and the pvParam parameter to
NULL.

SPI_SETDESKPATTERN Sets the current desktop pattern by causing Windows

0x0015 to read the Pattern= setting from the WIN.INI file.

SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER
0x0014
Note When the
SPI_SETDESKWALLPAPER flag is used,
SystemParametersInfo returns TRUE
unless there is an error (like when the
specified file doesn't exist).

SPI_SETDROPSHADOW Enables or disables the drop shadow effect. Set

0x1025 pvParam to TRUE to enable the drop shadow effect
or FALSE to disable it. You must also have
CS_DROPSHADOW in the window class style.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFLATMENU Enables or disables flat menu appearance for native

0x1023 User menus. Set pvParam to TRUE to enable flat
menu appearance or FALSE to disable it.

When enabled, the menu bar uses

COLOR_MENUBAR for the menubar background,
COLOR_MENU for the menu-popup background,
COLOR_MENUHILIGHT for the fill of the current
menu selection, and COLOR_HILIGHT for the outline
of the current menu selection. If disabled, menus are
drawn using the same metrics and colors as in
Windows 2000.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHING Enables or disables the font smoothing feature,

0x004B which uses font antialiasing to make font curves
appear smoother by painting pixels at different gray
levels.
To enable the feature, set the uiParam parameter to
TRUE. To disable the feature, set uiParam to FALSE.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGCONTRAST Sets the contrast value used in ClearType

0x200D smoothing. The pvParam parameter is the contrast
value. Valid contrast values are from 1000 to 2200.
The default value is 1400.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE must also be set to

FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATION Sets the font smoothing orientation. The pvParam

0x2013 parameter is either
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONBGR (blue-
green-red) or
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGORIENTATIONRGB (red-
green-blue).

Windows XP/2000: This parameter is not supported

until Windows XP with SP2.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHINGTYPE Sets the font smoothing type. The pvParam

0x200B parameter is either
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD, if standard anti-
aliasing is used, or
 FE_FONTSMOOTHINGCLEARTYPE, if ClearType is
used. The default is
FE_FONTSMOOTHINGSTANDARD.

SPI_SETFONTSMOOTHING must also be set.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETWORKAREA Sets the size of the work area. The work area is the
0x002F portion of the screen not obscured by the system
taskbar or by application desktop toolbars. The
pvParam parameter is a pointer to a RECT structure
that specifies the new work area rectangle, expressed
in virtual screen coordinates. In a system with
multiple display monitors, the function sets the work
area of the monitor that contains the specified
rectangle.

The following are the icon parameters.

Icon parameter Meaning

SPI_GETICONMETRICS Retrieves the metrics associated with icons. The pvParam

0x002D parameter must point to an ICONMETRICS structure that
receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(ICONMETRICS) .

SPI_GETICONTITLELOGFONT Retrieves the logical font information for the current

0x001F icon-title font. The uiParam parameter specifies the size
of a LOGFONT structure, and the pvParam parameter
must point to the LOGFONT structure to fill in.

SPI_GETICONTITLEWRAP Determines whether icon-title wrapping is enabled. The

0x0019 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

SPI_ICONHORIZONTALSPACING Sets or retrieves the width, in pixels, of an icon cell. The

0x000D system uses this rectangle to arrange icons in large icon
view.
To set this value, set uiParam to the new value and set
pvParam to NULL. You cannot set this value to less than
SM_CXICON.

To retrieve this value, pvParam must point to an integer

that receives the current value.

SPI_ICONVERTICALSPACING Sets or retrieves the height, in pixels, of an icon cell.

0x0018
 To set this value, set uiParam to the new value and set
pvParam to NULL. You cannot set this value to less than
SM_CYICON.

To retrieve this value, pvParam must point to an integer

that receives the current value.

SPI_SETICONMETRICS Sets the metrics associated with icons. The pvParam

0x002E parameter must point to an ICONMETRICS structure that
contains the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of
this structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(ICONMETRICS) .

SPI_SETICONS Reloads the system icons. Set the uiParam parameter to

0x0058 zero and the pvParam parameter to NULL.

SPI_SETICONTITLELOGFONT Sets the font that is used for icon titles. The uiParam
0x0022 parameter specifies the size of a LOGFONT structure, and
the pvParam parameter must point to a LOGFONT
structure.

SPI_SETICONTITLEWRAP Turns icon-title wrapping on or off. The uiParam

0x001A parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

The following are the input parameters. They include parameters related to the
keyboard, mouse, pen, input language, and the warning beeper.

Input parameter Meaning

SPI_GETBEEP Determines whether the warning beeper is on.

0x0001 The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if the beeper is on, or FALSE if it is
off.

SPI_GETBLOCKSENDINPUTRESETS Retrieves a BOOL indicating whether an application

0x1026 can reset the screensaver's timer by calling the
SendInput function to simulate keyboard or mouse
input. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if the simulated input will
be blocked, or FALSE otherwise.

SPI_GETCONTACTVISUALIZATION Retrieves the current contact visualization setting. The

0x2018 pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that receives the setting. For more information, see
Contact Visualization.

SPI_GETDEFAULTINPUTLANG Retrieves the input locale identifier for the system

0x0059 default input language. The pvParam parameter must
point to an HKL variable that receives this value. For
 more information, see Languages, Locales, and
Keyboard Layouts.

SPI_GETGESTUREVISUALIZATION Retrieves the current gesture visualization setting. The

0x201A pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that receives the setting. For more information, see
Gesture Visualization.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDCUES Determines whether menu access keys are always

0x100A underlined. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if menu access keys
are always underlined, and FALSE if they are
underlined only when the menu is activated by the
keyboard.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDDELAY Retrieves the keyboard repeat-delay setting, which is a

0x0016 value in the range from 0 (approximately 250 ms
delay) through 3 (approximately 1 second delay). The
actual delay associated with each value may vary
depending on the hardware. The pvParam parameter
must point to an integer variable that receives the
setting.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDPREF Determines whether the user relies on the keyboard

0x0044 instead of the mouse, and wants applications to
display keyboard interfaces that would otherwise be
hidden. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if the user relies on the
keyboard; or FALSE otherwise.

SPI_GETKEYBOARDSPEED Retrieves the keyboard repeat-speed setting, which is a

0x000A value in the range from 0 (approximately 2.5
repetitions per second) through 31 (approximately 30
repetitions per second). The actual repeat rates are
hardware-dependent and may vary from a linear scale
by as much as 20%. The pvParam parameter must
point to a DWORD variable that receives the setting.

SPI_GETMOUSE Retrieves the two mouse threshold values and the

0x0003 mouse acceleration. The pvParam parameter must
point to an array of three integers that receives these
values. See mouse_event for further information.

SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERHEIGHT Retrieves the height, in pixels, of the rectangle within

0x0064 which the mouse pointer has to stay for
TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER
message. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT variable that receives the height.

SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERTIME Retrieves the time, in milliseconds, that the mouse

0x0066 pointer has to stay in the hover rectangle for
 TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER
message. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT variable that receives the time.

SPI_GETMOUSEHOVERWIDTH Retrieves the width, in pixels, of the rectangle within

0x0062 which the mouse pointer has to stay for
TrackMouseEvent to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER
message. The pvParam parameter must point to a
UINT variable that receives the width.

SPI_GETMOUSESPEED Retrieves the current mouse speed. The mouse speed

0x0070 determines how far the pointer will move based on the
distance the mouse moves. The pvParam parameter
must point to an integer that receives a value which
ranges between 1 (slowest) and 20 (fastest). A value of
10 is the default. The value can be set by an end-user
using the mouse control panel application or by an
application using SPI_SETMOUSESPEED.

SPI_GETMOUSETRAILS Determines whether the Mouse Trails feature is

0x005E enabled. This feature improves the visibility of mouse
cursor movements by briefly showing a trail of cursors
and quickly erasing them.
The pvParam parameter must point to an integer
variable that receives a value. if the value is zero or 1,
the feature is disabled. If the value is greater than 1,
the feature is enabled and the value indicates the
number of cursors drawn in the trail. The uiParam
parameter is not used.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEWHEELROUTING Retrieves the routing setting for wheel button input.

0x201C The routing setting determines whether wheel button
input is sent to the app with focus (foreground) or the
app under the mouse cursor.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that receives the routing option. If the value is
zero or MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_FOCUS, mouse
wheel input is delivered to the app with focus. If the
value is 1 or MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID
(default), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app
with focus (desktop apps) or the app under the mouse
cursor (Windows Store apps). The uiParam parameter
is not used.

SPI_GETPENVISUALIZATION Retrieves the current pen gesture visualization setting.

0x201E The pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG
variable that receives the setting. For more
information, see Pen Visualization.
SPI_GETSNAPTODEFBUTTON Determines whether the snap-to-default-button
0x005F feature is enabled. If enabled, the mouse cursor
automatically moves to the default button, such as OK
or Apply, of a dialog box. The pvParam parameter
must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if
the feature is on, or FALSE if it is off.

SPI_GETSYSTEMLANGUAGEBAR Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the

0x1050 system language bar is enabled or disabled. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if the language bar is enabled, or
FALSE otherwise.

SPI_GETTHREADLOCALINPUTSETTINGS Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the

0x104E active input settings have Local (per-thread, TRUE) or
Global (session, FALSE) scope. The pvParam parameter
must point to a BOOL variable.

SPI_GETWHEELSCROLLCHARS Retrieves the number of characters to scroll when the

0x006C horizontal mouse wheel is moved. The pvParam
parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives
the number of lines. The default value is 3.

SPI_GETWHEELSCROLLLINES Retrieves the number of lines to scroll when the

0x0068 vertical mouse wheel is moved. The pvParam
parameter must point to a UINT variable that receives
the number of lines. The default value is 3.

SPI_SETBEEP Turns the warning beeper on or off. The uiParam

0x0002 parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETBLOCKSENDINPUTRESETS Determines whether an application can reset the

0x1027 screensaver's timer by calling the SendInput function
to simulate keyboard or mouse input. The uiParam
parameter specifies TRUE if the screensaver will not be
deactivated by simulated input, or FALSE if the
screensaver will be deactivated by simulated input.

SPI_SETCONTACTVISUALIZATION Sets the current contact visualization setting. The

0x2019 pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that identifies the setting. For more information, see
Contact Visualization.

Note If contact visualizations are disabled,

gesture visualizations cannot be enabled.

SPI_SETDEFAULTINPUTLANG Sets the default input language for the system shell
0x005A and applications. The specified language must be
 displayable using the current system character set. The
pvParam parameter must point to an HKL variable that
contains the input locale identifier for the default
language. For more information, see Languages,
Locales, and Keyboard Layouts.

SPI_SETDOUBLECLICKTIME Sets the double-click time for the mouse to the value
0x0020 of the uiParam parameter. If the uiParam value is
greater than 5000 milliseconds, the system sets the
double-click time to 5000 milliseconds.

The double-click time is the maximum number of

milliseconds that can occur between the first and
second clicks of a double-click. You can also call the
SetDoubleClickTime function to set the double-click
time. To get the current double-click time, call the
GetDoubleClickTime function.

SPI_SETDOUBLECLKHEIGHT Sets the height of the double-click rectangle to the

0x001E value of the uiParam parameter.

The double-click rectangle is the rectangle within

which the second click of a double-click must fall for it
to be registered as a double-click.

To retrieve the height of the double-click rectangle, call

GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CYDOUBLECLK flag.

SPI_SETDOUBLECLKWIDTH Sets the width of the double-click rectangle to the

0x001D value of the uiParam parameter.

The double-click rectangle is the rectangle within

which the second click of a double-click must fall for it
to be registered as a double-click.

To retrieve the width of the double-click rectangle, call

GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CXDOUBLECLK flag.

SPI_SETGESTUREVISUALIZATION Sets the current gesture visualization setting. The

0x201B pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that identifies the setting. For more information, see
Gesture Visualization.

Note If contact visualizations are disabled,

gesture visualizations cannot be enabled.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDCUES Sets the underlining of menu access key letters. The

0x100B pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to
TRUE to always underline menu access keys, or FALSE
 to underline menu access keys only when the menu is
activated from the keyboard.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDDELAY Sets the keyboard repeat-delay setting. The uiParam

0x0017 parameter must specify 0, 1, 2, or 3, where zero sets
the shortest delay approximately 250 ms) and 3 sets
the longest delay (approximately 1 second). The actual
delay associated with each value may vary depending
on the hardware.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDPREF Sets the keyboard preference. The uiParam parameter

0x0045 specifies TRUE if the user relies on the keyboard
instead of the mouse, and wants applications to
display keyboard interfaces that would otherwise be
hidden; uiParam is FALSE otherwise.

SPI_SETKEYBOARDSPEED Sets the keyboard repeat-speed setting. The uiParam

0x000B parameter must specify a value in the range from 0
(approximately 2.5 repetitions per second) through 31
(approximately 30 repetitions per second). The actual
repeat rates are hardware-dependent and may vary
from a linear scale by as much as 20%. If uiParam is
greater than 31, the parameter is set to 31.

SPI_SETLANGTOGGLE Sets the hot key set for switching between input
0x005B languages. The uiParam and pvParam parameters are
not used. The value sets the shortcut keys in the
keyboard property sheets by reading the registry
again. The registry must be set before this flag is used.
the path in the registry is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Toggle

. Valid values are "1" = ALT+SHIFT, "2" = CTRL+SHIFT,

and "3" = none.

SPI_SETMOUSE Sets the two mouse threshold values and the mouse
0x0004 acceleration. The pvParam parameter must point to an
array of three integers that specifies these values. See
mouse_event for further information.

SPI_SETMOUSEBUTTONSWAP Swaps or restores the meaning of the left and right

0x0021 mouse buttons. The uiParam parameter specifies TRUE
to swap the meanings of the buttons, or FALSE to
restore their original meanings.

To retrieve the current setting, call GetSystemMetrics

with the SM_SWAPBUTTON flag.

SPI_SETMOUSEHOVERHEIGHT Sets the height, in pixels, of the rectangle within which

0x0065 the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to
 generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. Set the
uiParam parameter to the new height.

SPI_SETMOUSEHOVERTIME Sets the time, in milliseconds, that the mouse pointer

0x0067 has to stay in the hover rectangle for TrackMouseEvent
to generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. This is
used only if you pass HOVER_DEFAULT in the
dwHoverTime parameter in the call to
TrackMouseEvent. Set the uiParam parameter to the
new time.

The time specified should be between

USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM and
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uiParam is less than
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM, the function will use
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM. If uiParam is greater than
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM, the function will be
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP: The

operating system does not enforce the use of
USER_TIMER_MAXIMUM and
USER_TIMER_MINIMUM until Windows Server 2003
with SP1 and Windows XP with SP2.

SPI_SETMOUSEHOVERWIDTH Sets the width, in pixels, of the rectangle within which

0x0063 the mouse pointer has to stay for TrackMouseEvent to
generate a WM_MOUSEHOVER message. Set the
uiParam parameter to the new width.

SPI_SETMOUSESPEED Sets the current mouse speed. The pvParam parameter

0x0071 is an integer between 1 (slowest) and 20 (fastest). A
value of 10 is the default. This value is typically set
using the mouse control panel application.

SPI_SETMOUSETRAILS Enables or disables the Mouse Trails feature, which

0x005D improves the visibility of mouse cursor movements by
briefly showing a trail of cursors and quickly erasing
them.
To disable the feature, set the uiParam parameter to
zero or 1. To enable the feature, set uiParam to a value
greater than 1 to indicate the number of cursors drawn
in the trail.

Windows 2000: This parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEWHEELROUTING Sets the routing setting for wheel button input. The
0x201D routing setting determines whether wheel button input
is sent to the app with focus (foreground) or the app
under the mouse cursor.
 The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that receives the routing option. If the value is
zero or MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_FOCUS, mouse
wheel input is delivered to the app with focus. If the
value is 1 or MOUSEWHEEL_ROUTING_HYBRID
(default), mouse wheel input is delivered to the app
with focus (desktop apps) or the app under the mouse
cursor (Windows Store apps). Set the uiParam
parameter to zero.

SPI_SETPENVISUALIZATION Sets the current pen gesture visualization setting. The

0x201F pvParam parameter must point to a ULONG variable
that identifies the setting. For more information, see
Pen Visualization.

SPI_SETSNAPTODEFBUTTON Enables or disables the snap-to-default-button feature.

0x0060 If enabled, the mouse cursor automatically moves to
the default button, such as OK or Apply, of a dialog
box. Set the uiParam parameter to TRUE to enable the
feature, or FALSE to disable it. Applications should use
the ShowWindow function when displaying a dialog
box so the dialog manager can position the mouse
cursor.

SPI_SETSYSTEMLANGUAGEBAR Starting with Windows 8: Turns the legacy language

0x1051 bar feature on or off. The pvParam parameter is a
pointer to a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to TRUE to
enable the legacy language bar, or FALSE to disable it.
The flag is supported on Windows 8 where the legacy
language bar is replaced by Input Switcher and
therefore turned off by default. Turning the legacy
language bar on is provided for compatibility reasons
and has no effect on the Input Switcher.

SPI_SETTHREADLOCALINPUTSETTINGS Starting with Windows 8: Determines whether the

0x104F active input settings have Local (per-thread, TRUE) or
Global (session, FALSE) scope. The pvParam parameter
must be a BOOL variable, casted by PVOID.

SPI_SETWHEELSCROLLCHARS Sets the number of characters to scroll when the

0x006D horizontal mouse wheel is moved. The number of
characters is set from the uiParam parameter.

SPI_SETWHEELSCROLLLINES Sets the number of lines to scroll when the vertical

0x0069 mouse wheel is moved. The number of lines is set from
the uiParam parameter.

The number of lines is the suggested number of lines

to scroll when the mouse wheel is rolled without using
modifier keys. If the number is 0, then no scrolling
should occur. If the number of lines to scroll is greater
 than the number of lines viewable, and in particular if
it is WHEEL_PAGESCROLL (#defined as UINT_MAX),
the scroll operation should be interpreted as clicking
once in the page down or page up regions of the scroll
bar.

The following are the menu parameters.

Menu parameter Meaning

SPI_GETMENUDROPALIGNMENT Determines whether pop-up menus are left-aligned or

0x001B right-aligned, relative to the corresponding menu-bar
item. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE if right-aligned, or FALSE
otherwise.

SPI_GETMENUFADE Determines whether menu fade animation is enabled. The

0x1012 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE when fade animation is enabled and FALSE
when it isdisabled. If fade animation is disabled, menus
use slide animation. This flag is ignored unless menu
animation is enabled, which you can do using the
SPI_SETMENUANIMATION flag. For more information,
see AnimateWindow.

SPI_GETMENUSHOWDELAY Retrieves the time, in milliseconds, that the system waits

0x006A before displaying a shortcut menu when the mouse
cursor is over a submenu item. The pvParam parameter
must point to a DWORD variable that receives the time of
the delay.

SPI_SETMENUDROPALIGNMENT Sets the alignment value of pop-up menus. The uiParam

0x001C parameter specifies TRUE for right alignment, or FALSE
for left alignment.

SPI_SETMENUFADE Enables or disables menu fade animation. Set pvParam to

0x1013 TRUE to enable the menu fade effect or FALSE to disable
it. If fade animation is disabled, menus use slide
animation. he The menu fade effect is possible only if the
system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. This
flag is ignored unless SPI_MENUANIMATION is also set.
For more information, see AnimateWindow.

SPI_SETMENUSHOWDELAY Sets uiParam to the time, in milliseconds, that the system

0x006B waits before displaying a shortcut menu when the mouse
cursor is over a submenu item.
The following are the power parameters.

Beginning with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, these power parameters are
not supported. Instead, to determine the current display power state, an application
should register for GUID_MONITOR_POWER_STATE notifications. To determine the
current display power down time-out, an application should register for notification of
changes to the GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting. For more
information, see Registering for Power Events.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: To determine the current display power
state, use the following power parameters.

Power parameter Meaning

SPI_GETLOWPOWERACTIVE This parameter is not supported.

0x0053 Windows Server 2003 and
Windows XP/2000: Determines whether the low-power
phase of screen saving is enabled. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE if enabled, or FALSE if disabled. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_GETLOWPOWERTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported.

0x004F Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Retrieves
the time-out value for the low-power phase of screen
saving. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer
variable that receives the value. This flag is supported for
32-bit applications only.

SPI_GETPOWEROFFACTIVE This parameter is not supported. When the power-off

0x0054 phase of screen saving is enabled, the
GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting is
greater than zero.

Windows Server 2003 and

Windows XP/2000: Determines whether the power-off
phase of screen saving is enabled. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE if enabled, or FALSE if disabled. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_GETPOWEROFFTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported. Instead, check the

0x0050 GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Retrieves

the time-out value for the power-off phase of screen
saving. The pvParam parameter must point to an integer
variable that receives the value. This flag is supported for
32-bit applications only.
 SPI_SETLOWPOWERACTIVE This parameter is not supported.
0x0055 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Activates
or deactivates the low-power phase of screen saving. Set
uiParam to 1 to activate, or zero to deactivate. The
pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is supported
for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETLOWPOWERTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported.

0x0051 Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Sets the
time-out value, in seconds, for the low-power phase of
screen saving. The uiParam parameter specifies the new
value. The pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETPOWEROFFACTIVE This parameter is not supported. Instead, set the

0x0056 GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Activates

or deactivates the power-off phase of screen saving. Set
uiParam to 1 to activate, or zero to deactivate. The
pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is supported
for 32-bit applications only.

SPI_SETPOWEROFFTIMEOUT This parameter is not supported. Instead, set the

0x0052 GUID_VIDEO_POWERDOWN_TIMEOUT power setting to
a time-out value.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: Sets the

time-out value, in seconds, for the power-off phase of
screen saving. The uiParam parameter specifies the new
value. The pvParam parameter must be NULL. This flag is
supported for 32-bit applications only.

The following are the screen saver parameters.

Screen saver parameter Meaning

SPI_GETSCREENSAVEACTIVE Determines whether screen saving is enabled. The

0x0010 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if screen saving is enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and

Windows 2000: The function returns TRUE even when
screen saving is not enabled.

SPI_GETSCREENSAVERRUNNING Determines whether a screen saver is currently running

0x0072 on the window station of the calling process. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
 receives TRUE if a screen saver is currently running, or
FALSE otherwise. Note that only the interactive window
station, WinSta0, can have a screen saver running.

SPI_GETSCREENSAVESECURE Determines whether the screen saver requires a password

0x0076 to display the Windows desktop. The pvParam parameter
must point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the
screen saver requires a password, or FALSE otherwise. The
uiParam parameter is ignored.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_GETSCREENSAVETIMEOUT Retrieves the screen saver time-out value, in seconds. The

0x000E pvParam parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives the value.

SPI_SETSCREENSAVEACTIVE Sets the state of the screen saver. The uiParam parameter
0x0011 specifies TRUE to activate screen saving, or FALSE to
deactivate it.

If the machine has entered power saving mode or system

lock state, an ERROR_OPERATION_IN_PROGRESS
exception occurs.

SPI_SETSCREENSAVESECURE Sets whether the screen saver requires the user to enter a
0x0077 password to display the Windows desktop. The uiParam
parameter is a BOOL variable. The pvParam parameter is
ignored. Set uiParam to TRUE to require a password, or
FALSE to not require a password.

If the machine has entered power saving mode or system

lock state, an ERROR_OPERATION_IN_PROGRESS
exception occurs.

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This

parameter is not supported.

SPI_SETSCREENSAVETIMEOUT Sets the screen saver time-out value to the value of the
0x000F uiParam parameter. This value is the amount of time, in
seconds, that the system must be idle before the screen
saver activates.

If the machine has entered power saving mode or system

lock state, an ERROR_OPERATION_IN_PROGRESS
exception occurs.

The following are the time-out parameters for applications and services.

Time-out parameter Meaning

SPI_GETHUNGAPPTIMEOUT Retrieves the number of milliseconds that a thread can
0x0078 go without dispatching a message before the system
considers it unresponsive. The pvParam parameter must
point to an integer variable that receives the value.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETWAITTOKILLTIMEOUT Retrieves the number of milliseconds that the system

0x007A waits before terminating an application that does not
respond to a shutdown request. The pvParam
parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives the value.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETWAITTOKILLSERVICETIMEOUT Retrieves the number of milliseconds that the service

0x007C control manager waits before terminating a service that
does not respond to a shutdown request. The pvParam
parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives the value.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETHUNGAPPTIMEOUT Sets the hung application time-out to the value of the

0x0079 uiParam parameter. This value is the number of
milliseconds that a thread can go without dispatching a
message before the system considers it unresponsive.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETWAITTOKILLTIMEOUT Sets the application shutdown request time-out to the

0x007B value of the uiParam parameter. This value is the
number of milliseconds that the system waits before
terminating an application that does not respond to a
shutdown request.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETWAITTOKILLSERVICETIMEOUT Sets the service shutdown request time-out to the value

0x007D of the uiParam parameter. This value is the number of
 milliseconds that the system waits before terminating a
service that does not respond to a shutdown request.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

The following are the UI effects. The SPI_SETUIEFFECTS value is used to enable or
disable all UI effects at once. This table contains the complete list of UI effect values.

UI effects parameter Meaning

SPI_GETCOMBOBOXANIMATION Determines whether the slide-open effect for combo

0x1004 boxes is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to
a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or
FALSE for disabled.

SPI_GETCURSORSHADOW Determines whether the cursor has a shadow around it.

0x101A The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if the shadow is enabled, FALSE if it is
disabled. This effect appears only if the system has a
color depth of more than 256 colors.

SPI_GETGRADIENTCAPTIONS Determines whether the gradient effect for window title

0x1008 bars is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE
for disabled. For more information about the gradient
effect, see the GetSysColor function.

SPI_GETHOTTRACKING Determines whether hot tracking of user-interface

0x100E elements, such as menu names on menu bars, is
enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL
variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or FALSE for
disabled.

Hot tracking means that when the cursor moves over an

item, it is highlighted but not selected. You can query
this value to decide whether to use hot tracking in the
user interface of your application.

SPI_GETLISTBOXSMOOTHSCROLLING Determines whether the smooth-scrolling effect for list

0x1006 boxes is enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to
a BOOL variable that receives TRUE for enabled, or
FALSE for disabled.

SPI_GETMENUANIMATION Determines whether the menu animation feature is

0x1002 enabled. This master switch must be on to enable menu
animation effects. The pvParam parameter must point to
 a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if animation is
enabled and FALSE if it is disabled.

If animation is enabled, SPI_GETMENUFADE indicates

whether menus use fade or slide animation.

SPI_GETMENUUNDERLINES Same as SPI_GETKEYBOARDCUES.

0x100A

SPI_GETSELECTIONFADE Determines whether the selection fade effect is enabled.

0x1014 The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled.

The selection fade effect causes the menu item selected

by the user to remain on the screen briefly while fading
out after the menu is dismissed.

SPI_GETTOOLTIPANIMATION Determines whether ToolTip animation is enabled. The

0x1016 pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE if enabled or FALSE if disabled. If ToolTip
animation is enabled, SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE indicates
whether ToolTips use fade or slide animation.

SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE If SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION is enabled,

0x1018 SPI_GETTOOLTIPFADE indicates whether ToolTip
animation uses a fade effect or a slide effect. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE for fade animation or FALSE for slide
animation. For more information on slide and fade
effects, see AnimateWindow.

SPI_GETUIEFFECTS Determines whether UI effects are enabled or disabled.

0x103E The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if all UI effects are enabled, or FALSE
if they are disabled.

SPI_SETCOMBOBOXANIMATION Enables or disables the slide-open effect for combo

0x1005 boxes. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable the
gradient effect, or FALSE to disable it.

SPI_SETCURSORSHADOW Enables or disables a shadow around the cursor. The

0x101B pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable. Set pvParam to
TRUE to enable the shadow or FALSE to disable the
shadow. This effect appears only if the system has a
color depth of more than 256 colors.

SPI_SETGRADIENTCAPTIONS Enables or disables the gradient effect for window title

0x1009 bars. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable it, or
FALSE to disable it. The gradient effect is possible only if
the system has a color depth of more than 256 colors.
 For more information about the gradient effect, see the
GetSysColor function.

SPI_SETHOTTRACKING Enables or disables hot tracking of user-interface

0x100F elements such as menu names on menu bars. Set the
pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable it, or FALSE to
disable it.

Hot-tracking means that when the cursor moves over an

item, it is highlighted but not selected.

SPI_SETLISTBOXSMOOTHSCROLLING Enables or disables the smooth-scrolling effect for list

0x1007 boxes. Set the pvParam parameter to TRUE to enable the
smooth-scrolling effect, or FALSE to disable it.

SPI_SETMENUANIMATION Enables or disables menu animation. This master switch

0x1003 must be on for any menu animation to occur. The
pvParam parameter is a BOOL variable; set pvParam to
TRUE to enable animation and FALSE to disable
animation.

If animation is enabled, SPI_GETMENUFADE indicates

whether menus use fade or slide animation.

SPI_SETMENUUNDERLINES Same as SPI_SETKEYBOARDCUES.

0x100B

SPI_SETSELECTIONFADE Set pvParam to TRUE to enable the selection fade effect

0x1015 or FALSE to disable it.

The selection fade effect causes the menu item selected

by the user to remain on the screen briefly while fading
out after the menu is dismissed. The selection fade effect
is possible only if the system has a color depth of more
than 256 colors.

SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION Set pvParam to TRUE to enable ToolTip animation or

0x1017 FALSE to disable it. If enabled, you can use
SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE to specify fade or slide animation.

SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE If the SPI_SETTOOLTIPANIMATION flag is enabled, use

0x1019 SPI_SETTOOLTIPFADE to indicate whether ToolTip
animation uses a fade effect or a slide effect. Set
pvParam to TRUE for fade animation or FALSE for slide
animation. The tooltip fade effect is possible only if the
system has a color depth of more than 256 colors. For
more information on the slide and fade effects, see the
AnimateWindow function.

SPI_SETUIEFFECTS Enables or disables UI effects. Set the pvParam

0x103F parameter to TRUE to enable all UI effects or FALSE to
disable all UI effects.
The following are the window parameters.

Window parameter Meaning

SPI_GETACTIVEWINDOWTRACKING Determines whether active window tracking (activating

0x1000 the window the mouse is on) is on or off. The pvParam
parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

SPI_GETACTIVEWNDTRKZORDER Determines whether windows activated through active

0x100C window tracking will be brought to the top. The
pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable that
receives TRUE for on, or FALSE for off.

SPI_GETACTIVEWNDTRKTIMEOUT Retrieves the active window tracking delay, in

0x2002 milliseconds. The pvParam parameter must point to a
DWORD variable that receives the time.

SPI_GETANIMATION Retrieves the animation effects associated with user

0x0048 actions. The pvParam parameter must point to an
ANIMATIONINFO structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO) .

SPI_GETBORDER Retrieves the border multiplier factor that determines

0x0005 the width of a window's sizing border. The pvParam
parameter must point to an integer variable that
receives this value.

SPI_GETCARETWIDTH Retrieves the caret width in edit controls, in pixels. The

0x2006 pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable
that receives this value.

SPI_GETDOCKMOVING Determines whether a window is docked when it is

0x0090 moved to the top, left, or right edges of a monitor or
monitor array. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETDRAGFROMMAXIMIZE Determines whether a maximized window is restored

0x008C when its caption bar is dragged. The pvParam
 parameter must point to a BOOL variable that receives
TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETDRAGFULLWINDOWS Determines whether dragging of full windows is

0x0026 enabled. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

SPI_GETFOREGROUNDFLASHCOUNT Retrieves the number of times SetForegroundWindow

0x2004 will flash the taskbar button when rejecting a
foreground switch request. The pvParam parameter
must point to a DWORD variable that receives the
value.

SPI_GETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT Retrieves the amount of time following user input, in

0x2000 milliseconds, during which the system will not allow
applications to force themselves into the foreground.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that receives the time.

SPI_GETMINIMIZEDMETRICS Retrieves the metrics associated with minimized

0x002B windows. The pvParam parameter must point to a
MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure that receives the
information. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS) .

SPI_GETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where docking

0x007E behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a
window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array. The
default threshold is 1. The pvParam parameter must
point to a DWORD variable that receives the value.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where undocking

0x0084 behavior is triggered by using a mouse to drag a
window from the edge of a monitor or a monitor array
toward the center. The default threshold is 20.
 Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels from the top of a

0x0088 monitor or a monitor array where a vertically
maximized window is restored when dragged with the
mouse. The default threshold is 50.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETNONCLIENTMETRICS Retrieves the metrics associated with the nonclient area

0x0029 of nonminimized windows. The pvParam parameter
must point to a NONCLIENTMETRICS structure that
receives the information. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS) .

Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: See

Remarks for NONCLIENTMETRICS.

SPI_GETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where docking

0x0080 behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a
window to the edge of a monitor or monitor array.
The default is 30.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels where undocking

0x0086 behavior is triggered by using a pen to drag a window
from the edge of a monitor or monitor array toward its
center. The default threshold is 30.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Retrieves the threshold in pixels from the top of a

0x008A monitor or monitor array where a vertically maximized
window is restored when dragged with the mouse. The
default threshold is 50.
Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether
this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETSHOWIMEUI Determines whether the IME status window is visible

0x006E (on a per-user basis). The pvParam parameter must
point to a BOOL variable that receives TRUE if the
status window is visible, or FALSE if it is not.

SPI_GETSNAPSIZING Determines whether a window is vertically maximized

0x008E when it is sized to the top or bottom of a monitor or
monitor array. The pvParam parameter must point to a
BOOL variable that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE
otherwise.

Use SPI_GETWINARRANGING to determine whether

this behavior is enabled.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING Determines whether window arrangement is enabled.

0x0082 The pvParam parameter must point to a BOOL variable
that receives TRUE if enabled, or FALSE otherwise.

Window arrangement reduces the number of mouse,

pen, or touch interactions needed to move and size
top-level windows by simplifying the default behavior
of a window when it is dragged or sized.

The following parameters retrieve individual window

arrangement settings:
SPI_GETDOCKMOVING
SPI_GETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_GETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_GETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_GETSNAPSIZING
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.
SPI_SETACTIVEWINDOWTRACKING Sets active window tracking (activating the window the
0x1001 mouse is on) either on or off. Set pvParam to TRUE for
on or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETACTIVEWNDTRKZORDER Determines whether or not windows activated through

0x100D active window tracking should be brought to the top.
Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETACTIVEWNDTRKTIMEOUT Sets the active window tracking delay. Set pvParam to

0x2003 the number of milliseconds to delay before activating
the window under the mouse pointer.

SPI_SETANIMATION Sets the animation effects associated with user actions.

0x0049 The pvParam parameter must point to an
ANIMATIONINFO structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to sizeof(ANIMATIONINFO) .

SPI_SETBORDER Sets the border multiplier factor that determines the

0x0006 width of a window's sizing border. The uiParam
parameter specifies the new value.

SPI_SETCARETWIDTH Sets the caret width in edit controls. Set pvParam to the
0x2007 desired width, in pixels. The default and minimum value
is 1.

SPI_SETDOCKMOVING Sets whether a window is docked when it is moved to

0x0091 the top, left, or right docking targets on a monitor or
monitor array. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for
off.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETDRAGFROMMAXIMIZE Sets whether a maximized window is restored when its

0x008D caption bar is dragged. Set pvParam to TRUE for on or
FALSE for off.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETDRAGFULLWINDOWS Sets dragging of full windows either on or off. The

0x0025 uiParam parameter specifies TRUE for on, or FALSE for
off.
SPI_SETDRAGHEIGHT Sets the height, in pixels, of the rectangle used to
0x004D detect the start of a drag operation. Set uiParam to the
new value. To retrieve the drag height, call
GetSystemMetrics with the SM_CYDRAG flag.

SPI_SETDRAGWIDTH Sets the width, in pixels, of the rectangle used to detect

0x004C the start of a drag operation. Set uiParam to the new
value. To retrieve the drag width, call GetSystemMetrics
with the SM_CXDRAG flag.

SPI_SETFOREGROUNDFLASHCOUNT Sets the number of times SetForegroundWindow will

0x2005 flash the taskbar button when rejecting a foreground
switch request. Set pvParam to the number of times to
flash.

SPI_SETFOREGROUNDLOCKTIMEOUT Sets the amount of time following user input, in

0x2001 milliseconds, during which the system does not allow
applications to force themselves into the foreground.
Set pvParam to the new time-out value.

The calling thread must be able to change the

foreground window, otherwise the call fails.

SPI_SETMINIMIZEDMETRICS Sets the metrics associated with minimized windows.

0x002C The pvParam parameter must point to a
MINIMIZEDMETRICS structure that contains the new
parameters. Set the cbSize member of this structure
and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(MINIMIZEDMETRICS) .

SPI_SETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is

0x007F triggered by using a mouse to drag a window to the
edge of a monitor or monitor array. The default
threshold is 1. The pvParam parameter must point to a
DWORD variable that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior

0x0085 is triggered by using a mouse to drag a window from
the edge of a monitor or monitor array to its center.
The default threshold is 20. The pvParam parameter
must point to a DWORD variable that contains the new
value.
 SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this
behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels from the top of the monitor
0x0089 where a vertically maximized window is restored when
dragged with the mouse. The default threshold is 50.
The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETNONCLIENTMETRICS Sets the metrics associated with the nonclient area of

0x002A nonminimized windows. The pvParam parameter must
point to a NONCLIENTMETRICS structure that contains
the new parameters. Set the cbSize member of this
structure and the uiParam parameter to
sizeof(NONCLIENTMETRICS) . Also, the lfHeight member
of the LOGFONT structure must be a negative value.

SPI_SETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where docking behavior is

0x0081 triggered by using a pen to drag a window to the edge
of a monitor or monitor array. The default threshold is
30. The pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD
variable that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels where undocking behavior

0x0087 is triggered by using a pen to drag a window from the
edge of a monitor or monitor array to its center. The
default threshold is 30. The pvParam parameter must
point to a DWORD variable that contains the new
value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.
 Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD Sets the threshold in pixels from the top of the monitor
0x008B where a vertically maximized window is restored when
dragged with a pen. The default threshold is 50. The
pvParam parameter must point to a DWORD variable
that contains the new value.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETSHOWIMEUI Sets whether the IME status window is visible or not on

0x006F a per-user basis. The uiParam parameter specifies
TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

SPI_SETSNAPSIZING Sets whether a window is vertically maximized when it

0x008F is sized to the top or bottom of the monitor. Set
pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

SPI_GETWINARRANGING must be TRUE to enable this

behavior.

Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows

Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
not supported.

SPI_SETWINARRANGING Sets whether window arrangement is enabled. Set

0x0083 pvParam to TRUE for on or FALSE for off.

Window arrangement reduces the number of mouse,

pen, or touch interactions needed to move and size
top-level windows by simplifying the default behavior
of a window when it is dragged or sized.

The following parameters set individual window

arrangement settings:
SPI_SETDOCKMOVING
SPI_SETMOUSEDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETMOUSEDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETMOUSESIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_SETPENDOCKTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETPENDRAGOUTTHRESHOLD
SPI_SETPENSIDEMOVETHRESHOLD
SPI_SETSNAPSIZING
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows
Server 2003 and Windows XP/2000: This parameter is
 not supported.

[in] uiParam

Type: UINT

A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried
or set. For more information about system-wide parameters, see the uiAction parameter.
If not otherwise indicated, you must specify zero for this parameter.

[in, out] pvParam

Type: PVOID

A parameter whose usage and format depends on the system parameter being queried
or set. For more information about system-wide parameters, see the uiAction parameter.
If not otherwise indicated, you must specify NULL for this parameter. For information on
the PVOID datatype, see Windows Data Types.

[in] fWinIni

Type: UINT

If a system parameter is being set, specifies whether the user profile is to be updated,
and if so, whether the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message is to be broadcast to all top-level
windows to notify them of the change.

This parameter can be zero if you do not want to update the user profile or broadcast
the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message, or it can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

SPIF_UPDATEINIFILE Writes the new system-wide parameter setting to the

user profile.

SPIF_SENDCHANGE Broadcasts the WM_SETTINGCHANGE message after

updating the user profile.

SPIF_SENDWININICHANGE Same as SPIF_SENDCHANGE.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is a nonzero value.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
This function is intended for use with applications that allow the user to customize the
environment.

A keyboard layout name should be derived from the hexadecimal value of the language
identifier corresponding to the layout. For example, U.S. English has a language
identifier of 0x0409, so the primary U.S. English layout is named "00000409". Variants of
U.S. English layout, such as the Dvorak layout, are named "00010409", "00020409" and
so on. For a list of the primary language identifiers and sublanguage identifiers that
make up a language identifier, see the MAKELANGID macro.

There is a difference between the High Contrast color scheme and the High Contrast
Mode. The High Contrast color scheme changes the system colors to colors that have
obvious contrast; you switch to this color scheme by using the Display Options in the
control panel. The High Contrast Mode, which uses SPI_GETHIGHCONTRAST and
SPI_SETHIGHCONTRAST, advises applications to modify their appearance for visually-
impaired users. It involves such things as audible warning to users and customized color
scheme (using the Accessibility Options in the control panel). For more information, see
HIGHCONTRAST. For more information on general accessibility features, see
Accessibility.

During the time that the primary button is held down to activate the Mouse ClickLock
feature, the user can move the mouse. After the primary button is locked down,
releasing the primary button does not result in a WM_LBUTTONUP message. Thus, it
will appear to an application that the primary button is still down. Any subsequent
button message releases the primary button, sending a WM_LBUTTONUP message to
the application, thus the button can be unlocked programmatically or through the user
clicking any button.

This API is not DPI aware, and should not be used if the calling thread is per-monitor
DPI aware. For the DPI-aware version of this API, see SystemParametersInfoForDPI. For
more information on DPI awareness, see the Windows High DPI documentation.

Examples
The following example uses SystemParametersInfo to double the mouse speed.

C++
 #include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "user32.lib")

void main()
{
BOOL fResult;
int aMouseInfo[3]; // Array for mouse information

// Get the current mouse speed.

fResult = SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETMOUSE, // Get mouse information
0, // Not used
&aMouseInfo, // Holds mouse
information
0); // Not used

// Double it.
if( fResult )
{
aMouseInfo[2] = 2 * aMouseInfo[2];

// Change the mouse speed to the new value.

SystemParametersInfo(SPI_SETMOUSE, // Set mouse information
0, // Not used
aMouseInfo, // Mouse information
SPIF_SENDCHANGE); // Update Win.ini
}
}

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines SystemParametersInfo as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

server
 Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-sysparams-ext-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
ACCESSTIMEOUT

ANIMATIONINFO

AUDIODESCRIPTION

FILTERKEYS

HIGHCONTRAST

ICONMETRICS

LOGFONT

MAKELANGID

MINIMIZEDMETRICS

MOUSEKEYS

NONCLIENTMETRICS

RECT

SERIALKEYS

SOUNDSENTRY

STICKYKEYS

SystemParametersInfoForDPI

TOGGLEKEYS

WM_SETTINGCHANGE
Windows Data Types

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TileWindows function (winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Tiles the specified child windows of the specified parent window.

Syntax
C++

WORD TileWindows(
[in, optional] HWND hwndParent,
[in] UINT wHow,
[in, optional] const RECT *lpRect,
[in] UINT cKids,
[in, optional] const HWND *lpKids
);

Parameters
[in, optional] hwndParent

Type: HWND

A handle to the parent window. If this parameter is NULL, the desktop window is
assumed.

[in] wHow

Type: UINT

The tiling flags. This parameter can be one of the following values—optionally combined
with MDITILE_SKIPDISABLED to prevent disabled MDI child windows from being tiled.

Value Meaning

MDITILE_HORIZONTAL Tiles windows horizontally.

0x0001

MDITILE_VERTICAL Tiles windows vertically.

0x0000

[in, optional] lpRect

Type: const RECT*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the rectangular area, in client coordinates, within
which the windows are arranged. If this parameter is NULL, the client area of the parent
window is used.

[in] cKids

Type: UINT

The number of elements in the array specified by the lpKids parameter. This parameter is
ignored if lpKids is NULL.

[in, optional] lpKids

Type: const HWND*

An array of handles to the child windows to arrange. If a specified child window is a top-
level window with the style WS_EX_TOPMOST or WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, the child
window is not arranged. If this parameter is NULL, all child windows of the specified
parent window (or of the desktop window) are arranged.

Return value
Type: WORD

If the function succeeds, the return value is the number of windows arranged.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Calling TileWindows causes all maximized windows to be restored to their previous size.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

 Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
CascadeWindows

Conceptual

Other Resources

RECT

Reference

Windows

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TIMERPROC callback function
(winuser.h)
Article05/03/2021

An application-defined callback function that processes WM_TIMER messages. The

TIMERPROC type defines a pointer to this callback function. TimerProc is a placeholder
for the application-defined function name.

Syntax
C++

TIMERPROC Timerproc;

void Timerproc(
HWND unnamedParam1,
UINT unnamedParam2,
UINT_PTR unnamedParam3,
DWORD unnamedParam4
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

unnamedParam2

unnamedParam3

unnamedParam4

Return value
None

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

KillTimer

Reference

SetTimer

Timers

WM_TIMER

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TITLEBARINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article09/01/2022

Contains title bar information.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagTITLEBARINFO {

DWORD cbSize;
RECT rcTitleBar;
DWORD rgstate[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR + 1];
} TITLEBARINFO, *PTITLEBARINFO, *LPTITLEBARINFO;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size, in bytes, of the structure. The caller must set this member to
sizeof(TITLEBARINFO) .

rcTitleBar

Type: RECT

The coordinates of the title bar. These coordinates include all title-bar elements except
the window menu.

rgstate[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR + 1]

Type: DWORD[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR+1]

An array that receives a value for each element of the title bar. The following are the title
bar elements represented by the array.

Index Title Bar Element

0 The title bar itself.

1 Reserved.
 2 Minimize button.

3 Maximize button.

4 Help button.

5 Close button.

Each array element is a combination of one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

STATE_SYSTEM_FOCUSABLE The element can accept the focus.

0x00100000

STATE_SYSTEM_INVISIBLE The element is invisible.

0x00008000

STATE_SYSTEM_OFFSCREEN The element has no visible representation.

0x00010000

STATE_SYSTEM_UNAVAILABLE The element is unavailable.

0x00000001

STATE_SYSTEM_PRESSED The element is in the pressed state.

0x00000008

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetTitleBarInfo

Reference

Windows
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TITLEBARINFOEX structure (winuser.h)
Article09/01/2022

Expands on the information described in the TITLEBARINFO structure by including the

coordinates of each element of the title bar.

This structure is sent with the WM_GETTITLEBARINFOEX message.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagTITLEBARINFOEX {

DWORD cbSize;
RECT rcTitleBar;
DWORD rgstate[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR + 1];
RECT rgrect[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR + 1];
} TITLEBARINFOEX, *PTITLEBARINFOEX, *LPTITLEBARINFOEX;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size of the structure, in bytes. Set this member to sizeof(TITLEBARINFOEX) before
sending with the WM_GETTITLEBARINFOEX message.

rcTitleBar

Type: RECT

The bounding rectangle of the title bar. The rectangle is expressed in screen coordinates
and includes all titlebar elements except the window menu.

rgstate[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR + 1]

Type: DWORD[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR+1]

An array that receives a DWORD value for each element of the title bar. The following
are the title bar elements represented by the array.

Index Title Bar Element

 0 The title bar itself.

1 Reserved.

2 Minimize button.

3 Maximize button.

4 Help button.

5 Close button.

Each array element is a combination of one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

STATE_SYSTEM_FOCUSABLE The element can accept the focus.

0x00100000

STATE_SYSTEM_INVISIBLE The element is invisible.

0x00008000

STATE_SYSTEM_OFFSCREEN The element has no visible representation.

0x00010000

STATE_SYSTEM_UNAVAILABLE The element is unavailable.

0x00000001

STATE_SYSTEM_PRESSED The element is in the pressed state.

0x00000008

rgrect[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR + 1]

Type: RECT[CCHILDREN_TITLEBAR+1]

An array that receives a structure for each element of the title bar. The structures are
expressed in screen coordinates. The following are the title bar elements represented by
the array.

Index Title Bar Element

0 Reserved.

1 Reserved.

2 Minimize button.

3 Maximize button.
 4 Help button.

5 Close button.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

WM_GETTITLEBARINFOEX

Windows

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TranslateMDISysAccel function
(winuser.h)
Article08/04/2022

Processes accelerator keystrokes for window menu commands of the multiple-

document interface (MDI) child windows associated with the specified MDI client
window. The function translates WM_KEYUP and WM_KEYDOWN messages to
WM_SYSCOMMAND messages and sends them to the appropriate MDI child windows.

Syntax
C++

BOOL TranslateMDISysAccel(
[in] HWND hWndClient,
[in] LPMSG lpMsg
);

Parameters
[in] hWndClient

Type: HWND

A handle to the MDI client window.

[in] lpMsg

Type: LPMSG

A pointer to a message retrieved by using the GetMessage or PeekMessage function.

The message must be an MSG structure and contain message information from the
application's message queue.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the message is translated into a system command, the return value is nonzero.

If the message is not translated into a system command, the return value is zero.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

See also
GetMessage
MSG
Multiple Document Interface
PeekMessage
TranslateAccelerator
WM_KEYDOWN
WM_KEYUP
WM_SYSCOMMAND
Keyboard Input

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TranslateMessage function (winuser.h)
Article08/04/2022

Translates virtual-key messages into character messages. The character messages are
posted to the calling thread's message queue, to be read the next time the thread calls
the GetMessage or PeekMessage function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL TranslateMessage(
[in] const MSG *lpMsg
);

Parameters
[in] lpMsg

Type: const MSG*

A pointer to an MSG structure that contains message information retrieved from the
calling thread's message queue by using the GetMessage or PeekMessage function.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the message is translated (that is, a character message is posted to the thread's
message queue), the return value is nonzero.

If the message is WM_KEYDOWN, WM_KEYUP, WM_SYSKEYDOWN, or WM_SYSKEYUP,

the return value is nonzero, regardless of the translation.

If the message is not translated (that is, a character message is not posted to the
thread's message queue), the return value is zero.

Remarks
The TranslateMessage function does not modify the message pointed to by the lpMsg
parameter.

WM_KEYDOWN and WM_KEYUP combinations produce a WM_CHAR or

WM_DEADCHAR message. WM_SYSKEYDOWN and WM_SYSKEYUP combinations
produce a WM_SYSCHAR or WM_SYSDEADCHAR message.

TranslateMessage produces WM_CHAR messages only for keys that are mapped to
ASCII characters by the keyboard driver.

If applications process virtual-key messages for some other purpose, they should not
call TranslateMessage. For instance, an application should not call TranslateMessage if
the TranslateAccelerator function returns a nonzero value. Note that the application is
responsible for retrieving and dispatching input messages to the dialog box. Most
applications use the main message loop for this. However, to permit the user to move to
and to select controls by using the keyboard, the application must call IsDialogMessage.
For more information, see Dialog Box Keyboard Interface.

Examples

For an example, see Creating a Message Loop.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-message-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
GetMessage
IsDialogMessage
 Messages and Message Queues
PeekMessage
TranslateAccelerator
WM_CHAR
WM_DEADCHAR
WM_KEYDOWN
WM_KEYUP
WM_SYSCHAR
WM_SYSDEADCHAR
WM_SYSKEYDOWN
WM_SYSKEYUP
Keyboard Input

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UnhookWindowsHookEx function
(winuser.h)
Article10/13/2021

Removes a hook procedure installed in a hook chain by the SetWindowsHookEx

function.

Syntax
C++

BOOL UnhookWindowsHookEx(
[in] HHOOK hhk
);

Parameters
[in] hhk

Type: HHOOK

A handle to the hook to be removed. This parameter is a hook handle obtained by a

previous call to SetWindowsHookEx.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The hook procedure can be in the state of being called by another thread even after
UnhookWindowsHookEx returns. If the hook procedure is not being called
concurrently, the hook procedure is removed immediately before
UnhookWindowsHookEx returns.
Examples
For an example, see Monitoring System Events.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Hooks

Reference

SetWindowsHookEx

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UnregisterClassA function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Unregisters a window class, freeing the memory required for the class.

Syntax
C++

BOOL UnregisterClassA(
[in] LPCSTR lpClassName,
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance
);

Parameters
[in] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or a class atom. If lpClassName is a string, it specifies the

window class name. This class name must have been registered by a previous call to the
RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function. System classes, such as dialog box controls,
cannot be unregistered. If this parameter is an atom, it must be a class atom created by
a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in
the low-order word of lpClassName; the high-order word must be zero.

[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the module that created the class.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the class could not be found or if a window still exists that was created with the class,
the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
Before calling this function, an application must destroy all windows created with the
specified class.

All window classes that an application registers are unregistered when it terminates.

Class atoms are special atoms returned only by RegisterClass and RegisterClassEx.

No window classes registered by a DLL are unregistered when the .dll is unloaded.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines UnregisterClass as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

RegisterClass
RegisterClassEx

Window Classes

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UnregisterClassW function (winuser.h)
Article02/09/2023

Unregisters a window class, freeing the memory required for the class.

Syntax
C++

BOOL UnregisterClassW(
[in] LPCWSTR lpClassName,
[in, optional] HINSTANCE hInstance
);

Parameters
[in] lpClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A null-terminated string or a class atom. If lpClassName is a string, it specifies the

window class name. This class name must have been registered by a previous call to the
RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function. System classes, such as dialog box controls,
cannot be unregistered. If this parameter is an atom, it must be a class atom created by
a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx function. The atom must be in
the low-order word of lpClassName; the high-order word must be zero.

[in, optional] hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance of the module that created the class.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the class could not be found or if a window still exists that was created with the class,
the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call GetLastError.
Remarks
Before calling this function, an application must destroy all windows created with the
specified class.

All window classes that an application registers are unregistered when it terminates.

Class atoms are special atoms returned only by RegisterClass and RegisterClassEx.

No window classes registered by a DLL are unregistered when the .dll is unloaded.

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines UnregisterClass as an alias which automatically

selects the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-windowclass-l1-1-0 (introduced in Windows 8)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

RegisterClass
RegisterClassEx

Window Classes

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UpdateLayeredWindow function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Updates the position, size, shape, content, and translucency of a layered window.

Syntax
C++

BOOL UpdateLayeredWindow(
[in] HWND hWnd,
[in, optional] HDC hdcDst,
[in, optional] POINT *pptDst,
[in, optional] SIZE *psize,
[in, optional] HDC hdcSrc,
[in, optional] POINT *pptSrc,
[in] COLORREF crKey,
[in, optional] BLENDFUNCTION *pblend,
[in] DWORD dwFlags
);

Parameters
[in] hWnd

Type: HWND

A handle to a layered window. A layered window is created by specifying

WS_EX_LAYERED when creating the window with the CreateWindowEx function.

Windows 8: The WS_EX_LAYERED style is supported for top-level windows and child
windows. Previous Windows versions support WS_EX_LAYERED only for top-level
windows.

[in, optional] hdcDst

Type: HDC

A handle to a DC for the screen. This handle is obtained by specifying NULL when
calling the GetDC function. It is used for palette color matching when the window
contents are updated. If hdcDst is NULL, the default palette will be used.
If hdcSrc is NULL, hdcDst must be NULL.

[in, optional] pptDst

Type: POINT*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the new screen position of the layered window. If
the current position is not changing, pptDst can be NULL.

[in, optional] psize

Type: SIZE*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the new size of the layered window. If the size of
the window is not changing, psize can be NULL. If hdcSrc is NULL, psize must be NULL.

[in, optional] hdcSrc

Type: HDC

A handle to a DC for the surface that defines the layered window. This handle can be
obtained by calling the CreateCompatibleDC function. If the shape and visual context of
the window are not changing, hdcSrc can be NULL.

[in, optional] pptSrc

Type: POINT*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the location of the layer in the device context. If
hdcSrc is NULL, pptSrc should be NULL.

[in] crKey

Type: COLORREF

A structure that specifies the color key to be used when composing the layered window.
To generate a COLORREF, use the RGB macro.

[in, optional] pblend

Type: BLENDFUNCTION*

A pointer to a structure that specifies the transparency value to be used when

composing the layered window.

[in] dwFlags
Type: DWORD

This parameter can be one of the following values.

Value Meaning

ULW_ALPHA Use pblend as the blend function. If the display mode is

0x00000002 256 colors or less, the effect of this value is the same as
the effect of ULW_OPAQUE.

ULW_COLORKEY Use crKey as the transparency color.

0x00000001

ULW_OPAQUE Draw an opaque layered window.

0x00000004

ULW_EX_NORESIZE Force the UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect function to fail

0x00000008 if the current window size does not match the size
specified in the psize.

If hdcSrc is NULL, dwFlags should be zero.

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
The source DC should contain the surface that defines the visible contents of the layered
window. For example, you can select a bitmap into a device context obtained by calling
the CreateCompatibleDC function.

An application should call SetLayout on the hdcSrc device context to properly set the
mirroring mode. SetLayout will properly mirror all drawing into an HDC while properly
preserving text glyph and (optionally) bitmap direction order. It cannot modify drawing
directly into the bits of a device-independent bitmap (DIB). For more information, see
Window Layout and Mirroring.
The UpdateLayeredWindow function maintains the window's appearance on the screen.
The windows underneath a layered window do not need to be repainted when they are
uncovered due to a call to UpdateLayeredWindow, because the system will
automatically repaint them. This permits seamless animation of the layered window.

UpdateLayeredWindow always updates the entire window. To update part of a window,

use the traditional WM_PAINT and set the blend value using
SetLayeredWindowAttributes.

For best drawing performance by the layered window and any underlying windows, the
layered window should be as small as possible. An application should also process the
message and re-create its layered windows when the display's color depth changes.

For more information, see Layered Windows.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
AlphaBlend

Conceptual

CreateCompatibleBitmap

Other Resources

Reference

SetWindowLong
SetWindowPos

TransparentBlt

UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect

Windows

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UPDATELAYEREDWINDOWINFO
structure (winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Used by UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect to provide position, size, shape, content, and

translucency information for a layered window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagUPDATELAYEREDWINDOWINFO {

DWORD cbSize;
HDC hdcDst;
const POINT *pptDst;
const SIZE *psize;
HDC hdcSrc;
const POINT *pptSrc;
COLORREF crKey;
const BLENDFUNCTION *pblend;
DWORD dwFlags;
const RECT *prcDirty;
} UPDATELAYEREDWINDOWINFO, *PUPDATELAYEREDWINDOWINFO;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size, in bytes, of this structure.

hdcDst

Type: HDC

A handle to a DC for the screen. This handle is obtained by specifying NULL in this
member when calling UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect. The handle is used for palette
color matching when the window contents are updated. If hdcDst is NULL, the default
palette is used.

If hdcSrc is NULL, hdcDst must be NULL.

pptDst

Type: const POINT*

The new screen position of the layered window. If the new position is unchanged from
the current position, pptDst can be NULL.

psize

Type: const SIZE*

The new size of the layered window. If the size of the window will not change, this
parameter can be NULL. If hdcSrc is NULL, psize must be NULL.

hdcSrc

Type: HDC

A handle to the DC for the surface that defines the layered window. This handle can be
obtained by calling the CreateCompatibleDC function. If the shape and visual context of
the window will not change, hdcSrc can be NULL.

pptSrc

Type: const POINT*

The location of the layer in the device context. If hdcSrc is NULL, pptSrc should be
NULL.

crKey

Type: COLORREF

The color key to be used when composing the layered window. To generate a
COLORREF, use the RGB macro.

pblend

Type: const BLENDFUNCTION*

The transparency value to be used when composing the layered window.

dwFlags

Type: DWORD

This parameter can be one of the following values.

 Value Meaning

ULW_ALPHA Use pblend as the blend function. If the display mode is

0x00000002 256 colors or less, the effect of this value is the same as
the effect of ULW_OPAQUE.

ULW_COLORKEY Use crKey as the transparency color.

0x00000001

ULW_OPAQUE Draw an opaque layered window.

0x00000004

ULW_EX_NORESIZE Force the UpdateLayeredWindowIndirect function to fail

0x00000008 if the current window size does not match the size
specified in the psize.

If hdcSrc is NULL, dwFlags should be zero.

prcDirty

Type: const RECT*

The area to be updated. This parameter can be NULL. If it is non-NULL, only the area in
this rectangle is updated from the source DC.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

Reference

UpdateLayeredWindow

Window Features
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WaitMessage function (winuser.h)
Article06/29/2021

Yields control to other threads when a thread has no other messages in its message
queue. The WaitMessage function suspends the thread and does not return until a new
message is placed in the thread's message queue.

Syntax
C++

BOOL WaitMessage();

Return value
Type: BOOL

If the function succeeds, the return value is nonzero.

If the function fails, the return value is zero. To get extended error information, call
GetLastError.

Remarks
Note that WaitMessage does not return if there is unread input in the message queue
after the thread has called a function to check the queue. This is because functions such
as PeekMessage, GetMessage, GetQueueStatus, WaitMessage,
MsgWaitForMultipleObjects, and MsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx check the queue and
then change the state information for the queue so that the input is no longer
considered new. A subsequent call to WaitMessage will not return until new input of the
specified type arrives. The existing unread input (received prior to the last time the
thread checked the queue) is ignored.

Requirements

Minimum supported Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

client
 Minimum supported Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
server

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-4 (introduced in Windows 10, version

10.0.14393)

See also
Conceptual

GetMessage

Messages and Message Queues

PeekMessage

Reference

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WindowFromPhysicalPoint function
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Retrieves a handle to the window that contains the specified physical point.

Syntax
C++

HWND WindowFromPhysicalPoint(
[in] POINT Point
);

Parameters
[in] Point

Type: POINT

The physical coordinates of the point.

Return value
Type: HWND

A handle to the window that contains the given physical point. If no window exists at the
point, this value is NULL.

Remarks
The WindowFromPhysicalPoint function does not retrieve a handle to a hidden or
disabled window, even if the point is within the window.

Requirements
 Minimum supported client Windows Vista [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows Server 2008 [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
ChildWindowFromPoint

Conceptual

Other Resources

POINT

Reference

WindowFromDC

WindowFromPoint

Windows

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WindowFromPoint function (winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Retrieves a handle to the window that contains the specified point.

Syntax
C++

HWND WindowFromPoint(
[in] POINT Point
);

Parameters
[in] Point

Type: POINT

The point to be checked.

Return value
Type: HWND

The return value is a handle to the window that contains the point. If no window exists
at the given point, the return value is NULL. If the point is over a static text control, the
return value is a handle to the window under the static text control.

Remarks
The WindowFromPoint function does not retrieve a handle to a hidden or disabled
window, even if the point is within the window. An application should use the
ChildWindowFromPoint function for a nonrestrictive search.

Examples

For an example, see "Interface from Running Object Table" in About Text Object Model.
Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Target Platform Windows

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

Library User32.lib

DLL User32.dll

API set ext-ms-win-ntuser-window-l1-1-1 (introduced in Windows 8.1)

See also
ChildWindowFromPoint

Conceptual

Other Resources

POINT

Reference

WindowFromDC

Windows

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WINDOWINFO structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains window information.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWINDOWINFO {

DWORD cbSize;
RECT rcWindow;
RECT rcClient;
DWORD dwStyle;
DWORD dwExStyle;
DWORD dwWindowStatus;
UINT cxWindowBorders;
UINT cyWindowBorders;
ATOM atomWindowType;
WORD wCreatorVersion;
} WINDOWINFO, *PWINDOWINFO, *LPWINDOWINFO;

Members
cbSize

Type: DWORD

The size of the structure, in bytes. The caller must set this member to
sizeof(WINDOWINFO) .

rcWindow

Type: RECT

The coordinates of the window.

rcClient

Type: RECT

The coordinates of the client area.

dwStyle
Type: DWORD

The window styles. For a table of window styles, see Window Styles.

dwExStyle

Type: DWORD

The extended window styles. For a table of extended window styles, see Extended
Window Styles.

dwWindowStatus

Type: DWORD

The window status. If this member is WS_ACTIVECAPTION (0x0001), the window is

active. Otherwise, this member is zero.

cxWindowBorders

Type: UINT

The width of the window border, in pixels.

cyWindowBorders

Type: UINT

The height of the window border, in pixels.

atomWindowType

Type: ATOM

The window class atom (see RegisterClass).

wCreatorVersion

Type: WORD

The Windows version of the application that created the window.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

 Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

CreateWindowEx

GetWindowInfo

Reference

RegisterClass

Windows

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WINDOWPLACEMENT structure
(winuser.h)
Article11/19/2022

Contains information about the placement of a window on the screen.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWINDOWPLACEMENT {

UINT length;
UINT flags;
UINT showCmd;
POINT ptMinPosition;
POINT ptMaxPosition;
RECT rcNormalPosition;
RECT rcDevice;
} WINDOWPLACEMENT;

Members
length

Type: UINT

The length of the structure, in bytes. Before calling the GetWindowPlacement or

SetWindowPlacement functions, set this member to sizeof(WINDOWPLACEMENT) .

GetWindowPlacement and SetWindowPlacement fail if this member is not set correctly.

flags

Type: UINT

The flags that control the position of the minimized window and the method by which
the window is restored. This member can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

WPF_ASYNCWINDOWPLACEMENT If the calling thread and the thread that owns the window
0x0004 are attached to different input queues, the system posts
the request to the thread that owns the window. This
 prevents the calling thread from blocking its execution
while other threads process the request.

WPF_RESTORETOMAXIMIZED The restored window will be maximized, regardless of

0x0002 whether it was maximized before it was minimized. This
setting is only valid the next time the window is restored.
It does not change the default restoration behavior.
This flag is only valid when the SW_SHOWMINIMIZED
value is specified for the showCmd member.

WPF_SETMINPOSITION The coordinates of the minimized window may be

0x0001 specified.
This flag must be specified if the coordinates are set in
the ptMinPosition member.

showCmd

Type: UINT

The current show state of the window. It can be any of the values that can be specified
in the nCmdShow parameter for the ShowWindow function.

ptMinPosition

Type: POINT

The coordinates of the window's upper-left corner when the window is minimized.

ptMaxPosition

Type: POINT

The coordinates of the window's upper-left corner when the window is maximized.

rcNormalPosition

Type: RECT

The window's coordinates when the window is in the restored position.

rcDevice

Remarks
If the window is a top-level window that does not have the WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW
window style, then the coordinates represented by the following members are in
workspace coordinates: ptMinPosition, ptMaxPosition, and rcNormalPosition.
Otherwise, these members are in screen coordinates.

Workspace coordinates differ from screen coordinates in that they take the locations
and sizes of application toolbars (including the taskbar) into account. Workspace
coordinate (0,0) is the upper-left corner of the workspace area, the area of the screen
not being used by application toolbars.

The coordinates used in a WINDOWPLACEMENT structure should be used only by the

GetWindowPlacement and SetWindowPlacement functions. Passing workspace
coordinates to functions which expect screen coordinates (such as SetWindowPos) will
result in the window appearing in the wrong location. For example, if the taskbar is at
the top of the screen, saving window coordinates using GetWindowPlacement and
restoring them using SetWindowPos causes the window to appear to "creep" up the
screen.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetWindowPlacement

POINT

RECT

Reference

SetWindowPlacement

SetWindowPos

ShowWindow

Windows
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WINDOWPOS structure (winuser.h)
Article04/02/2021

Contains information about the size and position of a window.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWINDOWPOS {

HWND hwnd;
HWND hwndInsertAfter;
int x;
int y;
int cx;
int cy;
UINT flags;
} WINDOWPOS, *LPWINDOWPOS, *PWINDOWPOS;

Members
hwnd

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

hwndInsertAfter

Type: HWND

The position of the window in Z order (front-to-back position). This member can be a
handle to the window behind which this window is placed, or can be one of the special
values listed with the SetWindowPos function.

Type: int

The position of the left edge of the window.

Type: int
The position of the top edge of the window.

cx

Type: int

The window width, in pixels.

cy

Type: int

The window height, in pixels.

flags

Type: UINT

The window position. This member can be one or more of the following values.

Value Meaning

SWP_DRAWFRAME Draws a frame (defined in the window's class description)

0x0020 around the window. Same as the SWP_FRAMECHANGED
flag.

SWP_FRAMECHANGED Sends a WM_NCCALCSIZE message to the window, even

0x0020 if the window's size is not being changed. If this flag is
not specified, WM_NCCALCSIZE is sent only when the
window's size is being changed.

SWP_HIDEWINDOW Hides the window.

0x0080

SWP_NOACTIVATE Does not activate the window. If this flag is not set, the
0x0010 window is activated and moved to the top of either the
topmost or non-topmost group (depending on the
setting of the hwndInsertAfter member).

SWP_NOCOPYBITS Discards the entire contents of the client area. If this flag
0x0100 is not specified, the valid contents of the client area are
saved and copied back into the client area after the
window is sized or repositioned.

SWP_NOMOVE Retains the current position (ignores the x and y

0x0002 members).

SWP_ NOOWNERZORDER Does not change the owner window's position in the Z
0x0200 order.
 SWP_NOREDRAW Does not redraw changes. If this flag is set, no repainting
0x0008 of any kind occurs. This applies to the client area, the
nonclient area (including the title bar and scroll bars), and
any part of the parent window uncovered as a result of
the window being moved. When this flag is set, the
application must explicitly invalidate or redraw any parts
of the window and parent window that need redrawing.

SWP_NOREPOSITION Does not change the owner window's position in the Z

0x0200 order. Same as the SWP_NOOWNERZORDER flag.

SWP_NOSENDCHANGING Prevents the window from receiving the

0x0400 WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING message.

SWP_NOSIZE Retains the current size (ignores the cx and cy members).

0x0001

SWP_NOZORDER Retains the current Z order (ignores the hwndInsertAfter

0x0004 member).

SWP_SHOWWINDOW Displays the window.

0x0040

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

EndDeferWindowPos

Reference

SetWindowPos

WM_NCCALCSIZE

Windows
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WNDCLASSA structure (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains the window class attributes that are registered by the RegisterClass function.

This structure has been superseded by the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the
RegisterClassEx function. You can still use WNDCLASS and RegisterClass if you do not
need to set the small icon associated with the window class.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWNDCLASSA {

UINT style;
WNDPROC lpfnWndProc;
int cbClsExtra;
int cbWndExtra;
HINSTANCE hInstance;
HICON hIcon;
HCURSOR hCursor;
HBRUSH hbrBackground;
LPCSTR lpszMenuName;
LPCSTR lpszClassName;
} WNDCLASSA, *PWNDCLASSA, *NPWNDCLASSA, *LPWNDCLASSA;

Members
style

Type: UINT

The class style(s). This member can be any combination of the Class Styles.

lpfnWndProc

Type: WNDPROC

A pointer to the window procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to call
the window procedure. For more information, see WindowProc.

cbClsExtra

Type: int
The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window-class structure. The system
initializes the bytes to zero.

cbWndExtra

Type: int

The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window instance. The system
initializes the bytes to zero. If an application uses WNDCLASS to register a dialog box
created by using the CLASS directive in the resource file, it must set this member to
DLGWINDOWEXTRA.

hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance that contains the window procedure for the class.

hIcon

Type: HICON

A handle to the class icon. This member must be a handle to an icon resource. If this
member is NULL, the system provides a default icon.

hCursor

Type: HCURSOR

A handle to the class cursor. This member must be a handle to a cursor resource. If this
member is NULL, an application must explicitly set the cursor shape whenever the
mouse moves into the application's window.

hbrBackground

Type: HBRUSH

A handle to the class background brush. This member can be a handle to the physical
brush to be used for painting the background, or it can be a color value. A color value
must be one of the following standard system colors (the value 1 must be added to the
chosen color). If a color value is given, you must convert it to one of the following
HBRUSH types:

COLOR_ACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_APPWORKSPACE
 COLOR_BACKGROUND
COLOR_BTNFACE
COLOR_BTNSHADOW
COLOR_BTNTEXT
COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT
COLOR_GRAYTEXT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT
COLOR_INACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_MENU
COLOR_MENUTEXT
COLOR_SCROLLBAR
COLOR_WINDOW
COLOR_WINDOWFRAME
COLOR_WINDOWTEXT

The system automatically deletes class background brushes when the class is
unregistered by using UnregisterClass. An application should not delete these brushes.

When this member is NULL, an application must paint its own background whenever it
is requested to paint in its client area. To determine whether the background must be
painted, an application can either process the WM_ERASEBKGND message or test the
fErase member of the PAINTSTRUCT structure filled by the BeginPaint function.

lpszMenuName

Type: LPCTSTR

The resource name of the class menu, as the name appears in the resource file. If you
use an integer to identify the menu, use the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro. If this member
is NULL, windows belonging to this class have no default menu.

lpszClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A pointer to a null-terminated string or is an atom. If this parameter is an atom, it must

be a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx
function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpszClassName; the high-order
word must be zero.

If lpszClassName is a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can be
any name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined
control-class names.

The maximum length for lpszClassName is 256. If lpszClassName is greater than the
maximum length, the RegisterClass function will fail.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines WNDCLASS as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
BeginPaint

Conceptual

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

GetDC

MAKEINTRESOURCE

Other Resources

PAINTSTRUCT
Reference

RegisterClass

UnregisterClass

WM_PAINT

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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WNDCLASSEXA structure (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains window class information. It is used with the RegisterClassEx and

GetClassInfoEx functions.

The WNDCLASSEX structure is similar to the WNDCLASS structure. There are two
differences. WNDCLASSEX includes the cbSize member, which specifies the size of the
structure, and the hIconSm member, which contains a handle to a small icon associated
with the window class.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWNDCLASSEXA {

UINT cbSize;
UINT style;
WNDPROC lpfnWndProc;
int cbClsExtra;
int cbWndExtra;
HINSTANCE hInstance;
HICON hIcon;
HCURSOR hCursor;
HBRUSH hbrBackground;
LPCSTR lpszMenuName;
LPCSTR lpszClassName;
HICON hIconSm;
} WNDCLASSEXA, *PWNDCLASSEXA, *NPWNDCLASSEXA, *LPWNDCLASSEXA;

Members
cbSize

Type: UINT

The size, in bytes, of this structure. Set this member to sizeof(WNDCLASSEX) . Be sure to
set this member before calling the GetClassInfoEx function.

style

Type: UINT

The class style(s). This member can be any combination of the Class Styles.
lpfnWndProc

Type: WNDPROC

A pointer to the window procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to call
the window procedure. For more information, see WindowProc.

cbClsExtra

Type: int

The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window-class structure. The system
initializes the bytes to zero.

cbWndExtra

Type: int

The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window instance. The system
initializes the bytes to zero. If an application uses WNDCLASSEX to register a dialog box
created by using the CLASS directive in the resource file, it must set this member to
DLGWINDOWEXTRA.

hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance that contains the window procedure for the class.

hIcon

Type: HICON

A handle to the class icon. This member must be a handle to an icon resource. If this
member is NULL, the system provides a default icon.

hCursor

Type: HCURSOR

A handle to the class cursor. This member must be a handle to a cursor resource. If this
member is NULL, an application must explicitly set the cursor shape whenever the
mouse moves into the application's window.

hbrBackground

Type: HBRUSH
A handle to the class background brush. This member can be a handle to the brush to
be used for painting the background, or it can be a color value. A color value must be
one of the following standard system colors (the value 1 must be added to the chosen
color). If a color value is given, you must convert it to one of the following HBRUSH
types:

COLOR_ACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_APPWORKSPACE
COLOR_BACKGROUND
COLOR_BTNFACE
COLOR_BTNSHADOW
COLOR_BTNTEXT
COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT
COLOR_GRAYTEXT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT
COLOR_INACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_MENU
COLOR_MENUTEXT
COLOR_SCROLLBAR
COLOR_WINDOW
COLOR_WINDOWFRAME
COLOR_WINDOWTEXT

The system automatically deletes class background brushes when the class is
unregistered by using UnregisterClass. An application should not delete these brushes.

When this member is NULL, an application must paint its own background whenever it
is requested to paint in its client area. To determine whether the background must be
painted, an application can either process the WM_ERASEBKGND message or test the
fErase member of the PAINTSTRUCT structure filled by the BeginPaint function.

lpszMenuName

Type: LPCTSTR

Pointer to a null-terminated character string that specifies the resource name of the
class menu, as the name appears in the resource file. If you use an integer to identify the
menu, use the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro. If this member is NULL, windows belonging
to this class have no default menu.
lpszClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A pointer to a null-terminated string or is an atom. If this parameter is an atom, it must

be a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx
function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpszClassName; the high-order
word must be zero.

If lpszClassName is a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can be
any name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined
control-class names.

The maximum length for lpszClassName is 256. If lpszClassName is greater than the
maximum length, the RegisterClassEx function will fail.

hIconSm

Type: HICON

A handle to a small icon that is associated with the window class. If this member is
NULL, the system searches the icon resource specified by the hIcon member for an icon
of the appropriate size to use as the small icon.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines WNDCLASSEX as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassInfoEx

Reference

RegisterClassEx

UnregisterClass

Window Classes

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WNDCLASSEXW structure (winuser.h)
Article03/11/2023

Contains window class information. It is used with the RegisterClassEx and

GetClassInfoEx functions.

The WNDCLASSEX structure is similar to the WNDCLASS structure. There are two
differences. WNDCLASSEX includes the cbSize member, which specifies the size of the
structure, and the hIconSm member, which contains a handle to a small icon associated
with the window class.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWNDCLASSEXW {

UINT cbSize;
UINT style;
WNDPROC lpfnWndProc;
int cbClsExtra;
int cbWndExtra;
HINSTANCE hInstance;
HICON hIcon;
HCURSOR hCursor;
HBRUSH hbrBackground;
LPCWSTR lpszMenuName;
LPCWSTR lpszClassName;
HICON hIconSm;
} WNDCLASSEXW, *PWNDCLASSEXW, *NPWNDCLASSEXW, *LPWNDCLASSEXW;

Members
cbSize

Type: UINT

The size, in bytes, of this structure. Set this member to sizeof(WNDCLASSEX) . Be sure to
set this member before calling the GetClassInfoEx function.

style

Type: UINT

The class style(s). This member can be any combination of the Class Styles.
lpfnWndProc

Type: WNDPROC

A pointer to the window procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to call
the window procedure. For more information, see WindowProc.

cbClsExtra

Type: int

The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window-class structure. The system
initializes the bytes to zero.

cbWndExtra

Type: int

The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window instance. The system
initializes the bytes to zero. If an application uses WNDCLASSEX to register a dialog box
created by using the CLASS directive in the resource file, it must set this member to
DLGWINDOWEXTRA.

hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance that contains the window procedure for the class.

hIcon

Type: HICON

A handle to the class icon. This member must be a handle to an icon resource. If this
member is NULL, the system provides a default icon.

hCursor

Type: HCURSOR

A handle to the class cursor. This member must be a handle to a cursor resource. If this
member is NULL, an application must explicitly set the cursor shape whenever the
mouse moves into the application's window.

hbrBackground

Type: HBRUSH
A handle to the class background brush. This member can be a handle to the brush to
be used for painting the background, or it can be a color value. A color value must be
one of the following standard system colors (the value 1 must be added to the chosen
color). If a color value is given, you must convert it to one of the following HBRUSH
types:

COLOR_ACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_APPWORKSPACE
COLOR_BACKGROUND
COLOR_BTNFACE
COLOR_BTNSHADOW
COLOR_BTNTEXT
COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT
COLOR_GRAYTEXT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT
COLOR_INACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_MENU
COLOR_MENUTEXT
COLOR_SCROLLBAR
COLOR_WINDOW
COLOR_WINDOWFRAME
COLOR_WINDOWTEXT

The system automatically deletes class background brushes when the class is
unregistered by using UnregisterClass. An application should not delete these brushes.

When this member is NULL, an application must paint its own background whenever it
is requested to paint in its client area. To determine whether the background must be
painted, an application can either process the WM_ERASEBKGND message or test the
fErase member of the PAINTSTRUCT structure filled by the BeginPaint function.

lpszMenuName

Type: LPCTSTR

Pointer to a null-terminated character string that specifies the resource name of the
class menu, as the name appears in the resource file. If you use an integer to identify the
menu, use the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro. If this member is NULL, windows belonging
to this class have no default menu.
lpszClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A pointer to a null-terminated string or is an atom. If this parameter is an atom, it must

be a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx
function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpszClassName; the high-order
word must be zero.

If lpszClassName is a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can be
any name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined
control-class names.

The maximum length for lpszClassName is 256. If lpszClassName is greater than the
maximum length, the RegisterClassEx function will fail.

hIconSm

Type: HICON

A handle to a small icon that is associated with the window class. If this member is
NULL, the system searches the icon resource specified by the hIcon member for an icon
of the appropriate size to use as the small icon.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines WNDCLASSEX as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

 Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
Conceptual

GetClassInfoEx

Reference

RegisterClassEx

UnregisterClass

Window Classes

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WNDCLASSW structure (winuser.h)
Article07/27/2022

Contains the window class attributes that are registered by the RegisterClass function.

This structure has been superseded by the WNDCLASSEX structure used with the
RegisterClassEx function. You can still use WNDCLASS and RegisterClass if you do not
need to set the small icon associated with the window class.

Syntax
C++

typedef struct tagWNDCLASSW {

UINT style;
WNDPROC lpfnWndProc;
int cbClsExtra;
int cbWndExtra;
HINSTANCE hInstance;
HICON hIcon;
HCURSOR hCursor;
HBRUSH hbrBackground;
LPCWSTR lpszMenuName;
LPCWSTR lpszClassName;
} WNDCLASSW, *PWNDCLASSW, *NPWNDCLASSW, *LPWNDCLASSW;

Members
style

Type: UINT

The class style(s). This member can be any combination of the Class Styles.

lpfnWndProc

Type: WNDPROC

A pointer to the window procedure. You must use the CallWindowProc function to call
the window procedure. For more information, see WindowProc.

cbClsExtra

Type: int
The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window-class structure. The system
initializes the bytes to zero.

cbWndExtra

Type: int

The number of extra bytes to allocate following the window instance. The system
initializes the bytes to zero. If an application uses WNDCLASS to register a dialog box
created by using the CLASS directive in the resource file, it must set this member to
DLGWINDOWEXTRA.

hInstance

Type: HINSTANCE

A handle to the instance that contains the window procedure for the class.

hIcon

Type: HICON

A handle to the class icon. This member must be a handle to an icon resource. If this
member is NULL, the system provides a default icon.

hCursor

Type: HCURSOR

A handle to the class cursor. This member must be a handle to a cursor resource. If this
member is NULL, an application must explicitly set the cursor shape whenever the
mouse moves into the application's window.

hbrBackground

Type: HBRUSH

A handle to the class background brush. This member can be a handle to the physical
brush to be used for painting the background, or it can be a color value. A color value
must be one of the following standard system colors (the value 1 must be added to the
chosen color). If a color value is given, you must convert it to one of the following
HBRUSH types:

COLOR_ACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_ACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_APPWORKSPACE
 COLOR_BACKGROUND
COLOR_BTNFACE
COLOR_BTNSHADOW
COLOR_BTNTEXT
COLOR_CAPTIONTEXT
COLOR_GRAYTEXT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHT
COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT
COLOR_INACTIVEBORDER
COLOR_INACTIVECAPTION
COLOR_MENU
COLOR_MENUTEXT
COLOR_SCROLLBAR
COLOR_WINDOW
COLOR_WINDOWFRAME
COLOR_WINDOWTEXT

The system automatically deletes class background brushes when the class is
unregistered by using UnregisterClass. An application should not delete these brushes.

When this member is NULL, an application must paint its own background whenever it
is requested to paint in its client area. To determine whether the background must be
painted, an application can either process the WM_ERASEBKGND message or test the
fErase member of the PAINTSTRUCT structure filled by the BeginPaint function.

lpszMenuName

Type: LPCTSTR

The resource name of the class menu, as the name appears in the resource file. If you
use an integer to identify the menu, use the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro. If this member
is NULL, windows belonging to this class have no default menu.

lpszClassName

Type: LPCTSTR

A pointer to a null-terminated string or is an atom. If this parameter is an atom, it must

be a class atom created by a previous call to the RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx
function. The atom must be in the low-order word of lpszClassName; the high-order
word must be zero.

If lpszClassName is a string, it specifies the window class name. The class name can be
any name registered with RegisterClass or RegisterClassEx, or any of the predefined
control-class names.

The maximum length for lpszClassName is 256. If lpszClassName is greater than the
maximum length, the RegisterClass function will fail.

Remarks

７ Note

The winuser.h header defines WNDCLASS as an alias which automatically selects

the ANSI or Unicode version of this function based on the definition of the
UNICODE preprocessor constant. Mixing usage of the encoding-neutral alias with
code that not encoding-neutral can lead to mismatches that result in compilation
or runtime errors. For more information, see Conventions for Function Prototypes.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also
BeginPaint

Conceptual

CreateWindow

CreateWindowEx

GetDC

MAKEINTRESOURCE

Other Resources

PAINTSTRUCT
Reference

RegisterClass

UnregisterClass

WM_PAINT

WNDCLASSEX

Window Classes

WindowProc

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WNDPROC callback function (winuser.h)
Article05/03/2021

A callback function, which you define in your application, that processes messages sent
to a window. The WNDPROC type defines a pointer to this callback function. The
WndProc name is a placeholder for the name of the function that you define in your
application.

Syntax
C++

WNDPROC Wndproc;

LRESULT Wndproc(
HWND unnamedParam1,
UINT unnamedParam2,
WPARAM unnamedParam3,
LPARAM unnamedParam4
)
{...}

Parameters
unnamedParam1

Type: HWND

A handle to the window. This parameter is typically named hWnd.

unnamedParam2

Type: UINT

The message. This parameter is typically named uMsg.

For lists of the system-provided messages, see System-defined messages.

unnamedParam3

Type: WPARAM

Additional message information. This parameter is typically named wParam.

The contents of the wParam parameter depend on the value of the uMsg parameter.

unnamedParam4

Type: LPARAM

Additional message information. This parameter is typically named lParam.

The contents of the lParam parameter depend on the value of the uMsg parameter.

Return value
Type: LRESULT

The return value is the result of the message processing, and depends on the message
sent.

Remarks
If your application runs on a 32-bit version of Windows operating system, uncaught
exceptions from the callback will be passed onto higher-level exception handlers of your
application when available. The system then calls the unhandled exception filter to
handle the exception prior to terminating the process. If the PCA is enabled, it will offer
to fix the problem the next time you run the application.

However, if your application runs on a 64-bit version of Windows operating system or

WOW64, you should be aware that a 64-bit operating system handles uncaught
exceptions differently based on its 64-bit processor architecture, exception architecture,
and calling convention. The following table summarizes all possible ways that a 64-bit
Windows operating system or WOW64 handles uncaught exceptions.

Behavior How the system handles uncaught exceptions

type

1 The system suppresses any uncaught exceptions.

2 The system first terminates the process, and then the Program Compatibility Assistant
(PCA) offers to fix it the next time you run the application. You can disable the PCA
mitigation by adding a Compatibility section to the application manifest.

3 The system calls the exception filters but suppresses any uncaught exceptions when it
leaves the callback scope, without invoking the associated handlers.
The following table shows how a 64-bit version of the Windows operating system, and
WOW64, handles uncaught exceptions. Notice that behavior type 2 applies only to the
64-bit version of the Windows 7 operating system and later.

Operating system WOW64 64-bit Windows

Windows XP 3 1

Windows Server 2003 3 1

Windows Vista 3 1

Windows Vista SP1 1 1

Windows 7 and later 1 2

７ Note

On Windows 7 with SP1 (32-bit, 64-bit, or WOW64), the system calls the unhandled
exception filter to handle the exception prior to terminating the process. If the
Program Compatibility Assistant (PCA) is enabled, then it will offer to fix the
problem the next time you run the application.

If you need to handle exceptions in your application, you can use structured exception
handling to do so. For more information on how to use structured exception handling,
see Structured exception handling.

Requirements

Minimum supported client Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]

Minimum supported server Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]

Header winuser.h (include windows.h)

See also
CallWindowProcW
DefWindowProcW
RegisterClassExW
Window procedures
Feedback
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