INF: Process WM_GETMINMAXINFO to Constrain Window Size

ID Number: Q67166

3.00 3.10

WINDOWS

Summary:

Microsoft Windows sends a WM_GETMINMAXINFO message to a window to

determine the maximized size or position for the window, and the

maximum or minimum tracking size for the window. An application can

change these parameters by processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.

Each window type has an absolute minimum size. If an application

changes any of the values associated with WM_GETMINMAXINFO to a value

smaller than the minimum, Windows will override the values specified

by the application and use the minimum size. This minimum window size

restriction has been removed from Windows version 3.1.

Note that Windows can send a WM_GETMINMAXINFO message to a window

prior to sending a WM_CREATE message. Therefore, any processing for

the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message must be independent of processing done

for the WM_CREATE message.

More Information:

An application can use the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message to constrain the

size of a window. For example, the application can prevent the user

from changing a window's width while allowing the user to affect its

height, or vice versa. The following code demonstrates fixing the

width:

int width;

LPPOINT lppt;

RECT rect;

case WM_GETMINMAXINFO:

lppt = (LPPOINT)lParam; // lParam points to array of POINTs

GetWindowRect(hWnd, &rect); // Get current window size

width = rect.right - rect.left + 1;

lppt[3].x = width // Set minimum width to current width

lppt[4].x = width // Set maximum width to current width

return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);

The modifications required to fix the height are quite

straightforward.

For more information on the array of POINT structures that accompanies

the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message, please refer to the "Microsoft Windows

Software Development Kit Reference."

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.10 3.x