HCURSOR LoadCursor(hInstance,lpCursorName)
This function loads the cursor resource named by the lpCursorName parameter from the executable file associated with the module specified by the hInstance parameter. The function loads the cursor into memory only if it has not been previously loaded. Otherwise, it retrieves a handle to the existing resource.
| Parameter | Type/Description |
| hInstance | HANDLE Identifies an instance of the module whose executable file contains the cursor. | |
| lpCursorName | LPSTR Points to a character string that names the cursor resource. The string must be a null-terminated character string. |
The return value identifies the newly loaded cursor if the function is successful. Otherwise, it is NULL.
The LoadCursor function returns a valid cursor handle only if the lpCursorName parameter identifies a cursor resource. If lpCursorName identifies any type of resource other than a cursor (such as an icon), the return value will not be NULL, even though it is not a valid cursor handle.
Use the LoadCursor function to access the predefined cursors used by Windows. To do this, the hInstance parameter must be set to NULL, and the lpCursorName parameter must be one of the following values:
| Value | Meaning |
| IDC_ARROW | Standard arrow cursor. | |
| IDC_CROSS | Crosshair cursor. | |
| IDC_IBEAM | Text I-beam cursor. | |
| IDC_ICON | Empty icon. | |
| IDC_SIZE | Loads a square with a smaller square inside its lower-right corner. | |
| IDC_SIZENESW | Double-pointed cursor with arrows pointing northeast and southwest. | |
| IDC_SIZENS | Double-pointed cursor with arrows pointing north and south. | |
| IDC_SIZENWSE | Double-pointed cursor with arrows pointing northwest and southeast. | |
| IDC_SIZEWE | Double-pointed cursor with arrows pointing west and east. | |
| IDC_UPARROW | Vertical arrow cursor. | |
| IDC_WAIT | Hourglass cursor. |
The lpCursorName parameter can contain a value created by the MAKEINTRESOURCE macro. If it does, the ID must reside in the low-order word of lpCursorName, and the high-order word must be set to zero.