int DrawText(hDC,lpString,nCount,lpRect,wFormat)
This function draws formatted text in the rectangle specified by the lpRect parameter. It formats text by expanding tabs into appropriate spaces, justifying text to the left, right, or center of the given rectangle, and breaking text into lines that fit within the given rectangle. The type of formatting is specified by the wFormat parameter.
The DrawText function uses the device context's selected font, text color, and background color to draw the text. Unless the DT_NOCLIP format is used, DrawText clips the text so that the text does not appear outside the given rectangle. All formatting is assumed to have multiple lines unless the DT_SINGLELINE format is given.
| Parameter | Type/Description | |
| hDC | HDC Identifies the device context. | |
| lpString | LPSTR Points to the string to be drawn. If the nCount parameter is 1, the string must be null-terminated. | |
| nCount | int Specifies the number of bytes in the string. If nCount is 1, then lpString is assumed to be a long pointer to a null-terminated string and DrawText computes the character count automatically. | |
| Parameter | Type/Description | |
| lpRect | LPRECT Points to a RECT data structure that contains the rectangle (in logical coordinates) in which the text is to be formatted. | |
| wFormat | WORD Specifies the method of formatting the text. It can be a combination of the values given in Table R.7, DrawText Formats. |
The return value specifies the height of the text.
If the selected font is too large for the specified rectangle, the DrawText function does not attempt to substitute a smaller font.
Table 4.7 lists the values for the wFormat parameter. These values can be combined by using the bitwise OR operator. Note that the DT_CALCRECT, DT_EXTERNALLEADING, DT_INTERNAL, DT_NOCLIP, and DT_NOPREFIX values cannot be used with the DT_TABSTOP value:
Table R.7 DrawText Formats
| Value | Meaning |
| DT_BOTTOM | Specifies bottom-justified text. This value must be combined with DT_SINGLELINE. |
| DT_CALCRECT | Determines the width and height of the rectangle. If there are multiple lines of text, DrawText will use the width of the rectangle pointed to by the lpRect parameter and extend the base of the rectangle to bound the last line of text. If there is only one line of text, DrawText will modify the right side of the rectangle so that it bounds the last character in the line. In either case, DrawText returns the height of the formatted text but does not draw the text. |
| DT_CENTER | Centers text horizontally. |
| DT_EXPANDTABS | Expands tab characters. The default number of characters per tab is eight. |
| DT_EXTERNALLEADING | Includes the font external leading in line height. Normally, external leading is not included in the height of a line of text. |
| DT_LEFT | Aligns text flush-left. |
| DT_NOCLIP | Draws without clipping. DrawText is somewhat faster when DT_NOCLIP is used. |
Table R.7 DrawText Formats (continued)
| Value | Meaning |
| DT_NOPREFIX | Turns off processing of prefix characters. Normally, DrawText interprets the mnemonic-prefix character & as a directive to underscore the character that follows, and the mnemonic-prefix characters && as a directive to print a single &. By specifying DT_NOPREFIX, this processing is turned off. |
| DT_RIGHT | Aligns text flush-right. |
| DT_SINGLELINE | Specifies single line only. Carriage returns and linefeeds do not break the line. |
| DT_TABSTOP | Sets tab stops. The high-order byte of the wFormat parameter is the number of characters for each tab. The default number of characters per tab is eight. |
| DT_TOP | Specifies top-justified text (single line only). |
| DT_VCENTER | Specifies vertically centered text (single line only). |
| DT_WORDBREAK | Specifies word breaking. Lines are automatically broken between words if a word would extend past the edge of the rectangle specified by the lpRect parameter. A carriage return/line sequence will also break the line. |