GetTextAlign

The GetTextAlign function retrieves the text-alignment setting for the specified device context. 

UINT GetTextAlign(
  HDC hdc   // handle to device context
);

Parameters

hdc
Handle to the device context.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is the status of the text-alignment flags. For more information about the return value, see the Remarks section. The return value is a combination of the following values.

Value Meaning
TA_BASELINE The reference point is on the base line of the text.
TA_BOTTOM The reference point is on the bottom edge of the bounding rectangle.
TA_TOP The reference point is on the top edge of the bounding rectangle.
TA_CENTER The reference point is aligned horizontally with the center of the bounding rectangle.
TA_LEFT The reference point is on the left edge of the bounding rectangle.
TA_RIGHT The reference point is on the right edge of the bounding rectangle.
TA_RTLREADING Middle-Eastern Windows: The text is laid out in right to left reading order, as opposed to the default left to right order. This only applies when the font selected into the device context is either Hebrew or Arabic.
TA_NOUPDATECP The current position is not updated after each text output call.
TA_UPDATECP The current position is updated after each text output call.

When the current font has a vertical default base line (as with Kanji), the following values are used instead of TA_BASELINE and TA_CENTER:

Value Meaning
VTA_BASELINE The reference point is on the base line of the text.
VTA_CENTER The reference point is aligned vertically with the center of the bounding rectangle.

If the function fails, the return value is GDI_ERROR.

Windows NT: To get extended error information, call GetLastError.

Remarks

The bounding rectangle is a rectangle bounding all of the character cells in a string of text. Its dimensions can be obtained by calling the GetTextExtentPoint32 function.

The text-alignment flags determine how the TextOut and ExtTextOut functions align a string of text in relation to the string's reference point provided to TextOut or ExtTextOut.

The text-alignment flags are not necessarily single bit flags and may be equal to zero. The flags must be examined in groups of related flags, as shown in the following list:

TA_LEFT, TA_RIGHT, and TA_CENTER
TA_BOTTOM, TA_TOP, and TA_BASELINE
TA_NOUPDATECP and TA_UPDATECP

If the current font has a vertical default base line, the related flags are as shown in the following list:

TA_LEFT, TA_RIGHT, and VTA_BASELINE
TA_BOTTOM, TA_TOP, and VTA_CENTER
TA_NOUPDATECP and TA_UPDATECP

To verify that a particular flag is set in the return value of this function, the application must perform the following steps:

  1. Apply the bitwise OR operator to the flag and its related flags.
  2. Apply the bitwise AND operator to the result and the return value.
  3. Test for the equality of this result and the flag.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
  Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Windows CE: Unsupported.
  Header: Declared in wingdi.h.
  Import Library: Use gdi32.lib.

See Also

Fonts and Text Overview, Font and Text Functions, ExtTextOut, GetTextExtentPoint32, SetTextAlign, TextOut