EXSTYLE Statement

The EXSTYLE resource-definition statement sets extended window styles for a dialog box. In a resource definition, the EXSTYLE statement is placed with the optional statements before the beginning of the body of the resource definition.

Syntax

EXSTYLE extended-style

Parameters

extended-style
The extended window style for the dialog box or control. This parameter can be one of the following values:
Style Meaning
WS_EX_ACCEPTFILES Specifies that a window created with this style accepts drag-drop files.
WS_EX_APPWINDOW Forces a top-level window onto the taskbar when the window is visible.
WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE Specifies that a window has a border with a sunken edge.
WS_EX_CONTEXTHELP Includes a question mark in the title bar of the window. When the user clicks the question mark, the cursor changes to a question mark with a pointer. If the user then clicks a child window, the child receives a WM_HELP message. The child window should pass the message to the parent window procedure, which should call the WinHelp function using the HELP_WM_HELP command. The Help application displays a pop-up window that typically contains help for the child window.

WS_EX_CONTEXTHELP cannot be used with the WS_MAXIMIZEBOX or WS_MINIMIZEBOX styles.

WS_EX_CONTROLPARENT Allows the user to navigate among the child windows of the window by using the tab key.
WS_EX_DLGMODALFRAME Creates a window that has a double border; the window can, optionally, be created with a title bar by specifying the WS_CAPTION style in the dwStyle parameter.
WS_EX_LEFT Window has generic "left-aligned" properties. This is the default.
WS_EX_LEFTSCROLLBAR If the shell language is Hebrew, Arabic, or another language that supports reading order alignment, the vertical scroll bar (if present) is to the left of the client area. For other languages, the style is ignored and not treated as an error.
WS_EX_LTRREADING The window text is displayed using Left to Right reading-order properties. This is the default.
WS_EX_MDICHILD Creates an MDI child window.
WS_EX_NOPARENTNOTIFY Specifies that a child window created with this style does not send the WM_PARENTNOTIFY message to its parent window when it is created or destroyed.
WS_EX_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW Combines the WS_EX_CLIENTEDGE and WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE styles.
WS_EX_PALETTEWINDOW Combines the WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE, WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, and WS_EX_TOPMOST styles.
WS_EX_RIGHT The window has generic "right-aligned" properties. This depends on the window class. This style has an effect only if the shell language is Hebrew, Arabic, or another language that supports reading order alignment; otherwise, the style is ignored and not treated as an error.
WS_EX_RIGHTSCROLLBAR Vertical scroll bar (if present) is to the right of the client area. This is the default.
WS_EX_RTLREADING If the shell language is Hebrew, Arabic, or another language that supports reading order alignment, the window text is displayed using Right to Left reading-order properties. For other languages, the style is ignored and not treated as an error.
WS_EX_STATICEDGE Creates a window with a three-dimensional border style intended to be used for items that do not accept user input.
WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW Creates a tool window; that is, a window intended to be used as a floating toolbar. A tool window has a title bar that is shorter than a normal title bar, and the window title is drawn using a smaller font. A tool window does not appear in the taskbar or in the dialog that appears when the user presses alt+tab. If a tool window has a system menu, its icon is not displayed on the title bar. However, you can display the system menu by right-clicking or by typing alt+space.
WS_EX_TOPMOST Specifies that a window created with this style should be placed above all non-topmost windows and should stay above them, even when the window is deactivated. To add or remove this style, use the SetWindowPos function.
WS_EX_TRANSPARENT Specifies that a window created with this style should not be painted until siblings beneath the window (that were created by the same thread) have been painted. The window appears transparent because the bits of underlying sibling windows have already been painted.

To achieve transparency without these restrictions, use the SetWindowRgn function.

WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE Specifies that a window has a border with a raised edge.

Remarks

For controls, extended styles are specified after the style option in the control resource-definition statement. For more information, see the resource-definition statement for the individual control.

See also

ACCELERATORS, CONTROL, DIALOG, MENU, POPUP, RCDATA, STRINGTABLE, User-Defined Resource