PRB: Custom AppWizard Doesn't Initialize Custom Step Dialogs

The information in this article applies to:

• The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), included with: Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, versions 4.0, 4.1

SYMPTOMS

Custom AppWizards with some custom steps do not pick up initialization values for the dialog's controls for these steps from the Resource Editor.

For instance, if the custom step's dialog template contains a Combo Box, the strings for the Combo Box can be entered in the Resource Editor itself. When the Wizard is built and run, and when the custom step containing the Combo Box comes up, the strings don't show up in the Combo Box. The same also happens with a picture control with a bitmap associated with it.

CAUSE

For the custom step dialogs, Custom AppWizards ignore any initialization information setup in the Resource Editor.

RESOLUTION

Each custom step's dialog template has a corresponding CAppWizStepDlg- derived class. The necessary initialization should be done in this class's OnInitDialog member function. Since this function is called before the dialog is visible to the user, the effect is as if the initializations were done in the Resource Editor.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Custom AppWizards are of three types with only two of these types supporting custom dialog steps. The problem discussed in this article shows up in both these types.

Sample Code

   BOOL CCustomDialog::OnInitDialog()
   {
       CAppWizStepDlg::OnInitDialog();

       // Initialize the combo box
       CComboBox* pCombo = (CComboBox* )GetDlgItem(IDC_COMBO);
       pCombo->AddString("Hello");
       pCombo->AddString("World");

       // Initialize the picture control
       m_Bitmap.LoadBitmap(IDB_MYBITMAP);
       CStatic* pStatic = (CStatic* )GetDlgItem(IDC_PICSTATIC);
       pStatic->SetBitmap(m_Bitmap);

       return TRUE;
   }