HOWTO: Set Blank Date as an Initial Value for Date Time Picker Control

• Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 5.0, 6.0

SUMMARY

Both Windows Date Time Picker control (CDateTimeCtrl) and Microsoft Date Time Picker ActiveX controls have the current date as the initial value by default. This article explains how to set a blank date as initial value for these controls.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows Date Time Picker control and Microsoft Date Time Picker ActiveX controls change the time back to the current date even if you set it to blank by calling SetWindowText with a blank string as parameter.

The following steps describe a way to set a blank date as the initial value for Microsoft Date Time Picker ActiveX control.

1. Change the format type to custom format (3) and set the custom format to where one blank string.m_datePicker is a member variable created for the Windows Date Time Picker control placed on a dialog box.

   
      BOOL CDtpickerDlg::OnInitDialog()
      {
          CDialog::OnInitDialog();
   
          SetIcon(m_hIcon, TRUE);                 // Set big icon
          SetIcon(m_hIcon, FALSE);                // Set small icon
          
          m_datePicker.SetFormat(3);         // Change the format type to    custom format.
          m_datePicker.SetCustomFormat(" "); // One blank string.
   
          return TRUE;  // return TRUE  unless you set the focus to a control
      }
    




2. Add an event handler for the Change event in your dialog class using ClassWizard.

   
      ON_EVENT(CDtpickerDlg, IDC_DTPICKER1, 2,OnChangeDtpicker1,VTS_NONE) 




3. In the event handler (OnChangeDtPicker1) change the format back to the format you want.

   
      void CDtpickerDlg::OnChangeDtpicker1() 
      {
          m_datePicker.SetFormat(1);
      } 

1. Call SetFormat with one blank string as parameter.

   m_dateCtrl.SetFormat(" "); //one blank 




2. Add a notification message handler for the DTN_DATETIMECHANGE message in your dialog class and add the following code to it. Change the format type to the format you want.

   
      void CDateTimeCtrlDlg::OnDateTimeChange(NMHDR *pNotifyStruct, LRESULT    *result)
      {
           m_dateCtrl.SetFormat(DTS_SHORTDATEFORMAT);
           *pResult = 0;
      } 

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbCmnCtrls kbCtrl kbDateTime kbMFC kbVC kbVC500 kbVC600 kbGrpMFCATL
Version : winnt:5.0,6.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbhowto