Other Window Styles for Dialogs

InstallShield 2016

Project • This information applies to the following project types:

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InstallScript

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InstallScript MSI

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InstallScript Object

The following window style options are available for a dialog. For additional information, see the MSDN Library.

Window Styles for Dialogs
Value	Description
WS_POPUP	Creates a pop-up window.
DS_NOIDLEMSG	Suppresses WM_ENTERIDLE messages that the system sends to the owner of a dialog box while the dialog box is displayed.
DS_CONTROL	Creates a dialog box that can function as a child window of another dialog box. This allows the user to tab among the control windows of a child dialog box and use its accelerator keys.
DS_SYSMODAL	This style is obsolete and is included for compatibility with 16-bit versions of Windows. If you specify this style, the system creates the dialog box with the WS_EX_TOPMOST style. This style does not prevent the user from accessing other windows on the desktop. Do not combine with the DS_CONTROL style.
DS_3DLOOK	Displays text in the dialog box in non-bold font and draws three-dimensional borders around control windows in the dialog box.
DS_CENTER	Centers the dialog box in the working area of the end user’s screen.
DS_LOCALEDIT	Specifies that edit controls in the dialog box use memory in the applications data section. By default, all edit controls in dialog boxes use memory outside the applications data section.
DS_FIXEDSYS	Causes the dialog box to use the SYSTEM_FIXED_FONT instead of the default SYSTEM_FONT. This is a monospaced font compatible with the System font in 16-bit versions of Windows operating systems earlier than 3.0.
DS_CENTERMOUSE	Centers the cursor in the dialog box.
DS_SETFONT	Indicates that the header of the dialog box template contains additional data specifying the font to use for text in the client area and controls of the dialog box. The font data begins on the WORD boundary that follows the title array. It specifies a 16-bit point size value and a Unicode font name string. If this style is not specified, the dialog box template does not include the font data.
DS_ABSALIGN	Indicates that the coordinates of the dialog box are screen coordinates.
DS_CONTEXTHELP	Displays a question mark in the title bar of the dialog box. When the end user clicks the question mark, the cursor changes to a question mark with a pointer. If the end user then clicks a control in the dialog box, the control receives a WM_HELP message. The control should pass the message to the dialog box procedure. The help application displays a pop-up window that typically contains help for the control. DS_CONTEXTHELP is only a placeholder. When the dialog box is created, the system checks for DS_CONTEXTHELP and—if it is there—adds WS_EX_CONTEXTHELP to the extended style of the dialog box. WS_EX_CONTEXTHELP cannot be used with the WS_MAXIMIZEBOX or WS_MINIMIZEBOX styles.
DS_MODALFRAME	Creates a dialog box with a modal dialog box frame that can be combined with a title bar and window menu by specifying the WS_CAPTION and WS_SYSMENU styles.
DS_NOFAILCREATE	Creates the dialog box even if errors occur—for example, if a child window cannot be created or if the system cannot create a special data segment for an edit control.
DS_SETFOREGROUND	Causes the system to use the SetForegroundWindow function to bring the dialog box to the foreground.

See Also

Other Window Styles Dialog Box

Dialog Controls

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