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I don't often have occasion to use Child GUIs. I find the multitude of options confusing. The example below I made for my own purposes, to have a visual guide to what the various Style and Extended Style options lead to. Comments are much appreciated. This can be extended with many more examples and comments and why certain Styles are to preferred or avoided. Where certain types of Child GUIs are most suitable etc. The code is very basic. It is intended to show GUI Styles, not much else. ;~ ******************************************************************** ;~ Author: Skysnake ;~ ;~ Title: Demo various Child Gui options ;~ Updated: 2019.01.03 ;~ ;~ Function: A demo script, demonstrates various style & Extended ;~ style options for Child GUIs ;~ Comments, ideas and suggestions very welcome :) ;~ ;~ ******************************************************************** #include <WindowsConstants.au3> #include <GUIConstantsEx.au3> #include <ColorConstants.au3> #include <Constants.au3> #include <WinAPI.au3> #include <ButtonConstants.au3> #include <MsgBoxConstants.au3> ShowChildGuis() Func ShowChildGuis() Local $guiParent = GUICreate("The Parent GUI", 1200, 700, 0, 0) ;WHLT $idFilemenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu(" &Menu") $ButtonCancel = GUICtrlCreateButton("&Close", 0, 0, 80, 25) GUICtrlSetTip($ButtonCancel, "Click to close all") $ButtonShowChildGui = GUICtrlCreateButton("&Show", 0, 25, 80, 25) GUICtrlSetTip($ButtonShowChildGui, "Click to show a child GUI") ;~ #comments-start --- Toggle this and same code below to show context menu for parent or child Local $idContextmenu = GUICtrlCreateContextMenu() Local $idNewsubmenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu("This is a Context Menu", $idContextmenu) Local $idNewsubmenuText = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("text", $idNewsubmenu) Local $idContextButton = GUICtrlCreateButton("Context", 0, 50, 80, 25) GUICtrlSetTip($idContextButton, "Right Click to see Context Menu") Local $idButtoncontext = GUICtrlCreateContextMenu($idContextButton) Local $idMenuAbout = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("This is a Context Menu", $idButtoncontext) Local $idMenuOpen = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Open", $idContextmenu) Local $idMenuSave = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Save", $idContextmenu) GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $idContextmenu) ; separator Local $idMenuInfo = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Info", $idContextmenu) ;~ #comments-end --- Toggle this and same code below to show context menu for parent or child Local $DefaultChildGui = GUICreate("Default child gui", 300, 100, 300, 300, Default, Default, $guiParent) ;;;WHLT GUICtrlCreateLabel("Default attributes" & @CRLF & "Cannot move; cannot resize", 0, 0, 500, 200) GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_aqua) $iStyle = _WinAPI_GetWindowLong(GUICtrlGetHandle($DefaultChildGui), $GWL_STYLE) $iExStyle = _WinAPI_GetWindowLong(GUICtrlGetHandle($DefaultChildGui), $GWL_EXSTYLE) GUISetStyle(BitOR($iStyle, $WS_VISIBLE), $iExStyle, $DefaultChildGui) Local $gChildGuiwithMenu = GUICreate("A child gui with menu", 300, 100, 50, 100, $WS_VISIBLE, BitOR($WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE, $WS_EX_MDICHILD, $WS_THICKFRAME), $guiParent) ;;;WHLT GUICtrlCreateLabel("Menu" & @CRLF & "Can move; cannot resize", 0, 0, 500, 200) GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_skyblue) $idFilemenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu(" &File ") Local $idFileMenuItem = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("An item for the File menu ", $idFilemenu) GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $idFilemenu) ; create a separator line ; use same dimensions for GUI and its Label Local $iSizeWide = 300, $iSizeHi = 100 GUICreate("A child gui", $iSizeWide, $iSizeHi, 100, 200, $WS_VISIBLE, BitOR($WS_EX_WINDOWEDGE, $WS_EX_TOPMOST, $WS_EX_MDICHILD, $WS_THICKFRAME), $guiParent) ;;;WHLT GUICtrlCreateLabel("Can move; cannot resize" & @CRLF & "Always on top", 0, 0, $iSizeWide, $iSizeHi) GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_red) GUICreate("Child Gui Resizable", 300, 100, 200, 50, BitOR($WS_POPUP, $WS_SIZEBOX, $WS_CLIPCHILDREN, $WS_VISIBLE), $WS_EX_MDICHILD, $guiParent) ;;;WHLT GUICtrlCreateLabel("Popup Cannot move; can resize" & @CRLF & "Background", 0, 0, 500, 200) ; $WS_CHILD, GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_blue) ; toggle the line below :) ;$idBackgroundmenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu(" &Menu ") ; give it a menu GUICreate("Child GUI, caption, resize", 300, 100, 300, 100, BitOR($WS_VISIBLE, $WS_POPUP, $WS_CAPTION), BitOR($WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, $WS_EX_MDICHILD, $WS_EX_ACCEPTFILES), $guiParent) GUICtrlCreateLabel("Popup With Caption: Can move; cannot resize", 0, 0, 500, 200) GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_yellow) GUICreate("Child GUI, abc", 300, 100, 400, 150, BitOR($WS_POPUP, $WS_VISIBLE, 0), $WS_EX_MDICHILD, $guiParent) GUICtrlCreateLabel("Popup Cannot move; cannot resize", 0, 0, 500, 200) GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_green) ; Child GUI below has a control ............................. ............................................. Local $gChildWithControls = GUICreate("Child GUI with Buttons", 400, 400, 500, 200, BitOR($WS_CAPTION, $WS_CHILD), -1, $guiParent) GUISetFont(14, $gChildWithControls) Local $cLabel = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Can move; cannot resize", 0, 0, 400, 50) GUICtrlSetBkColor($cLabel, $COLOR_white) Local $idChild_ButtonOkay = GUICtrlCreateButton("Okay", 0, 50, 80, 30) Local $idChild_ButtonHide = GUICtrlCreateButton("Hide", 0, 80, 80, 30) GUICtrlSetTip($idChild_ButtonHide, "Click to hide this child GUI") ;~ #comments-start --- Toggle this and same code below to show context menu for parent or child ;~ Local $idContextmenu = GUICtrlCreateContextMenu() ;~ Local $idNewsubmenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu("This is a Context Menu", $idContextmenu) ;~ Local $idNewsubmenuText = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("text", $idNewsubmenu) ;~ Local $idContextButton = GUICtrlCreateButton("Context", 0, 110, 80, 30) ;~ GUICtrlSetTip($idContextButton, "Right Click to see Context Menu") ;~ Local $idButtoncontext = GUICtrlCreateContextMenu($idContextButton) ;~ Local $idMenuAbout = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("This is a Context Menu", $idButtoncontext) ;~ Local $idMenuOpen = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Open", $idContextmenu) ;~ Local $idMenuSave = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Save", $idContextmenu) ;~ GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $idContextmenu) ; separator ;~ Local $idMenuInfo = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("Info", $idContextmenu) ;~ #comments-end --- Toggle this and same code below to show context menu for parent or child GUISetState(@SW_HIDE, $gChildWithControls) ;.......................................................................................................... Local $gToolbar = GUICreate("A floating Tool Window", 300, 50, 100, 25, $WS_VISIBLE, $WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, $guiParent) GUICtrlCreateLabel("A floating toolbar", 0, 0, 500, 200) ; this does not show :) GUICtrlSetBkColor(-1, $COLOR_lime) ;~ $iStyle = _WinAPI_GetWindowLong(GUICtrlGetHandle($gToolbar), $GWL_STYLE) ;~ $iExStyle = _WinAPI_GetWindowLong(GUICtrlGetHandle($gToolbar), $GWL_EXSTYLE) ; BitOR($WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW, $WS_EX_MDICHILD) ;~ GUISetStyle(BitOR($iStyle, $WS_VISIBLE), $iExStyle, $gToolbar) $idToolmenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu(" &Tool ") Local $idToolMenuItem = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("An item for the Tool menu ", $idToolmenu) Local $idToolMenuItemsecond = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("A second item for the Tool menu ", $idToolmenu) GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $idToolmenu) ; create a separator line $idPrintmenu = GUICtrlCreateMenu(" &Print ") Local $idToolMenuItemPrint = GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("A Print item for the Toolbar print menu ", $idPrintmenu) GUICtrlCreateMenuItem("", $idPrintmenu) ; create a separator line #Region --- After GUI BEFORE loop starts GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $guiParent) #EndRegion --- After GUI BEFORE loop starts While 1 ;Local $nMsg = GUIGetMsg() Switch GUIGetMsg() ; $nMsg Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE, $ButtonCancel GUIDelete($guiParent) ExitLoop Case $idContextButton MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Button Clicked", 'Right Click to see the Contect Menu') Case $ButtonShowChildGui GUISetState(@SW_ENABLE, $gChildWithControls) GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $gChildWithControls) Case $idChild_ButtonHide ; <<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Child Gui Control Actioned in main loop ConsoleWrite("Yup, you clicked it" & @CRLF) GUISetState(@SW_HIDE, $gChildWithControls) Case $idChild_ButtonOkay ; <<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Child Gui Control Actioned in main loop ConsoleWrite("Yup, you clicked it" & @CRLF) MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "Button Clicked", 'Okay') EndSwitch WEnd GUIDelete() EndFunc ;==>ShowChildGuis

I've noticed that when I create a GUI and supply $WS_EX_MDICHILD in the extended style parameter the child window doesn't seem to behave correctly even though it is an extended style. The coordinates are off. However, if I supply it to the style parameter then it seems to work fine. Lastly, the child window doesn't seem to move with its parent window regardless of whether or not I use it as a style or extended style. Am I using this parameter right? I have this reproducer: #AutoIt3Wrapper_Version=B #AutoIt3Wrapper_AU3Check_Parameters=-w 1 -w 2 -w 3 -w 4 -w 5 -w 6 -w 7 -d #include <GUIConstantsEx.au3> #include <WindowsConstants.au3> Const $parent_width = 400 Const $parent_height = 300 Const $parent_left = (@DesktopWidth / 2) - ($parent_width / 2) Const $parent_top = (@DesktopHeight / 2) - ($parent_height / 2) Global $h_parent = GUICreate("Parent", $parent_width, $parent_height, $parent_left, $parent_top) Const $child_width = 200 Const $child_left = ($parent_left - $child_width) - 15 Global $h_child = GUICreate("Child", $child_width, 150, $child_left, $parent_top, $WS_EX_MDICHILD, -1) ; $WS_EX_CHILD in the style parameter seems to be fine ;Global $h_child = GUICreate("Child", $child_width, 150, $child_left, $parent_top, -1, $WS_EX_MDICHILD, $h_parent) ; $WS_EX_MDICHILD in the extended style parameter is weird GUISetState(@SW_SHOWNORMAL, $h_parent) GUISetState(@SW_SHOWNORMAL, $h_child) Do ; naught Until GUIGetMsg() = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSEEdit: I've already asked for this to be moved to the proper forum. Thanks!