How could I get the parent of an embedded control generically ?

[SherTeks]

I have a dialog-based application that contains a combo box. I've subclassed the combo box like this :

HBRUSH CSubClassedComboBox::OnCtlColor(CDC* pDC, CWnd* pWnd, UINT nCtlColor)
{

  if (nCtlColor == CTLCOLOR\_EDIT)
  {
     //\[ASCII 160\]\[ASCII 160\]\[ASCII 160\]Edit control
     if (m\_CmbEditBox.GetSafeHwnd() == NULL)
        m\_CmbEditBox.SubclassWindow(pWnd->GetSafeHwnd());
  }
  else if (nCtlColor == CTLCOLOR\_LISTBOX)
  {

     //ListBox control
	  if (m\_CmbListBox == NULL)
	  {
		  m\_CmbListBox = new CListBoxEx;

		  if (m\_CmbListBox->GetSafeHwnd() == NULL)
		  {			  
			  m\_CmbListBox->SubclassWindow(pWnd->GetSafeHwnd());
		  }
	  }
  }

HBRUSH hbr = CComboBox::OnCtlColor(pDC, pWnd, nCtlColor);

return hbr;

}

m_CmbEditBox and m_CmbListBox are objects of CEdit and CListBoxEx(derived from CListBox) respectively and declared in SubClassedComboBox.h as the class CSubClassedComboBox's members. During run-time of my application, I pull down the list box and right-click on any of the list box items. My control reaches here :

void CListBoxEx::OnContextMenu(CWnd* pWnd, CPoint point)
{
GetParent->TestFn();
}

Now, in CListBoxEx::OnContextMenu, I want to call a member function ( say TestFn() ) available in class CSubClassedComboBox. Please see the following code :

void CListBoxEx::OnContextMenu(CWnd* pWnd, CPoint point)
{
((CSubClassedComboBox *)GetParent())->TestFn(); //This works and TestFn() of CSubClassedComboBox is called

GetParent())->TestFn();		//But this doesn't work

}

As in the comments, the second statement doesn't work. I don't want to cast the pointer returned by GetParent() to CSubClassedComboBox * bcoz this wouldn't be in generic sense. By this, I mean to say that GetParent() should be able to give the parent pointer which is CSubClassedComboBox * in this case, but could be anything else (eg. another container window that contains the CListBoxEx object). In summary, GetParent()->TestFn(); should call TestFn() of CSubClassedComboBox as per the requirement above. But GetParent())->TestFn(); should be able to call TestFn() of say CSubClassedSomeContainerWindow if m_ListBox is a member of CSubClassedSomeContainerWindow So, I am looking for a solution that is generic, to find the parent. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Nibu babu thomas]

SherTeks wrote:

So, I am looking for a solution that is generic, to find the parent.

If I understood your question properly... Define a message for your parent class, for e.g. WM_TEST_FN. So all the parent needs to do is define a handler for this message. So if the handler is there then the function will be called. So then you can use SendMessage to send this message.

Nibu babu thomas Microsoft MVP for VC++ Code must be written to be read, not by the compiler, but by another human being. Programming Blog: http://nibuthomas.wordpress.com

[Naveen]

One method is to send a USER message to the parent window and you should write a ahndler for that message in the parent window instead of TestFn(). And offourse it is generic.

nave [OpenedFileFinder]

[Naveen]

ok. You won this time :(

nave [OpenedFileFinder]

[Nibu babu thomas]

Naveen wrote:

ok. You won this time [Frown]

;)

Nibu babu thomas Microsoft MVP for VC++ Code must be written to be read, not by the compiler, but by another human being. Programming Blog: http://nibuthomas.wordpress.com

[SherTeks]

Thanks for your reply. May be I need to make my question a bit more clearer. Just assume that my dialog application has 2 controls : 1) a Combo Box and 2) another container control similar to combo box (but not exactly combo box). The common trait between the two controls is that they both embed the list box object derived from CListBoxEx. Now, I could right-click on any one list box at a particular point of time during run-time. The right-click would bring the control to the OnContextMenu of CListBoxEx::OnContextMenu. In this place, I should be able to identify the parent ie. either control 1) or 2) using GetParent(). But the only condition is that I shouldn't cast the pointer returned by GetParent() to any of the parent control pointers ie. GetParent()->TestFn() must call the TestFn() member function of the appropriate control of which the list box was right-clicked. Thanks

[Nibu babu thomas]

SherTeks wrote:

But the only condition is that I shouldn't cast the pointer returned by GetParent() to any of the parent control pointers ie. GetParent()->TestFn() must call the TestFn() member function of the appropriate control of which the list box was right-clicked.

Well you don't need any casting right if you are using messages. Take a look... GetParent()->SendMessage( WM_TEST_FN, SomewParam, SomelParam ); Now all the parent class needs to do is add a message map entry to handle this event. BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(...) ON_MESSAGE( WM_TEST_FN, TestFn) END_MESSAGE_MAP() TestFn signature should look like this... LRESULT TestFn( WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam );

Nibu babu thomas Microsoft MVP for VC++ Code must be written to be read, not by the compiler, but by another human being. Programming Blog: http://nibuthomas.wordpress.com

[SherTeks]

Correction : In my previous post, please consider m_CmbEditBox as of type CEditEx and not of type CEdit. My exact requirement is like this : On right-clicking the list box item the control reaches CListBoxEx::OnContextMenu. Please see the comment :

void CListBoxEx::OnContextMenu(CWnd* pWnd, CPoint point)
{
/* The GetParent() here returns CTempWnd * (obtained while debugging).
I am expecting the return pointer to be of type CSubClassedComboBox
bcoz the subclassed combo box of type CSubClassedComboBox is the
list box's parent */
GetParent()->TestFn();
}

What am I doing wrong for list box bcoz the same mechanism for the child edit box of the CSubClassedComboBox works fine ie.

void CEditEx::OnContextMenu(CWnd* pWnd, CPoint point)
{
/* The GetParent() here returns CSubClassedComboBox * (obtained while debugging) which is correct and is the expected result. */
GetParent()->TestFn();
}

Is there anything to do with the temporary creation of the list box which is not the case with edit box ? If so, how could I acquire the desired result ? Thanks