Window glitches after redrawing with RedrawWindow or SendMessage(WM_PAINT)

I'm writing an application in C++ using the standard Windows API. It does some simple registry modification using buttons. When a button is pressed, it changes a label displayed at the bottom. To change it, I need to repaint the window (which automatically changes the label as needed). But when I redraw the window, it starts glitching. The static labels start flickering, and the buttons are missing altogether, but it stops after moving the window. Here is a GIF of it happening:

Here is my WndProc function:

WndProc

LRESULT CALLBACK WndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) {
static HFONT s_hFont = NULL;
HWND drive;
switch (message)
{
case WM_COMMAND:
{
int wmId = LOWORD(wParam);
// Parse the menu selections:
switch (wmId)
{
case IDM_ABOUT:
DialogBox(hInst, MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_ABOUTBOX), hWnd, About);
break;
case IDM_EXIT:
DestroyWindow(hWnd);
break;
case APPLY_BUTTON:
SetRegistryValues(hWnd);
break;
case CDRIVE_BUTTON:
newDriveSelection = 0;
RedrawWindow(hWnd, NULL, NULL, RDW_INVALIDATE); // tried both this...
break;
case DDRIVE_BUTTON:
newDriveSelection = 1;
InvalidateRect(hWnd, hWndSize, NULL); // ...and this
break;
default:
return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
}
}
break;
case WM_CREATE:
{
const TCHAR* fontName = _T("Tahoma");
const long nFontSize = 10;

HDC hdc = GetDC(hWnd);

LOGFONT logFont = {0};
logFont.lfHeight = -MulDiv(nFontSize, GetDeviceCaps(hdc, LOGPIXELSY), 72);
logFont.lfWeight = FW_MEDIUM;
_tcscpy_s(logFont.lfFaceName, fontName);

s_hFont = CreateFontIndirect(&logFont);
ReleaseDC(hWnd, hdc);
//s_hFont = (HFONT)GetStockObject();
}
break;
case WM_PAINT:
{
PAINTSTRUCT ps;
HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hWnd, &ps);
HWND CDrvButton = CreateWindow(
L"BUTTON", // Predefined class; Unicode assumed
L"Set to C: Drive", // Button text
WS_TABSTOP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON, // Styles
20, // x position
20, // y position
156, // Button width
21, // Button height
hWnd, // Parent window
(HMENU)CDRIVE_BUTTON, // No menu.
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
HWND DDrvButton = CreateWindow(
L"BUTTON", // Predefined class; Unicode assumed
L"Set to D: Drive", // Button text
WS_TABSTOP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON, // Styles
20, // x position
53, // y position
156, // Button width
21, // Button height
hWnd, // Parent window
(HMENU)DDRIVE_BUTTON, // No menu.
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
HWND quit = CreateWindow(
L"BUTTON", // Predefined class; Unicode assumed
L"Quit", // Button text
WS_TABSTOP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON, // Styles
20, // x position
125, // y position
54, // Button width
21, // Button height
hWnd, // Parent window
(HMENU)IDM_EXIT, // No menu.
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
HWND apply = CreateWindow(
L"BUTTON", // Predefined class; Unicode assumed
L"Apply", // Button text
WS_TABSTOP | WS_VISIBLE | WS_CHILD | BS_DEFPUSHBUTTON, // Styles
220, // x position
125, // y position
63, // Button width
21, // Button height
hWnd, // Parent window
(HMENU)APPLY_BUTTON, // No menu.
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
HWND the = CreateWindow(
L"static",
L"ST_U",
WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP,
35,
82,
28,
17,
hWnd,
(HMENU)(501),
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
drive = CreateWindow(
L"static",
L"ST_U",
WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP,
66,
82,
18,
17,
hWnd,
(HMENU)(501),
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
HWND selected = CreateWindow(
L"static",
L"ST_U",
WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP,
87,
82,
196,
17,
hWnd,
(HMENU)(501),
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
HWND newdrv = CreateWindow(
L"static",
L"ST_U",
WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_TABSTOP,
25,
99,
276,
23,
hWnd,
(HMENU)(501),
(HINSTANCE)GetWindowLong(hWnd, GWL_HINSTANCE),
NULL);
SetWindowText(the, L"The");
SetWindowText(drive, GetDriveLetter());
SetWindowText(selected, L"drive is set as the current drive.");
switch (newDriveSelection) {
case 0:
SetWindowText(newdrv, L"The C: drive will be when you click Apply.");
break;
case 1:
SetWindowText(newdrv, L"The D: drive will be when you click Apply.");
break;
default:
SetWindowText(newdrv, L"");
break;
}
SendMessage(CDrvButton, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(DDrvButton, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(apply, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(quit, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(the, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(drive, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(selected, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
SendMessage(newdrv, WM_SETFONT, (WPARAM)s_hFont, (LPARAM)MAKELONG(TRUE, 0));
EndPaint(hWnd, &ps);
}
break;
case WM_DESTROY:
DeleteObject(s_hFont);
PostQuitMessage(0);
break;
default:
return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
}
return 0;
}


What could be causing the problem with my code? I think it's a problem with the WM_PAINT handler because this sometimes also happens when un-minimizing the program.

Why are you creating windows on WM_PAINT?
– VTT
Aug 19 '17 at 21:17

WM_PAINT

Beyond that, calling RedrawWindow is needless here, invalidation is probably cleaner. And you must never send WM_PAINT.
– David Heffernan
Aug 20 '17 at 7:11

You need to get into the habit of reading the documentation. WM_PAINT is fairly succinct. If that's not enough, The WM_PAINT Message provides more information.
– IInspectable
Aug 25 '17 at 20:00

1 Answer
1

You are creating components each time the application repaints - handles the WM_PAINT message and that is why there is a flicker. Move everything from the:

HDC hdc = BeginPaint(hWnd, &ps);
// move everything in here to WM_CREATE message handling section
EndPaint(hWnd, &ps);


block to the WM_CREATE section. The paint event is for painting, not for creating the windows (components), sending messages or handling the input. The statement of:

switch (newDriveSelection)


is better suited for WM_COMMAND message handling section.

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