Microsoft KB Archive/118472

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PRB: SelectClipRgn Cannot Grow Clip Region in WM_PAINT

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Q118472

3.10 4.00 | 3.50 3.51 4.00 WINDOWS | WINDOWS NT kbgraphic kbprb docerr

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1
 * Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API)

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SYMPTOMS
Setting a smaller clipping region in WM_PAINT by using SelectClipRgn works fine; however, setting a larger clipping region seems to have no effect. GetClipBox can be used to verify this after calling SelectClipRgn.

CAUSE
When you call SelectClipRgn within a BeginPaint/EndPaint block in an application's WM_PAINT case, the maximum size to which you can set your clipping region is the size of the update region of your paint structure. This is because the resulting clip region is the intersection of the update region and the region specified in the call to SelectClipRgn. In other words, you can use SelectClipRgn to shrink your update region, but not to grow it. This behavior is by design.

RESOLUTION
Invalidate the clipping region area you want before calling BeginPaint. For example:

  case WM_PAINT:

InvalidateRect(hWnd, ....); // Invalidate the size you'll want

// for the clip region. BeginPaint SelectClipRgn; ... paint away ... EndPaint; break; Something similar could be done in the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), such as:

  void CMyView::OnPaint

{

InvalidateRect(...); // Invalidate the size you'll want. CPaintDC dc(this);  // CPaintDC wraps BeginPaint/EndPaint. // Do drawing here...

}

STATUS
This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
This is addressed in the documentation for the Windows NT SDK version 3.1 [Section 20.1.5, "Window Regions" in Chapter 20, "Painting and Drawing" in the "Microsoft Win32 Programmer's Reference, Volume 1" or in the Win32 API Reference online help (search on "Window Regions")] which states:

In addition to the update region, every window has a visible region that defines the window portion visible to the user. The system changes the visible region for the window whenever the window changes size or whenever another window is moved such that it obscures or exposes a portion of the window. Applications cannot change the visible region directly, but Windows automatically uses the visible region to create the clipping region for any display DC retrieved for the window.

The clipping region determines where the system permits drawing. When the application retrieves a display DC using the BeginPaint, GetDC, or GetDCEx function, the system sets the clipping region for the DC to the intersection of the visible region and the update region. Applications can change the clipping region by using functions such as SelectClipPath and SelectClipRgn, to further limit drawing to a particular portion of the update area.

Additional query words: 3.10 4.00 SelectClipRegion big small large

Keywords : kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWinNT400 kbOSWin95 _IK kbSDKWin16

Issue type : kbprb

Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK310