Hosting ActiveX Controls Using ATL AXHost

 

The latest version of this topic can be found at Hosting ActiveX Controls Using ATL AXHost.

The sample in this topic shows how to create AXHost and how to host an ActiveX control using various ATL functions. It also shows how to access the control and sink events (using IDispEventImpl) from the control that is hosted. The sample hosts the Calendar control in a main window or in a child window.

Notice the definition of the USE_METHOD symbol. You can change the value of this symbol to vary between 1 and 8. The value of the symbol determines how the control will be created:

  • For even-numbered values of USE_METHOD, the call to create the host subclasses a window and converts it into a control host. For odd-numbered values, the code creates a child window that acts as a host.

  • For values of USE_METHOD between 1 and 4, access to the control and sinking of events are accomplished in the call that also creates the host. Values between 5 and 8 query the host for interfaces and hook the sink.

Here's a summary:

USE_METHOD Host Control access and event sinking Function demonstrated
1 Child window One step CreateControlLicEx
2 Main window One step AtlAxCreateControlLicEx
3 Child window One step CreateControlEx
4 Main window One step AtlAxCreateControlEx
5 Child window Multiple steps CreateControlLic
6 Main window Multiple steps AtlAxCreateControlLic
7 Child window Multiple steps CreateControl
8 Main window Multiple steps AtlAxCreateControl
// Your project must be apartment threaded or the (AtlAx)CreateControl(Lic)(Ex)
// calls will fail.
#define _ATL_APARTMENT_THREADED
#include <atlbase.h>
#include <atlwin.h>
#include <atlhost.h>

// Value of g_UseMethod determines the function used to create the control.
int g_UseMethod = 0; // 1 to 8 are valid values
bool ValidateUseMethod() { return (1 <= g_UseMethod) && (g_UseMethod <= 8); }

#import "PROGID:MSCAL.Calendar.7" no_namespace, raw_interfaces_only

// Child window class that will be subclassed for hosting Active X control
class CChildWindow : public CWindowImpl<CChildWindow>
{
public:
   BEGIN_MSG_MAP(CChildWindow)
   END_MSG_MAP()
};

class CMainWindow : public CWindowImpl<CMainWindow, CWindow, CFrameWinTraits>,
   public IDispEventImpl<1, CMainWindow, &__uuidof(DCalendarEvents), &__uuidof(__MSACAL), 7, 0>
{
public :

   CChildWindow m_wndChild;
   CAxWindow2 m_axwnd;
   CWindow m_wndEdit;

   static ATL::CWndClassInfo& GetWndClassInfo()
   {
      static ATL::CWndClassInfo wc =
      {
         { 
            sizeof(WNDCLASSEX), 
            CS_HREDRAW | CS_VREDRAW | CS_DBLCLKS, 
            StartWindowProc,
            0, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL, 
            (HBRUSH)(COLOR_WINDOW + 1), 
            0, 
            _T("MainWindow"), 
            NULL 
         },
         NULL, NULL, IDC_ARROW, TRUE, 0, _T("")
      };
      return wc;
   }
   
   BEGIN_MSG_MAP(CMainWindow)
      MESSAGE_HANDLER(WM_CREATE, OnCreate)
      MESSAGE_HANDLER(WM_DESTROY, OnDestroy)
   END_MSG_MAP()

   BEGIN_SINK_MAP(CMainWindow)
      SINK_ENTRY_EX(1, __uuidof(DCalendarEvents), 1, OnClick)
   END_SINK_MAP()

   // Helper to display events
   void DisplayNotification(TCHAR* pszMessage)
   {
      CWindow wnd;
      wnd.Attach(GetDlgItem(2));
      
      wnd.SendMessage(EM_SETSEL, (WPARAM)-1, -1);
      wnd.SendMessage(EM_REPLACESEL, 0, (LPARAM)pszMessage);
   }
   
   // Event Handler for Click
   STDMETHOD(OnClick)()
   {
      DisplayNotification(_T("OnClick\r\n"));
      return S_OK;
   }

   LRESULT OnCreate(UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM, BOOL&)
   {
      HRESULT hr = E_INVALIDARG;

      _pAtlModule->Lock();

      RECT rect;
      GetClientRect(&rect);
      
      RECT rect2;
      rect2 = rect;
      
      rect2.bottom -=200;
      
      // if g_UseMethod is odd then create AxHost directly as the child of the main window
      if (g_UseMethod & 0x1) 
      {
         m_axwnd.Create(m_hWnd, rect2, NULL, WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER, 0, 1);
      }
      // if g_UseMethod is even then the AtlAx version is invoked.
      else
      {
         // Create a child window.
         // AtlAx functions will subclass this window.
         m_wndChild.Create(m_hWnd, rect2, NULL, WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | WS_BORDER, 0, 1);
         // Attach the child window to the CAxWindow so we can access the 
         // host that subclasses the child window.
         m_axwnd.Attach(m_wndChild);
      }

      if (m_axwnd.m_hWnd != NULL)
      {
         CComPtr<IUnknown> spControl;

         // The calls to (AtlAx)CreateControl(Lic)(Ex) do the following:
         // Create Calendar control. (Passing in NULL for license key. 
         //   Pass in valid license key to the Lic functions if the 
         //   control requires one.)
         // Get the IUnknown pointer for the control.
         // Sink events from the control.
         
         // The AtlAx versions subclass the hWnd that is passed in to them 
         //   to implement the host functionality.

         // The first 4 calls accomplish it in one call.
         // The last 4 calls accomplish it using multiple steps.

         switch (g_UseMethod)
         {
            case 1:
            {
               hr = m_axwnd.CreateControlLicEx(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7"), 
                  NULL, 
                  NULL, 
                  &spControl, 
                  __uuidof(DCalendarEvents), 
                  (IUnknown*)(IDispEventImpl<1, CMainWindow, 
                     &__uuidof(DCalendarEvents), &__uuidof(__MSACAL), 7, 0>*)this
               );
               break;
            }
            case 2:
            {
               hr = AtlAxCreateControlLicEx(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7"), 
                  m_wndChild.m_hWnd, 
                  NULL, 
                  NULL, 
                  &spControl, 
                  __uuidof(DCalendarEvents), 
                  (IUnknown*)(IDispEventImpl<1, CMainWindow, 
                     &__uuidof(DCalendarEvents), &__uuidof(__MSACAL), 7, 0>*)this, 
                  NULL
               );
               break;
            }
            case 3:
            {
               hr = m_axwnd.CreateControlEx(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7"), 
                  NULL, 
                  NULL, 
                  &spControl, 
                  __uuidof(DCalendarEvents), 
                  (IUnknown*)(IDispEventImpl<1, CMainWindow, 
                     &__uuidof(DCalendarEvents), &__uuidof(__MSACAL), 7, 0>*)this
               );
               break;
            }
            case 4:
            {
               hr = AtlAxCreateControlEx(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7"), 
                  m_wndChild.m_hWnd, 
                  NULL, 
                  NULL, 
                  &spControl, 
                  __uuidof(DCalendarEvents), 
                  (IUnknown*)(IDispEventImpl<1, CMainWindow, 
                     &__uuidof(DCalendarEvents), &__uuidof(__MSACAL), 7, 0>*)this
               );
               break;
            }
            // The following calls create the control, obtain an interface to 
            // the control, and set up the sink in multiple steps.
            case 5:
            {
               hr = m_axwnd.CreateControlLic(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7")
               );
               break;
            }
            case 6:
            {
               hr = AtlAxCreateControlLic(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7"), 
                  m_wndChild.m_hWnd, 
                  NULL, 
                  NULL
               );
               break;
            }
            case 7:
            {
               hr = m_axwnd.CreateControl(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7")
               );
               break;
            }
            case 8:
            {
               hr = AtlAxCreateControl(
                  OLESTR("MSCAL.Calendar.7"), 
                  m_wndChild.m_hWnd , 
                  NULL, 
                  NULL
               );
               break;
            }
         }

         // have to obtain an interface to the control and set up the sink
         if (g_UseMethod > 4)
         {
            if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
            {
               hr = m_axwnd.QueryControl(&spControl);
               if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
               {
                  // Sink events form the control
                  DispEventAdvise(spControl, &__uuidof(DCalendarEvents));
               }
            }
         }

         if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
         {
            // Use the returned IUnknown pointer.
            CComPtr<ICalendar> spCalendar;
            hr = spControl.QueryInterface(&spCalendar);
            if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
            {
               spCalendar->put_ShowDateSelectors(VARIANT_FALSE);
            }
         }
      }

      rect2 = rect;
      rect2.top = rect.bottom - 200 + 1;
      m_wndEdit.Create(_T("Edit"), m_hWnd, rect2, NULL, WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | 
         WS_BORDER | ES_AUTOHSCROLL | ES_AUTOVSCROLL | ES_MULTILINE, 0, 2);
      return 0;
   }

   LRESULT OnDestroy(UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM, BOOL&)
   {
      _pAtlModule->Unlock();
      return 0;
   }
};

class CHostActiveXModule : public CAtlExeModuleT<CHostActiveXModule>
{
public :

   CMainWindow m_wndMain;

   // Create the Main window
   HRESULT PreMessageLoop(int nCmdShow)
   {
      HRESULT hr = CAtlExeModuleT<CHostActiveXModule>::PreMessageLoop(nCmdShow);
      if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
      {
         AtlAxWinInit();
         hr = S_OK;
         RECT rc;
         rc.top = rc.left = 100;
         rc.bottom = rc.right = 500;
         m_wndMain.Create(NULL, rc, _T("Host Calendar") );
         m_wndMain.ShowWindow(nCmdShow);         
      }
      return hr;
   }

   // Clean up. App is exiting.
   HRESULT PostMessageLoop()
   {
      AtlAxWinTerm();
      return CAtlExeModuleT<CHostActiveXModule>::PostMessageLoop();
   }
};

CHostActiveXModule _AtlModule;

int APIENTRY _tWinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance,
                     HINSTANCE hPrevInstance,
                     LPTSTR    lpCmdLine,
                     int       nCmdShow)
{
    UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(hInstance);
   UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(hPrevInstance);
    
   g_UseMethod = _ttoi(lpCmdLine);

   if (ValidateUseMethod())
   {
      return _AtlModule.WinMain(nCmdShow);
   }
   else
   {
      return E_INVALIDARG;   
   }
}

See Also

Control Containment FAQ
AtlAxCreateControl
AtlAxCreateControlEx
AtlAxCreateControlLic
AtlAxCreateControlLicEx
CAxWindow2T Class
IAxWinHostWindowLic Interface