Archived:Displaying UI controls in Symbian console exe programs
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This article shows how to display standard Symbian C++ GUI framework controls in a console exe.
This article needs to be updated: If you found this article useful, please fix the problems below then delete the {{ArticleNeedsUpdate}} template from the article to remove this warning.
Reasons: hamishwillee (02 Feb 2012)
This was written in EKA1 timeframes when apps were DLLs and not exes. This is mostly accurate, but the section describing emulator behaviour on load will not be correct for S60 3rd edition and later.
Reasons: hamishwillee (02 Feb 2012)
This was written in EKA1 timeframes when apps were DLLs and not exes. This is mostly accurate, but the section describing emulator behaviour on load will not be correct for S60 3rd edition and later.
Article Metadata
Introduction
To display a CCoeControl in a console exe we need to minimally add the CONE environment (CCoeEnv) used by all controls. This makes is quite straightforward, because the CCoeEnv creates a whole environment for us, thus limiting our task to the proper control creation.
Source
Library required:
LIBRARY euser.lib //CTrapCleanup
LIBRARY ws32.lib //RWsSession,RWindow
LIBRARY cone.lib //CCoeEnv
LIBRARY eikcoctl.lib //CEikTextListBox,CTextListBoxModel
Source:
#include <coedef.h> // TCoeWinPriority
#include <e32base.h> // CTrapCleanup
#include <w32std.h> // RWsSession
#include <coecntrl.h> // CCoeControl
#include <coemain.h> // CCoeEnv
class CMyControl : public CCoeControl
{
public:
void ConstructL(const TRect& aRect);
private:
void Draw(const TRect& aRect) const;
};
void CMyControl::ConstructL(const TRect& aRect)
{
CreateWindowL();
SetRect(aRect);
ActivateL();
}
void CMyControl::Draw(const TRect& aRect) const
{
// Just paint it blue
CWindowGc& gc = SystemGc();
gc.SetBrushStyle(CGraphicsContext::ESolidBrush);
gc.SetBrushColor(KRgbBlue);
gc.SetPenStyle(CGraphicsContext::ENullPen);
gc.Clear(aRect);
}
// S60 screen size
const TUint screenWidth = 176;
const TUint screenHeight = 208;
LOCAL_C void ExeMainL()
{
CCoeEnv::Static()->RootWin().SetOrdinalPosition(0, ECoeWinPriorityAlwaysAtFront);
CMyControl* ctrl = new(ELeave) CMyControl;
CleanupStack::PushL(ctrl);
ctrl->ConstructL(TRect(0, 0, screenWidth, screenHeight));
ctrl->DrawNow();
CCoeEnv::Static()->WsSession().Flush();
CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(ctrl);
}
GLDEF_C TInt E32Main()
{
#if defined(__WINS__)
// WINS already creates environment for us
CCoeEnv* coe = CCoeEnv::Static();
#else
CCoeEnv* coe = new CCoeEnv;
TRAPD(err, coe->ConstructL());
__ASSERT_ALWAYS(!err, User::Panic(_L("EXECTRL"), err));
#endif
TRAPD(error, ExeMainL());
__ASSERT_ALWAYS(!error, User::Panic(_L("EXECTRL"), error));
User::After(3*1000*1000);
#if !defined(__WINS__)
coe->DestroyEnvironment();
#endif
return 0;
}
#if defined(__WINS__)
EXPORT_C TInt WinsMain()
{
E32Main();
User::Exit(0);
return KErrNone;
}
TInt E32Dll(TDllReason)
{
return KErrNone;
}
#endif
Note that the emulator creates an environment on our behalf when loading an exedll/epocexe as .app, so we have to avoid creating a new environment on emulator builds, otherwise, we'd get a CONE 2 panic (Environment already exists)
Now moving a step further, we'd like to use existing controls, such as listboxes, dialogs, etc. In most cases, a CONE environment won't be enough, so we'll have to resort on the Eikon environment:
#include <coedef.h> // TCoeWinPriority
#include <e32base.h> // CTrapCleanup
#include <w32std.h> // RWsSession
#include <coecntrl.h> // CCoeControl
#include <eikenv.h> // CEikonEnv
#include <eiktxlbx.h> // CEikTextListBox
#include <eiktxlbm.h> // CTextListBoxModel
class CMyControl : public CCoeControl
{
public:
void ConstructL(const TRect& aRect);
~CMyControl();
private:
void SizeChanged();
TInt CountComponentControls() const;
CCoeControl* ComponentControl(TInt aIndex) const;
void Draw(const TRect& aRect) const;
private:
CEikTextListBox* iListBox;
};
void CMyControl::ConstructL(const TRect& aRect)
{
CreateWindowL();
// You may use CAknSingleStyleListBox, etc for S60..
iListBox = new(ELeave) CEikTextListBox;
iListBox->SetContainerWindowL(*this);
// iListBox->SetMopParent(this);
iListBox->ConstructL(this);
CDesCArray* items = static_cast<CDesCArray*> (iListBox->Model()->ItemTextArray());
_LIT(KItem1, "First");
items->AppendL(KItem1);
_LIT(KItem2, "Second");
items->AppendL(KItem2);
iListBox->HandleItemAdditionL();
iListBox->SetFocus(ETrue);
// iListBox->CreateScrollBarFrameL();
// iListBox->ScrollBarFrame()->SetScrollBarVisibilityL(CEikScrollBarFrame::EOff, CEikScrollBarFrame::EAuto);
SetRect(aRect);
ActivateL();
}
CMyControl::~CMyControl()
{
delete iListBox;
}
void CMyControl::SizeChanged()
{
iListBox->SetRect(Rect());
}
TInt CMyControl::CountComponentControls() const
{
return 1;
}
CCoeControl* CMyControl::ComponentControl(TInt aIndex) const
{
switch (aIndex)
{
case 0:
return iListBox;
default:
return 0;
}
}
void CMyControl::Draw(const TRect& aRect) const
{
CWindowGc& gc = SystemGc();
gc.Clear(aRect);
}
// S60 screen size
const TUint screenWidth = 176;
const TUint screenHeight = 208;
LOCAL_C void ExeMainL()
{
CCoeEnv::Static()->RootWin().SetOrdinalPosition(0, ECoeWinPriorityAlwaysAtFront);
CMyControl* ctrl = new(ELeave) CMyControl;
CleanupStack::PushL(ctrl);
ctrl->ConstructL(TRect(0, 0, screenWidth, screenHeight));
ctrl->DrawNow();
CCoeEnv::Static()->WsSession().Flush();
CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(ctrl);
}
GLDEF_C TInt E32Main()
{
#if defined(__WINS__)
// WINS already creates environment for us
CEikonEnv* coe = CEikonEnv::Static();
#else
CEikonEnv* coe = new CEikonEnv;
TRAPD(err, coe->ConstructL());
__ASSERT_ALWAYS(!err, User::Panic(_L("EXECTRL"), err));
#endif
TRAPD(error, ExeMainL());
__ASSERT_ALWAYS(!error, User::Panic(_L("EXECTRL"), error));
User::After(3*1000*1000);
#if !defined(__WINS__)
delete coe;
#endif
return 0;
}
#if defined(__WINS__)
EXPORT_C TInt WinsMain()
{
E32Main();
User::Exit(0);
return KErrNone;
}
TInt E32Dll(TDllReason)
{
return KErrNone;
}
#endif
The example above shows a pretty simple compound control, consisting of just one lodger control, a text listbox. But to make this a bit more useful, we'd need to receive events (such as key presses) and pass them to the control. The example bellow shows a simple implementation. Actually, it mimics somehow CCoeEnv::ExecuteD() functionality, which basically starts the active scheduler and waits for events from the window server (note that CCoeEnv is a CActive)
LOCAL_C void ExeMainL()
{
CCoeEnv* coeEnv = CCoeEnv::Static();
coeEnv->RootWin().SetOrdinalPosition(0, ECoeWinPriorityAlwaysAtFront);
CMyControl* ctrl = new(ELeave) CMyControl;
CleanupStack::PushL(ctrl);
ctrl->ConstructL(TRect(0, 0, screenWidth, screenHeight));
ctrl->DrawNow();
coeEnv->WsSession().Flush();
// Create a basic UI and set control to receive events
CMyAppUi* appUi = new(ELeave) CMyAppUi;
appUi->SetRootControl(ctrl);
coeEnv->SetAppUi(appUi); // takes ownership
for (;;)
{
// Wait synchronously for event
TRequestStatus status;
coeEnv->WsSession().EventReady(&status);
User::WaitForRequest(status);
if (status.Int() == KErrNone)
{
TWsEvent event;
coeEnv->WsSession().GetEvent(event);
// Check exit key
if (event.Key()->iCode == EKeyDevice3)
break;
// Pass event to control
appUi->HandleWsEventL(event, ctrl);
}
}
CleanupStack::PopAndDestroy(ctrl);
}
You May Download the examples here:
06 Sep
2009