Question

MessageBoxEx not showing correct unicode character.

Asked by: Unimatrix_001

Hello,

The very simple code below isn't showing the correct character, I am expecting this character:
http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/1122/index.htm, I'm getting the output shown in the image. Any suggestions would be nice.

Thanks,
Uni

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE aHInstance, HINSTANCE aHPrevInstance, LPSTR alpCmdLine, int anCmdShow){
	TCHAR val=L'\u1122';
	MessageBoxEx(0, &val, L"", 0, 0);
	return 0;
}

                                  
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Asked On
2009-09-12 at 21:05:52ID24727516
Topic

Windows Programming

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
16

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Answers

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-12 at 23:46:21ID: 25319201

I see something else - first picture attached.

I attached the source code with few changes - take a look.

You declared only one symbol and called MessageBox to show the string. The string should be 0 terminated. I think, this is a problem.

The fixed code show "hai" (or something else) in very small letters - that's what you need?

#include <Windows.h>
 
int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE aHInstance, HINSTANCE aHPrevInstance, LPSTR alpCmdLine, int anCmdShow)
{
	WCHAR val[MAX_PATH] = { L'\u1122', 0 };
	MessageBoxEx(0, val, L"", 0, 0);
	return 0;
}
                                              
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by: Unimatrix_001Posted on 2009-09-12 at 23:51:46ID: 25319217

Hello :)

Yes, I think the null terminated could have been an issue as I'm no longer getting a long string, although sadly I'm afraid I'm still not getting the correct symbol, I'm now simply getting a rectangle? I am able to type that character into word and is displays correctly, so I'm not sure that it is a font issue?

Thanks alot,
Uni.

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-12 at 23:57:35ID: 25319234

Do you have this language support on your computer? If your font does not have this character what you will see?
 

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-12 at 23:58:42ID: 25319235

Oops!
Sorry, I didn't see the name again. :)

 

by: Unimatrix_001Posted on 2009-09-13 at 00:00:21ID: 25319242

>>Do you have this language support on your computer?
Yes, as I'm able to type that character into word, and it uses the font Arial Unicode MS.

>>If your font does not have this character what you will see?
Well, from what I've gathered, a square box as I originally had.

>>Sorry, I didn't see the name again. :)
I'm happy for you to continue helping, if you wish to that is? :)

Thanks,
Uni

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 00:13:40ID: 25319269

Ok.
I don't have something special. I tested your app on Vista. But I have Chinese, Korean, etc.
I'm not strong in this area - I could explain you why you don't see it on Windows Mobile. :)
Let's try to apply the same for the desktop.
What it should be? Do you see this character in the word? Can you attach an image here? The screenshot I posted is what you need?
I hope we do not have a task with ANSI/WideChar<->UTF8 conversion here.

What is the task actually?



 

by: Unimatrix_001Posted on 2009-09-13 at 00:18:00ID: 25319282

>>What it should be?
I should be seeing the character you saw in your corrected version - the one that looks like 'hai'.

>>Do you see this character in the word? Can you attach an image here?
Yes, see below.

>>The screenshot I posted is what you need?
Correct - I should be getting exactly the same as you showed in your hiong1.jpg image.

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 00:26:04ID: 25319302

Fine. Do you have XP? I can check on XP later - in few hours.
So I think the problem is with the font. So you are sure that in the windows settings for the message boxes you have Arial Unicode MS and you see this text in the word with this font?
We can make a small dialog based application, set this Arial Unicode MS font for this dialog, put a CStatic on it and see the text. Is it good way?

If you'd prefer pure Win API and this message box, we will have to understand what's going on with your fonts. Probably, there is a way to set a font for this specific message box.

 

by: Unimatrix_001Posted on 2009-09-13 at 00:30:36ID: 25319319

>>Do you have XP? I can check on XP later - in few hours.
Yes, I am only working on XP.

>>the windows settings for the message boxes
Where do I find the setting for changing the font for message boxes?

>>Is it good way?
It sounds good, but also a lot of work on your part!

>>If you'd prefer pure Win API and this message box
Yes, I would prefer to stick with just the Win API if at all possible.

Thanks,
Uni

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 04:00:24ID: 25319749

>>Where do I find the setting for changing the font for message boxes?
In WinXP it's Control Panel->Display->Settings->Advanced Settings

I proposed you a dialog based application because it is easy to change the font for the dialog or its controls.

In our case I think we have a problem with the Windows XP settings. If you do have this language support instelled on your desktop, your usual system font should show this symbol.
To change font only for the message box - we will need to make a hook - it is a very long story. When someone needs to change the message box font, he makes an own small dialog with "Ok" button and a text  - easy, smart, no need to know something about the hooks.

To make your own message box, you need (in addition to what you already did here) to know about CreateFontIndirect and WM_SETFONT (if we are talking about Win32 API only).

But I think we should change the system settings first - I see this symbol on my computers. So it works. It should work on your PC as well

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 04:11:41ID: 25319760

You are right. On XP I see a rectangle. Let me check.

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 04:16:25ID: 25319767

So it works.
Control Panel->Display->Appearance->Advanced. Here select "Message Box" in the combo box "Item. In the combo box below you will see the font. By default it is Tahoma. Choose Arial Unicode MS.
Launch the application - in the message box will be the text you wanted to see.

 

by: Unimatrix_001Posted on 2009-09-13 at 04:43:14ID: 25319811

Excellent! :) Thanks, that appears to have sorted it, although I'm just testing a few things after your comments, to make sure I fully understand what you're saying. Be back shortly...

Thanks,
Uni

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 04:51:03ID: 25319826

Actually the error was here:
TCHAR val=L'\u1122';
MessageBoxEx(0, &val, L"", 0, 0);
MessageBox works with the strings, so it should array of characters with 0 in the end. You had a variable of type WCHAR, but &val "made" the array of wide character from it. This is a kind of a bad mistake.

 

by: Unimatrix_001Posted on 2009-09-13 at 04:53:49ID: 31628049

Lovely, thank you. :)

 

by: pgnatyukPosted on 2009-09-13 at 05:10:54ID: 25319865

You are welcome :)

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