Does SendMessageToDescendants Send Messages to CPropertySheet Windows

Check the code that you use to create the CPropertySheet that is the direct parent of the CPropertyPage windows.  If you use the default constructor, then the parent is your app's main window (and not any modal dialog that may be running).

Note: It is quite unusual to write a WindowProc for your dialog.  To intercept and process messages, you should override the
    PreTranslateMessage
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/kkbhxcs2(VS.80).aspx
member function of your CDialog-derived class object.

Dan,

Here is the constructor that creates the CPropertyPage

CStoreSettingsDlg::CStoreSettingsDlg(LPCTSTR pszCaption, CWnd* pParentWnd, UINT iSelectPage)
	:CPropertySheet(pszCaption, pParentWnd, iSelectPage)
{
	AddPage(&m_ProfilePage);
	AddPage(&m_LoginPage);
	AddPage(&m_EmailPage);
	AddPage(&m_EmailTemplatePage);
	AddPage(&m_TaxRatesPage);
	AddPage(&m_ProcessPage);
	AddPage(&m_CustomFieldsPage);
	AddPage(&m_AccountsPage);
	AddPage(&m_ReportsPage);
}

Select allOpen in new window

It sounds like the problem is that while in DoModal(), your WindowProc is not getting messages.  To verify that, place a line like:
   MessageBox("Sending msg", "to decendants");
into that function.  Or just put a breakpoint there.

Dan Rollins,

I have verified that CMyMainDlg::WindowProc is getting called.  I tried overriding CStoreSettingsDlg::WindowProc and it is not getting called, however.

Thanks,
David

Dan,

BTW - I tried switching to PreTranslateMessage (as I think I had already tried before) and found that it does not receive WM_APP_ messages apparently.  That must be the reason I over-rode WindowProc.  Also, I checked and GetParent() does return the main dlg for the CPropertySheet and the CPropertySheet for the CPropertyPage(s).  It seems the parent-child relationships are correct.  For some reason it is just not sending the messages between the CMyMainDlg and the CPropertySheet.

Thanks,
David

One possibility:  Property pages can't receive messages until they are created, and creation is delayed until the user actually clicks a tab.  

You might be able to verify that this is the issue by seeing if property page 0 (the one that is initially visible) is getting the message.  Or manually clicking a few tabs before doing the broadcast.

You should use Spy++ to monitor the activity when the message is broadcast.  It will also indicate the parent/child relationships of existing windows (and reveal which CWnd-derived objects are actual windows).

Dan,

In Spy++ the PropertySheet window shows up as a peer to the main window, but it seems that is normal for dialogs that are not attached to the main dialog.  Even though the main window is its parent, it seems that only windows like controls that are a part of a dialog or other child windows show up underneath the main dialog.  Could it be that only those windows will have the message broadcasted to them?

Also, I have confirmed that the break in the link for passing the message down occurs between the main dlg and the PropertySheet by overriding the WindowProc function of the PropertySheet.  It never receives the message and therefore does not pass it down.  If I, however, send the message directly to the PropertySheet it does pass it down to the PropertyPage windows it owns.  This is what I have implemented as a workaround.

Thanks,
David

The MFC function SendMessageToDescendants will select the current window as the "top"  If you want to send to all windows of your app, you should use, for instance,
   AfxGetMainWnd()->SendMessageToDescendants(.....)

Dan,

That seems to make it only send the message to the PropertySheet window and not back to the other (main) windows of my application.

Thanks,
David

It would depend on which window is set as the parent.   It is possible, even common, to set the desktop as the parent for "floating" windows.  Any window created thusly would not be in the parent/child hierarchy of your app (that is, would not be a descendant of your main window).

Doesn't the code I attached above showing how I create the PropertySheet window make the MainWnd of the application the parent?

void CMyMainDlg::OnViewStoreSettings() 
{
    CStoreSettingsDlg storeSettingsDlg("Store Settings", this, 0);
	
    storeSettingsDlg.DoModal();
}

Select allOpen in new window

It should make that CMyMainDlg object the parent.  I don't know what your main window is.  

It also disables that CMyMainDlg object, which might also be an issue.

Dan,

I have checked Spy++ on internet explorer and other commercial applications and the about box and options dialogs tend to not be listed under the root application window, similar to the way it appears in my application.  I agree that it seems like it should, but it appears that my application in not an anomoly in that regard at least.