This article was contributed by Oleg Lobach.

Environment: The code was compiled with VC6 SP2, Win98 and tested with Win95 SP2, Win98 and NT4 SP3.

I think that default look of common CTabCtrl is not cool enough (for the year 2000), when control is used with scrolling tabs:

The CLBTabCtrl class uses my CLBSpinButtonCtrl class (see "Owner drawn spin button control with autodisabling arrow buttons" article) and completly draw itself to look like this:

Beside that, my CLBTabCtrl class has "autoraising items" feature. It means, that when mouse is over inactive item, that item is drawn higher then other inactive items and its right border became darker. This feature also persist when tab control is used in stacked mode:

How to use CLBTabCtrl

1. Add LBTabCtrl.h and LBTabCtrl.cpp to your project.
2. Create new class derived from CPropertySheet and add it to project.
3. Include LBTabCtrl.h file in the header file of just created CPropertySheet-derived class.

   #include "LBTabCtrl.h"; 
4. Add a member variable to that CPropertySheet-derived class.

    CLBTabCtrl m_LBTabCtrl; 

5. Subclass the common tab control to CLBTabCtrl. The good place to do this - in the virtual member function OnInitDialog() of CPropertySheet-derived class:

      
   BOOL CLBTabDemoPropSheet::OnInitDialog() 
   {
   	BOOL bResult =CPropertySheet::OnInitDialog(); 
   	
   	//Subclass default CTabCtrl to CLBTabCtrl
   	CTabCtrl *pTab =GetTabControl();
   	m_LBTabCtrl.SubclassWindow(pTab->m_hWnd);
   
   	return bResult;
   }
     

   After that yo can use that CPropertySheet-derived class everywhere as usual CPropertySheet. For instance:

   
   CLBTabDemoPropSheet sheet("Any Title");
   CPropertyPage page1(IDD_PROPPAGE1),page2(IDD_PROPPAGE2),page3(IDD_PROPPAGE3);
   
   sheet.AddPage(&page1);
   sheet.AddPage(&page2);
   sheet.AddPage(&page3);
   
   // The following line is required if you wish to switch on 
   // the scrolling mode,since stacked mode is default 
   // for tab controls.
   sheet.EnableStackedTabs(FALSE); 
   
   sheet.DoModal();
   

   Note: Certainly you also can subclass any tab control, which does not lives within CPropertySheet.

How it works

1. Overview

The CLBTabCtrl is owner drawn tab control. To make its job this control handles the following messages:

Note: There is a possibility to switch off /on the "autoraising items" feature of CLBTabCtrl, using its public member function [bool SetAutoRaising(bool bOn)].

2. How autoraising items work

 
TRACKMOUSEEVENT stTRACKMOUSEEVENT;
stTRACKMOUSEEVENT.cbSize = sizeof(stTRACKMOUSEEVENT);
stTRACKMOUSEEVENT.hwndTrack=m_hWnd;
stTRACKMOUSEEVENT.dwFlags=TME_LEAVE;
_TrackMouseEvent(&stTRACKMOUSEEVENT);

 
	CWnd* pWnd = GetWindow(GW_CHILD);
	while(pWnd)
	{
	 char buf[]="msctls_updown32";
	 intnRet= ::GetClassName(pWnd->m_hWnd,
	 buf,sizeof(buf)/sizeof(buf[0]));
	 if(nRet&&strcmp(buf,"msctls_updown32"))
	  {
	   pWnd=pWnd->GetWindow(GW_HWNDNEXT);
	  }
	 else
	  { 
	   //The msctls_updown32 control isfound.
	   //
	   pWnd->GetWindowRect(&m_rectUpDn);
	   ScreenToClient(&m_rectUpDn);
	   //Update size and position of msctls_updown32 control
	   m_rectUpDn.DeflateRect(3,2);
	   m_rectUpDn.OffsetRect(3,5);
		
	   pWnd->MoveWindow(&m_rectUpDn); 
	   //Subclass common msctls_updown32 control to
	   //my CLBSpinButtonCtrl, which have autodisabling arrow
	   buttons.m_Spin.SubclassWindow(pWnd->m_hWnd);
	   pWnd=0;
	 }
	}

 
DWORD dwStyle = ::GetWindowLong(m_hWnd,GWL_STYLE);
if (dwStyle & WS_VISIBLE)
  ::SetWindowLong(m_hWnd, GWL_STYLE, (dwStyle & ~ WS_VISIBLE));//switch off WS_VISIBLE

 	CPaintDC RealDC(this);
	CDC dc;
	CBitmap bmpMem,*pOldMemBmp;
	rctPnt=dcReal.m_ps.rcPaint;
	dc.CreateCompatibleDC(&RealDC);
	bmpMem.CreateCompatibleBitmap(&RealDC,
		rctPaint.Width(),rctPaint.Height());
	pOldMemBmp=dc.SelectObject(&bmpMem);
	
	// Since we are bypassing WM_ERASEBCKGND, by returning TRUE from its 
	//handler - let's do its job here 
	dc.FillSolidRect(&rctPaint,::GetSysColor(COLOR_BTNFACE));