How to Create a Date and Time Picker Control

Article
2020-08-21

This topic demonstrates how to dynamically create a date and time picker (DTP) control. The accompanying C++ code example creates a DTP control in a modeless dialog box. It uses the DTS_SHOWNONE style to enable the user to simulate deactivation of the date within the control.

What you need to know

Technologies

Windows Controls

Prerequisites

C/C++
Windows User Interface Programming

Instructions

Step 1:

Register the window class by calling the InitCommonControlsEx function and specifying the ICC_DATE_CLASSES bit in the accompanying INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX structure.

 INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX icex;

 icex.dwSize = sizeof(icex);
 icex.dwICC = ICC_DATE_CLASSES;

 InitCommonControlsEx(&icex);

Step 2:

To create the DTP control, use the CreateWindowEx function. Specify DATETIMEPICK_CLASS as the window class, and pass the handle to the parent dialog box.

The following C++ code example uses the CreateDialog function to create a modeless dialog box. It then calls CreateWindowEx to create the DTP control.

  hwndDlg = CreateDialog  (g_hinst,
                           MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_DIALOG1),
                           hwndMain,
                           DlgProc);

  if(hwndDlg)
      hwndDP = CreateWindowEx(0,
                           DATETIMEPICK_CLASS,
                           TEXT("DateTime"),
                           WS_BORDER|WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE|DTS_SHOWNONE,
                           20,50,220,20,
                           hwndDlg,
                           NULL,
                           g_hinst,
                           NULL);

Complete example

//  CreateDatePick creates a DTP control within a dialog box.
//  Returns the handle to the new DTP control if successful, or NULL 
//  otherwise.
// 
//    hwndMain - The handle to the main window.
//    g_hinst  - global handle to the program instance.

HWND WINAPI CreateDatePick(HWND hwndMain)
{
    HWND hwndDP = NULL;
    HWND hwndDlg = NULL;

    INITCOMMONCONTROLSEX icex;

    icex.dwSize = sizeof(icex);
    icex.dwICC = ICC_DATE_CLASSES;

    InitCommonControlsEx(&icex);

    hwndDlg = CreateDialog  (g_hinst,
                             MAKEINTRESOURCE(IDD_DIALOG1),
                             hwndMain,
                             DlgProc);

    if(hwndDlg)
        hwndDP = CreateWindowEx(0,
                             DATETIMEPICK_CLASS,
                             TEXT("DateTime"),
                             WS_BORDER|WS_CHILD|WS_VISIBLE|DTS_SHOWNONE,
                             20,50,220,20,
                             hwndDlg,
                             NULL,
                             g_hinst,
                             NULL);

    return (hwndDP);
}

Using Date and Time Picker Controls
Date and Time Picker Control Reference
Date and Time Picker

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