LCL Messages

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This document is for Lazarus developers

Thumb rules:

Messages exists for VCL compatibility. Messages look like win32 messages, but only those parameters and flags are supported, that are commonly used by existing VCL controls (including third part controls). Every supported flag, that is not commonly used, makes implementing the interfaces more difficult. So, think twice, before adding a message. Many messages uses hard to read constants and small values (smallint) which limits the interfaces and windows does not define the exact ordering of messages. Therefore the goal is that every message can be substituted by a method. For example: A control can use DoOnChangeBounds instead of WMSize to react.

The LCL should send messages to the interface only in rare cases. In fact, only when it is common usage in VCL controls.

At the moment the interfaces send many messages to the LCL. This amount should be reduced in future. Better create a procedure in the LCL, that will send the message. This way the parameters are well defined and all interfaces creates the messages the same way.

The messages:

Interface -> LCL -> WMSize, WMMove

Send from the interface to tell the LCL control to update its bounds. Because of the auto aligning/sizing features of the LCL and some interfaces, these messages are not sent everytime a HandleObject is resized. So, either trust the LCL bounds OR the interface bounds, but don't mix.