Hi,
where can I first access the Handle of a TCustomControl derived component?
I tried accessing it in my component constructor what results in "Control
has no parent window".

In the docs I found:
"Do not refer to the Handle property during component creation or streaming.
The underlying window does not exist until the first time the Handle
property is referenced. When this occurs, the HandleNeeded method is called
automatically."

So I moved my initialization code which needs the handle to
AfterConstruction() but I still get the same error?

thanks,
Nick

thanks for your reply,
I will search the archives on this topic.
Just one thing I noticed:
When the component is being dropped on the form at design-time Loaded()
seems not to be called. Actually there is nothing to load, or am I wrong?
Nick

Loaded is not used at design-time at all, only during runtime when streaming
in the design-time data.

Gambit

news:3d740f9f@newsgroups.borland.com...

It might be hard to find.  Try this:
www.mers.com/merlist/borland/public/cppbuilder/vcl/components/writing...

I don't know what type of initialization you need to perform, but you could
override CreateWnd(), however, it is called before properties are streamed-
in, if they are.  As a result, any properties in the .dfm which differ from their
default values would overwrite a setting made here.

thanks for your link

I want to create a Direct3D device which renders its scene onto the entire
component canvas. And the function that creates the device asks for the
target window handle. So there won't be many properties regarding the window
itself, probably only width and height.
I think CreateWnd() might be the right place.
thanks,
Nick

CreateWindowHandle() would probably be better than CreateWnd(), since
CreateWindowHandle() is the lowest level you can get where the window handle
is first available.  Also, use DestroyWindowHandle() so you can unhook your
D3D stuff whenever the window is destroyed.

Gambit

news:3d75233d$1@newsgroups.borland.com...

thanks for the pointer!
Nick