StringFormat::SetTabStops method (gdiplusstringformat.h)

Article
10/13/2021

The StringFormat::SetTabStops method sets the offsets for tab stops in this StringFormat object.

Syntax

Status SetTabStops(
  [in] REAL       firstTabOffset,
  [in] INT        count,
  [in] const REAL *tabStops
);

Parameters

[in] firstTabOffset

Type: REAL

Real number that specifies the initial offset position. This initial offset position is relative to the string's origin and the offset of the first tab stop is relative to the initial offset position.

[in] count

Type: INT

Integer that specifies the number of tab-stop offsets in the tabStops array.

[in] tabStops

Type: const REAL*

Pointer to an array of real numbers that specify the tab-stop offsets. The offset of the first tab stop is the first value in the array, the offset of the second tab stop, the second value in the array, and so on.

Return value

Type: Status

If the method succeeds, it returns Ok, which is an element of the Status enumeration.

If the method fails, it returns one of the other elements of the Status enumeration.

Remarks

Each tab-stop offset in the tabStops array, except the first one, is relative to the previous one. The first tab-stop offset is relative to the initial offset position specified by firstTabOffset. For example, if the initial offset position is 8 and the first tab-stop offset is 50, then the first tab stop is at position 58. If the initial offset position is zero, then the first tab-stop offset is relative to position 0, the string origin.

Examples

The following example creates a StringFormat object, sets tab stops, and uses the StringFormat object to draw a string that contains tab characters (\t). The code also draws the string's layout rectangle.

VOID Example_SetTabStops(HDC hdc)
{
   Graphics graphics(hdc);

   REAL         tabs[] = {150, 100, 100};
   FontFamily   fontFamily(L"Courier New");
   Font         font(&fontFamily, 12, FontStyleRegular, UnitPoint);
   SolidBrush   solidBrush(Color(255, 0, 0, 255));

   StringFormat stringFormat;
   stringFormat.SetTabStops(0, 3, tabs);
   graphics.DrawString(
      L"Name\tTest 1\tTest 2\tTest 3", 
      25, 
      &font, 
      RectF(20, 20, 500, 100), 
      &stringFormat, 
      &solidBrush);

   // Draw the rectangle that encloses the text.
   Pen pen(Color(255, 255, 0, 0));
   graphics.DrawRectangle(&pen, 20, 20, 500, 100);
}

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Minimum supported client	Windows XP, Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server	Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
Target Platform	Windows
Header	gdiplusstringformat.h (include Gdiplus.h)
Library	Gdiplus.lib
DLL	Gdiplus.dll