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# How To Get Current CDocument or CView from Anywhere

Article ID: 108587

Article Last Modified on 11/21/2006

APPLIES TO

- Microsoft Foundation Class Library 4.2, when used with:
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0 Professional Edition
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 1.5 Professional Edition
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 1.51
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 1.52 Professional Edition
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0 Professional Edition
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 2.0 Professional Edition
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 2.1
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 4.0 Standard Edition
  - Microsoft Visual C++ 4.1 Subscription

This article was previously published under Q108587

## SUMMARY

In a Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) Windows-based application, it is often useful to be able to get a pointer to the currently active document or view from anywhere in the program. For example, being able to access the current document from a dialog box is sometimes useful. This article discusses the simplest methods for doing so, using the relationships between MFC objects, and basic MFC architecture.

## MORE INFORMATION

One of the cases where you might need a pointer to the currently active view or document is in a modal or modeless dialog box. Generally, a dialog box should be created by the view class, because the view is what deals with the application's user interface.
Because the view class is creating the dialog box, it can pass a pointer to itself, or the active document [obtained with the GetActiveDocument() function] to the dialog box. This could be done through the dialog box's constructor or some other member function. For modal dialog boxes, the view could also put data from the dialog box into the document when DoModal() returns.
These methods are generally preferable to relying on generic functions to return pointers to the currently active view or document.
To allow you to get a pointer to the currently active document from anywhere in the program, add a static member function to your CDocument derived class as follows:
Edit the document's header file as follows to add a static member function, GetDoc():

       // Document header file
       class CMyDoc : public CDocument
       {
          ...
          public:
          static CMyDoc * GetDoc();
          ...
       };

For a single document interface (SDI) application, add the following code to your SDI document's implementation file for CMyDoc::GetDoc():

       // SDI document implementation file
       CMyDoc * CMyDoc::GetDoc()
       {
          CFrameWnd * pFrame = (CFrameWnd *)(AfxGetApp()->m_pMainWnd);
          return (CMyDoc *) pFrame->GetActiveDocument();
       }

For a multiple document interface (MDI) application, the CMyDoc::GetDoc() code should be the following:

       CMyDoc * CMyDoc::GetDoc()
       {
          CMDIChildWnd * pChild =
              ((CMDIFrameWnd*)(AfxGetApp()->m_pMainWnd))->MDIGetActive();

          if ( !pChild )
              return NULL;

          CDocument * pDoc = pChild->GetActiveDocument();

          if ( !pDoc )
             return NULL;

          // Fail if doc is of wrong kind
          if ( ! pDoc->IsKindOf( RUNTIME_CLASS(CMyDoc) ) )
             return NULL;

          return (CMyDoc *) pDoc;
       }

To allow you to get a pointer to the currently active view from anywhere in the program, add a static member function to your CView derived class as follows:
Edit the view's header file as follows to add a static member function, GetView():

       // View header file
       class CMyView
       {
          ...
          public:
          static CMyView * GetView();
          ...
       };

For an SDI application, add the following code to your SDI view's implementation file for CMyView::GetView():

       // View implementation file
       CMyView * CMyView::GetView()
       {
          CFrameWnd * pFrame = (CFrameWnd *)(AfxGetApp()->m_pMainWnd);

          CView * pView = pFrame->GetActiveView();

          if ( !pView )
             return NULL;

          // Fail if view is of wrong kind
          // (this could occur with splitter windows, or additional
          // views on a single document
          if ( ! pView->IsKindOf( RUNTIME_CLASS(CMyView) ) )
             return NULL;

          return (CMyView *) pView;
       }

For an MDI application, the CMyView::GetView() code should be the following:

       // MDI view implementation file
       CMyView * CMyView::GetView()
       {
          CMDIChildWnd * pChild =
              ((CMDIFrameWnd*)(AfxGetApp()->m_pMainWnd))->MDIGetActive();

          if ( !pChild )
              return NULL;

          CView * pView = pChild->GetActiveView();

          if ( !pView )
             return NULL;

          // Fail if view is of wrong kind
          if ( ! pView->IsKindOf( RUNTIME_CLASS(CMyView) ) )
             return NULL;

          return (CMyView *) pView;
       }

Now, from anywhere in your program, where the document or view header files have been included, you can call:

       CMyDoc::GetDoc();

- Or -

       CMyView::GetView();

to get a pointer to the currently active document or view, respectively. These functions return NULL if there is no active document or view.
Note that a pointer to the application's CDocument or CView derived class is returned, not just a generic CDocument or CView pointer. This allows you to access members specific to your new class. The MDI versions of these functions, and the SDI version of the GetView() function, will use run-time type checking to verify that the document or view is of the correct class.

## REFERENCES

For more information on this subject, and on the member functions used, please see:
Visual C++ 1.0 and Visual C++ for Windows NT "Class Library Reference, Volume I," page 35, "Relationships Among Documents, Views, Frame Windows, Templates, and the Application."
CFrameWnd documentation in the same manual.

Additional query words: kbSweptVC600

Keywords: kbhowto kbdocview KB108587