Wrong symbols in the buffer using GetWindowText

Question

There is combo box with two items and button on the main window. Combobox:

HWND hCombo;
hCombo = CreateWindow(L"COMBOBOX", L"combobox",
       WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | CBS_SORT | CBS_DROPDOWNLIST,
       10, 55, 232, 500, hWnd, 0, hInstance, 0);

const wchar_t *langEnglish = L"English";
const wchar_t *langRussian = L"Russian";
SendMessage(hCombo, CB_ADDSTRING, 0, (LPARAM)langEnglish);
SendMessage(hCombo, CB_ADDSTRING, 0, (LPARAM)langRussian);
SendMessage(hCombo, CB_SETCURSEL, 0, 0);

I am trying to get selected item text in the WndProc by clicking on the button:

case WM_COMMAND:                                            
{
    switch(LOWORD(wParam))
    {  
        case IDC_BUTTON_OK:
            wchar_t buf[10];
            hCombo = GetDlgItem(hWnd, IDC_COMBO);
            GetDlgItemText(hCombo, IDC_COMBO, (LPWSTR)buf, 10);
            MessageBox(hWnd, (LPCWSTR)buf, NULL, MB_OK);
            break;
    }

} break;

I am using breakpoint in the MSVS2010 to see buf variable. It contains chinese symbols!!! Message box shows empty message (With the title "Error"). I want to see english text. What is wrong?

This code

nIndex = SendMessage(hCombo, CB_GETCURSEL, 0, 0);
SendMessage(hCombo, CB_GETLBTEXT, nIndex, (LPARAM)buf);

fills buf with the same chinese symbols

SOLUTION:
hCombo = CreateWindow(L"COMBOBOX", L"combobox", WS_CHILD | WS_VISIBLE | CBS_SORT | CBS_DROPDOWNLIST, 10, 55, 232, 500, hWnd, (HMENU)IDC_COMBO, hInstance, 0);

Roman R. Roman R. · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-30T07:47:49

In order to get currently selected item from CBS_DROPDOWNLIST styled combo box you need CB_GETCURSEL to get selection index and then CB_GETLBTEXT to get the string.

Wrong symbols in the buffer using GetWindowText

1 Answers