It is as stupid as it sounds: you can add RBBS_NOGRIPPER flag to a rebar band to implement “lock controls” feature, but as soon as you start removing it – you miserably fail.

A related thread on WTL group is dated year 2006. You can find the same dated 2003. Now it’s 2011 and it’s still here.

OK, it might be some bug in controlling code etc, but here is Control Spy 2.0. Here you go:

• rebar
• RB_GETBANDINFO, RBBIM_STYLE
• add RBBS_NOGRIPPER, Send
• remove RBBS_NOGRIPPER, Send
• ouch!

WTL does a cool trick to fool the bastard:

void LockBands(bool bLock)
{
    int nBandCount = GetBandCount();
    for(int i =0; i < nBandCount; i++)
    {
        REBARBANDINFO rbbi = { RunTimeHelper::SizeOf_REBARBANDINFO() };
        rbbi.fMask = RBBIM_STYLE;
        BOOL bRet = GetBandInfo(i, &rbbi);
        ATLASSERT(bRet);

        if((rbbi.fStyle & RBBS_GRIPPERALWAYS) == 0)
        {
            rbbi.fStyle |= RBBS_GRIPPERALWAYS;
            bRet = SetBandInfo(i, &rbbi);
            ATLASSERT(bRet);
            rbbi.fStyle &= ~RBBS_GRIPPERALWAYS;
        }
        if(bLock)
            rbbi.fStyle |= RBBS_NOGRIPPER;
        else
            rbbi.fStyle &= ~RBBS_NOGRIPPER;

        bRet = SetBandInfo(i, &rbbi);
        ATLASSERT(bRet);
    }
}

Pretty cool and works… if you have one rebar only. If you have another one in the same window (e.g. mine is at bottom) – you fail again.

A nasty workaround is to nudge hosting window by resizing it, followed by a full cycle of internal layout updates:

CRect Position;
ATLVERIFY(GetWindowRect(Position));
Position.bottom++;
ATLVERIFY(MoveWindow(Position));
Position.bottom--;
ATLVERIFY(MoveWindow(Position));