Many developers create dialog boxes by using standalone tools and so may not need to specify static control styles. However, if a developer uses the CreateWindow or CreateWindowEx function to create a static control for an application, the developer must use the following constants to define the style.
| Style | Description |
| SS_BITMAP | Specifies a bitmap is to be displayed in the static control. The given text is the name of a bitmap (not a filename) defined elsewhere in the resource file. The style ignores the nWidth and nHeight parameters; the control automatically sizes itself to accommodate the bitmap. |
| SS_BLACKFRAME | Specifies a box with a frame drawn in the same color as the window frames. This color is black in the default Windows color scheme. |
| SS_BLACKRECT | Specifies a rectangle filled with the current window frame color. This color is black in the default Windows color scheme. |
| SS_CENTER | Specifies a simple rectangle and centers the given text in the rectangle. The text is formatted before it is displayed. Words that extend past the end of a line are automatically wrapped to the beginning of the next centered line. |
| SS_CENTERIMAGE | Specifies that, if the bitmap or icon is smaller than the client area of the static control, the rest of the client area is filled with the color of the pixel in the top left corner of the bitmap or icon. If the static control contains a single line of text, the text is centered vertically in the client area of the control. |
| SS_ENHMETAFILE | Specifies an enhanced metafile is to be displayed in the static control. The given text is the name of a metafile. An enhanced metafile static control has a fixed size; the metafile is scaled to fit the static control's client area. |
| SS_ETCHEDFRAME | Draws the frame of the static control using the EDGE_ETCHED edge style. For more information, see the DrawEdge function. |
| SS_ETCHEDHORZ | Draws the top and bottom edges of the static control using the EDGE_ETCHED edge style. For more information, see the DrawEdge function. |
| SS_ETCHEDVERT | Draws the left and right edges of the static control using the EDGE_ETCHED edge style. For more information, see the DrawEdge function. |
| SS_GRAYFRAME | Specifies a box with a frame drawn with the same color as the screen background (desktop). This color is gray in the default Windows color scheme. |
| SS_GRAYRECT | Specifies a rectangle filled with the current screen background color. This color is gray in the default Windows color scheme. |
| SS_ICON | Specifies an icon is to be displayed in the dialog box. The given text is the name of an icon (not a filename) defined elsewhere in the resource file. The icon can be an animated cursor. The style ignores the nWidth and nHeight parameters; the control automatically sizes itself to accommodate the icon. |
| SS_LEFT | Specifies a simple rectangle and left-aligns the given text in the rectangle. The text is formatted before it is displayed. Words that extend past the end of a line are automatically wrapped to the beginning of the next left-aligned line. |
| SS_LEFTNOWORDWRAP | Specifies a simple rectangle and left-aligns the given text in the rectangle. Tabs are expanded, but words are not wrapped. Text that extends past the end of a line is clipped. |
| SS_NOPREFIX | Prevents interpretation of any ampersand (&) characters in the control's text as accelerator prefix characters. These are displayed with the ampersand removed and the next character in the string underlined. This static control style may be included with any of the defined static controls.
An application can combine SS_NOPREFIX with other styles by using the bitwise OR (|) operator. This can be useful when filenames or other strings that may contain an ampersand (&) must be displayed in a static control in a dialog box. |
| SS_NOTIFY | Sends the parent window STN_CLICKED, STN_DBLCLK, STN_DISABLE, and STN_ENABLE notification messages when the user clicks or double-clicks the control. |
| SS_OWNERDRAW | Specifies that the owner of the static control is responsible for drawing the control. The owner window receives a WM_DRAWITEM message whenever the control needs to be drawn. |
| SS_REALSIZEIMAGE | Prevents a static icon or bitmap control (that is, static controls that have the SS_ICON or SS_BITMAP style) from being resized as it is loaded or drawn. If the icon or bitmap is larger than the destination area, the image is clipped. |
| SS_RIGHT | Specifies a simple rectangle and right-aligns the given text in the rectangle. The text is formatted before it is displayed. Words that extend past the end of a line are automatically wrapped to the beginning of the next right-aligned line. |
| SS_RIGHTJUST | Specifies that the lower right corner of a static control with the SS_BITMAP or SS_ICON style is to remain fixed when the control is resized. Only the top and left sides are adjusted to accommodate a new bitmap or icon. |
| SS_SIMPLE | Specifies a simple rectangle and displays a single line of left-aligned text in the rectangle. The text line cannot be shortened or altered in any way. The control's parent window or dialog box must not process the WM_CTLCOLORSTATIC message. |
| SS_SUNKEN | Draws a half-sunken border around a static control. |
| SS_WHITEFRAME | Specifies a box with a frame drawn with the same color as the window background. This color is white in the default Windows color scheme. |
| SS_WHITERECT | Specifies a rectangle filled with the current window background color. This color is white in the default Windows color scheme. |