# ctext

> [HTML Version](ctext.htm)

Parameter _ctext_ specifies the primary text (and/or an image specification) that will appear on or in the control. This applies mainly to simple controls like buttons, static text controls, checkboxes, edit boxes, etc. Some controls have no text (such as a rectangle or image), or have so much text (like a Tab control or dialog), that ctext or may used for some other purpose, such as to specify a title or an encoded string of additional parameters. Refer to the topics on specific control types for ctext specifications relative to those controls, in particular: 

•	[Image Control](imagecontrol.htm.md)

•	[Button Icon Control](buttoniconcontrol.htm.md)

•	[Command Link Button](commandlinkbutton.htm.md)

•	[Progress Bar Control](progressbarcontrol.htm.md)

•	[Tab Control](tabcontrol.htm.md)

Also see the [opcode](opcode_auicontrol.htm.md) table for other specific exceptions based on the opcode.

As a convenience when deleting or clearing controls, you may set _ctext_ to "\*" to delete or clear all within the specified _srow_, _scol_, _erow_, _ecol_ coordinates. Or you may specify the control purely by its _ctlid_ and omit all the remaining parameters.

To assign an [Accelerator](accelerator.htm.md) to the control, precede the desired character with an \& (e.g. ctext = "Self \&Destruct")

The limit on size of the _ctext_ parameter is approximately 3500 bytes. The actual limit is about 4K, less the space used for all of the other AUI\_CONTROL parameters. The larger limit will be mainly useful with very large Tab controls, i.e. those having many tab panes).

If _ctext_ does not contain a trailing null byte, and it is followed immediately in physical memory by the _func_ parameter, the last byte of _ctext_ will be truncated.