The menu control window procedure only draws items that are represented by text strings and emphasizes selected items by inverting them.

If an application uses menu controls containing items that are not represented by text strings, or requires that the emphasized state of an item is to be drawn in a special manner, then the menu control must specify the style MIS_OWNERDRAW and those items must be drawn by the owner.

The menu control window procedure generates this message and sends it to its owner, informing the owner that an item is to be drawn, offering the owner the opportunity to draw that item, and to indicate that either the item has been drawn, or that the menu control is to draw it.