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[.net] Window Border/Focus

Started by Geronimo2000 Apr 4, 2005 at 7:42 PM 5 replies 1k views

Original Post

Geronimo2000

Apr 4, 2005 at 7:42 PM

With C# or Win32 windows, a window's top border is blue when it's active and grayed when it's not. I see many applications that are able to spawn off regular windows into the foreground. The new window's border will be blue since it's active, BUT the original window border will still be blue as if it were still active. I would like to know how to copy this behavior. I'm guessing the answer is simple, but I've been unsuccessful so far in coming up with the right solution (I can't focus or activate both windows). Thanks for any help or advice you can provide.

turnpast

Apr 4, 2005 at 8:08 PM

What is the behavior when you set the child form's Owner property to the parent form? It will always appear on top of the owner form and minimize if the owner minimizes, but I am not sure about the bar color.

Geronimo2000

Apr 4, 2005 at 8:39 PM

I thought that could be it since I hadn't explored the Owner property, but it doesn't appear to be. Thanks for the idea though - I have not been utilizing that property for other obvious uses.

RaptorZero

Apr 4, 2005 at 8:53 PM

Maybe a tool window (WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW)... just a gess though...

CreateWindowEx (check WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW)

Geronimo2000

Apr 4, 2005 at 9:07 PM

That was one of my original ideas, but it didn't work. I already tried (in a C# environment) the FormBorderstyles FixedToolWindow and SizableToolWindow - resulting behavior was the same as before.

pim

Apr 5, 2005 at 3:22 PM

How do you want the top form to interact with the other form? you could use MDI or perhaps a dialog window if you shouldn't be able to use the first form at the same time..

Geronimo2000

Apr 5, 2005 at 3:32 PM

I would like the child window to be a regular non-modal window that I can design myself. I've never used MDI, but I suspect it's not what other applications use to pull off this trick off - of course, I could be dead wrong, but that's just my guess. I'll probably play around with the MDI properties just to be sure.

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