Window's Windows(gotta question)

[vicster]

I was wondering if anyone can explain to me how people make frameless applications. For example, how does microsoft make Media Player they way that it can go frameless when the window is not maximized? And if you have the software for the Audigy 2 sound card installed, media center does the same thing. It is like a window that doesn't have a frame. This also leades me to another question. How do you make toolbars for the desktop. Like with the media center program, it is like a tool bar that can dock and everything. Just for imformation I use Borland c++ Builder 5 Professional. Thanks for your help!

[avo-avo]

Hi,

this example uses vc6 and probably mfc, but it might be useful to have a look:

http://www.codeguru.com/Cpp/W-D/dislog/miscellaneous/article.php/c4969/

cu

al.

[Bond]

Most Windows windows look the way they do because they have the WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW style set. This constant is simply a combination of the following styles:

WS_OVERLAPPED
WS_CAPTION
WS_SYSMENU
WS_THICKFRAME
WS_MINIMIZEBOX
WS_MAXIMIZEBOX

WS_OVERLAPPED is a window with a title bar and a border -- two things you probably don't want from the sounds of it.

You'll probably want to start out creating a window with only the styles you absolutely need, then move on to using some API functions like SetWindowRgn() to define the window's borders.