Emulating Vista Notification Icon Dialog Boxes Using WPF

Question

A single click on the notification icon in Vista (for example, network or sound icons) gives you limited dialogs without a title ( http://i.msdn.microsoft.com/Aa511448.NotificationArea22(en-us,MSDN.10).png ):

http://i.msdn.microsoft.com/Aa511448.NotificationArea22(en-us,MSDN.10).png

How can I simulate them in WPF? Creating a new window and setting WindowStyle to "None" and ResizeMode to "CanResize" produces close results, except that the frame is too thin and the dialogs can be changed, which is undesirable. Setting ResizeMode to "NoResize" creates a window without an Aero border (only the thin border of the solid 2px line).

Answer 1

I finally realized: if you set WindowStyle to "None" and ResizeMode to "CanResize", you will get the correct frame thickness without a title, the only hitch is you can resize the window.

Fortunately, this problem is easily fixed by contacting WM_NCHITTEST for your instance Window:

private IntPtr _hwnd;

protected override void OnSourceInitialized(EventArgs e) {
    _hwnd = new System.Windows.Interop.WindowInteropHelper(this).Handle;
    System.Windows.Interop.HwndSource.FromHwnd(_hwnd).AddHook(_WndProc);
    base.OnSourceInitialized(e);
}

private const int WM_NCHITTEST = 132;
private const int HTCLIENT = 1;

private IntPtr _WndProc(IntPtr hwnd, int msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, ref bool handled) {
    // We should only receive messages for our own window handle.
    System.Diagnostics.Debug.Assert(hwnd == _hwnd);

    if (msg == WM_NCHITTEST) {
        handled = true;
        return (IntPtr)HTCLIENT;
    }
    return IntPtr.Zero;
}

By never letting Windows know that the cursor is on the border, we will never be presented with a resize cursor.

Answer 2

, . , DockPanel . , Vista. , , Gray .

<Window x:Class="WpfApplication10.Window1"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Title="Window1" 
    Height="300" 
    Width="300"
    WindowStyle="None"
    ResizeMode="NoResize">
    <DockPanel>
        <Border
            BorderBrush="Gray"
            BorderThickness="5">

            <TextBlock>Here we go</TextBlock>

        </Border>
    </DockPanel>
</Window>

Answer 3

, WPF Windows , pinvoke.

Vista, , , , ( #) http://pinvoke.net/default.aspx/user32/GetWindowLong.html

Window:

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern int SetWindowLong(IntPtr hWnd, int nIndex, uint dwNewLong);

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X, int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);

private const int GWL_STYLE = -16;
private const int GWL_EXSTYLE = -20;
private const UInt32 SWP_NOSIZE = 0x0001;
private const UInt32 SWP_NOMOVE = 0x0002;
private const UInt32 SWP_NOZORDER = 0x0004;
private const UInt32 SWP_NOREDRAW = 0x0008;
private const UInt32 SWP_NOACTIVATE = 0x0010;
private const UInt32 SWP_FRAMECHANGED = 0x0020;

public override void OnSourceInitialized(EventArgs e)
{
    IntPtr hwnd = new System.Windows.Interop.WindowInteropHelper(this).Handle;

    // set styles to a combination of WS_ flags and exstyles to a combination of WS_EX_ flags

    SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_STYLE, styles);
    SetWindowLong(hwnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, exstyles);

    // and to activate changes:
    SetWindowPos(hwnd,IntPtr.Zero,0,0,0,0,SWP_NOSIZE|SWP_NOMOVE|SWP_NOZORDER|SWP_NOACTIVATE|SWP_FRAMECHANGED);
}

Answer 4

. XAML, , , . , .

Answer 5

, , . :

<Window.Style>
    <Style TargetType="{x:Type Window}">
        <Setter Property="AllowsTransparency"       Value="True"            />
        <Setter Property="Background"           Value="{x:Null}"        />
        <Setter Property="BorderBrush"          Value="{x:Null}"        />
        <Setter Property="BorderThickness"      Value="0"           />
        <Setter Property="OverridesDefaultStyle"    Value="True"            />
        <Setter Property="ResizeMode"           Value="NoResize"        />
        <Setter Property="SizeToContent"        Value="WidthAndHeight"      />
        <Setter Property="WindowStyle"          Value="None"            />
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Window}">
                    <Border BorderThickness="1" CornerRadius="4" Background="{x:Null}">
                        <Border.BorderBrush>
                            <SolidColorBrush Color="{x:Static SystemColors.WindowFrameColor}" Opacity="0.75" />
                        </Border.BorderBrush>
                        <Border BorderThickness="5" Background="{x:Null}">
                            <Border.BorderBrush>
                                <SolidColorBrush Color="{x:Static SystemColors.ActiveBorderColor}" Opacity="0.5" />
                            </Border.BorderBrush>
                            <Border BorderThickness="1" Background="White">
                                <Border.BorderBrush>
                                    <SolidColorBrush Color="{x:Static SystemColors.WindowFrameColor}" Opacity="0.75" />
                                </Border.BorderBrush>

                                <ContentPresenter />
                            </Border>
                        </Border>
                    </Border>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>
</Window.Style>

, , ActiveWindowBorderColor, . , 1/4 , 3/4 . . -, UserControl, Border, , ( , ), Window .