asked on

Set the working area of the screen

Hi

I am trying to create a program that will act similar to the taskbar, by that it will always be on top and windows will not maximise over the top of it.

I have tracked this setting down to workingarea in Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.<something>

Is there anyway to set this working area or any other solution that will solve this problem

Thanks
Adam

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Mike Tomlinson

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Mike Tomlinson

I'll see if I can come up with a VB.Net version of that code tomorrow.

~IM

adam_pedley

ASKER

Thanks

I should be able to convert c# code i will fill you in once i've done it

SOLUTION

checoo

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adam_pedley

ASKER

Thanks checoo and Idle_Mind

I used the conversion tool, it did an ok job but quite a lot was not done correctly

But i managed to fix the rest

Here is the code

Imports System
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

Public Class Form1
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "

Public Sub New()
MyBase.New()

'This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
InitializeComponent()

'Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call

End Sub

'Form overrides dispose to clean up the component list.
Protected Overloads Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
If disposing Then
If Not (components Is Nothing) Then
components.Dispose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Sub

'Required by the Windows Form Designer
Private components As System.ComponentModel.IContainer

'NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
'It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.
'Do not modify it using the code editor.
Friend WithEvents Button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
<System.Diagnostics.DebuggerStepThrough()> Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.Button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.SuspendLayout()
'
'Button1
'
Me.Button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(72, 80)
Me.Button1.Name = "Button1"
Me.Button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(80, 40)
Me.Button1.TabIndex = 0
Me.Button1.Text = "Close"
'
'Form1
'
Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13)
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(292, 266)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.Button1)
Me.Name = "Form1"
Me.Text = "Form1"
Me.ResumeLayout(False)

End Sub

#End Region

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
RegisterBar()
End Sub

Structure RECT
Public left As Integer
Public top As Integer
Public right As Integer
Public bottom As Integer
End Structure 'RECT

Structure APPBARDATA
Public cbSize As Integer
Public hWnd As IntPtr
Public uCallbackMessage As Integer
Public uEdge As Integer
Public rc As RECT
Public lParam As IntPtr
End Structure 'APPBARDATA
Enum ABMsg

ABM_NEW = 0
ABM_REMOVE = 1
ABM_QUERYPOS = 2
ABM_SETPOS = 3
ABM_GETSTATE = 4
ABM_GETTASKBARPOS = 5
ABM_ACTIVATE = 6
ABM_GETAUTOHIDEBAR = 7
ABM_SETAUTOHIDEBAR = 8
ABM_WINDOWPOSCHANGED = 9
ABM_SETSTATE=10

End Enum
Enum ABNotify

ABN_STATECHANGE = 0
ABN_POSCHANGED
ABN_FULLSCREENAPP
ABN_WINDOWARRANGE

End Enum
Enum ABEdge

ABE_LEFT = 0
ABE_TOP
ABE_RIGHT
ABE_BOTTOM
End Enum

Private fBarRegistered As Boolean = False

Public Declare Function SHAppBarMessage Lib "shell32.dll" Alias "SHAppBarMessage" (ByVal dwMessage As Integer, ByRef pData As APPBARDATA) As System.UInt32
Public Declare Function GetSystemMetrics Lib "User32.dll" Alias "GetSystemMetrics" (ByVal index As Integer) As Integer
Public Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "User32.dll" Alias "MoveWindow" (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, ByVal x As Integer, ByVal y As Integer, ByVal cx As Integer, ByVal cy As Integer, ByVal repaint As Boolean) As Boolean
Private Declare Auto Function RegisterWindowMessage Lib "User32.dll" (ByVal msg As String) As Integer
Private uCallBack As Integer

Private Sub RegisterBar()
Dim abd As New APPBARDATA()
abd.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(abd)
abd.hWnd = Me.Handle
If Not fBarRegistered Then
uCallBack = RegisterWindowMessage("AppBarMessage")
abd.uCallbackMessage = uCallBack

Dim ret As System.UInt32 = SHAppBarMessage(CInt(ABMsg.ABM_NEW), abd) 'ToDo: Unsigned Integers not supported
fBarRegistered = True

ABSetPos()

Else
SHAppBarMessage(CInt(ABMsg.ABM_REMOVE), abd)
fBarRegistered = False
End If
End Sub 'RegisterBar

Private Sub ABSetPos()
Dim abd As New APPBARDATA()
abd.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(abd)
abd.hWnd = Me.Handle
abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_TOP)

If abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_LEFT) Or abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_RIGHT) Then
abd.rc.top = 0
abd.rc.bottom = SystemInformation.PrimaryMonitorSize.Height
If abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_LEFT) Then
abd.rc.left = 0
abd.rc.right = Size.Width
Else
abd.rc.right = SystemInformation.PrimaryMonitorSize.Width
abd.rc.left = abd.rc.right - Size.Width
End If

Else
abd.rc.left = 0
abd.rc.right = SystemInformation.PrimaryMonitorSize.Width
If abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_TOP) Then
abd.rc.top = 0
abd.rc.bottom = Size.Height
Else
abd.rc.bottom = SystemInformation.PrimaryMonitorSize.Height
abd.rc.top = abd.rc.bottom - Size.Height
End If
End If

' Query the system for an approved size and position.
SHAppBarMessage(CInt(ABMsg.ABM_QUERYPOS), abd)

' Adjust the rectangle, depending on the edge to which the
' appbar is anchored.
Select Case abd.uEdge
Case CInt(ABEdge.ABE_LEFT)
abd.rc.right = abd.rc.left + Size.Width
Case CInt(ABEdge.ABE_RIGHT)
abd.rc.left = abd.rc.right - Size.Width
Case CInt(ABEdge.ABE_TOP)
abd.rc.bottom = abd.rc.top + Size.Height
Case CInt(ABEdge.ABE_BOTTOM)
abd.rc.top = abd.rc.bottom - Size.Height
End Select

' Pass the final bounding rectangle to the system.
SHAppBarMessage(CInt(ABMsg.ABM_SETPOS), abd)

' Move and size the appbar so that it conforms to the
' bounding rectangle passed to the system.
MoveWindow(abd.hWnd, abd.rc.left, abd.rc.top, abd.rc.right - abd.rc.left, abd.rc.bottom - abd.rc.top, True)
End Sub 'ABSetPos

Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
If m.Msg = uCallBack Then
Select Case m.WParam.ToInt32()
Case CInt(ABNotify.ABN_POSCHANGED)
ABSetPos()
End Select
End If

MyBase.WndProc(m)
End Sub 'WndProc

Protected Overrides ReadOnly Property CreateParams() As System.Windows.Forms.CreateParams
Get
Dim cp As CreateParams = MyBase.CreateParams
cp.Style = cp.Style And Not &HC00000 ' WS_CAPTION
cp.Style = cp.Style And Not &H800000 ' WS_BORDER
cp.ExStyle = &H80 Or &H8 ' WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW | WS_EX_TOPMOST
Return cp
End Get
End Property

Private Sub End_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
RegisterBar()
End
End Sub
End Class

adam_pedley

ASKER

Hey does anyone know how to change the position of the app bar to the bottom of the screen?

adam_pedley

ASKER

Its just driving me crazy, i can get it to the bottom of the screen but it doesnt correct the working area

adam_pedley

ASKER

Ok yes i know, dont point out my stupidity i missed it

you change

abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_TOP)

to

abd.uEdge = CInt(ABEdge.ABE_BOTTOM)