VB 5.0 App in Windows 95 Taskbar

What you are asking for is a tray'd app. I have code to do this, so I will lock the question while I get the code & post it as a comment. Give me a few minutes.

Here is the code for traying an app:

Private Declare Function Shell_NotifyIcon Lib "shell32" Alias "Shell_NotifyIconA" (ByVal dwMessage As Long, pnid As NOTIFYICONDATA) As Boolean

Dim TrayIcon As NOTIFYICONDATA

' Used by Shell_NotifyIcon
Private Type NOTIFYICONDATA
    cbSize As Long
    hWnd As Long
    uId As Long
    uFlags As Long
    ucallbackMessage As Long
    hIcon As Long
    szTip As String * 64
End Type

Private Sub Form_Load()
' ***************************************************************************************
' **                                     Form Load                                     **
' ***************************************************************************************

' More Tray Icon Stuff

    ' The Tooltip for the icon
    TrayIcon.szTip = "Tray Icon Tip" & Chr$(0)
    TrayIcon.cbSize = Len(TrayIcon)
    ' Handle of the window used to handle messages
    TrayIcon.hWnd = Me.hWnd
    ' ID code of the icon
    TrayIcon.uId = vbNull
    ' Flags
    TrayIcon.uFlags = NIF_ICON Or NIF_TIP Or NIF_MESSAGE
    ' ID of the call back message
    TrayIcon.ucallbackMessage = WM_MOUSEMOVE
    ' The icon
    TrayIcon.hIcon = imgIcon.Picture

' Add icon to the tray
    Call Shell_NotifyIcon(NIM_ADD, TrayIcon)

' Don't let application appear in the Windows task list
    App.TaskVisible = False
    Hide

End Sub


Ronnie

Ronnie,

Thanks for your quick response.  Before I can accept this answer, however, I need to know the declarations for the constants mentioned in your proposed answer (i.e., NIM_ADD, NIM_ICON, NIF_TIP, NIF_MESSAGE, WM_MOUSEMOVE).  Resubmit the answer with these declarations and then I will be able to test your solution.

Thanks,
David

I would like to make the following clarifications via case scenarios:

Case 1:
  When you minimize the application, it should not appear as most other applications appear in the taskbar (i.e., Microsoft Word).  Rather, it should appear as an icon next to the current time display at the right-most part of the taskbar (provided your taskbar is placed at the bottom of the screen).  

Case 2:
  When this application is minimized, you should only need to click on the little icon next to the current time display in the taskbar in order to restore it to normal size.

Thanks.

Sorry about that, Give me a minute and I will get those for you. BTW you do not have to reject the answer if you are happy with the current expert. You can most a comment without grading or rejecting.

Personally, I would use a freeware ocx like SysTray32 available at:
http://www.download.com/PC/Result/TitleDetail/0,4,0-37597,501000.html

But then, that's just me.

Well personally, I like to have total control of an app, and when you start using plug-ins you get into more trouble.  Even if they are stable, unless you have the source, and a lot of people using it to determine when you have reached the limits, you get into trouble.  
dfhaines: I am having someone send me the rest of the file from my home pc. Might take a few.
Ronnie

here are the declarations that I used:

' Used to detect clicking on the icon
Private Const WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK = &H203
Private Const WM_RBUTTONUP = &H205

' Used to control the icon
Private Const NIM_ADD = &H0
Private Const NIM_MODIFY = &H1
Private Const NIF_MESSAGE = &H1
Private Const NIM_DELETE = &H2
Private Const NIF_ICON = &H2
Private Const NIF_TIP = &H4

' Used as the ID of the call back message
Private Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200

Ronnie,

I tried using the code, however, it did not meet the cases I set out in my last comment.  In my project, I have two forms and one module.  I placed your code, aside from the Form_Load code, in the General Declarations of the module and removed the Private call so I could use the function, type and constants in my form.

Any thoughts?

redbaron:
Not to dwell on the subject but VB is based on the use of "plug-ins".  To *not* use them when you can opens yourself up for a lot more work, including the maintenance nightmare of modifying the code of a dozen apps when the OS changes either through a rev or an SP.
Finally, you comment that you "like to have total control over an app" and yet you are using the API.  My question is how much control of the API do you have?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to steal your points.  The answer you gave was correct and you should be awarded the points.  All I'm saying is there is more than one way to do almost anything.  I have better things to do than maintain code, so I choose the easy way.

is your main form an MDI client, or what? If you want to send me the code I will take a look at it and see what needs to be done.
mailto:mollerr@computer-depot-inc.com

cliffAbb:
I agree with the statement you made. I guess that coming from C, I am not very used to including items that I can't compile and test indiviually. VB has a lot of that, like you stated.

Microsoft makes a very nice taskbar OCX, that should make it a piece of cake to do this. Go to the VB Owner's Area (www.microsoft.com/vbasic/). There should be a sample program there. You'll have to compile to OCX yourself, if you don't want to, or can't get to the site, mail me (ben@kescom.net) and I'll send it. The syntax is pretty simple. Here's my code:
Private Sub cSysTray1_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Id As Long)
Me.Visible = Not Me.Visible
End Sub
That's all I had to do. There's properties like what button, is the icon in the tray, etc.

Ronnie,

Resubmit your answer and I will accept it.  I downloaded the systray ocx from Karland and it worked well.  At some later point when I have time, I will try to debug the code you provided that I incorporated into my project.

Thanks,
David

'Put this code in a form called form1 and
'create a button called command1

Private Sub Command1_Click()
     ShowIcon
End Sub

Public Sub ShowIcon()
    With nid
        .cbSize = Len(nid)
        .hwnd = Form1.hwnd
        .uId = vbNull
        .uFlags = NIF_ICON Or NIF_TIP Or NIF_MESSAGE
        .uCallBackMessage = WM_MOUSEMOVE
        .hIcon = Form1.Icon
        .szTip = "Text Here" & vbNullChar
    End With
    Shell_NotifyIcon NIM_ADD, nid
End Sub

' *********** PUT THE REST OF THIS CODE IN A MODULE!!! **********

'user defined type required by Shell_NotifyIcon API call
Public Type NOTIFYICONDATA
    cbSize As Long
    hwnd As Long
    uId As Long
    uFlags As Long
    uCallBackMessage As Long
    hIcon As Long
    szTip As String * 64
End Type

'constants required by Shell_NotifyIcon API call:
Public Const NIM_ADD = &H0
Public Const NIM_MODIFY = &H1
Public Const NIM_DELETE = &H2
Public Const NIF_MESSAGE = &H1
Public Const NIF_ICON = &H2
Public Const NIF_TIP = &H4
Public Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200

Public Const WM_LBUTTONDOWN = &H201     'Button down
Public Const WM_LBUTTONUP = &H202       'Button up
Public Const WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK = &H203   'Double-click
Public Const WM_RBUTTONDOWN = &H204     'Button down
Public Const WM_RBUTTONUP = &H205       'Button up
Public Const WM_RBUTTONDBLCLK = &H206   'Double-click
   
Public Declare Function Shell_NotifyIcon Lib "shell32" _
      Alias "Shell_NotifyIconA" _
      (ByVal dwMessage As Long, pnid As NOTIFYICONDATA) As Boolean
   
Public nid As NOTIFYICONDATA