Modifying windows layout(title bar)

[Jon Slaughter]

I'm tryign to display my own title bar. I've created a window without one
but with a menu. The menu though is located in the upper left corner and I
need to move it down. I need to set the client windows location but I can't
seem to get the menu to move as it always starts at the upper left of the
form. I want basically to have the form work exactly like its suppose to but
implement my own title bar. i.e., I don't want to have to position the menu
manually as this is not done when I add a title bar to the form.

But no matter what I try the menu always just ends up in the starting in the
upper left corner. I'm sure I can set the menu's location manually but I
want it to use the same feature it does when windows handles the title bar.
I guess what I'm asking is how does window create a title bar for the form
so that the menu bar or client area does not interfer with it? If I set the
client area to be something 0 of the non-client area I still get the same
results.

i.e.

I create a class that inherits Windows.Forms.

I create a new property ClientRectangle that is suppose to override the
original so I can set it.

I then set it to be something such as (20,40,100,100) . Hence the menu
should, if this worked properly, paint itself in the client area and start
at 20,40 and not 0,0
What am I doing thats wrong? I just want to get the menu's location(the
upper right corner of the menu) to give me room to paint my title bar. But I
want to do this transparently and in the same fashion that windows does it.

Thanks,
Jon

[Tom Spink]

Jon Slaughter wrote:

I'm tryign to display my own title bar. I've created a window without one
but with a menu. The menu though is located in the upper left corner and I
need to move it down. I need to set the client windows location but I
can't seem to get the menu to move as it always starts at the upper left
of the form. I want basically to have the form work exactly like its
suppose to but implement my own title bar. i.e., I don't want to have to
position the menu manually as this is not done when I add a title bar to
the form.

But no matter what I try the menu always just ends up in the starting in
the upper left corner. I'm sure I can set the menu's location manually but
I want it to use the same feature it does when windows handles the title
bar.
I guess what I'm asking is how does window create a title bar for the form
so that the menu bar or client area does not interfer with it? If I set
the client area to be something 0 of the non-client area I still get the
same results.

i.e.

I create a class that inherits Windows.Forms.

I create a new property ClientRectangle that is suppose to override the
original so I can set it.

I then set it to be something such as (20,40,100,100) . Hence the menu
should, if this worked properly, paint itself in the client area and start
at 20,40 and not 0,0
What am I doing thats wrong? I just want to get the menu's location(the
upper right corner of the menu) to give me room to paint my title bar. But
I want to do this transparently and in the same fashion that windows does
it.

Thanks,
Jon

Hi Jon,

Now, I must admit I haven't used Windows for a while... but this is what I
can remember. The menu is part of the non-client area; because it's a
non-client feature. What you should be doing is leaving the Windows
title-bar in, but painting over it. For this, you need to capture the
WM_NCPAINT window message, and act on it accordingly. It's a non-trivial
process though, and you may want to look around the internet for examples
to do with painting in the non-client area.

Once you get your painting sorted out, IIRC there's a Windows API you can
use to adjust the size of the non-client area, which is certainly what
you'll need to use if your title-bar is not the same size as the standard
windows title-bar.

I did a bit of Googling, and found you this:
http://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.as...omerBorderForm

It may be a useful starting point.

Good Luck!

--
Hope this helps,
Tom Spink

Google first, ask later.

[Jon Slaughter]

"Tom Spink" <ts****@gmail.c omwrote in message
news:eX******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP04.phx.gbl...

Jon Slaughter wrote:

>I'm tryign to display my own title bar. I've created a window without one
but with a menu. The menu though is located in the upper left corner and
I
need to move it down. I need to set the client windows location but I
can't seem to get the menu to move as it always starts at the upper left
of the form. I want basically to have the form work exactly like its
suppose to but implement my own title bar. i.e., I don't want to have to
position the menu manually as this is not done when I add a title bar to
the form.

But no matter what I try the menu always just ends up in the starting in
the upper left corner. I'm sure I can set the menu's location manually
but
I want it to use the same feature it does when windows handles the title
bar.
I guess what I'm asking is how does window create a title bar for the
form
so that the menu bar or client area does not interfer with it? If I set
the client area to be something 0 of the non-client area I still get
the
same results.

i.e.

I create a class that inherits Windows.Forms.

I create a new property ClientRectangle that is suppose to override the
original so I can set it.

I then set it to be something such as (20,40,100,100) . Hence the menu
should, if this worked properly, paint itself in the client area and
start
at 20,40 and not 0,0
What am I doing thats wrong? I just want to get the menu's location(the
upper right corner of the menu) to give me room to paint my title bar.
But
I want to do this transparently and in the same fashion that windows does
it.

Thanks,
Jon

Hi Jon,

Now, I must admit I haven't used Windows for a while... but this is what I
can remember. The menu is part of the non-client area; because it's a
non-client feature. What you should be doing is leaving the Windows
title-bar in, but painting over it. For this, you need to capture the
WM_NCPAINT window message, and act on it accordingly. It's a non-trivial
process though, and you may want to look around the internet for examples
to do with painting in the non-client area.

I thoguht about that but then I thought that it would be a waste and my
non-client area generated from the title bar would be fixed to what ever the
size of the title bar is.

Once you get your painting sorted out, IIRC there's a Windows API you can
use to adjust the size of the non-client area, which is certainly what
you'll need to use if your title-bar is not the same size as the standard
windows title-bar.

Why not just use that API without the form having at title bar? If the menu
is working in the NC area then there must be a way to move it because this
is exactly what windows does behind the scenes anyways.

I did a bit of Googling, and found you this:
http://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.as...omerBorderForm

It may be a useful starting point.

Thanks, looks like it might contain what I need
Jon

[Tom Spink]

Jon Slaughter wrote:

>
"Tom Spink" <ts****@gmail.c omwrote in message
news:eX******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP04.phx.gbl...

>Jon Slaughter wrote:

>>I'm tryign to display my own title bar. I've created a window without
one but with a menu. The menu though is located in the upper left corner
and I
need to move it down. I need to set the client windows location but I
can't seem to get the menu to move as it always starts at the upper left
of the form. I want basically to have the form work exactly like its
suppose to but implement my own title bar. i.e., I don't want to have to
position the menu manually as this is not done when I add a title bar to
the form.

But no matter what I try the menu always just ends up in the starting in
the upper left corner. I'm sure I can set the menu's location manually
but
I want it to use the same feature it does when windows handles the title
bar.
I guess what I'm asking is how does window create a title bar for the
form
so that the menu bar or client area does not interfer with it? If I set
the client area to be something 0 of the non-client area I still get
the
same results.

i.e.

I create a class that inherits Windows.Forms.

I create a new property ClientRectangle that is suppose to override the
original so I can set it.

I then set it to be something such as (20,40,100,100) . Hence the menu
should, if this worked properly, paint itself in the client area and
start
at 20,40 and not 0,0
What am I doing thats wrong? I just want to get the menu's location(the
upper right corner of the menu) to give me room to paint my title bar.
But
I want to do this transparently and in the same fashion that windows
does it.

Thanks,
Jon

Hi Jon,

Now, I must admit I haven't used Windows for a while... but this is what
I
can remember. The menu is part of the non-client area; because it's a
non-client feature. What you should be doing is leaving the Windows
title-bar in, but painting over it. For this, you need to capture the
WM_NCPAINT window message, and act on it accordingly. It's a non-trivial
process though, and you may want to look around the internet for examples
to do with painting in the non-client area.

I thoguht about that but then I thought that it would be a waste and my
non-client area generated from the title bar would be fixed to what ever
the size of the title bar is.

>Once you get your painting sorted out, IIRC there's a Windows API you can
use to adjust the size of the non-client area, which is certainly what
you'll need to use if your title-bar is not the same size as the standard
windows title-bar.

Why not just use that API without the form having at title bar? If the
menu is working in the NC area then there must be a way to move it because
this is exactly what windows does behind the scenes anyways.

>I did a bit of Googling, and found you this:
http://www.codeplex.com/Wiki/View.as...omerBorderForm

It may be a useful starting point.

Thanks, looks like it might contain what I need
Jon

Hi Jon,

Why not just use that API without the form having at title bar? If the
menu is working in the NC area then there must be a way to move it because
this is exactly what windows does behind the scenes anyways.

You may be absolutely right... I can't try it out, so if you do, let us know
how it turns out.

--
Hope this helps,
Tom Spink

Google first, ask later.