How to create a top level control?

[Mike Scott]

I'd like to create a control that's top-level, i.e. parented by the
Windows desktop - something like a tooltip or menu.

When I call SetTopLevel( true ) in my control, Windows Forms (or is it
Windows?) creates a form and hosts my control in it!

There must be an easy way to create a true top-level control in Windows
Forms that isn't hosted/parented by a Windows Forms form.

Help!?

Cheers,

MikeS.

 

[Nick Hounsome]

I'd like to create a control that's top-level, i.e. parented by the
Windows desktop - something like a tooltip or menu.

When I call SetTopLevel( true ) in my control, Windows Forms (or is it
Windows?) creates a form and hosts my control in it!

There must be an easy way to create a true top-level control in Windows
Forms that isn't hosted/parented by a Windows Forms form.

Why must there?

By definition a control must be in a form. Tooltips are not controls they
are components (this is confused by the documentation that referes to them
as controls in various places) that manipulate a top level window/form to
which you have no direct access.

I suspect that what you want is simply to create a form and turn off the
borders and title (f.FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.None)

 

[Mike Scott]

Hi Nick

I say "there must be an easy way" because, firstly, a form is a control,
as a component is a control. To Windows, they're all just window
handles. I've been programming Windows for 20+ years, since the Petzold
days. So I expect there must be a way to create a control that doesn't
have to be hosted in a form. Like I said, a *form* is a control that's
not hosted in a form, so there is a way.

If it's not easy, it must be because WinForms is going out of its way to
make it not easy, since there's no intrinsic reason why it should be hard.

Cheers,

MikeS.

 

[Chris Dunaway]

Have you looked at the NativeWindow class? Perhaps that will help you.

 

[Nick Hounsome]

Hi Mike,

A Component is NOT a Control.
Tooltip is a Component and therefore is not a control and has no handle.

Obviously the visual bit that it controls does have a handle but you can't
get at it and I see no reason to believe (other than simplicity) that it
isn't a form with the border turned off.

What about my suggestion of using a form with the border turned off?

Or NativeWindow if you must.

 

[Mike Scott]

Hi Nick

Sorry, you're right about component. However, a form is a control and it
can be top-level.

As for using a form with no border - tried that! That's what my other
thread is about "Zero-sized form" that you've been participating in

Ideally I just need a control, not a form though that obviously works.
This is partly a learning exercise - I can do it easily in native
Windows and I'm trying to figure out how to do it in WinForms.

Thanks for your help.

MikeS.