Add Menu to Taskbar

Question

Hello,

I know about creating contextMenus, menuStrips, and menuItems ext., but how to add one to the taskbar when right clicked?

Regards,

Adjutor

Answer 1

Hi Adjutor,

When you say 'Taskbar' are you referring to the Windows taskbar? The icon of your program in the system tray? Or a toolstrip on your form UI?

-- Jake

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ShadowXVII | http://www.shadowsplace.net

Answer 2

Shadow XVII,

Thank you for the reply.  I am referring to the taskbar where the programs go in Windows when minimzed.  There is an example at this url: http://cache.lifehacker.com/assets/resources/2007/03/xptaskbar-preview.png
I would like to make a menu for the programs taskbar item when the user right clicks the taskbar item of the program.

Regards,

Adjutor

Answer 3

It is possible to make your own context menu appear on right click of the taskbar, however, for your program only.

It involves intercepting the message which is sent to your program that indicates the user has right clicked on the taskbar item. Basically, then once we intercept the message we can display our own context menu strip, preventing the real one appearing. This in effect allows you to use your own right click menu to your programs taskbar item.

The following code is in VB.net. Place it in the form which appears in the taskbar.

Private Const WMessageRightClickTaskbar As Integer = &H313

Protected Overloads Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As Message)

If m.Msg = WMessageRightClickTaskbar Then

aContextMenuStrip.Show(Cursor.Position.X, Cursor.Position.Y)  'Replace this context menu strip with another, or another action all together.

Exit Sub

End If

MyBase.WndProc(m)

End Sub

This is the same code in C#.

private const int WMessageRightClickTaskbar = 0x313;

protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)

{

if (m.Msg == WMessageRightClickTaskbar) {

aContextMenuStrip.Show(Cursor.Position.X, Cursor.Position.Y);

return;

}

base.WndProc(m);

}

Hope that helps!

-- Jake

---

ShadowXVII | http://www.shadowsplace.net

Answer 4

However, with the way you are proposing, the menu doesn't look like the windows menu that comes up, and I want to edit the options still, but it look just like the windows menu, but with edited options, then if there is also some key combination, to put that and everything as well, so it will show up too.

Is there a way to do this?

I could probably capture the right click, change some settings on my menu options, and then do it, but I don't know if this is what I need to do or not, is there a good way to do it?

Answer 5

Your right there, in regard to it being different however maybe being different is a good thing :P :P

Im quite sure however, that its possible to add items to the Windows menu (e.g. Windows Help or a Management Console)

A simple google revealed this post: http://pietschsoft.com/post/2008/03/Add-System-Menu-Items-to-a-Form-using-Windows-API.aspx

This code will allow you to add items to the existing menu bar, interestingly it uses the same-ish methods of intercepting the 'User clicked on this item button' which makes handling the events a little harder but not impossible.

I hope that points you in the right direction!

---

ShadowXVII | http://www.shadowsplace.net

Answer 6

Shadow XVII,

Nice, the code works.  And also thank you for the code there to add items to the System Menu.  Thank you.

Regards,

Adjutor