Home
Recent changes

ATL code
WTL code
MFC code
C++ code
.Net code
PocketPC code
Miscellaneous

viksoe.dk

TaskBarIcon.h

This TaskBarIcon class wraps the Shell Task Bar and allows you to install a task bar icon for your own windows.

To add a task bar icon to your application, add a member variable to your window... 

CTaskBarIcon m_ti
Then in the OnInitDialog() event handler, initialise the icon: 
  LRESULT OnInitDialog(UINT /*uMsg*/, 
                       WPARAM /*wParam*/, 
                       LPARAM /*lParam*/, 
                       BOOL& /*bHandled*/)
  {
    ...
    m_ti.Install(m_hWnd, 1, IDR_TASKBAR);
    ...
  }
You now need to define the resource IDR_TASKBAR. Create a string resource for the tooltip, an icon resource for the icon image and a menu for the popup. Make sure to use the symbolic name IDR_TASKBAR for all of them.

Then chain the class to the message map for default handling. 

  BEGIN_MSG_MAP(CMainDlg)
    ...
    CHAIN_MSG_MAP_MEMBER(m_ti)
  END_MSG_MAP()
The Shell Task Bar API defines a few notifications when things happen over your new icon. For compatibility reasons, you should use the WM_LBUTTONDOWN and WM_RBUTTONDOWN events with the new TASKBAR_MESSAGE_HANDLER message map macro. 
  BEGIN_MSG_MAP(CMainDlg)
    ...
    TASKBAR_MESSAGE_HANDLER(m_ti, WM_LBUTTONDOWN, OnTaskIconClick)
    ...
  END_MSG_MAP()

  LRESULT OnTaskIconClick(LPARAM /*uMsg*/, BOOL& /*bHandled*/)
  {
    // code code code
    return 0;
  }

When you use a Task Bar icon it doesn't necessarily mean that your window will minimize to the taskbar. This is additional functionality you must add yourself.
You simply need to handle when you application is minimized: 

  LRESULT OnSize(UINT /*uMsg*/, WPARAM wParam, LPA...
  {
    if( wParam==SIZE_MINIMIZED) ShowWindow(SW_HIDE);
    bHandled = FALSE;
    return 0;
  }
Call ShowWindow(SW_SHOWNORMAL) to show the window again when someone clicks on the icon.

Source Code Dependencies

Microsoft WTL 3.0 Library

See Also

A WTL sample

Download Files

DownloadSource Code (3 Kb)


Written by Bjarke Viksoe.
Article submitted 6/7/2001.