How can I make a NET Windows Forms application that only runs in the System Tray

Question

What do I need to do to make a Windows Forms application to be able to run in the System Tray  Not an application that can be minimized to the tray  but an application that will be only exist in the tray  with nothing more than  an icon a tool tip  and a  quot right click quot  menu

User · Answer

Simply add  this WindowState   FormWindowState Minimized  this ShowInTaskbar   false    to your form object  You will see only an icon at system tray

User · Answer

notifyIcon1- gt ContextMenu   gcnew System  Windows  Forms  ContextMenu    System  Windows  Forms  MenuItem  nIItem   gcnew System  Windows  Forms  MenuItem  quot Open quot    nIItem- gt Click    gcnew System  EventHandler this   amp your class  Open NotifyIcon   notifyIcon1- gt ContextMenu- gt MenuItems- gt Add nIItem

User · Answer

Here is how I did it with Visual nbsp Studio nbsp 2010   NET 4   Create a Windows Forms Application  set  Make single instance application  in properties Add a ContextMenuStrip Add some entries to the context menu strip  double click on them to get the handlers  for example   exit   double click  -  handler -  me Close   Add a NotifyIcon  in the designer set contextMenuStrip to the one you just created  pick an icon  you can find some in the VisualStudio folder under  common7      Set properties for the form in the designer  FormBorderStyle none   ShowIcon false  ShowInTaskbar false  Opacity 0   WindowState Minimized Add Me Visible false at the end of Form1 Load  this will hide the icon when  using Ctrl   Tab Run and adjust as needed

User · Answer

It is very friendly framework for Notification Area Application    it is enough to add NotificationIcon to base form and change auto-generated code to code below   public partial class Form1   Form       private bool hidden   false       public Form1                 InitializeComponent               private void Form1 Load object sender  EventArgs e                this ShowInTaskbar   false            this WindowState   FormWindowState Minimized          this Hide            hidden   true             private void notifyIcon1 Click object sender  EventArgs e                if  hidden     this WindowState    FormWindowState Minimized                           this WindowState   FormWindowState Normal              this Show                hidden   false                    else                          this WindowState   FormWindowState Minimized              this Hide                hidden   true

User · Answer

As mat1t says - you need to add a NotifyIcon to your application and then use something like the following code to set the tooltip and context menu   this notifyIcon Text    This is the tooltip   this notifyIcon ContextMenu   new ContextMenu    this notifyIcon ContextMenu MenuItems Add new MenuItem  Option 1   new EventHandler handler method       This code shows the icon in the system tray only   this notifyIcon Visible   true      Shows the notify icon in the system tray   The following will be needed if you have a form  for whatever reason    this ShowInTaskbar   false      Removes the application from the taskbar Hide      The right click to get the context menu is handled automatically  but if you want to do some action on a left click you ll need to add a Click handler       private void notifyIcon Click object sender  EventArgs e                var eventArgs   e as MouseEventArgs          switch  eventArgs Button                           Left click to reactivate             case MouseButtons Left                     Do your stuff                 break

User · Answer

As far as I m aware you have to still write the application using a form  but have no controls on the form and never set it visible  Use the NotifyIcon  an MSDN sample of which can be found here  to write your application

User · Answer

The code project article Creating a Tasktray Application gives a very simple explanation and example of creating an application that only ever exists in the System Tray   Basically change the Application Run new Form1     line in Program cs to instead start up a class that inherits from ApplicationContext  and have the constructor for that class initialize a NotifyIcon  static class Program            lt summary gt          The main entry point for the application           lt  summary gt       STAThread      static void Main                 Application EnableVisualStyles            Application SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault false            Application Run new MyCustomApplicationContext               public class MyCustomApplicationContext   ApplicationContext       private NotifyIcon trayIcon       public MyCustomApplicationContext                     Initialize Tray Icon         trayIcon   new NotifyIcon                         Icon   Resources AppIcon              ContextMenu   new ContextMenu new MenuItem                     new MenuItem  Exit   Exit                              Visible   true                       void Exit object sender  EventArgs e                   Hide tray icon  otherwise it will remain shown until user mouses over it         trayIcon Visible   false           Application Exit

User · Answer

Create a new Windows Application with the wizard  Delete Form1 from the code   Remove the code in Program cs starting up the Form1  Use the NotifyIcon class to create your system tray icon  assign an icon to it   Add a contextmenu to it  Or react to NotifyIcon s mouseclick and differenciate between Right and Left click  setting your contextmenu and showing it for which ever button  right left  was pressed  Application Run   to keep the app running with Application Exit   to quit  Or a bool bRunning   true  while bRunning  Application DoEvents    Thread Sleep 10     Then set bRunning   false  to exit the app

User · Answer

I ve wrote a traybar app with  NET 1 1 and I didn t need a form  First of all  set the startup object of the project as a Sub Main  defined in a module  Then create programmatically the components  the NotifyIcon and ContextMenu  Be sure to include a MenuItem  Quit  or similar  Bind the ContextMenu to the NotifyIcon  Invoke Application Run    In the event handler for the Quit MenuItem be sure to call set NotifyIcon Visible   False  then Application Exit    Add what you need to the ContextMenu and handle properly

User · Answer

System tray  application is just a regular win forms application  only difference is that it creates a icon in windows system tray area  In order to create sys tray icon use NotifyIcon component   you can find it in Toolbox Common controls   and modify it s properties  Icon  tool tip  Also it enables you to handle mouse click and double click messages   And One more thing   in order to achieve look and feels or standard tray app  add followinf lines on your main form show event   private void MainForm Shown object sender  EventArgs e        WindowState   FormWindowState Minimized      Hide

[c#] How can I make a .NET Windows Forms application that only runs in the System Tray?

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