help with exe's

[brownts]

I have a couple of questions regarding the exporting of programs (not previous relationships)...

1. Is it possible to make the exported program always on top?
2. Is it possible to make the exported program windowless?

I've searched and haven't returned anything yet. I'm not very experienced with this program yet, but there are some really smart people here that have been doing this for a long time...hopefully someone else has had to do this in Flowstone!

Thanks!
Trent

[tulamide]

My answer is theoretical, I've never done this.

1. It should be possible through the use of win32api via Ruby. You can get the handle of the active window and then use that handle to change its properties. That's how it works in other languages too, so I'm pretty confident.

2. Not directly. Again, win32api allows you to use the window handle to hide the window. But it will start with the window visible.

What purpose would a windowless Flowstone application have?

[brownts]

My answer is theoretical, I've never done this.

1. It should be possible through the use of win32api via Ruby. You can get the handle of the active window and then use that handle to change its properties. That's how it works in other languages too, so I'm pretty confident.

2. Not directly. Again, win32api allows you to use the window handle to hide the window. But it will start with the window visible.

What purpose would a windowless Flowstone application have?

Oh boy, that doesn't sound easy!

Maybe I'm not saying it right. I would like it to be a borderless program- so no title bar, no window border. Sorry for the confusion.

I'm trying to use the Flowstone application basically as a gauge. I need to run an application behind it and still be able to click on the background application, but not send the Flowstone application behind the application I need to click on and view simultaneously. I can position the Flowstone application generally out of the way, so I'm not too worried, but the desire for the Flowstone exe to be windowless is purely for aesthetics. I've seen your previous threads that discuss GUI presentation and design at great detail and your advice is nothing short of brilliant! Wouldn't a borderless export option be ideal for a lot of those sound applications, though? It's kind of a shame to have built such a beautiful program, only to have it surrounded by windows ugliness

Thanks again for the help!
Trent

[tulamide]

You are right - it is not as easy as grabbing a primitive. You need to get deep into the system's settings, and that can only be achieved via win32api.

What you describe is possible with the api, but I'm not sure about the amount of work needed for it. I would give it a try, but currently I have too many other things to do (why does the list never get shorter?)

I agree though, that a wonderful GUI without window borders would look nice. But most of us do plugins, not executables, so it isn't a big deal for us.