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Show a WinForm in FullScreen mode using C#

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16 Apr 2008CPOL1 min read 88.2K   3.3K   26   17
This article contents source code and demo show how to set your WinForm in Full screen mode

Introduction

I have read some articles about FullScreen mode in WinForm using C#. Per example this one on codeproject with the name "Full Screen mode in C#". This example was not satisfized me. I have develope another one and i thing it can be really better, depend of your project!

Description

The source code contents two zip files, the first one is the source code for the FullScreenMode.dll and the second is a test programm to improve the full screen mode on a WinForm. You have to build the associated FullScreenMode project to get a new FullScreenMode.dll. There is one FullScreenMode.dll in the demo file. In the Demo programm, you can only press F11 to view the Form in Full screen mode. Pressed F11 again will reset to the normal Form.

FullScreenMode

The most important in the HandleTaskBar class is to show or hide the Windows taskbar using WinAPI (user32.dll). The methods showTaskBar() and hideTaskBar() will show or hide the TaskBar depend of the screen mode. The methods FindWinDow() and SetWindowPos() must be defined.

C#
/// <summary>

/// Show the TaskBar.

/// </summary>

public static void showTaskBar()

{

     int hWnd = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", "");

     SetWindowPos(hWnd, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_SHOWWINDOW);

}

/// <summary>

/// Hide the TaskBar.

/// </summary>

public static void hideTaskBar()

{

      int hWnd = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", "");

      SetWindowPos(hWnd, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_HIDEWINDOW);

}


The source code is very easy to understand.

But any suggestion will be welcome.

Thanks!

Adiphe

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Software Developer
Germany Germany
.Net, C#, VB Development

Comments and Discussions

 
SuggestionPer my test, it's better not to hide/unhide the form Pin
Leon Zeng20-Jun-14 21:14
Leon Zeng20-Jun-14 21:14 
GeneralThis is Great!!! Pin
tonymark0915-Jun-10 23:37
tonymark0915-Jun-10 23:37 
GeneralUnable to unzip it! Pin
yudyzhao14-Apr-08 1:02
yudyzhao14-Apr-08 1:02 
GeneralRe: Unable to unzip it! Pin
S.Captive7-Jun-09 7:54
S.Captive7-Jun-09 7:54 
GeneralThanks for you help Pin
JackChen198718-Oct-07 15:44
JackChen198718-Oct-07 15:44 
Generalzip file unreadable Pin
m_s_t22-Sep-07 11:09
m_s_t22-Sep-07 11:09 
GeneralRe: zip file unreadable Pin
Adiphe22-Sep-07 22:03
Adiphe22-Sep-07 22:03 
QuestionDifference? Pin
termi10-Oct-06 4:37
termi10-Oct-06 4:37 
AnswerRe: Difference? Pin
Adiphe10-Oct-06 4:43
Adiphe10-Oct-06 4:43 
GeneralRe: Difference? Pin
termi10-Oct-06 19:47
termi10-Oct-06 19:47 
GeneralRe: Difference? Pin
Adiphe11-Oct-06 0:04
Adiphe11-Oct-06 0:04 
GeneralRe: Difference? Pin
termi11-Oct-06 4:44
termi11-Oct-06 4:44 
I don't think you understand what I am saying. I am telling you that if you set form.FormBorderStyle to FormBorderStyle.None and then form.WindowState to WindowState.Maximized, there is NO maximize box visible.

Just try it, in that order... like in the article you linked. It does work, it has worked since .Net 1.0 (or maybe 1.1) and it does EXACTLY the same thing as Internet Explorer and Visual Studio do.

Like I said, our program uses this EXACT code and it behaves JUST like you tell me. NO maximize box, NO minimize box, because there is NO title bar above the form... I just think that either I do not understand the difference with your application and mine, or you don't get that what I say does the exact same thing...

Enough comments on this, for everyone who reads it, try the pure .NET solution first, I have tried to do the thing with the taskbar as well, and the problems that I had were when someone has a taskbar of multiple rows for example.
AnswerRe: Difference? [modified] Pin
Adiphe11-Oct-06 5:15
Adiphe11-Oct-06 5:15 
GeneralRe: Difference? Pin
Hercules011-Apr-09 0:00
Hercules011-Apr-09 0:00 
GeneralRe: Difference? Pin
Adiphe1-Apr-09 6:47
Adiphe1-Apr-09 6:47 
Generalerrate links Pin
MrBabba10-Oct-06 4:33
MrBabba10-Oct-06 4:33 
GeneralRe: errate links Pin
Adiphe10-Oct-06 5:01
Adiphe10-Oct-06 5:01 

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