Notify Icon - System tray icon explored

parinit

1.90/5 (8 votes)

Feb 15, 2006

2 min read

52211

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A simple class that creates an icon in the status area.

Sample Image - maximum width is 600 pixels

Introduction

In my article System Tray Icon, I introduced a simple Class that creates an icon in the status area. Icons in the status area are short cuts to processes that are running in the background of a computer, such as a virus protection program or a volume control. These processes do not come with their own user interfaces. Notify Icon provides a way to program in this functionality.

Class Details

Public Methods

`ShowIcon (ByRef SysTrayForm As Form)`	Sets the current icon.
`RemoveIcon (SysTrayForm As Form)`	Remove the current icon.
`ChangeIcon (SysTrayForm As Form, picNewIcon As PictureBox)`	Sets the ToolTip text displayed when the mouse hovers over a status area icon.
`(RestoreIcon (SysTrayForm As Form)`	Restore default icon.
`ChangeToolTip (SysTrayForm As Form, strNewTip As String)`	Sets the ToolTip text displayed when the mouse hovers over a status area icon.

Public Events

`Const WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK = &H203 Const WM_RBUTTONDBLCLK = &H206 Const WM_MBUTTONDBLCLK = &H209`	Occurs when the user clicks the icon in the status area.
`Const WM_LBUTTONDOWN = &H201 Const WM_RBUTTONDOWN = &H204 Const WM_MBUTTONDOWN = &H207`	Occurs when the user presses the mouse button while the pointer is over the icon in the status notification area of the taskbar.
`Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200`	Occurs when the user moves the mouse while the pointer is over the icon in the status notification area of the taskbar.
`Const WM_LBUTTONUP = &H202 Const WM_RBUTTONUP = &H205 Const WM_MBUTTONUP = &H208`	Occurs when the user releases the mouse button while the pointer is over the icon in the status notification area of the taskbar.

Using the code

A brief description of how to use the article or code.

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'        #   #      #            #    ##  # #   ##     #
'    ####   #    ###             #    #      ###  #   #
'

Structure Used

Private Type NOTIFYICONDATA
    cbSize As Long
    Hwnd As Long
    uId As Long
    uFlags As Long
    ucallbackMessage As Long
    hIcon As Long
    szTip As String * 64
End Type

API Used

Private Declare Function Shell_NotifyIcon Lib "shell32" _
Alias "Shell_NotifyIconA" (ByVal dwMessage As Long, _
lpData As NOTIFYICONDATA) As Long

Private Properties

Private Property Let bRunningInTray(ByVal vData As Boolean)
    RunningInTray = vData
End Property


Property Get bRunningInTray() As Boolean
    bRunningInTray = RunningInTray
End Property

Function details

Public Sub ShowIcon(ByRef SysTrayForm As Form)
    With nic
        .cbSize = Len(nic)
        .Hwnd = SysTrayForm.Hwnd
        .uId = vbNull
        .uFlags = 7
        .ucallbackMessage = 512 'On Mouse Move
        .hIcon = SysTrayForm.Icon
        .szTip = SysTrayForm.Caption + Chr(0)
    End With
    
    Shell_NotifyIcon 0, nic
    
    RunningInTray = True
End Sub

Public Sub RemoveIcon(SysTrayForm As Form)
    With nic
        .cbSize = Len(nic)
        .Hwnd = SysTrayForm.Hwnd
        .uId = vbNull
        .uFlags = 7
        .ucallbackMessage = vbNull
        .hIcon = SysTrayForm.Icon
        .szTip = Chr(0)
    End With
    Shell_NotifyIcon 2, nic
    If SysTrayForm.Visible = False Then SysTrayForm.Show    'Incase user can't see form
    
    RunningInTray = False
End Sub

Public Sub ChangeIcon(SysTrayForm As Form, picNewIcon As PictureBox)
    If RunningInTray = True Then   'If running in the tray
        With nic
            .cbSize = Len(nic)
            .Hwnd = SysTrayForm.Hwnd
            .hIcon = picNewIcon.Picture
        End With
        Shell_NotifyIcon 1, nic
    End If
End Sub

Public Sub RestoreIcon(SysTrayForm As Form)
    If RunningInTray = True Then   'If running in the tray
        With nic
            .cbSize = Len(nic)
            .Hwnd = SysTrayForm.Hwnd
            .hIcon = SysTrayForm.Icon
        End With
        Shell_NotifyIcon 1, nic
    End If
End Sub
Public Sub ChangeToolTip(SysTrayForm As Form, strNewTip As String)
    If RunningInTray = True Then   'If running in the tray
        With nic
            .cbSize = Len(nic)
            .Hwnd = SysTrayForm.Hwnd
            .szTip = strNewTip & Chr(0)
        End With
        Shell_NotifyIcon 1, nic
    End If
End Sub

History

v1.1 (16/February/2006)
First release