How to toggle/switch Windows taskbar from “show” t

Question

Basically I want to make simple toggle program (that will be mapped to some keyboard shortcut) that set taskbar to auto-hide mode if in normal mode (and conversely, to normal show mode if in auto-hide).

Do You know how to implement it in C#? (or Win32 C++, but anything that will actually do it is fine.)

Thanks. Hope I've made myself clear.

--

I don't really want any full screen app that will overlap taskbar, only windowless program that toggles show mode and quit. I switch from auto-hide to normal view on regular basis and want to simplify it. (Using Win7.)

--

edited. For example

#include <windows.h>

int CALLBACK WinMain(HINSTANCE, HINSTANCE, LPSTR, int)
{
    SetWindowPos(FindWindow(L"Shell_traywnd", NULL ), 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0x40);
}

will not do the trick, it only shows taskbar, which is already visible=true, but not switch it to/from auto-hide. (Same applies for 0x80.)

Answer 1

I maked a taskbar class from this code like this:

public class Taskbar
{
[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string strClassName, string strWindowName);
[DllImport("shell32.dll")]
public static extern UInt32 SHAppBarMessage(UInt32 dwMessage, ref APPBARDATA pData);
public enum AppBarMessages
{
    New = 0x00,
    Remove = 0x01,
    QueryPos = 0x02,
    SetPos = 0x03,
    GetState = 0x04,
    GetTaskBarPos = 0x05,
    Activate = 0x06,
    GetAutoHideBar = 0x07,
    SetAutoHideBar = 0x08,
    WindowPosChanged = 0x09,
    SetState = 0x0a
}
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public struct APPBARDATA
{
    public UInt32 cbSize;
    public IntPtr hWnd;
    public UInt32 uCallbackMessage;
    public UInt32 uEdge;
    public Rectangle rc;
    public Int32 lParam;
}
public enum AppBarStates
{
    AutoHide = 0x01,
    AlwaysOnTop = 0x02
}
/// <summary>
/// Set the Taskbar State option
/// </summary>
/// <param name="option">AppBarState to activate</param>
public void SetTaskbarState(AppBarStates option)
{
    APPBARDATA msgData = new APPBARDATA();
    msgData.cbSize = (UInt32)Marshal.SizeOf(msgData);
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
    msgData.lParam = (Int32)(option);
    SHAppBarMessage((UInt32)AppBarMessages.SetState, ref msgData);
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the current Taskbar state
/// </summary>
/// <returns>current Taskbar state</returns>
public AppBarStates GetTaskbarState()
{
    APPBARDATA msgData = new APPBARDATA();
    msgData.cbSize = (UInt32)Marshal.SizeOf(msgData);
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
    return (AppBarStates)SHAppBarMessage((UInt32)AppBarMessages.GetState, ref msgData);
}
}

The problem is, when I'm performing

taskbar.SetTaskbarState(Taskbar.AppBarStates.AlwaysOnTop);

after

taskbar.SetTaskbarState(Taskbar.AppBarStates.AutoHide);

My start button is no more activated (i can't open the startmenu, clicking on it dosen't causes everything). I'm using Windows 10. Does anyone know a solution about that?

Answer 2

This is a solution that I use: 7+ Taskbar Tweaker (http://rammichael.com/7-taskbar-tweaker). Kudos to the author!

A simple free program that makes it possible to toggle task bar auto-hide in one action - assigning it to double click or middle click on empty space of the task bar OR set it yourself (see advanced options + help, right click try icon).

This is essential for me as I use the task bar in vertical position and on a laptop I run out of space when I project to XVGA, which is frequent. And it was a real pain, so many clicks to toggle it.

It's a shame Microsoft has not developed this further since the 90's. Today, I think one option would be that it behaves as the ribbon in the office programs.

Cheers!

Marjan

Answer 3

Hiding the taskbar

It's a more WIN32 API related issue than C#. You can use this (needed to be translated to dot net of course) to hide the task bar.

You can use http://www.pinvoke.net to translate the WIN32 API calls to dot net.

Set auto-hide to the taskbar

You can achieve that by manipulating the registry using the keys that described here.

It should be an easy task, Good luck.

Answer 4

Here are the functions I use:

[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string strClassName, string strWindowName);

[DllImport("shell32.dll")]
public static extern UInt32 SHAppBarMessage(UInt32 dwMessage, ref APPBARDATA pData);

public enum AppBarMessages
{
    New              = 0x00,
    Remove           = 0x01,
    QueryPos         = 0x02,
    SetPos           = 0x03,
    GetState         = 0x04,
    GetTaskBarPos    = 0x05,
    Activate         = 0x06,
    GetAutoHideBar   = 0x07,
    SetAutoHideBar   = 0x08,
    WindowPosChanged = 0x09,
    SetState         = 0x0a
}

[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public struct APPBARDATA
{
    public UInt32 cbSize;
    public IntPtr hWnd;
    public UInt32 uCallbackMessage;
    public UInt32 uEdge;
    public Rectangle rc;
    public Int32 lParam;
}

public enum AppBarStates
{
    AutoHide    = 0x01,
    AlwaysOnTop = 0x02
}

/// <summary>
/// Set the Taskbar State option
/// </summary>
/// <param name="option">AppBarState to activate</param>
public void SetTaskbarState(AppBarStates option)
{
    APPBARDATA msgData = new APPBARDATA();
    msgData.cbSize = (UInt32)Marshal.SizeOf(msgData);
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
    msgData.lParam = (Int32)(option);
    SHAppBarMessage((UInt32)AppBarMessages.SetState, ref msgData);
}

/// <summary>
/// Gets the current Taskbar state
/// </summary>
/// <returns>current Taskbar state</returns>
public AppBarStates GetTaskbarState()
{
    APPBARDATA msgData = new APPBARDATA();
    msgData.cbSize = (UInt32)Marshal.SizeOf(msgData);
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
    return (AppBarStates)SHAppBarMessage((UInt32)AppBarMessages.GetState, ref msgData);
}

When the code above is implemented just set the Taskbar to autohide by: SetTaskbarState(AppBarStates.AutoHide);

Get the current state by:

AppBarStates currentState = GetTaskbarState();

Answer 5

I followed @Quispie answer but it didn't worked at first in Windows 10, but gave me the foundation and source to solve it (so kudos) and also http://www.pinvoke.net/.

[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto)]
public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string strClassName, string strWindowName);

[DllImport("shell32.dll")]
public static extern UInt32 SHAppBarMessage(UInt32 dwMessage, ref APPBARDATA pData);

public enum AppBarMessages
{
    New = 0x00,
    Remove = 0x01,
    QueryPos = 0x02,
    SetPos = 0x03,
    GetState = 0x04,
    GetTaskBarPos = 0x05,
    Activate = 0x06,
    GetAutoHideBar = 0x07,
    SetAutoHideBar = 0x08,
    WindowPosChanged = 0x09,
    SetState = 0x0a
}

[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public struct APPBARDATA
{
    public int cbSize; // initialize this field using: Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(APPBARDATA));
    public IntPtr hWnd;
    public uint uCallbackMessage;
    public uint uEdge;
    public RECT rc;
    public int lParam;
}

[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public struct RECT
{
    public int Left, Top, Right, Bottom;

    public RECT(int left, int top, int right, int bottom)
    {
        Left = left;
        Top = top;
        Right = right;
        Bottom = bottom;
    }

    public RECT(System.Drawing.Rectangle r) : this(r.Left, r.Top, r.Right, r.Bottom) { }

    public int X
    {
        get { return Left; }
        set { Right -= (Left - value); Left = value; }
    }

    public int Y
    {
        get { return Top; }
        set { Bottom -= (Top - value); Top = value; }
    }

    public int Height
    {
        get { return Bottom - Top; }
        set { Bottom = value + Top; }
    }

    public int Width
    {
        get { return Right - Left; }
        set { Right = value + Left; }
    }

    public System.Drawing.Point Location
    {
        get { return new System.Drawing.Point(Left, Top); }
        set { X = value.X; Y = value.Y; }
    }

    public System.Drawing.Size Size
    {
        get { return new System.Drawing.Size(Width, Height); }
        set { Width = value.Width; Height = value.Height; }
    }

    public static implicit operator System.Drawing.Rectangle(RECT r)
    {
        return new System.Drawing.Rectangle(r.Left, r.Top, r.Width, r.Height);
    }

    public static implicit operator RECT(System.Drawing.Rectangle r)
    {
        return new RECT(r);
    }

    public static bool operator ==(RECT r1, RECT r2)
    {
        return r1.Equals(r2);
    }

    public static bool operator !=(RECT r1, RECT r2)
    {
        return !r1.Equals(r2);
    }

    public bool Equals(RECT r)
    {
        return r.Left == Left && r.Top == Top && r.Right == Right && r.Bottom == Bottom;
    }

    public override bool Equals(object obj)
    {
        if (obj is RECT)
            return Equals((RECT)obj);
        else if (obj is System.Drawing.Rectangle)
            return Equals(new RECT((System.Drawing.Rectangle)obj));
        return false;
    }

    public override int GetHashCode()
    {
        return ((System.Drawing.Rectangle)this).GetHashCode();
    }

    public override string ToString()
    {
        return string.Format(System.Globalization.CultureInfo.CurrentCulture, "{{Left={0},Top={1},Right={2},Bottom={3}}}", Left, Top, Right, Bottom);
    }
}


public enum AppBarStates
{
    AlwaysOnTop = 0x00,
    AutoHide = 0x01
}

/// <summary>
/// Set the Taskbar State option
/// </summary>
/// <param name="option">AppBarState to activate</param>
public void SetTaskbarState(AppBarStates option)
{
    APPBARDATA msgData = new APPBARDATA();
    msgData.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(msgData);
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
    msgData.lParam = (int)option;
    SHAppBarMessage((UInt32)AppBarMessages.SetState, ref msgData);
}

/// <summary>
/// Gets the current Taskbar state
/// </summary>
/// <returns>current Taskbar state</returns>
public AppBarStates GetTaskbarState()
{
    APPBARDATA msgData = new APPBARDATA();
    msgData.cbSize = Marshal.SizeOf(msgData);
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
    return (AppBarStates)SHAppBarMessage((UInt32)AppBarMessages.GetState, ref msgData);
}

Answer 6

For all those who arrived here from Google and are using Windows 10, like me, the answers from @Quispie and @nicruo are OK but need an extra if.

The reason for that is the class name differs from version to version (apparently, as I no longer have any other Windows but 10).

msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("System_TrayWnd", null);
if (msgData.hWnd == IntPtr.Zero)
    msgData.hWnd = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", null);