How can I make a .NET Windows Forms application that only runs in the System Tray?
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
{
/// <summary>
/// The main entry point for the application.
/// </summary>
[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();
}
}
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;
}
}
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 :)