Tooltips without parent (on desktop)

[indiocolifa]

I'm trying to display a balloon tooltip on the screen without specifying a parent window for it.

For this application purpose, my tooltip data and handle is "encapsulated" in my own handle definition (HBUBBLE):

struct __HBUBBLE {
	HWND hwnd;
	TOOLINFO ti;		
};

typedef __HBUBBLE* HBUBBLE;

My creation code where I'm trying to create it and show is as follows.

DWORD BubbleWindow_Create(HBUBBLE* pHandle)
{
	DWORD rv = 0;
	HWND hwnd = NULL;
	RECT rcDesktop;
	GetClientRect(GetDesktopWindow(), &rcDesktop);

	hwnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_TOPMOST, TOOLTIPS_CLASS, NULL, TTS_ALWAYSTIP | TTS_BALLOON | WS_POPUP,
		CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 
		NULL, NULL, GetModuleHandle(0), NULL);

	rv = (DWORD) hwnd;

	if (hwnd)
	{
		*pHandle = new __HBUBBLE;

		memset ( & ((*pHandle)->ti), 0, sizeof(TOOLINFO));

		(*pHandle)->ti.cbSize = sizeof(TOOLINFO);
		(*pHandle)->ti.hinst = 0;
		(*pHandle)->ti.uFlags = TTF_TRACK | TTF_ABSOLUTE | TTF_IDISHWND;
		(*pHandle)->ti.hwnd = GetDesktopWindow();
		(*pHandle)->ti.uId = (UINT_PTR) GetDesktopWindow();
		(*pHandle)->ti.lpszText = L"XXXXX";

		CopyRect(& ((*pHandle)->ti.rect), &rcDesktop);				

		SendMessage(hwnd, TTM_ADDTOOL, 0, (LPARAM) &((*pHandle)->ti));
		SendMessage(hwnd, TTM_SETTITLE, TTI_INFO, (LPARAM) L"xxxxxx TITLE xxxxx");
		SendMessage(hwnd, TTM_SETDELAYTIME, TTDT_AUTOMATIC, -1);
		SendMessage(hwnd, TTM_SETMAXTIPWIDTH, 0, 500);
		SendMessage(hwnd, TTM_TRACKACTIVATE, TRUE, (LPARAM) &((*pHandle)->ti));
		SendMessage(hwnd, TTM_TRACKPOSITION, 0, 0);
		//SetWindowPos (hwnd, HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 200, 200, SWP_NOSIZE);
		
		(*pHandle)->hwnd = hwnd;		
	}
	else
		dprintf(L"BubbleWindow_Create:WindowCreation failed\n");


	return rv;
}

It's possible to do this? Or I must create a parent window for it?

Thank you very much!

pd: (offtopic!) Has "code" tag on the forum C/C++ highlighting capabilities?

[ovidiucucu]

Usually, a tooltip is not a child window so, it has not a parent.
Please, first take a look at: Which are the differences between child and owned windows?

Of course you can create a tooltip with no owner, but I can not see any advantage.
However, here is an example of a function which can do that:

DWORD BubbleWindow_Create(HBUBBLE& hBubble, LPCTSTR pszText, LPCTSTR pszTitle, 
                          WORD x, WORD y, WORD nMaxWidth)
{
   DWORD dwRet = NO_ERROR;
   hBubble = new __HBUBBLE;
   hBubble->hwnd = CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_TOPMOST, TOOLTIPS_CLASS, 
                                  NULL, TTS_ALWAYSTIP | TTS_BALLOON | WS_POPUP,
		                            0, 0, 0, 0, 
                                  NULL, NULL, GetModuleHandle(0), hBubble);
   if(NULL != hBubble->hwnd)
   {
      ::ZeroMemory(&hBubble->ti, sizeof(TOOLINFO));
		hBubble->ti.cbSize = sizeof(TOOLINFO);
#if (_WIN32_WINNT >= 0x0501)
      hBubble->ti.cbSize -= sizeof(void*);
#endif
      hBubble->ti.uFlags = TTF_TRACK | TTF_ABSOLUTE;
      hBubble->ti.lpszText = const_cast<LPTSTR>(pszText);

      SendMessage(hBubble->hwnd, TTM_ADDTOOL, 0, (LPARAM)&hBubble->ti);
      SendMessage(hBubble->hwnd, TTM_SETMAXTIPWIDTH, 0, nMaxWidth);
      SendMessage(hBubble->hwnd, TTM_SETTITLE, TTI_INFO, (LPARAM)pszTitle);
      SendMessage(hBubble->hwnd, TTM_TRACKACTIVATE, TRUE, (LPARAM)&hBubble->ti);
      SendMessage(hBubble->hwnd, TTM_TRACKPOSITION, 0, MAKELPARAM(x, y));
   }
   else
   {
      dwRet = ::GetLastError();
   }
   return dwRet;
}

And here is an example of call:

   HBUBBLE hBubble = NULL;
   LPCTSTR pszText = _T("Ala bala portocala, iesi Georghita la portita!");
   LPCTSTR pszTitle = _T("TEST TOOLTIP");
   DWORD dwRet = BubbleWindow_Create(hBubble, pszText, pszTitle, 150, 100, 200);
   if(NO_ERROR != dwRet)
   {
      // handle error (see: http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=318721).
      return;
   }
   // ...

Do not forget to previously register tooltip common control as shown in this FAQ: How to register Windows Common Controls in a Win32 application?

[indiocolifa]

Working. Awesome. Thank you very much for your help.

Maybe I forgot this snippet?

#if (_WIN32_WINNT >= 0x0501)
      hBubble->ti.cbSize -= sizeof(void*);
#endif

Again, thanks.

[ovidiucucu]

Working. Awesome. Thank you very much for your help.

Maybe I forgot this snippet?

#if (_WIN32_WINNT >= 0x0501)
      hBubble->ti.cbSize -= sizeof(void*);
#endif

Again, thanks.

That made the magic trick.
You are welcome!