[RESOLVED] Click through transparent form

Upon countless searches on the forums i came upon a post the outlines exactly what I'm trying to do :
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...ansparent+form

I want to be able to click throuhg a transparent form so that the external application(s) beneath receive the mouse events instead of my app...

how ever this code was written for vb6 using api, I've converted all of it except I am un able to locate the Const Def of WS_EXSTYLE


This is the vb6 line of code:

VB Code:

SetWindowLong Me.hWnd, GWL_EXSTYLE, GetWindowLong(Me.hWnd, WS_EXSTYLE) Or WS_EX_TRANSPARENT

this is what I've converted it to

VB Code:

SetWindowLong(Me.Handle.ToInt32, GWL_EXSTYLE, GetWindowLong(Me.Handle.ToInt32, WS_EXSTYLE) Or WS_EX_TRANSPARENT)

how ever I can't find the const defition for WS_EXSTYLE

any ideas?

thanx

WS_EXSTYLE is GWL_EXSTYLE

hmm well then, that doesn't seem to work...

VB Code:

Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
    Private Const GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20)
    Private Const WS_EX_TRANSPARENT = &H20
 
    Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long, ByVal dwNewLong As Long) As Long
    Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long
 
 
#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "
 
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        SetWindowLong(sender.Handle.ToInt32, GWL_EXSTYLE, GetWindowLong(sender.Handle.ToInt32, GWL_EXSTYLE) Or WS_EX_TRANSPARENT)
    End Sub
End Class

Well, for one thing you need to convert your function calls and declarations to work within .NET. I suspect the reason it isn't working is that window handles need to be declared as IntPtr's, not Long Integers. I've been through and changed it, try this instead:

VB Code:

Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
    Private Const GWL_EXSTYLE As Integer = (-20)
    Private Const WS_EX_TRANSPARENT As Integer = &H20
 
    Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal nIndex As Integer, ByVal dwNewLong As Integer) As Integer
    Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal nIndex As Integer) As Integer
 
#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "
 
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        SetWindowLong(Me.Handle, GWL_EXSTYLE, GetWindowLong(Me.Handle, GWL_EXSTYLE) Or WS_EX_TRANSPARENT)
    End Sub
End Class

Note also that you should use "Me.Handle" instead of "sender.Handle". Since sender is declared as an object I'm suprised the project even compiled; Object obviously doesn't have a Handle property and would need to be cast into a Form object anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Parallax

Well, for one thing you need to convert your function calls and declarations to work within .NET. I suspect the reason it isn't working is that window handles need to be declared as IntPtr's, not Long Integers. I've been through and changed it, try this instead:

VB Code:

Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
    Private Const GWL_EXSTYLE As Integer = (-20)
    Private Const WS_EX_TRANSPARENT As Integer = &H20
 
    Private Declare Function SetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal nIndex As Integer, ByVal dwNewLong As Integer) As Integer
    Private Declare Function GetWindowLong Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowLongA" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal nIndex As Integer) As Integer
 
#Region " Windows Form Designer generated code "
 
 
    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        SetWindowLong(Me.Handle, GWL_EXSTYLE, GetWindowLong(Me.Handle, GWL_EXSTYLE) Or WS_EX_TRANSPARENT)
    End Sub
End Class

Note also that you should use "Me.Handle" instead of "sender.Handle". Since sender is declared as an object I'm suprised the project even compiled; Object obviously doesn't have a Handle property and would need to be cast into a Form object anyway.

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Thanx, Works perfectly ;)

No problem. Don't forget Thread Tools->Mark as Resolved if you're done. :thumb: