Text on the desktop?

[csammis]

I know you can print text on forms...I know you can print text on PictureBoxes...but...

I want to print text on the desktop and update it dynamically (Windows uptime, to be specific), just in a corner of the screen. Is it possible to do this, or do I have to fall back on "other" methods? My other idea is creating a tray icon and dynamically updating the tool-tip with the uptime, so mousing over the systray icon would show the uptime. Still, it'd be nice to just glance at the desktop and see it.

Real reason: My computer's been locking up...and I think it has something to do with uptime, so I'd like to see what it is when she dies

[plenderj]

Well you could create a borderless form that always 'stays-on-top' and have it stay in the top right hand corner of the screen (or wherever) ...

The form'd be just wide enough to show the uptime.

Ya follow ?

[csammis]

Thanks plenderj, I sure do follow, but that could be detrimental. For one thing, no matter what corner its in and no matter how small it is, it's going to obscure something, and with a borderless form...well, good luck to me moving when I need to

Any other ideas? I know one can get a handle to the desktop (don't exactly know how...), is there some way to usurp that?

[csammis]

I tried using DrawText and DrawTextEx API's to write to the desktop's DC...didn't work, but that might be my error

[csammis]

I don't want to use HTML pages...ActiveDesktop is the bane of my existance, for reasons far too innumerable to mention here

Anyway, I was thinking about form placement...if I put it in the bottom-right (right about the systray clock), it wouldn't be in the way of many buttons or anything...and if I made it partially transparent, it'd work fine. I know you can do this with the Taskbar...my new question is is it possible with forms?

[plenderj]

You can make forms transparent.
I'd also suggest you impliment the ability to drag the form around.... in case the user wants to move it ....

[csammis]

That's a very good point plenderj, and I'll be sure to do that

Would you happen to have a link to form transparency info? If not that's okay, I'll look myself tomorrow...somehow I always manage to need something at 3:30 in the morning

[plenderj]

If you search the forums you should find it easily enough.

[csammis]

Thanks, I will!

[Jotaf98]

Hey csammis, you should also try making your form a child window of the desktop... (there must be some code for this somewhere; I've seen code that makes your form a child window of the system's tray, clock, start button, task bar... why not the desktop? )
This way it would work exactly like if you printed text to the desktop

[csammis]

Makes sense to me...although, if you want to get big-scaled, you could consider the desktop a "parent" window for every other program window in Windows...kinda sorta, not really...I'm tired, forgive the rambling...

I did find a terrific form-transparency class module, I think it'll work very well for my purposes but I'm going to look into your idea, Jotaf98!

[csammis]

Just for anyone who wants it, here's that class module...this was posted by Amon Ra in another thread

[csammis]

And, like a sleepy idiot, I didn't post the file

[Jotaf98]

Heh cool

I like people to call me Jotaf... just Jotaf
Jotaf98 is my "full name"