Transparent Windows

 Last reviewed: August 8, 1996
Article ID: Q92526
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 3.1
  • Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with: 

        - Microsoft Windows NT versions 3.5 and 3.51
    - Microsoft Windows 95 version 4.0

SUMMARY

Microsoft Windows version does not support fully functional transparent windows.

MORE INFORMATION

If a window is created using CreateWindowEx() with the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT style, windows below it at the position where the original window was initially placed are not obscured and show through. Moving the WS_EX_TRANSPARENT window, however, results in the old window background moving to the new position, because Windows does not support fully functional transparent windows.

WS_EX_TRANSPARENT was designed to be used in very modal situations and the lifetime of a window with this style must be very short. A good use of this style is for drawing tracking points on the top of another window. For example, a dialog editor would use it to draw tracking points around the control that is being selected or moved.

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 3.51 4.00 95
KBCategory: kbui
KBSubcategory: UsrWndw

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Last reviewed: August 8, 1996
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