Tip : Make a window float above application but not system

MacOSX and iOS
1

I needed this myself, so here’s a little helper…

Typically when you use setAlwaysOnTop on mac in a Juce App, it floats it above all windows in the system… Got some complaints about that(user’s wanted the window to disappear when the app doesn’t have focus)…

#if JUCE_MAC
	MacHelpers::makeWindowFloatingPanel(this);
#else

MacHelpers is the namespace…
and then in a .mm file

void MacHelpers::makeWindowFloatingPanel(Component *aComponent)
{
	jassert(aComponent);
	
	ComponentPeer *componentPeer=aComponent->getPeer();
	jassert(componentPeer);
	componentPeer->setAlwaysOnTop(true);
	NSView* const peer = (NSView*) (componentPeer->getNativeHandle());
	jassert(peer);
	NSWindow *window=[peer window];
	jassert(window);
	[window setHidesOnDeactivate:YES];
}
1 Like
2

Interesting tip, thanks!

3

Nice… is there a similar way to do this on Win? (sorry, I know this is the Mac forum…)

4

Thanks a lot for this! I was having a ton of trouble trying to get this behavior for a window in a Reaper extension plugin. 

5

We emulate this behaviour with the Tracktion plugin windows by using a timer and checking Process::isForegroundProcess. If the state changes you can hide/show the relevant windows.

1 Like
6

It’s a horrible hack, but it’s better than no hack :wink:

7

I know this is an old thread, but I’m just encountering this. I suspect the only way to do this on Windows would be to listen for WM_ACTIVATEAPP in your winproc and then hide/show the windows as needed. Not sure if there’s a better way, but I’d love to hear about it if there is.

8

That’s exactly what I ended up doing for our app (12 years ago :)). Works great. Did it by creating a hidden window whose only purpose is to handle WM_ACTIVATEAPP in its WndProc. IIRC I stole this idea from juce_win32_Messaging.cpp.