Tip: Placing WinForm Application to/from the System Tray

In this post, I'll be providing Form extension methods to place WinForm application to and from the System Tray. Below are the two main methods used

• HideToTray() - Hide the main form to system tray. You have option of passing context menu explicitly to set as shortcut menu, if you want. Otherwise the helper method use the form's ContextMenuStrip or ContextMenu property to set as shortcut menu for System Tray.
• RestoreFromTray() - Restore the system tray application to WinForm normal state.

How to use:

private void frmMain_Resize(object sender, EventArgs e)

{

   if (this.WindowState == FormWindowState.Minimized)

      this.HideToTray();

}

Or

protected override void OnLoad(EventArgs e)

{

   this.HideToTray();

   base.OnLoad(e);

}

Please feel free to use these methods for your development. Drop your comments if you like to.

public static class ChoFormEx

{

   /// <summary>

   /// Default shortcut menu, if the form does not have context menu attached to it.

   /// </summary>

   private static ContextMenuStrip _defaultTrayShortcutMenu;

   /// <summary>

   /// Static Constructor

   /// </summary>

   static ChoFormEx()

   {

       _defaultTrayShortcutMenu = new ContextMenuStrip();

       _defaultTrayShortcutMenu.Items.Add("&Restore", null, (sender, e) =>

          {

              ToolStripItem stripItem = sender as ToolStripItem;

              if (stripItem != null)

              {

                 Form mainForm = stripItem.Tag as Form;

                 mainForm.RestoreFromTray();

              }

          });

       _defaultTrayShortcutMenu.Items.Add("E&xit", null, (sender, e) =>

          {

              ToolStripItem stripItem = sender as ToolStripItem;

              if (stripItem != null)

              {

                 Form mainForm = stripItem.Tag as Form;

                 NotifyIcon trayIcon = mainForm.Tag as NotifyIcon;

                 if (trayIcon != null)

                 {

                     trayIcon.Dispose();

                     mainForm.Tag = null;

                 }

              }

              Application.Exit();

          });

   }

   /// <summary>

   /// Convert a Windows Application to Tray Application

   /// </summary>

   /// <param name="frm">A window form used to construct NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <returns>A component that creates an icon in the notification area.</returns>

   public static NotifyIcon HideToTray(this Form frm)

   {

       if (frm.ContextMenuStrip != null)

          return HideToTray(frm, frm.ContextMenuStrip);

       else

          return HideToTray(frm, frm.ContextMenu);

   }

   /// <summary>

   /// Convert a Windows Application to Tray Application

   /// </summary>

   /// <param name="frm">A window form used to construct NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <param name="menuStrip">A context menu strip used to set as shortcut menu for NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <returns>A component that creates an icon in the notification area.</returns>

   public static NotifyIcon HideToTray(this Form frm, ContextMenuStrip menuStrip)

   {

       return HideToTray(frm, menuStrip, null);

   }

   /// <summary>

   /// Convert a Windows Application to Tray Application

   /// </summary>

   /// <param name="frm">A window form used to construct NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <param name="menu">A context menu used to set as shortcut menu for NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <returns>A component that creates an icon in the notification area.</returns>

   public static NotifyIcon HideToTray(this Form frm, ContextMenu menu)

   {

       return HideToTray(frm, null, menu);

   }

   /// <summary>

   /// Restore the window application to normal from Tray

   /// </summary>

   /// <param name="frm">A window form used to construct NotifyIcon object.</param>

   public static void RestoreFromTray(this Form frm)

   {

       Form mainForm = Application.OpenForms.Count > 0 ? Application.OpenForms[0] : frm;

       if (mainForm != null)

       {

          mainForm.Visible = true;

          mainForm.ShowInTaskbar = true;

          mainForm.WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal;

          NotifyIcon trayIcon = mainForm.Tag as NotifyIcon;

          if (trayIcon != null)

          {

             trayIcon.Dispose();

              mainForm.Tag = null;

          }

       }

   }

   /// <summary>

   /// Helper method to convert application to Tray application.

   /// menuStrip object / menu object / default tray menu will be used as Shortcut menu in the order it is specified.

   /// </summary>

   /// <param name="frm">A window form used to construct NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <param name="menuStrip">A context menu strip used to set as shortcut menu for NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <param name="menu">A context menu used to set as shortcut menu for NotifyIcon object.</param>

   /// <returns>A component that creates an icon in the notification area.</returns>

   private static NotifyIcon HideToTray(Form frm, ContextMenuStrip menuStrip, ContextMenu menu)

   {

       Form mainForm = Application.OpenForms.Count > 0 ? Application.OpenForms[0] : frm;

       if (menuStrip == null && menu == null)

       {

          foreach (ToolStripItem tsi in _defaultTrayShortcutMenu.Items)

              tsi.Tag = mainForm;

          menuStrip = _defaultTrayShortcutMenu;

       }

       NotifyIcon trayIcon = new NotifyIcon();

       trayIcon.Text = frm.Text;

       trayIcon.Icon = frm.Icon;

       if (menuStrip != null)

          trayIcon.ContextMenuStrip = menuStrip;

       else

          trayIcon.ContextMenu = menu;

       trayIcon.Visible = true;

       trayIcon.Tag = frm;

       mainForm.Visible = false;

       mainForm.ShowInTaskbar = false;

       mainForm.Tag = trayIcon;

       return trayIcon;

   }

}