[C#] Chrome like window appearance

Here is a library I made for C# which allows you to place controls on the window frame, like Chrome and Office 2007. This is useful when you want to use more space than normally given by the system. How it works is that there is no window border, in Vista, it extends the glass, and in XP it draws a different frame.

To use it, create a WPF application. Add a reference to "WPF Aero Window.dll", and in Window1.xaml change the Window references to AeroWindow instead.

It should look something like this:

Code:

<AeroWindow x:Class="Window1"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" 
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Background="White" FrameThickness="30">
  <Grid>

  </Grid>
</AeroWindow>

To change the frame thickness, change the FrameThickness value of the window to something like "30" to make the border 30 pixels thick or "{x:Null}" to get rid of the white box.

​

There is a sample tabbed browser packed in with the source for this. Here is how it appears in Vista then XP:

​

This source code requires Visual C# 2008 SP1 and .NET 3.5 SP1 to work.
I may add an example for the office pearl if there is enough intrest.
Download source: http://uppit.com/UE4BX5

 

Thankyou, Flaming Idiots.

Your skill with WPF amazes me.

 

Well done

I haven't talked to you in ages

 

Hi! Do you have another link for the download? The current link is no longer working it seems. I am really interested to see your code. Wondering how you have done it. Also, the closeable tabs is a plus. Very interesting.

 

Here is a new link: http://uppit.com/v/8ZS421Y6

 

dude, this is awesome!

Nice job

 

that is very intriguing. do you have source code?

 

OH! do you use the DWM API? specifically DwnExtendFrameIntoClientArea? MSDN has some cool articles on it:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb688195(VS.85).aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969537(VS.85).aspx