c# - Window application flash like orange on taskbar when minimize

Question

I have a window application. When I minimize the window application on taskbar to work on another application. We hava a facility to send messages from one window application to another window application.

So my first win application is minimized and now I open my other win application and then send a message to the first application, but the first application is on the taskbar. So I want functionality like when any message capture my first application then it will blink like skype or any messenger.

I have tried FlashWindowEx method of User32.dll, but no luck. I have tried it with the option "Flash continuously until the window comes to the foreground." but no luck.

Please help me solve this problem with an example.

Answer 1

I do it as shown below, being sure to add the required references as shown

using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using Microsoft.Win32;

// To support flashing.
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
static extern bool FlashWindowEx(ref FLASHWINFO pwfi);

//Flash both the window caption and taskbar button.
//This is equivalent to setting the FLASHW_CAPTION | FLASHW_TRAY flags. 
public const UInt32 FLASHW_ALL = 3;

// Flash continuously until the window comes to the foreground. 
public const UInt32 FLASHW_TIMERNOFG = 12;

[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public struct FLASHWINFO
{
    public UInt32 cbSize;
    public IntPtr hwnd;
    public UInt32 dwFlags;
    public UInt32 uCount;
    public UInt32 dwTimeout;
}

// Do the flashing - this does not involve a raincoat.
public static bool FlashWindowEx(Form form)
{
    IntPtr hWnd = form.Handle;
    FLASHWINFO fInfo = new FLASHWINFO();

    fInfo.cbSize = Convert.ToUInt32(Marshal.SizeOf(fInfo));
    fInfo.hwnd = hWnd;
    fInfo.dwFlags = FLASHW_ALL | FLASHW_TIMERNOFG;
    fInfo.uCount = UInt32.MaxValue;
    fInfo.dwTimeout = 0;

    return FlashWindowEx(ref fInfo);
}

This should contain everything you need.

I hope this helps.