Programmatically Maximize Window On Half Of Screen

7
votes

I want to maximize a random window on the left side of my screen. Can I use Windows Aero functions from my code ? This window can be maximized like that with the mouse. I just want to do that programmatically.

I use C# and I can get the IntPtr of the window.

If possible without faking mouse or keyboard input.

3
c#windowswinapiaero
Unfortunately not, Microsoft in their wisdom did not provide any public API for the aero snap functionality. – Jonathan Potter
This can be done without p/invoke, Just not with ease, – Nicolas Tyler
Can't you mimick this behavior by setting the window position and size, based on the desktop size? Should be easy enough, just not very "clean" – Kippie
Just pinvoke MoveWindow(). – Hans Passant
@HansPassant Did that already combining it with the answer of Nicolas. But I'm still kinda interested in using Aero. – Bitterblue

3 Answers

5
votes

This can be done without p/invoke.

Try this:

Rectangle rect = Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea;
rect.Width = rect.Width / 2;
Bounds = rect;

This will put the current window on the left of the primary screen.

Then just add this to put it on the right of the screen.

Location = new Point(rect.Width, 0);
3
votes

It's not exactly the same but fakes it well:

ShowWindow(handle, SW_MAXIMIZE);
// for a split second you might see a maximized window here
MoveWindow(handle, 0, 0, Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Width / 2, Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Height, true);
0
votes

Will require heavy lifting for real-time placements, especially for non-child processes. Example - www.ishadow.com/vdm. For manual "fixing" of maximized windows position MoveWindow(hWnd, startPos, 0, winWidth, winHeight, true) after ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_MAXIMIZE) usually (try Task Manager on Windows 10) works as pointed above.