Question Creating a Resizable Desktop Window That Allows User to Play Apps In it

[Taoyuan]

Dear Friends

I am as good as a newbie when it comes to the C# platform, although I do have some programming background. I wish to create a desktop application (for now I will call it flexible-window app) that when started, it opens a blank window without a visible close button, but is just blank. This window should allow a user to open desktop programs in it, such that when a user plays Windows media player in full screen from this app it does not fill the entire desktop screen but rather fills up the entire flexible-window app window. The size of the flexible-window app screen should be adjustable. Below are two scenarios depicting what it should basically look like:




I would like your help on:
1. the feasibility of this undertaking
2. Any anticipated challenges
3. How I can do it using C#

I am using Visual Studio 2015.
Thank you
very much for taking time to read this. I look forward to hearing from you.




LWS

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

Just to make sure I understand what you're looking for correctly, you're looking for a way to have your C# app be a container for other apps (primarily Windows Media Player) in lieu of the Desktop itself?

After a quick search I did come across a StackedOverflow asking about doing this in C++ and the response was that you should be able to using some API calls, namely FindWindow, SetParent, SetWindowLong, & SetWindowPos.
Here's the article I found: winapi - Is it possible to embed one application in another application in Windows? - Stack Overflow

 

[Taoyuan]

Dear JuggaloBrotha

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I looked up the link and found some gems in it too. What I am particularly looking to develop is not a container for a specific application as such. Rather an application (flexible-window app) that starts a window smaller or equal to that of the conventional desktop window. The application should be such that if I drag any desktop application into it, the desktop application opens with the dimensions and position on the screen that match that of the flexible-window application. To the viewer it should be as though the desktop application is housed in the flexible-window app. More like having a smaller screen on the computer, that is smaller and within the normal computer screen. Applications displaying on this smaller screen rather than filling up the whole desktop when maximized.

I hope my clarification is clearer. Once again thank you for your assistance.

L.W.S
Taoyuan

 

[JuggaloBrotha]

Dear JuggaloBrotha

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I looked up the link and found some gems in it too. What I am particularly looking to develop is not a container for a specific application as such. Rather an application (flexible-window app) that starts a window smaller or equal to that of the conventional desktop window. The application should be such that if I drag any desktop application into it, the desktop application opens with the dimensions and position on the screen that match that of the flexible-window application. To the viewer it should be as though the desktop application is housed in the flexible-window app. More like having a smaller screen on the computer, that is smaller and within the normal computer screen. Applications displaying on this smaller screen rather than filling up the whole desktop when maximized.

I hope my clarification is clearer. Once again thank you for your assistance.

L.W.S
Taoyuan

Yep, that's what I was getting at with my first response, you're making a container app for other apps.
Other than the housing of running apps you mentioned being able to drop a program onto yours and have it be contained within it, I don't know about dropping already running programs onto yours, but it's super easy to do file drop in your app and it being able to run the program (being the exe file dropped on your form) if that's what you're looking to do.