Winforms - Click/drag anywhere in the form to move it as if clicked in the form caption [duplicate]

Answer 1

Microsoft KB Article 320687 has a detailed answer to this question.

Basically, you override the WndProc method to return HTCAPTION to the WM_NCHITTEST message when the point being tested is in the client area of the form -- which is, in effect, telling Windows to treat the click exactly the same as if it had occured on the caption of the form.

private const int WM_NCHITTEST = 0x84;
private const int HTCLIENT     = 0x1;
private const int HTCAPTION    = 0x2;

protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
{
    switch(m.Msg)
    {
        case WM_NCHITTEST:
        base.WndProc(ref m);

        if ((int)m.Result == HTCLIENT)
            m.Result = (IntPtr)HTCAPTION;
        return;
    }

    base.WndProc(ref m);
}

Answer 2

Here is a way to do it using a P/Invoke.

public const int WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN = 0xA1;
public const int HTCAPTION = 0x2;
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
public static extern bool ReleaseCapture();
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
public static extern int SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, int Msg, int wParam, int lParam);

void Form_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
   this.MouseDown += new MouseEventHandler(Form_MouseDown);  
}

void Form_MouseDown(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
{                        
    if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Left)
    {
        ReleaseCapture();
        SendMessage(Handle, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN, HTCAPTION, 0);
    }
}

Answer 3

VC++ 2010 Version (of FlySwat's):

#include <Windows.h>

namespace DragWithoutTitleBar {

    using namespace System;
    using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
    using namespace System::ComponentModel;
    using namespace System::Collections;
    using namespace System::Data;
    using namespace System::Drawing;

    public ref class Form1 : public System::Windows::Forms::Form
    {
    public:
        Form1(void) { InitializeComponent(); }

    protected:
        ~Form1() { if (components) { delete components; } }

    private:
        System::ComponentModel::Container ^components;
        HWND hWnd;

#pragma region Windows Form Designer generated code
        void InitializeComponent(void)
        {
            this->SuspendLayout();
            this->AutoScaleDimensions = System::Drawing::SizeF(6, 13);
            this->AutoScaleMode = System::Windows::Forms::AutoScaleMode::Font;
            this->ClientSize = System::Drawing::Size(640, 480);
            this->FormBorderStyle = System::Windows::Forms::FormBorderStyle::None;
            this->Name = L"Form1";
            this->Text = L"Form1";
            this->Load += gcnew EventHandler(this, &Form1::Form1_Load);
            this->MouseDown += gcnew System::Windows::Forms::MouseEventHandler(this, &Form1::Form1_MouseDown);
            this->ResumeLayout(false);

        }
#pragma endregion
    private: System::Void Form1_Load(Object^ sender, EventArgs^  e) {
                    hWnd = static_cast<HWND>(Handle.ToPointer());
                }

    private: System::Void Form1_MouseDown(Object^ sender, System::Windows::Forms::MouseEventArgs^ e) {
                    if (e->Button == System::Windows::Forms::MouseButtons::Left) {
                        ::ReleaseCapture();
                        ::SendMessage(hWnd, /*WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN*/ 0xA1, /*HT_CAPTION*/ 0x2, 0);
                    }
                }

    };
}

Answer 4

The following code assumes that the ProgressBarForm form has a ProgressBar control with Dock property set to Fill

public partial class ProgressBarForm : Form
{
    private bool mouseDown;
    private Point lastPos;

    public ProgressBarForm()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void progressBar1_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        if (mouseDown)
        {
            int xoffset = MousePosition.X - lastPos.X;
            int yoffset = MousePosition.Y - lastPos.Y;
            Left += xoffset;
            Top += yoffset;
            lastPos = MousePosition;
        }
    }

    private void progressBar1_MouseDown(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        mouseDown = true;
        lastPos = MousePosition;
    }

    private void progressBar1_MouseUp(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        mouseDown = false;
    }
}

Answer 5

The accepted answer is a cool trick, but it doesn't always work if the Form is covered by a Fill-docked child control like a Panel (or derivates) for example, because this control will eat all most Windows messages.

Here is a simple approach that works also in this case: derive the control in question (use this class instead of the standard one) an handle mouse messages like this:

    private class MyTableLayoutPanel : Panel // or TableLayoutPanel, etc.
    {
        private Point _mouseDown;
        private Point _formLocation;
        private bool _capture;

        // NOTE: we cannot use the WM_NCHITTEST / HTCAPTION trick because the table is in control, not the owning form...
        protected override void OnMouseDown(MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            _capture = true;
            _mouseDown = e.Location;
            _formLocation = ((Form)TopLevelControl).Location;
        }

        protected override void OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            _capture = false;
        }

        protected override void OnMouseMove(MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_capture)
            {
                int dx = e.Location.X - _mouseDown.X;
                int dy = e.Location.Y - _mouseDown.Y;
                Point newLocation = new Point(_formLocation.X + dx, _formLocation.Y + dy);
                ((Form)TopLevelControl).Location = newLocation;
                _formLocation = newLocation;
            }
        }
    }