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How To Create Gorgeous Transparent App Windows With C++

C++ Builder is the easiest and fastest C and C++ IDE for building simple or professional applications on the Windows, macOS, iOS & Android operating systems. It is also easy for beginners to learn with its wide range of samples, tutorials, help files, and LSP support for code. C++ Builder comes with Rapid Application Development Studio, also known as RAD Studio, and C++ Builder is one of the most professional C++IDE that work under RAD Studio. It is the oldest IDE (it began as Borland TurboC in 1990 and was later renamed Borland C++ Builder). Under the Embarcadero brand, it comes with new versions, features, updates, and support. RAD Studio’s C++ Builder version comes with the award-winning VCL framework for high-performance native Windows apps and the powerful FireMonkey (FMX) framework for cross-platform UIs. There is a free C++ Builder Community Edition for students, beginners, and startups.

App windows don’t have to be gray rectangular slabs!

Sometimes some applications doesn’t formed in a rectangular form, they don’t need a form design and they may have different specific shapes (video and music player skins are like these examples), If we want to develop these kind of applications, we must hide window base and borders. In C++ Builder, we can easily develop these kind of transparent VCL applications.

Here’s how to make a transparent app window with C++ Builder

  1. Create a new VCL Application Project for Windows, save all project and unit files into a folder.
  2. Add a Button (TButton)
  3. If you are in code display press F12 to Form Design view
  4. Click on the Form Unit,
  5. From the Object Inspector set it’s Color property to a color i.e. Black. Set TransparentColor property checked and Set TransparentColorValue to same color you set (i.e Black).
  6. Set its FormStyle property to fsStayOnTop
  7. Set its BorderStyle property to bsNone
  8. Double Click to Button1 and add some lines to Button1Click() method as given below,

Sometimes we may need to show full window form, you can control these settings on runtime, for example we can show full form with it’s border style as in this example below,

You can add images with black background, so on runtime your black background will not be displayed. In C++ Builder It is also very easy to do transparent FMX applications.


RAD Studio C++ Builder is a great environment for learning to use C++ and is also powerful enough for all your development needs. Why not download and try C++ builder today?

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About author

Dr. Yilmaz Yoru has 35+ years of coding with more than 30+ programming languages, mostly C++ on Windows, Android, Mac-OS, iOS, Linux, and some other operating systems. He graduated and received his MSc and PhD degrees from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. He is the founder and CEO of ESENJA LLC Company. His interests are Programming, Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Artificial Intelligence, 2D & 3D Designs, and high-end innovations.
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