[MSW] Feature Request: Native DWM-based Custom Title Bar for wxFrame (Issue #26365)
Mohmed abdel-fattah
memoarfaa created an issue (wxWidgets/wxWidgets#26365)Description
I am proposing a built-in feature for wxFrame to allow custom title bar painting while maintaining 100% native OS integration. This approach provides a modern look without the typical drawbacks of "borderless" or "client-side decoration" hacks.
Key Advantages:
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Native DWM Integration: Maintains the Native Border, Native Shadow, and full support for Windows 11 Snap Layouts.
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No Layout Disruption: Unlike standard CSD approaches, this does not use WM_NCCALCSIZE to remove the caption. It preserves the real caption area, meaning no children layout needs to be changed, and native resizing behavior remains intact.
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Modern Customization: Full support for custom colors and shapes for the title text, as well as the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons, specifically optimized for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 aesthetics.
Windows 11 Ready: Fully supports rounded corners and native DWM attributes.
The Result:
As shown in the attached screenshot, the application achieves a seamless, modern Ubuntu theme that looks like a high-end commercial app (like Discord or VS Code), but internally it still functions as a standard native Windows frame.
Screenshot.2026-04-09.034300.png (view on web)
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6a76b1d4-67c2-48c7-86e5-1e448d4f1863
Proposed API:
I suggest adding a mechanism to wxFrame that allows users to override the NC (Non-Client) painting providing a clean way to "skin" the title bar without losing the stability of the native window manager.
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VZ
vadz left a comment (wxWidgets/wxWidgets#26365)How much code would it take to achieve this? I expect that some people would love to use this but I'm also a bit afraid that we're going to end up with a lot of code that will need to be maintained and updated for every new Windows release.
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Mohmed abdel-fattah
memoarfaa left a comment (wxWidgets/wxWidgets#26365)How much code would it take to achieve this? I expect that some people would love to use this but I'm also a bit afraid that we're going to end up with a lot of code that will need to be maintained and updated for every new Windows release.
Let me answer your questions and dispel your fears.
How much code would it take to achieve this?
short and clean if there is no extended features.
afraid that we're going to end up with a lot of code that will need to be maintained and updated for every new Windows release.
Let's see how my magic will solve this problem.
A - Use 2 documented APIs that have small Breaking changes over the past 15 years Since the Windows Vista operating system (DwmGetWindowAttribute and DwmSetWindowAttribute functions).
1- DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT (one breaking change since windows vista until Windows 11 22000).
2- DWMWA_CAPTION_BUTTON_BOUNDS (my be also has one breaking change since windows vista until Windows 10 1703).
3- DWMWA_CAPTION_COLOR (used becuase of Windows 11 22000 DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT breaking change).
4- DWMWA_BORDER_COLOR (used becuase of Windows 11 22000 DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT breaking change).
5- DWMWA_NCRENDERING_ENABLED(used to check if our Frame Has Dwm Frame)
6- DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea (used becuase of Windows 11 22000 DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT breaking change).
B- Use NonCient area Windows and Messages(never has Breaking changes).
1- Mouse Input Notifications
WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN
WM_NCLBUTTONUP
WM_NCMOUSELEAVE
WM_NCMOUSEMOVE
2- Painting and Drawing Messages
WM_NCPAINT
WM_NCACTIVATE
WM_NCCALCSIZE(my be used or my be not used)
change steyle Messages
WM_DWMNCRENDERINGCHANGED
WM_STYLECHANGED
now Let's expain How the real magic work.
When initializing the theme.
or our frame received WM_DWMNCRENDERINGCHANGED.
static bool IsDwmEnabled(HWND hwnd) { BOOL isDwmEnabled = FALSE; HRESULT hr = ::DwmGetWindowAttribute(hwnd, DWMWA_NCRENDERING_ENABLED, &isDwmEnabled, sizeof(isDwmEnabled)); return SUCCEEDED(hr) && isDwmEnabled; } if (IsDwmEnabled(hwnd)) { BOOL allow = TRUE; DwmSetWindowAttribute(hwnd, DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT, &allow, sizeof(allow)); }
now let's see How our Frame Will look in this image until Windows 11 22000 there is no breaking changes.
our Frame Make content rendered in the non-client area to be visible on the frame so dwm 7px (left,right,bottom) frame now is visible.
Screenshot.2026-04-11.100202.png (view on web)
To fix this we can use WM_NCCALCSIZE to remve them our keep them.
now let's see How our Frame Will look in this image after Windows 11 22000 and breaking changes.
Screenshot.2026-04-11.100526.png (view on web)
You can look at my old issue for this at dotnet/winforms#6364.
But they didn't know what is borken until now.
As you can see there is another dwm Frame with white or transparent(drak) Dwm Frame is visable at client area
this is the new 1px border color Frame around the Window it will be aslo visable
to fix this You need use the new Attributes for Windows 11 22000 that Breaking DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT and DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea.
eg.
DWMWA_CAPTION_COLOR
DWMWA_BORDER_COLOR
Now we have to options
- use Black Border color but this will keep 1px dwm fram around our Window can't be changed with wm_ncpaint.
- use Black Caption Color and Extend Frame with -1 will give us the Clien't area Black DWM composition.
and it need to be removed using:
WM_DWMNCRENDERINGCHANGED(if DWM composition removed)
WM_STYLECHANGED(if style changed and the overlaped fram removed)
if (IsDwmEnabled(hWnd)) { BOOL allow = TRUE; DwmSetWindowAttribute(hWnd, DWMWA_ALLOW_NCPAINT, &allow, sizeof(allow)); COLORREF capColor = RGB(0, 0, 0); DWORD borderColor = DWMWA_COLOR_NONE; HRESULT hr = DwmSetWindowAttribute(hWnd, DWMWA_CAPTION_COLOR, &capColor, sizeof(capColor)); if (SUCCEEDED(hr)) { DwmSetWindowAttribute(hWnd, DWMWA_BORDER_COLOR, &borderColor, sizeof(borderColor)); MARGINS margins = { -1 }; DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea(hWnd, &margins); } }
now we have our correct Clien't area with Black DWM composition background.
- DWMWA_CAPTION_BUTTON_BOUNDS Breaking changes (Windows 10 1703) need Declaring high DPI awareness per window. or use SystemParametersInfo to git Caption Buttons Width.
About drawing techniques and routines.
##Pure GDI draw over Dwm Frame.
To use GDI draw duirng WM_NCPAINT over Dwm Frame.
we need to implement-double-buffering to correct Alpha Blending eg. (BeginBufferedPaint,BitBlt)
or use old gdi trick to set the alpha channel of a GDI bitmap to 255? GDI bitmap Opaque
WM_NCPAINT Working with window device context HDC and Window Regoins.
wParam of WM_NCPAINT can be intersect Regoin this never broken over the past 15 years Since the Windows Vista operating system but it's not correctly Documented.
see Wm_NCPAINT Documantion.
To avoid use undocumnted explanation of using this Regoin .
1- never check if wParam =1 or not only check if it's real Regoin.
bool hasRegion = (GetObjectType((HGDIOBJ)wParam) == OBJ_REGION);2- WM_NCPAINT provides a system-owned region in wParam.
We create a copy because GetDCEx with DCX_INTERSECTRGN takes ownership
and deletes the provided HRGN handle. Copying prevents us from
prematurely destroying the system's original handle.
3-Modern glyphs for Windows 10/11 (Segoe Fluent Icons / Segoe MDL2 Assets)
Full WinApi draft Example project Url mediafire
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Mohmed abdel-fattah
memoarfaa left a comment (wxWidgets/wxWidgets#26365)@vadz
if you find it good idea let's discuss details about how to implement it in draft pull request or we need to close this.
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