ShowWindow

Description

Sets the specified window's show state.

Syntax

BOOL WINAPI ShowWindow(
  _In_  HWND hWnd,
  _In_  int nCmdShow
);

Parameters

hWnd [in]

Type: HWND

A handle to the window.

nCmdShow [in]

Type: int

Controls how the window is to be shown. This parameter is ignored the first time an application calls ShowWindow, if the program that launched the application provides a STARTUPINFO structure. Otherwise, the first time ShowWindow is called, the value should be the value obtained by the WinMain function in its nCmdShow parameter. In subsequent calls, this parameter can be one of the following values.

Value	Meaning
SW_FORCEMINIMIZE 11	Minimizes a window, even if the thread that owns the window is not responding. This flag should only be used when minimizing windows from a different thread.
SW_HIDE 0	Hides the window and activates another window.
SW_MAXIMIZE 3	Maximizes the specified window.
SW_MINIMIZE 6	Minimizes the specified window and activates the next top-level window in the Z order.
SW_RESTORE 9	Activates and displays the window. If the window is minimized or maximized, the system restores it to its original size and position. An application should specify this flag when restoring a minimized window.
SW_SHOW 5	Activates the window and displays it in its current size and position.
SW_SHOWDEFAULT 10	Sets the show state based on the SW_ value specified in the STARTUPINFO structure passed to the CreateProcess function by the program that started the application.
SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED 3	Activates the window and displays it as a maximized window.
SW_SHOWMINIMIZED 2	Activates the window and displays it as a minimized window.
SW_SHOWMINNOACTIVE 7	Displays the window as a minimized window. This value is similar to SW_SHOWMINIMIZED, except the window is not activated.
SW_SHOWNA 8	Displays the window in its current size and position. This value is similar to SW_SHOW, except that the window is not activated.
SW_SHOWNOACTIVATE 4	Displays a window in its most recent size and position. This value is similar to SW_SHOWNORMAL, except that the window is not activated.
SW_SHOWNORMAL 1	Activates and displays a window. If the window is minimized or maximized, the system restores it to its original size and position. An application should specify this flag when displaying the window for the first time.

Return value

Type:

Type: BOOL

If the window was previously visible, the return value is nonzero.

If the window was previously hidden, the return value is zero.