如何在Qt中打开和最小化外部应用程序到系统托盘

Question

QProcess can be used to open external program, but it will always open an app to the front of all other windows.

Is there a way to open an external app and then minimize/hide this opened app to the system tray?

QString path = QString("external app path here").replace("/", "\\");

QProcess process;
process.start(path); //open the external app, but it will stay on top of other windows 
if (process.isOpen()) {
    //then minimize this app to system tray;
}

Is this( open and minimize external app to system tray ) achievable using Qt methods?

If Qt has no way to minimize opened external app to system tray. Do I have to use Windows API? Any advice or example code would be appreciated.

Answer 1

This should not be specific to Qt. Perhaps Qt session management could be relevant.

It is a matter of window manager and of desktop environment . Both are provided by (very broadly speaking) your "operating system" and are not tied to one particular process using Qt.

The system tray belongs to the desktop environment. A particular process using Qt has no reason to minimize it. The minimization of the system tray is the business of the desktop environment (not of one particular Qt application). I see no reason why your application would do that (remember that your user could also run other applications, which are even more important to him than yours and which also interact with or require using the system tray).

Of course, Qt provides an API to interact with the window manager and the desktop environment.

PS. On Linux, the convention between a Qt application and the window manager or desktop environment are documented in EWMH and ICCCM. You need to find the equivalent for Windows. I never used Windows so I don't know them. On Linux, one can code a window manager using Qt.