Summarization:
Please see the helpful comments below from Craig and Sertac.
======================================================
As shown in the following minimized code, TForm10
is set to be fsStayOnTop
. TForm10.btnTryDlgClick
call dlgOpen1.Execute
, and the dialog shown is as expected. However, when I call TForm11.Create(Self).ShowModal
inside TForm10.btnTryFormClick
, the form is hidden behind the TForm10. I am wondering how to understand this behavior, and why standard TOpenDialog can show as expected? Any comment is appreciated!
PS: One workaround is to override the CreateParams procedure of TForm11, and set Params.wndParent to 0. But it looks to me that window hierarchy will be broke using this workaround.
procedure TForm11.CreateParams(var Params: TCreateParams); // override;
begin
inherited;
params.wndParent := 0;
end;
PS: Another workaround is mentioned by Remy in the below relevant SO pages: setting the modal Form's PopupParent property to be the StayOnTop Form
. But in the followed comments, Sertac mentioned this workaround will also break window hierarchy.
PS: Possibly relevant SO pages:
Modal forms hidden by fsStayOnTop forms
How Can I Keep the FindDialog from Staying on Top (Delphi)?
How to make sure a dialog is always front of the main window
Form is hidden behind other forms when ShowModal is called
Make 2 forms able to overlap each other?
Multiple form Delphi applications and dialogs
Newly created modal window loses focus and become inacessible in Windows Vista
Delphi - How to prevent Forms/MsgBoxes to move under prior form?
How to allow Delphi secondary forms behind the main form
Fake modal dialog using Show?
Delphi MainFormOnTaskBar Modal windows bug
Source for Unit10:
unit Unit10;
interface
uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
Dialogs, StdCtrls;
type
TForm10 = class(TForm)
btnTryDlg: TButton;
dlgOpen1: TOpenDialog;
btnTryForm: TButton;
procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
procedure btnTryDlgClick(Sender: TObject);
procedure btnTryFormClick(Sender: TObject);
end;
var
Form10: TForm10;
implementation
{$R *.dfm}
uses
Unit11;
procedure TForm10.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
FormStyle := fsStayOnTop;
end;
procedure TForm10.btnTryDlgClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
dlgOpen1.Execute;
// dlgOpen1.Execute(Self.Handle);
end;
procedure TForm10.btnTryFormClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
TForm11.Create(Self).ShowModal;
end;
end.
DFM for Unit10:
object Form10: TForm10
Left = 0
Top = 0
Caption = 'Form10'
ClientHeight = 255
ClientWidth = 414
Color = clBtnFace
Font.Charset = DEFAULT_CHARSET
Font.Color = clWindowText
Font.Height = -11
Font.Name = 'Tahoma'
Font.Style = []
OldCreateOrder = False
OnCreate = FormCreate
PixelsPerInch = 96
TextHeight = 13
object btnTryDlg: TButton
Left = 32
Top = 24
Width = 153
Height = 201
Caption = 'Try dialog'
TabOrder = 0
OnClick = btnTryDlgClick
end
object btnTryForm: TButton
Left = 224
Top = 24
Width = 153
Height = 201
Caption = 'btnTryForm'
TabOrder = 1
OnClick = btnTryFormClick
end
object dlgOpen1: TOpenDialog
Left = 96
Top = 168
end
end
Source for Unit11:
unit Unit11;
interface
uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
Dialogs;
type
TForm11 = class(TForm)
end;
implementation
{$R *.dfm}
end.
DFM for Unit11:
object Form11: TForm11
Left = 0
Top = 0
Caption = 'Form11'
ClientHeight = 183
ClientWidth = 203
Color = clBtnFace
Font.Charset = DEFAULT_CHARSET
Font.Color = clWindowText
Font.Height = -11
Font.Name = 'Tahoma'
Font.Style = []
OldCreateOrder = False
PixelsPerInch = 96
TextHeight = 13
end
Set the modal form's PopupParent property, exactly like Remy suggested. That will parent the dialog to the StayOnTop form, which is what the dialog's Execute method is already doing. I'm not sure where Sertac's comments are coming from, but using PopupParent sets the window heirarchy correctly, so the dialog will always be above the StayOnTop form.