RFE: Windows taskbar notification/flashing support

Name: rmT116609 Date: 08/07/2003


A DESCRIPTION OF THE REQUEST :
Windows allows applications to alert the user that the application needs attention by flashing the Windows taskbar entry. This functionality is very useful for programs such instant messaging applications to alert the user that a new message has arrived. There is currently no pure-Java way to duplicate this functionality.

The RFE is to add an API so that JFrame's and other top-level containers can trigger a flashing taskbar in Windows to alert the user that the application needs attention. It is likely that other operating systems have a similar concept, although I am not familiar with the specifics.

JUSTIFICATION :
The UI feature is critical for many types of applications, such as instant messaging clients.


CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
There are two pseudo-workarounds:

1) Change the frame icon on a timer to make it flash. However, this doesn't change the entire taskbar button so it looks very strange next to native applications.
2) Requesting window focus will make the taskbar flash, but it's the wrong behavior in general since the window *will* get focus over all the other Java windows you have open instead of just flashing. This is not what you want with an IM application (for example, if you have many IM windows open).
(Incident Review ID: 193906)
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