Windows are the primary interface for your NativePHP Desktop application. The WindowManager provides a fluent API for creating, configuring, and controlling application windows.
Window Manager The WindowManager is the central service for all window operations:
use Native\Desktop\Facades\ Window ; // Access via facade Window :: open ( 'settings' ) -> title ( 'Settings' ) -> width ( 800 ) -> height ( 600 );
Creating Windows Windows are created using the fluent PendingOpenWindow API:
Open a Window
The open() method returns a PendingOpenWindow instance: public function open ( string $id = 'main' ) { return ( new PendingOpenWindow ( $id )) -> setClient ( $this -> client ); }
Configure the Window
Chain configuration methods to customize the window: Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> title ( 'My Application' ) -> width ( 1200 ) -> height ( 800 ) -> resizable ( true ) -> alwaysOnTop ( false );
Window Opens Automatically
The window opens when the PendingOpenWindow is destructed: public function __destruct () { $this -> open (); }
You don’t need to explicitly call a method to open the window. It opens automatically when the fluent chain completes.
Window Configuration The Window class provides extensive configuration options:
Basic Properties Title & URL
Dimensions
Position
Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> title ( 'My App' ) -> url ( route ( 'dashboard' ));
Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> width ( 1024 ) -> height ( 768 ) -> minWidth ( 800 ) -> minHeight ( 600 ) -> maxWidth ( 1920 ) -> maxHeight ( 1080 );
Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> x ( 100 ) -> y ( 100 ) -> position ( 200 , 200 );
Window Behavior Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> resizable ( true ) // Allow resizing -> movable ( true ) // Allow moving -> minimizable ( true ) // Show minimize button -> maximizable ( true ) // Show maximize button -> closable ( true ) // Show close button -> focusable ( true ) // Allow focus -> alwaysOnTop ( false ); // Stay on top
Visual Styling
NativePHP supports various title bar styles: // Default title bar Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> titleBarStyle ( 'default' ); // Hidden title bar Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> titleBarHidden (); // Hidden inset title bar (macOS) Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> titleBarHiddenInset (); // Buttons on hover Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> titleBarButtonsOnHover ();
Create custom-styled windows without the default frame: Window :: open ( 'splash' ) -> frameless () // Remove window frame -> transparent () // Transparent background -> hasShadow ( false ); // Disable shadow // Or create an invisible frameless window Window :: open ( 'overlay' ) -> invisibleFrameless ();
The invisibleFrameless() method is a shortcut: public function invisibleFrameless () : self { return $this -> frameless () -> transparent () -> focusable ( false ) -> hasShadow ( false ); }
Advanced Features Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> rememberState () // Remember position/size -> fullscreen ( false ) // Start in fullscreen -> fullscreenable ( true ) // Allow fullscreen toggle -> kiosk ( false ) // Kiosk mode -> showDevTools ( true ) // Open DevTools automatically -> zoomFactor ( 1.5 ) // Zoom level -> hideMenu ( true ) // Auto-hide menu bar -> skipTaskbar ( false ) // Hide from taskbar -> hiddenInMissionControl ( false ); // Hide from Mission Control (macOS)
The showDevTools option is automatically set to config('app.debug') by default. Ensure it’s disabled in production.
Window Control Methods The WindowManager provides methods to control existing windows:
Visibility Control // Show a window Window :: show ( 'main' ); // Hide a window Window :: hide ( 'settings' ); // Close a window Window :: close ( 'about' );
Size & Position // Resize a window Window :: resize ( 1024 , 768 , 'main' ); // Move a window (with optional animation) Window :: position ( 100 , 100 , animated : true , id : 'main' ); // Maximize a window Window :: maximize ( 'main' ); // Minimize a window Window :: minimize ( 'main' );
Window State // Set always on top Window :: alwaysOnTop ( true , 'main' ); // Reload window content Window :: reload ( 'main' );
Retrieving Windows Access information about existing windows:
Current Window
All Windows
Specific Window
$window = Window :: current (); // Returns a Window instance with current state echo $window -> id ; // 'main' echo $window -> width ; // 1024 echo $window -> height ; // 768
$windows = Window :: all (); foreach ( $windows as $window ) { echo $window -> id ; echo $window -> title ; }
$window = Window :: get ( 'settings' ); if ( $window -> focused ) { // Window has focus }
Navigation Control Control how users navigate within windows:
Window :: open ( 'browser' ) -> preventLeaveDomain ( true ) // Restrict to current domain -> preventLeavePage ( true ) // Prevent all navigation -> suppressNewWindows (); // Block window.open() calls
These options are useful for creating controlled environments or preventing users from navigating away from your app.
After Open Callbacks Execute code after a window opens:
Window :: open ( 'main' ) -> afterOpen ( function ( $window ) { // Window is now open Log :: info ( 'Window opened: ' . $window -> getId ()); }) -> afterOpen ( function ( $window ) { // Multiple callbacks are supported Window :: maximize ( $window -> getId ()); });
Web Preferences Configure Electron web preferences:
Window :: open ( 'secure' ) -> webPreferences ([ 'nodeIntegration' => false , 'contextIsolation' => true , 'sandbox' => true , ]);
macOS Window :: open ( 'main' ) // Position of traffic light buttons -> trafficLightPosition ( 20 , 20 ) // Hide traffic light buttons -> trafficLightsHidden () // Control button visibility -> windowButtonVisibility ( true ) // Vibrancy effect -> vibrancy ( 'dark' );
Window ID Detection The WindowManager can auto-detect the current window ID:
// From within a window, you can omit the ID Window :: close (); // Closes current window Window :: maximize (); // Maximizes current window
This uses the DetectsWindowId trait:
use DetectsWindowId ; public function close ( $id = null ) { $this -> client -> post ( 'window/close' , [ 'id' => $id ?? $this -> detectId (), ]); }
Complete Example Here’s a comprehensive example creating a settings window:
use Native\Desktop\Facades\ Window ; Window :: open ( 'settings' ) -> title ( 'Application Settings' ) -> width ( 900 ) -> height ( 700 ) -> minWidth ( 800 ) -> minHeight ( 600 ) -> resizable ( true ) -> maximizable ( false ) -> alwaysOnTop ( true ) -> url ( route ( 'settings.index' )) -> rememberState () -> afterOpen ( function ( $window ) { Log :: info ( 'Settings window opened' ); });