Win32 Direct2D C++ and Borderless window (help)

Question

How can I create borderless window with Direct2D?

In WPF I cen easely remove window border with click in XAML Designer (Blend) and check NoStyle. I want achieve same look with Win32 and Direct2D, but I am without success and ducomentation under microsoft site is only basic without any deep dive in to Win32.

I am following this tutorials https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/learnwin32/your-first-direct2d-program

MainWindow mw;  
 if (!mw.Create(L"Circle"  
 , WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW   
 /*, WS_POPUP // when using this, windows is not displaying*/  
 ))  
 {  
 return 0;  
 }  

Instead WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW I tried use WS_POPUP, but then windows is not displayed, except I can see it on taskbar and close it but the "display area" or client area is blank.

How to make borderless window with Direct2D?

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I discovered where is the problem with WS_POPUP style. When I set specific window size (before CW_USEDEFAULT was used) popup window is displayed.
Now I have additional question:

1. doeas this WS_POPUP is ok to use it as borderless window for whole application, or there are better solutions?
2. Can I compose windows style from "nothing"and add aditional controls, like border and with only close button? Where are documentation about "composing style"? Under MS documentation, I can't find those informations.

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When I use this (inspired form searching over internet and @Sam of Simple Samples post)

~(WS_CAPTION | WS_THICKFRAME  | WS_VSCROLL | WS_HSCROLL | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZEBOX | WS_DISABLED)  

for Create(...) function I got same "look" as WS_POPUP. But it is not mentioned nowhere that I can use ~ which "disable" style and turn on another (as you can see I have to add WS_DISABLED because without it windows is disabled.

Answer 1

For the first question, yes, you can use WS_POPUP to create a borderless window. But using a borderless window can't keep the title bar.

And the second question, you can try to customize the drawing window, which will achieve the functions you want, such as adding title bars, window frames, etc.

More reference: Borderless window creation, Borderless Window

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Answer 2

See Window Styles (Winuser.h) - Win32 apps. WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW is actually:

(WS_OVERLAPPED | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU | WS_THICKFRAME | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZEBOX)  

So use the following for the styles:

(WS_OVERLAPPED | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU | WS_MINIMIZEBOX | WS_MAXIMIZEBOX)  

For Win32 programming the Spy++ tool is useful. Look in the Visual Studio tools menu for it. Learn to use it. Using it you can look at the actual styles of windows. It does not work for all Windows applications but it works for WPF and Windows Forms applications as well as Win32 applications.