Trying to create a hidden window in delphi or (message only window) I have read up on the msdn, and come up with

var
	WClass 	:TWndClass;
	TempClass 	:TWndClass;
	ClassRegistered :Boolean;
begin
 WClass.style 	:= 0;
 WClass.lpfnwndproc 	:= @WndProc;
 WClass.cbClsExtra 	:= 0;
 WClass.cbWndExtra 	:= SizeOf(TWndClass);
 WClass.hinstance 	:= hInstance;
 WClass.hIcon 	:= 0;
 WClass.hCursor 	:= 0;
 WClass.hbrbackground	:= 0;
 WClass.lpszMenuName 	:= nil;
 WClass.lpszClassName	:= 'Server';
	ClassRegistered := GetClassInfo(hInstance,WClass.lpszClassName,TempClass);
	if ClassRegistered = True then UnregisterClass(TempClass.lpszClassName,hInstance);
 Registerclass(Wclass);
 Result := CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_NOACTIVATE, WClass.lpszClassName,WClass.lpszClassName, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, hInstance, nil);

which is in a formless application (console) once the console loses focus, if i take the console away and make it run with out any console or forms i am not able to recieve window messages. i read up and saw i could post HWND_MESSAGE to the handle, however the value of this is (-3) and delphi errors violate sub bound range for a handle

TIA

For a message-only Window, you should be passing HWND_MESSAGE as the window parent in the hWndParent param of CreateWindowEx.

HWND CreateWindowEx(      
    DWORD dwExStyle,
    LPCTSTR lpClassName,
    LPCTSTR lpWindowName,
    DWORD dwStyle,
    int x,
    int y,
    int nWidth,
    int nHeight,
    HWND hWndParent, // <-- Pass HWND_MESSAGE in this param.
    HMENU hMenu,
    HINSTANCE hInstance,
    LPVOID lpParam
);

HWND_MESSAGE is defined as -3, I'm not sure how Delphi handles this as I don't code in it so I cant really give a Delphi example.

After a few Google searches I'd try to to:

THandle(HWND_MESSAGE)

or

MsgHandle :HWND;
MsgHandle := HWND_MESSAGE;

And pass MsgHandle in CreateWindowEx.

I'm not really sure what falls under VCL in Delphi either, so sorry if this doesn't help.

var
	WClass 	:TWndClass;
	TempClass 	:TWndClass;
	ClassRegistered :Boolean;
begin
 WClass.style 	:= 0;
 WClass.lpfnwndproc 	:= @WndProc;
 WClass.cbClsExtra 	:= 0;
 WClass.cbWndExtra 	:= SizeOf(TWndClass);
 WClass.hinstance 	:= HInstance;
 WClass.hIcon 	:= 0;
 WClass.hCursor 	:= 0;
 WClass.hbrbackground	:= 0;
 WClass.lpszMenuName 	:= nil;
 WClass.lpszClassName	:= 'Server';
	ClassRegistered := GetClassInfo(hInstance,WClass.lpszClassName,TempClass);
	if ClassRegistered = True then UnregisterClass(TempClass.lpszClassName,hInstance);
 Registerclass(Wclass);
 Result := CreateWindowEx(WS_EX_NOACTIVATE, WClass.lpszClassName,WClass.lpszClassName, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, HWND(HWND_MESSAGE), 0, hInstance, nil);

for some reason doesnt work properly, if you post a C++ example i could have a go at converting it. thanks for your input