Here's a little package I wrote to do little sticky notes. It could easily be used as a stand-alone program with a little bit of saving / loading code, or it could be included as a package into any piece of software. It requires Tcl 8.4 and has some features that are nice on Windows. With Tk 8.4.8 or above, it adds the ability to change the transparency of the sticky notes. -- [DC] namespace eval ::stickies { variable stickies array set stickies { Font "Verdana 9" Count 0 Animate 1 Padding {2 15 2 2} DefaultWidth 175 DefaultHeight 150 MenuFont "Tahoma 8" Background "#ffff80" StickyPopup ".stickyPopup" StickyPrefix ".sticky" BorderBackground "#ffdf00" } } proc ::stickies::init {} { variable stickies package require Tk 8.4 set m [menu $stickies(StickyPopup) -tearoff 0 -font $stickies(MenuFont)] $m add command -label "Delete Note" \ -command ::stickies::DeleteSticky -font "$stickies(MenuFont) bold" if {[string equal $::tcl_platform(platform) "windows"]} { if {[package vsatisfies $::tk_patchLevel 8.4.8]} { $m add command -label "Set Transparency" \ -command ::stickies::SetTransparency -font "$stickies(MenuFont)" } $m add separator $m add checkbutton -label "Always on Top" \ -command ::stickies::AlwaysOnTop } } proc ::stickies::NewSticky {} { variable stickies set top $stickies(StickyPrefix)[incr stickies(Count)] set stickies($top,ontop) 0 toplevel $top -background $stickies(BorderBackground) wm withdraw $top update idletasks wm geometry $top 1x1 wm override $top 1 bind $top <3> [list ::stickies::PostPopup $top %X %Y] bindtags $top [list $top Toplevel $top StickyNote all] bind StickyNote <1> [list ::stickies::GrabSticky %W %X %Y] bind StickyNote [list ::stickies::StickyMotion %W %X %Y] bind StickyNote [list ::stickies::DragSticky %W %X %Y] set padding $stickies(Padding) text $top.t -relief flat -background $stickies(Background) \ -font $stickies(Font) -wrap word pack $top.t -expand 1 -fill both \ -padx [list [lindex $padding 0] [lindex $padding 2]] \ -pady [list [lindex $padding 1] [lindex $padding 3]] if {$stickies(Animate)} { ::stickies::AnimateSticky $top } else { wm geometry $top $stickies(DefaultWidth)x$stickies(DefaultHeight) } wm deiconify $top focus $top.t } proc ::stickies::AnimateSticky { window {w 0} {h 0} } { variable stickies wm deiconify $window incr w 10 incr h 10 if {$w > $stickies(DefaultWidth)} { set w $stickies(DefaultWidth) } if {$h > $stickies(DefaultHeight)} { set h $stickies(DefaultHeight) } wm geometry $window ${w}x${h} update idletasks if {$w != $stickies(DefaultWidth) || $h != $stickies(DefaultHeight)} { after 5 [list ::stickies::AnimateSticky $window $w $h] } return } proc ::stickies::PostPopup { window X Y } { variable stickies set stickies(ActiveSticky) $window $stickies(StickyPopup) post $X $Y } proc ::stickies::DeleteSticky { {window ""} } { variable stickies if {![string length $window]} { set window $stickies(ActiveSticky) } destroy $window } proc ::stickies::SetTransparency { {window ""} } { variable stickies if {![string length $window]} { set window $stickies(ActiveSticky) } set top $stickies(StickyPrefix)__set_transparency toplevel $top wm title $top "Set Transparency" wm withdraw $top wm geometry $top +[winfo x $window]+[winfo y $window] wm resizable $top 0 0 set ::stickies::alpha [wm attributes $window -alpha] scale $top.scale -orient horizontal -from 0.0 -to 1.0 \ -width 10 -length 150 -resolution .01 -showvalue 0 \ -variable ::stickies::alpha \ -command [list ::stickies::SetWindowAlpha $window] pack $top.scale -side left -expand 1 -fill both button $top.ok -text "OK" -width 10 -command [list destroy $top] pack $top.ok -side left $stickies(StickyPopup) unpost update idletasks wm deiconify $top } proc ::stickies::SetWindowAlpha { window value } { wm attributes $window -alpha $value update idletasks } proc ::stickies::AlwaysOnTop { {window ""} } { variable stickies if {![string length $window]} { set window $stickies(ActiveSticky) } set stickies($window,ontop) [expr $stickies($window,ontop) ? 0 : 1] puts "$window - $stickies($window,ontop)" wm attributes $window -topmost $stickies($window,ontop) puts "$window - $stickies($window,ontop) - [wm attributes $window]" $stickies(StickyPopup) unpost update idletasks } proc ::stickies::StickyMotion { window X Y } { variable stickies set minX [winfo x $window] set minY [winfo y $window] set maxX [expr {$minX + [winfo width $window]}] set maxY [expr {$minY + [winfo height $window]}] set x1 [expr {$X - 8}] set x2 [expr {$X + 8}] set y1 [expr {$Y - 4}] set y2 [expr {$Y + 4}] set cursor "" set stickies(dir) "" if {$x1 < $minX} { set cursor sb_h_double_arrow set stickies(dir) w } if {$x2 > $maxX} { set cursor sb_h_double_arrow set stickies(dir) e } if {$y1 < $minY} { set cursor sb_v_double_arrow set stickies(dir) n } if {$y2 > $maxY} { set cursor sb_v_double_arrow set stickies(dir) s } if {$x2 > $maxX && $y2 > $maxY} { set cursor size_nw_se set stickies(dir) se } if {$x1 < $minX && $y1 < $minY} { set cursor size_nw_se set stickies(dir) nw } if {$x2 > $maxX && $y1 < $minY} { set cursor size_ne_sw set stickies(dir) ne } if {$x1 < $minX && $y2 > $maxY} { set cursor size_ne_sw set stickies(dir) sw } $window configure -cursor $cursor update idletasks } proc ::stickies::GrabSticky { window X Y } { variable stickies if {![string length $stickies(dir)]} { set stickies(Xoffset) [expr {[winfo x $window] - $X}] set stickies(Yoffset) [expr {[winfo y $window] - $Y}] } else { set stickies(Xoffset) $X set stickies(Yoffset) $Y } set stickies(x) [winfo x $window] set stickies(y) [winfo y $window] set stickies(width) [winfo width $window] set stickies(height) [winfo height $window] } proc ::stickies::DragSticky { window X Y } { variable stickies if {![string length $stickies(dir)]} { set x [expr {$X + $stickies(Xoffset)}] set y [expr {$Y + $stickies(Yoffset)}] wm geometry $window +${x}+${y} return } set adjX [expr {$X - $stickies(Xoffset)}] set adjY [expr {$Y - $stickies(Yoffset)}] set x $stickies(x) set y $stickies(y) set width $stickies(width) set height $stickies(height) switch -- $stickies(dir) { "n" { set y $Y set height [expr {$stickies(height) - $adjY}] } "e" { set width [expr {$stickies(width) + $adjX}] } "s" { set height [expr {$stickies(height) + $adjY}] } "se" { set width [expr {$stickies(width) + $adjX}] set height [expr {$stickies(height) + $adjY}] } } if {$width <= 0 || $height <= 0} { return } wm geometry $window ${width}x${height}+${x}+${y} update idletasks } ## A little demo code. ::stickies::init button .b -text "New Sticky" -command ::stickies::NewSticky pack .b -expand 1 -fill both ---- [MG] Dec 16th - Very nice, [DC]. This code could be really useful in a wide variety of applications, IMHO, as well as being a great example for people. One thing that would make it more useful, though, is if you could keep an entry for the sticky notes in the taskbar when it's used on Windows, so they don't get lost if -topmost isn't on. Anyone know if there's a way to do that? I tried the [[wm attributes -toolwindow]] option, and [[wm transient]], but neither worked... ---- [ABU] 5-Oct-2005 - Sticky 1.0 announce [ABU] 28-Nov-2005 - Sticky 2.0 announce Based on the original work of Damon, this is a screenshot of my little big application [http://web.tiscali.it/irrational/tcl/sticky-2.0/screenshot.gif] '''Sticky''' allows you to stick small pieces of paper over your desktop. * You can use it to write down your notes. * You can easily move, resize, change the colors and fonts used in these sticky-notes. * All the sticky-notes are automatically saved on exiting (see .sticky.ini in your home directory) Starting from version 2.0, Sticky is able to ''handle the logoff/shutdown event''. In this way you can be sure that everything is automatically saved when user's sessions ends. Note that the capability to handle the logoff/shutdown event is provided only for the starpack version (sticky-2.0.exe). More info and download at [http://web.tiscali.it/irrational/tcl/sticky-2.0/index.html]. ''[escargo] 29 Nov 2005'' - I discovered experimentally that you need to right click on the top bar to access sticky configuration options. The documentation said control was possible, but did not say how to do it. ''[escargo] 13 Feb 2006'' - I discovered that my laptop running [Microsoft Windows] XP Pro Service Pack 2 has an interesting issue with the individual notes. Different sets of notes appear when I boot my system connected to its docking bay and monitor than when I boot it standalone. I see that I have a .sticky.ini file and a .sticki.ini.bak file. Something must be determining which file to use. Also, since my screen geometry changes depending on which startup method I use, it's possible that the position specified in the "wm geometry" command might not be visible any more. [ABU] 13 feb 2006 About your ''old'' question, I admit that it is not documented how to raise the popup menu; on the other hand, it is so simple ... right-click over a sticky mini-toolbar for changing one sticky property, or click on the "wheel" icon to open a "sample sticky" ; by changing this "sample sticky", you can set the whole ''look'' for all the next new stickies. Now, about your second question, I have right no solution. '''.sticky.ini''' (within your home directory) saves all the geometry. '''.sticky.ini.bak''' is just the previous copy (a backup). If you logon with different users on your PC, there will be different copies of '''.sticky.ini''' (one for each ''Home'' directory). Maybe it could be useful a proc for expanding/collapsing the position of each widget, based on the current screen resolution ... let me think about it ... ''[escargo] 14 Feb 2006'' - I just found out why there is an issue. My IT admins added a startup script to my system that leaves the HOME directory on a personal network drive (W:\). If a Tcl program starts, and checks for the current directory, that's what it will find, not the directory C:\Documents and Settings\\My Documents\. If I start up at home, or anywhere else detached from the network, there is no W: drive, and I'll see the file in C:\Documents and Settings\ instead. So there's a split personality involved with inconstant determined locations for .sticky.ini. This is one of the issues with [Where to store application configuration files]. I had not realized that the value of HOME could be changing without me logging in as a different user. ''[GreenAsJade] 3 Jan 2007'' ... TCL makes it very tempting to use $HOME by its built in provision of [file normalize "~"]. This implies that it's portable to use this to find the place to store user data on windows and unix. But as you've found, it doesn't work properly on unix because $HOME can change. On Windows, you can use $USERPROFILE to find the right place to store application data, like this: set DataDir [expr { $tcl_platform(platform) eq "windows" ? \ [file join $env(USERPROFILE) "Application Data" "APPNAME"] : \ [file normalize "~/.APPNAME"] \ }] ---- ''[escargo] 7 May 2007'' - I started using a Windows desktop manager, Yod'm 3D. The virtual desktops appear to confuse Stickies so that it disappears. Is there an easy way to extract all the information in all the notes? I didn't find anything obvious in .sticky.ini. ---- [ABU] 9 May 2007 - It's not so difficult. Since ".sticky.ini" is not a pure data file, but it's a simple tcl-script, all we need is to redefine the "stickyNote create ..." command, and ignore all others commands ("wm ..."). Here is a script # dummy declaration namespace eval stickyNote {} # disable the "wm" command rename wm _wm proc wm args {} proc stickyNote { createCmd objID args } { puts "#######################################" foreach {op val} $args { # better to remove trailing blancs set val [string trim $val] puts "<$op><$val>" } puts "#######################################" } source [file join ~ .sticky.ini] ---- [NLast] 28 Dec 2009 - Does anybody know where to get the application now? The homepage has been 404ed away. [EE] 26 Jun 2012 - Yes. The Internet Wayback Machine: http://web.archive.org/web/20060208004030/http://web.tiscali.it/irrational/tcl/sticky-2.0/index.html ---- <> Application