The shell notification HSHELL_ means that there is a new top-level unowned visible window. Conversely, HSHELL_ means that a window is no longer a top-level unowned visible window. But these state changes can occur for reasons other than a window being created and destroyed. For example, if a top-level window hides itself, then that will generate a HSHELL_ notification, even though no window was destroyed.
Why don’t the names align with what they mean?
These notifications were named while wearing taskbar-colored glasses.
These notifications were created to assist the taskbar in keeping track of the windows in the system. The taskbar shows top-level unowned visible windows, so that’s what the notifications pay attention to. If you hide a top-level unowned window, it hasn’t been destroyed, but it may as well have been destroyed as far as the taskbar is concerned: The window disappears from the taskbar.
Conversely, when the window becomes visible again, it gains a taskbar button. As far as the taskbar is concerned, it may as well have been newly-created.
The post Why is the HSHELL_WINDOWDESTROYED notification raised when a window is hidden, even if it hasn’t been destroyed? appeared first on The Old New Thing.
