# Program that runs in background but can be reopened

**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/program-that-runs-in-background-but-can-be-reopened/19180
**Category:** Project Guidance
**Created:** [March 30, 2020, 10:34am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/program-that-runs-in-background-but-can-be-reopened/19180 "2020-03-30T10:34:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![FinleyOderSo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/finleyoderso/32/8575_2.png) [@FinleyOderSo](https://discourse.processing.org/u/FinleyOderSo)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2020, 10:34am UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/program-that-runs-in-background-but-can-be-reopened/19180/1 "2020-03-30T10:34:39Z")

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Hi,

I want to create a program that runs in background but can be reopened (getting back the visual appearance) via this menu:  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/processingfoundation1/original/2X/c/c31e6108bd850657fcc5519a697176a80804d7a8.png)  
I hope you understand what I mean.

But I don’t even know how such programs are called so I don’t know what to search for.  
Does someone maybe have any ideas on how to code a program like this? Or any links that can perhaps help me?

Or is processing just not the right language for that?

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### Author: ![jeremydouglass](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/jeremydouglass/32/20_2.png) [@jeremydouglass](https://discourse.processing.org/u/jeremydouglass)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/program-that-runs-in-background-but-can-be-reopened/19180/2 "2020-04-05T17:57:52Z")

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What operating system?

Most desktop operating systems allow running programs to be minimized. MacOS, Windows, KDE and Gnome all do it in a similar but slightly different way. Windows and Linux desktops may also have a “ **system tray** ” “notification area” or “tool tray” – which II think is what is in your picture. In Windows it is called the system tray or notification area. There is not a built-in way to minimize to this in Processing, which creates a full window for its sketch.

[https://www.tutorialspoint.com/windows10/windows10\_system\_tray.htm](https://www.tutorialspoint.com/windows10/windows10_system_tray.htm)

In theory you might be able to do this in Processing 3 with Java 8’s “java.awt.SystemTray” – I’ve never seen a working solution, though, only discussion of it being possiible.