PasteBoard: defer minimize on /B + /I startup so auto-pasted clipboard is visible briefly

Build/Notepad3.ini

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ SettingsVersion=5
 ;PasteBoardSeparator=           ;(-> <use current EOL>)  {separator pre-pended before each new clipboard entry (pasted at caret) in pasteboard mode; suppressed on first paste after enable and when caret is at a line start; empty=no separator; supports \r\n, \n, \t, \xHH; include newlines explicitly e.g. "\r\n---\r\n" for a dashed separator line}
 ;PasteBoardDebounceMs=200       ;(min: 0, max: 5000[msec])  {debounce interval for clipboard monitoring}
 ;PasteBoardAddTimestamp=0       ;(0/1)  {prepend [HH:MM:SS] timestamp to each pasted entry in pasteboard mode}
+;PasteBoardInitialShowMs=1500   ;(min: 500, max: 5000[msec])  {when launched with /B and /I together: show the window normally for this duration so the auto-pasted clipboard is visible, then minimize. Has no effect unless both /B and /I are passed.}
 ;NoFadeHidden=0
 ;NoFileVariables=0
 ;NoHTMLGuess=0

readme/config/Configuration.md

@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ PasteBoardSeparator=\r\n\r\n\r\n  ; two blank lines between entries
 
 Set to `1` to prepend a `[HH:MM:SS]` timestamp to each pasted entry.
 
+#### `PasteBoardInitialShowMs=1500`
+
+When Notepad3 is launched with **both `/B` (clipboard monitoring) and `/I` (start minimized)**, the immediate minimize is deferred so the user can see the window populate with the one-shot auto-pasted clipboard content. The window stays visible for this many milliseconds, then minimizes (to the tray or taskbar, per `Settings.MinimizeToTray`). Range: `500`–`5000` ms (clamped at load time). Has no effect unless both `/B` and `/I` are passed on the command line — `/I` alone still minimizes immediately as before.
+
 #### `NoFadeHidden=0`
 
 Set to `1` to disable fading of hidden objects in file lists (Favorites, etc.).

src/Config/Config.cpp

@@ -1480,6 +1480,7 @@ void LoadSettings()
     }
     Settings2.PasteBoardDebounceMs = clampi(IniSectionGetInt(IniSecSettings2, L"PasteBoardDebounceMs", 200), 0, 5000);
     Settings2.PasteBoardAddTimestamp = IniSectionGetBool(IniSecSettings2, L"PasteBoardAddTimestamp", false);
+    Settings2.PasteBoardInitialShowMs = clampi(IniSectionGetInt(IniSecSettings2, L"PasteBoardInitialShowMs", 1500), 500, 5000);
 
     for (int i = 0; i < COUNTOF(Settings2.CodeFontPrefPrioList); ++i) {
         if (i < COUNTOF(g_CodeFontPrioList))

src/Notepad3.c

@@ -1849,6 +1849,35 @@ bool InitWndClass(const HINSTANCE hInstance, LPCWSTR lpszWndClassName, LPCWSTR l
 #endif
 
 
+//=============================================================================
+//
+//  _StartupMinimizeMainWnd() / _DeferMinimizeTimerProc()
+//  Hoisted from InitInstance() so the same minimize sequence runs either immediately
+//  or after the deferred-minimize timer fires (used for the /B + /I startup combo).
+//
+static void _StartupMinimizeMainWnd(HWND hwndMain)
+{
+    SetWindowPos(hwndMain, Settings.AlwaysOnTop ? HWND_TOPMOST : HWND_NOTOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE);
+    if (!Settings.ShowTitlebar) {
+        SetWindowLong(hwndMain, GWL_STYLE, GetWindowLong(hwndMain, GWL_STYLE) & ~WS_CAPTION);
+    }
+    if (Settings.MinimizeToTray) {
+        MinimizeWndToTray(hwndMain);
+    }
+    else {
+        MinimizeWndToTaskbar(hwndMain);
+    }
+}
+
+static VOID CALLBACK _DeferMinimizeTimerProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, UINT_PTR idEvent, DWORD dwTime)
+{
+    UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(uMsg);
+    UNREFERENCED_PARAMETER(dwTime);
+    KillTimer(hwnd, idEvent); // one-shot
+    _StartupMinimizeMainWnd(hwnd);
+}
+
+
 //=============================================================================
 //
 //  InitInstance() - DarkMode already initialized !
@@ -1930,15 +1959,21 @@ HWND InitInstance(const HINSTANCE hInstance, int nCmdShow)
 
     // Determine if starting minimized/tray (don't show window early in that case)
     bool const bStartMinimized = s_flagStartAsTrayIcon || (nCmdShow == SW_MINIMIZE) || (nCmdShow == SW_SHOWMINIMIZED);
+    // /B + /I together: show the window long enough for the one-shot auto-paste to land,
+    // then minimize via timer (fired below after PasteBoard_Start). Captures s_flagPasteBoard
+    // before the PasteBoard activation block clears it.
+    bool const bDeferMinimizeForPasteBoard = bStartMinimized && s_flagPasteBoard;
 
     // Show window frame early for faster perceived startup — the user sees
-    // the window (with initial toolbar from WM_CREATE) while we re-create bars
-    if (!bStartMinimized) {
+    // the window (with initial toolbar from WM_CREATE) while we re-create bars.
+    // For the /B + /I deferred-minimize case, force SW_SHOWNORMAL: nCmdShow could be
+    // SW_SHOWMINIMIZED (shortcut "Start minimized") which would defeat the purpose.
+    if (!bStartMinimized || bDeferMinimizeForPasteBoard) {
         if (!Settings.ShowTitlebar) {
             SetWindowLong(hwndMain, GWL_STYLE, GetWindowLong(hwndMain, GWL_STYLE) & ~WS_CAPTION);
         }
         SetWindowPos(hwndMain, Settings.AlwaysOnTop ? HWND_TOPMOST : HWND_NOTOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE);
-        ShowWindow(hwndMain, nCmdShow);
+        ShowWindow(hwndMain, bDeferMinimizeForPasteBoard ? SW_SHOWNORMAL : nCmdShow);
         UpdateWindow(hwndMain);
     }
 
@@ -1949,7 +1984,7 @@ HWND InitInstance(const HINSTANCE hInstance, int nCmdShow)
 
     // Force layout recalculation after toolbar/statusbar re-creation
     // (early ShowWindow already triggered WM_SIZE with old child windows)
-    if (!bStartMinimized) {
+    if (!bStartMinimized || bDeferMinimizeForPasteBoard) {
         RECT rc;
         GetClientRect(hwndMain, &rc);
         SendMessage(hwndMain, WM_SIZE, SIZE_RESTORED, MAKELPARAM(rc.right, rc.bottom));
@@ -2010,21 +2045,13 @@ HWND InitInstance(const HINSTANCE hInstance, int nCmdShow)
     ShowWindowAsync(s_hwndEditFrame, SW_SHOWDEFAULT);
     ShowWindowAsync(Globals.hwndEdit, SW_SHOWDEFAULT);
 
-    if (bStartMinimized) {
+    if (bStartMinimized && !bDeferMinimizeForPasteBoard) {
         //~SnapToWinInfoPos(hwndMain, g_IniWinInfo, SCR_NORMAL, SW_HIDE);
-        SetWindowPos(hwndMain, Settings.AlwaysOnTop ? HWND_TOPMOST : HWND_NOTOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE);
-        if (!Settings.ShowTitlebar) {
-            SetWindowLong(hwndMain, GWL_STYLE, GetWindowLong(hwndMain, GWL_STYLE) & ~WS_CAPTION);
-        }
-        if (Settings.MinimizeToTray) {
-            MinimizeWndToTray(hwndMain);
-        }
-        else {
-            MinimizeWndToTaskbar(hwndMain);
-        }
+        _StartupMinimizeMainWnd(hwndMain);
     }
     else {
-        // Window was already shown above; ensure children are painted
+        // Either not minimizing, or deferring minimize until /B auto-paste lands —
+        // the window must paint normally so the user sees the pasted content briefly.
         UpdateWindow(hwndMain);
     }
 
@@ -2186,6 +2213,12 @@ HWND InitInstance(const HINSTANCE hInstance, int nCmdShow)
         }
     }
 
+    // /B + /I: arm the deferred-minimize timer now that PasteBoard is started.
+    // PasteBoardInitialShowMs is clamped to 500..5000 at load time.
+    if (bDeferMinimizeForPasteBoard) {
+        SetTimer(Globals.hwndMain, ID_DEFERMINIMIZETIMER, (UINT)Settings2.PasteBoardInitialShowMs, _DeferMinimizeTimerProc);
+    }
+
     // check if a lexer was specified from the command line
     if (s_flagLexerSpecified) {
         if (s_lpSchemeArg) {

src/Notepad3.h

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ np3params, *LPnp3params;
 #define ID_LOGROTATETIMER   (0xA003)        // Log Rotation Retry
 #define ID_AUTOSCROLLTIMER  (0xA004)        // Middle-Click Auto-Scroll
 #define ID_ATOMICSAVETIMER  (0xA005)        // Atomic Save Detection
+#define ID_DEFERMINIMIZETIMER (0xA006)      // Deferred minimize on /B + /I startup
 
 
 //==== Reuse Window Lock Timeout ==============================================

src/TypeDefs.h

@@ -878,6 +878,7 @@ typedef struct SETTINGS2_T {
     WCHAR PasteBoardSeparator[MICRO_BUFFER];
     int   PasteBoardDebounceMs;
     bool  PasteBoardAddTimestamp;
+    int   PasteBoardInitialShowMs;
 
     const WCHAR* CodeFontPrefPrioList[MICRO_BUFFER];
     const WCHAR* TextFontPrefPrioList[MICRO_BUFFER];