Directx and Windows

[pixelshader]

I have basically two doubts

1. Can i create a directx application without having a window created anywhere in the application??? I dont need to display it on the screen . All i need is to render it on to backbuffer and then read the byte data from the back buffer by locking it

2. My second requirement is somthin like this. There will be two windows that overlap. The window on top should be transparent on some areas and i should be able to view the window under it through these areas.IS it possible if so how to

Thanks in advance :)

[Xmas]

I think this belongs in the coding forum.

1. No, you need to create a window. It needs to have width and height >0, but it doesn't have to be visible IIRC.

[pixelshader]

oops sorry!!
thanks for the reply.How can i move it to coding section...

[Graham]

as far as I know, your second request is only really possible with non-accelerated windows (ie, GDI) and on xp/2000. I can't remeber exactly, but I think it's called the layering API.
Advanced use of this api allows an alpha channel to control transparency. But I'm pretty sure it doesn't play nice with DX/OpenGL.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms997507.aspx