I tried for a script of this first, but none of the results were close to what I was looking for/seems possible without the use of a .dll
DLLs are part of the scripting language, so I'm not sure why you would discount their usage. Fortunately, you don't need to actually write a DLL, since there are some (like mdx.dll or
ultradock.dll) that can already do what you want.
Here is an overly complex example that you could cut down to size.
That said, if you really don't want to use DLLs, there are @window solutions and the one above that are a little more awkward to use but still get the job done.
Right now mIRC doesn't offer me any option except to 'view the topic' at any time I wish, which interrupts the flow of the chat of the channel.
As illustrated above, mIRC gives you plenty of options, just maybe not in the exact form you're looking for, and not with zero work. But to say that you cannot view the topic any time you wish without interrupting the flow of the chat channel is disingenuous. My simple F9 keybinding listed above provides this functionality quite easily-- the only thing it doesn't give you is "always on top", but that doesn't seem to be a required part of the suggestion (since you even mention it should be hide-able). The alias provides a completely reasonable compromise solution. A script that used ultradock.dll or mdx could make it work more to your tastes. The functionality in mIRC's scripting engine is there to create what you are asking.
