Hello all, i thought i'd try my luck here.

Problem:
I am using Visual Basic .net, and i'm having difficulty in setting a windows focus...
I have to send a string of key presses to a particular application, and that works fine, If their is no input from the user.
But if the user does stray away from the active window the program still continues to send the keys into whatever window the user has open. Annoying.

The application is launched via

Dim NewProcess As Process = New Process         NewProcess.StartInfo.FileName = filename 'file to start = Filename         NewProcess.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Normal ' Normal window style         NewProcess.EnableRaisingEvents = False 'Enable events to take control?         txtlog.Text += "Preparing to launch " & filename & vbNewLine         Try 'Check for errors             NewProcess.Start()             NewProcess.WaitForInputIdle(2000)         Catch exc As System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception             txtlog.Text += "ABORT DUE TO ERROR:  NOT FOUND" & vbNewLine            'thrdNotFound()             Exit Sub         End Try

and there is a simple findwindow loop which checks for when the window has loaded, and it then sends the keys using

System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{DOWN}")

i need a way to check before each key press that the desired window is active, and if it isn't then to activate it.

all of this is run as a new thread, as there are other background operations going on and in between the key presses there is a thread.sleep(100) delay.

I've tried varying methods like SetForeGroundWindow()...
i can detect when the user has moved away from the window by using the "Targetwindow = FindWindowByTitle(windowtitle)" api, and using

Dim test As IntPtr         Dim hwnd As Integer         hwnd = GetForegroundWindow()         If hwnd <> TargetWindow Then             txtlog.Text += "Target window changed! New Target = " & hwnd & vbNewLine             good = False         End If         If good = False Then             'txtlog.Text += "PAUSED"             NewThread1.Suspend()             'threadCheckWindow.Abort()         Else             good = True         End If     End Sub

its just i'm unable to then force the input focus onto the desired window, using any means of ShowWindow(hwnd,style)...

im totally stumped!

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

W.G.

Ps i appear to have posted in the wrong forum, great start eh?


[Edited by notmeagain on 08-09-2006 at 09:51 PM GMT]

[Edited by notmeagain on 08-09-2006 at 09:52 PM GMT]

Hello, and welcome. Yep, it appears the wrong page. Unfortunately I can not help you with VB.Net, but I can use my Magic Moderator Power to move the topic in the .Net section, where somebody good-willing and knowing it can help you.
So, let's cross our fingers.

____________________________
Real Programmer can count up to 1024 on his fingers

Thanks for moving it .

I found a _STOP GAP_ measure using a thread that gets the window handle of the desired window, and constantly uses GetForeGroundWindow() api to detect when drifting, then i use AppActivate(processid/windowname) to bring the window to front, however if the user has mcafee installed, it doesnt work, the process just freezes and the thread terminates.

:\

how rare. Even disabling mcafee's auto protection doesnt help, so if anyone has a better method of "stealing focus back" i'd greatly appreciate any help.

quote:

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notmeagain wrote:
Thanks for moving it .

I found a _STOP GAP_ measure using a thread that gets the window handle of the desired window, and constantly uses GetForeGroundWindow() api to detect when drifting, then i use AppActivate(processid/windowname) to bring the window to front, however if the user has mcafee installed, it doesnt work, the process just freezes and the thread terminates.

:\

how rare. Even disabling mcafee's auto protection doesnt help, so if anyone has a better method of "stealing focus back" i'd greatly appreciate any help.

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