Activate a window to forground using API

[D Witherspoon]

I developed this module, examples on the internet seem to be much longer..
Can someone explain to me why my solution doesn't work?



Module modAPI

Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As
Long



Public Sub ActivateAppWind ow()

SetForegroundWi ndow(fMain.Hand le.ToInt32)

End Sub

End Module

[Ken Tucker [MVP]]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Hi,

API declare is wrong. Types have changed since vb6. Use integer
instead of long. In this case i would use intptr.

Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As intptr) As
integer

Public Sub ActivateAppWind ow()

SetForegroundWi ndow(fMain.Hand le)

End Sub


Ken
----------------

"D Witherspoon" <dwitherspoon@n oway.org> wrote in message
news:unEqejNVFH A.3584@TK2MSFTN GP14.phx.gbl...
I developed this module, examples on the internet seem to be much longer..
Can someone explain to me why my solution doesn't work?



Module modAPI

Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As
Long



Public Sub ActivateAppWind ow()

SetForegroundWi ndow(fMain.Hand le.ToInt32)

End Sub

End Module

[Crouchie1998]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Module Module1
Public Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As
Integer) As Integer

Public Sub SetForeground(B yVal iHandle As Integer)
SetForegroundWi ndow(iHandle)
End Sub
End Module

Usage:
-------

SetForeground (frm.Handle.Int 32)

'frm' is the Form to set as the foreground window

Example:
---------

Declaration:
------------

Dim frm As New Form2

Behind Button1 (for example):
------------------------------

frm.Show()

Behind Button2 (for example):
------------------------------

SetForeground (frm.Handle.Int 32)

Crouchie1998
BA (HONS) MCP MCSE

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

"Ken Tucker [MVP]" <vb2ae@bellsout h.net> schrieb:[color=blue]
> API declare is wrong. Types have changed since vb6. Use integer
> instead of long. In this case i would use intptr.
>
> Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As intptr)
> As
> integer
>
> Public Sub ActivateAppWind ow()
>
> SetForegroundWi ndow(fMain.Hand le)[/color]

Note that this will only work as long as your application is the active
application. Otherwise 'AttachThreadIn put' is needed too. In other words,
it's not as easy (and not recommended) to "steal" the focus from another
application.

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

"Crouchie19 98" <crouchie1998@s pamcop.net> schrieb:[color=blue]
> Public Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As
> Integer) As Integer[/color]

I prefer this declaration/usage, although your code should work:

\\\
Public Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32.dll " ( _
ByVal hWnd As IntPtr _
) As Boolean
..
..
..
Dim Success As Boolean = SetForegroundWi ndow(frm.Handle )
///

Just my 2 Euro cents...

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>

[Cor Ligthert]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

D,

These questions make me forever curious.

Although as Herfried already said have I the same opinion that you should
avoid this kind of instruction.

Why not just
me.topmost = true

Cor

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Cor,

"Cor Ligthert" <notmyfirstname @planet.nl> schrieb:[color=blue]
> Although as Herfried already said have I the same opinion that you should
> avoid this kind of instruction.
>
> Why not just
> me.topmost = true[/color]

I doubt that a topmost window is a viable solution in this situation...

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>

[Cor Ligthert]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

> "Cor Ligthert" <notmyfirstname @planet.nl> schrieb:[color=blue][color=green]
>> Although as Herfried already said have I the same opinion that you should
>> avoid this kind of instruction.
>>
>> Why not just
>> me.topmost = true[/color]
>
> I doubt that a topmost window is a viable solution in this situation...
>[/color]


After that I had sent this message I thought,
me.topmost = true
me.topmost = false

Maybe does that the job that is asked, however I am more interested in that
statusbar problem, but the information from the OP is to few and I think
that this is a on the border solution.

Cor

[D Witherspoon]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Me.TopMost will make a form the topmost in the application but not over
other applications.

When you refer to the status bar problem are you talking about my problem
with the app not showing up in the taskbar.

It's tricky and yes, is the only reason I have to resort to trying to bring
the app window into the foreground. Unfortunatly no luck yet with the
status bar thing.

"Cor Ligthert" <notmyfirstname @planet.nl> wrote in message
news:%23bfZGUUV FHA.2540@tk2msf tngp13.phx.gbl. ..[color=blue][color=green]
>> "Cor Ligthert" <notmyfirstname @planet.nl> schrieb:[color=darkred]
>>> Although as Herfried already said have I the same opinion that you
>>> should avoid this kind of instruction.
>>>
>>> Why not just
>>> me.topmost = true[/color]
>>
>> I doubt that a topmost window is a viable solution in this situation...
>>[/color]
>
>
> After that I had sent this message I thought,
> me.topmost = true
> me.topmost = false
>
> Maybe does that the job that is asked, however I am more interested in
> that statusbar problem, but the information from the OP is to few and I
> think that this is a on the border solution.
>
> Cor
>[/color]

[D Witherspoon]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Not recommended as in technically or morally ?


"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hirf-spam-me-here@gmx.at> wrote in message
news:%23IFCQ2NV FHA.2124@TK2MSF TNGP14.phx.gbl. ..[color=blue]
> "Ken Tucker [MVP]" <vb2ae@bellsout h.net> schrieb:[color=green]
>> API declare is wrong. Types have changed since vb6. Use integer
>> instead of long. In this case i would use intptr.
>>
>> Declare Function SetForegroundWi ndow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As intptr)
>> As
>> integer
>>
>> Public Sub ActivateAppWind ow()
>>
>> SetForegroundWi ndow(fMain.Hand le)[/color]
>
> Note that this will only work as long as your application is the active
> application. Otherwise 'AttachThreadIn put' is needed too. In other
> words, it's not as easy (and not recommended) to "steal" the focus from
> another application.
>
> --
> M S Herfried K. Wagner
> M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
> V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>[/color]

[Cor Ligthert]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

D,
[color=blue]
> Me.TopMost will make a form the topmost in the application but not over
> other applications.
>[/color]
Than I have probably another system. When I use topmost = true I get the
form only from my screen when I minimalize it.

Cor

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

"D Witherspoon" <dwitherspoon@n oway.org> schrieb:[color=blue]
> Not recommended as in technically or morally ?[/color]

Morally -- I doubt that the application will pass the Windows Logo test when
it's stealing the focus.

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Cor,

"Cor Ligthert" <notmyfirstname @planet.nl> schrieb:[color=blue][color=green]
>> Me.TopMost will make a form the topmost in the application but not over
>> other applications.[/color]
>
> Than I have probably another system. When I use topmost = true I get the
> form only from my screen when I minimalize it.[/color]

ACK. MSDN:

| A topmost form is a form that overlaps all the other (non-topmost)
| forms even if it is not the active or foreground form. Topmost forms
| are always displayed at the highest point in the Z-order of the
| windows on the desktop.

--
M S Herfried K. Wagner
M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>

[D Witherspoon]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

Thats a good point.

But until I can find out why it deosn't show up in the task (when it first
opens) bar I will have to do this.

"Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hirf-spam-me-here@gmx.at> wrote in message
news:%23EUkAbWV FHA.2560@TK2MSF TNGP10.phx.gbl. ..[color=blue]
> "D Witherspoon" <dwitherspoon@n oway.org> schrieb:[color=green]
>> Not recommended as in technically or morally ?[/color]
>
> Morally -- I doubt that the application will pass the Windows Logo test
> when it's stealing the focus.
>
> --
> M S Herfried K. Wagner
> M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
> V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>[/color]

[D Witherspoon]

Re: Activate a window to forground using API

It works now without even requiring 'AttachThreadIn put'. I changed the
declare to return an Interger instead of a Long. Seemed to fix it and
return 1 as the return code instead of a crazy long number.

Even if it isn't the active application it still works, 'AttachThreadIn put'
doesn't seem to be required.


"D Witherspoon" <dwitherspoon@n oway.org> wrote in message
news:u6tWZzWVFH A.3044@TK2MSFTN GP10.phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Thats a good point.
>
> But until I can find out why it deosn't show up in the task (when it first
> opens) bar I will have to do this.
>
> "Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]" <hirf-spam-me-here@gmx.at> wrote in message
> news:%23EUkAbWV FHA.2560@TK2MSF TNGP10.phx.gbl. ..[color=green]
>> "D Witherspoon" <dwitherspoon@n oway.org> schrieb:[color=darkred]
>>> Not recommended as in technically or morally ?[/color]
>>
>> Morally -- I doubt that the application will pass the Windows Logo test
>> when it's stealing the focus.
>>
>> --
>> M S Herfried K. Wagner
>> M V P <URL:http://dotnet.mvps.org/>
>> V B <URL:http://classicvb.org/petition/>[/color]
>
>[/color]