Modifying the system menu

[raj.indian.08@gmail.com]

Hi all,
I am trying to modify the system menu of all the applications in
my machine.
For example say - I am creating multiple desktops for windows -
and I want to give every application the capability to be moved across
different desktops. So I wanted to modify the basic system menu list
to include the new options.

The methods I could think of are -
1. Modify the basic windows set of system menu values (best option)
or
2. Poll every few milliseconds and modify the system menu values of
the active window

For (1) I couldnt think of a way to do it. Is it even possible using
python?

For (2) I wrote the following code for basic testing:
hwnd = win32gui.GetFor egroundWindow()
hw = win32gui.GetSys temMenu(hwnd, False)
if hw != None:
win32gui.Append Menu(hw,win32co n.MF_SEPARATOR, 0,'-');

and it shows the following error: pywintypes.erro r: (1401,
'AppendMenu', 'Invalid menu handle.')

If anyone could help me out in both the options (1) and/or (2), I
would be very thankful.

Thank you very much in advance,
A python newbie

[Tim Golden]

Re: Modifying the system menu

raj.indian.08@g mail.com wrote:

For (2) I wrote the following code for basic testing:
hwnd = win32gui.GetFor egroundWindow()
hw = win32gui.GetSys temMenu(hwnd, False)
if hw != None:
win32gui.Append Menu(hw,win32co n.MF_SEPARATOR, 0,'-');
>
and it shows the following error: pywintypes.erro r: (1401,
'AppendMenu', 'Invalid menu handle.')

Works for me. The following adds a separator and the
string "Hello" to my (Console) window's system menu

<code>
import win32con
import win32gui

hwnd = win32gui.GetFor egroundWindow ()
hmenu = win32gui.GetSys temMenu (hwnd, False)
win32gui.Append Menu (hmenu, win32con.MF_SEP ARATOR, 0, '')
win32gui.Append Menu (hmenu, win32con.MF_STR ING, 100, 'Hello')

</code>

TJG

[raj.indian.08@gmail.com]

Re: Modifying the system menu

I tested it again and found that the behaviour is a little different
from what I mentioned previously in the mailchain.
The item is working perfectly the first time around. Now if I close
the application and run it again (which was what I did earlier), if
that application system menu is already modified, it is causing this
issue.

Why would this happen? If it is that the file handle is not obtained,
it wouldnt have gone through the following check at all?

hw = win32gui.GetSys temMenu(hwnd, False)
if hw != None:
win32gui.Append Menu(hw,win32co n.MF_SEPARATOR, 0,'-');

Not only did it go through, it failed with an invalid menu handle
error.

[raj.indian.08@gmail.com]

Re: Modifying the system menu

On Sep 18, 6:39 am, raj.indian...@g mail.com wrote:

I tested it again and found that the behaviour is a little different
from what I mentioned previously in the mailchain.
The item is working perfectly the first time around. Now if I close
the application and run it again (which was what I did earlier), if
that application system menu is already modified, it is causing this
issue.
>
Why would this happen? If it is that the file handle is not obtained,
it wouldnt have gone through the following check at all?
>

    hw = win32gui.GetSys temMenu(hwnd, False)
    if hw != None:
        win32gui.Append Menu(hw,win32co n.MF_SEPARATOR, 0,'-');

>
Not only did it go through, it failed with an invalid menu handle
error.

More worryingly, this happens randomly. Am I doing some mistake here?

[Lawrence D'Oliveiro]

Re: Modifying the system menu

In message
<bfa45e21-fb5e-454d-a4c2-e7cc00919f38@p3 1g2000prf.googl egroups.com>,
raj.indian.08@g mail.com wrote:

For example say - I am creating multiple desktops for windows -
and I want to give every application the capability to be moved across
different desktops.

But doesn't the desktop environment/window manager that provides the
multiple desktops also provide the relevant entries in the system menu?