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| | | StrataFrame User
 
Group: StrataFrame Users
Last Login: 11/27/2008 10:53:17 AM
Posts: 314, Visits: 1,276 |
| | If I launch an exe from my menu system and minimizes it, how can I restore the application or bring focus back to the application if they happen to click on the menu option again? |
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StrataFrame Developer
Group: StrataFrame Developers
Last Login: Yesterday @ 4:50:35 PM
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| | If the application that your menu launched is not a .NET form then you have to use WinAPI to restore the application. You will need to retrieve the window handle of the applcation. You can do this a number of different ways, such as the GetWindow method. You can use many of the APIs in conjunction with one another in order to retrieve the correct window handle. In our medical application, we store off the window handle when we call the external program: Private _ProgramHandle As IntPtr Private Sub LaunchExternalEXE()
'-- Establish Locals
Dim loStart As New System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo("C:\MyPath\MyExe.EXE")
Dim loProcess As System.Diagnostics.Process loStart.WindowStyle = Diagnostics.ProcessWindowStyle.Normal '-- Start the process
loProcess = System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(loStart) '-- Wait until the window handle can be obtained
Do While _ProgramHandle.ToInt32() = 0
_ProgramHandle = System.Diagnostics.Process.GetProcessById(loProcess.Id).MainWindowHandle
Loop
End Sub Now that you have the handle stored off, you can restore the window using WinAPI when the user clicks the menu item again. Here is a list of the WinAPIs you will have to declare: Public Const SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED As Integer = 3 Public Const SW_RESTORE As Integer = 9 <DllImport("user32.dll")> _ Public Function ShowWindow(ByVal WindowHandle As Integer, ByVal Command As Integer) As Boolean End Function <DllImport("user32.dll")> _ Public Function SetForegroundWindow(ByVal WindowHandle As Integer) As Boolean End Function <DllImport("user32.dll")> _ Public Function SetActiveWindow(ByVal WindowHandle As Integer) As Boolean End Function <DllImport("user32.dll")> _ Public Function SetFocus(ByVal hwnd As Integer) As Integer End Function I added the SW_MAXIMIZED value above in case you needed to test on a maximized window. Then you can use those declared WinAPI methods like this: SetForegroundWindow(_ProgramHandle.ToInt32())
SetActiveWindow(_ProgramHandle.ToInt32())
ShowWindow(_ProgramHandle.ToInt32(), SW_RESTORE) |
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| | | StrataFrame User
Group: StrataFrame Users
Last Login: 11/27/2008 10:53:17 AM
Posts: 314, Visits: 1,276 |
| | Thanks Trent, this is exactly what I was looking for. How do you handle something like the security dialog. Right now I launch it in a separate window using loDialog.Show() because I have problems with scroll bars when I launch inside my MDI. (I just haven't had time to investigate why you can't scroll properly). If I minimize the security dialog and then try to activate again through the menu system, I want to restore the existing instance to prevent multiple instances. How do I accomplish something like this. Thanks |
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StrataFrame Developer
Group: StrataFrame Developers
Last Login: Yesterday @ 4:50:35 PM
Posts: 4,796, Visits: 4,766 |
| Well, since you are using n MDI form you can cycle through all of the instantiated forms through the forms collection:Public Function RestoreForm(ByVal FormType As System.Type) As Boolean Dim loForm As System.Windows.Forms.Form Dim llReturn As Boolean = False For Each loForm In MyMDI.MdiChildren
If loForm.GetType() Is FormType
llReturn = True
If loForm.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized Then
loForm.WindowState = FormWindowState.Normal
End If
End If
Next Return llReturn
End Function You would call it like this: If Not RestoreForm(GetType(MyForm)) Then
'-- Launch your form
End If |
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