Detecting Application GotFocus or Activate 2

[megmogg]

Hi all

Using VFP8

In my application, which uses _screen, I would like to detect when it gets activated from another windows application, i.e. when a user is using Outlook and then clicks back (or Alt-tab) onto my application.

I tried binding the Activate event to the _screen as below but it didnt work.

oScreenFocus=NEWOBJECT("ScreenFocus")
BINDEVENT(_screen, "Activate", oScreenFocus, "onfocus")

DEFINE CLASS ScreenFocus AS Custom
   PROCEDURE onfocus
      MESSAGEBOX("Got Focus")
	ENDPROC
ENDDEFINE

Anyone any ideas?

Thanks

 

[robsuttonjr]

This is a stab at it using windows functions:

*COPY TO PRG and RUN
clear
PUBLIC GetForegroundWindow, GetWindowText, lCurHwnd, loTimer
Declare Integer GetForegroundWindow IN user32

DECLARE INTEGER ShowWindow IN user32;
INTEGER hwnd,;
INTEGER nCmdShow

DECLARE INTEGER GetWindowThreadProcessId IN user32;
INTEGER hWnd,;
INTEGER @ lpdwProcId


lCurHwnd = GetForegroundWindow()


loTimer = CREATEOBJECT('myTimer')



DEFINE CLASS myTimer AS TIMER
Interval = 100

PROCEDURE Timer
lnThisProcess = GetWindowThreadProcessId(lCurHwnd, 0)
lnOtherProcess = GetWindowThreadProcessId(GetForegroundWindow(), 0)
IF lnThisProcess != lnOtherProcess
?"OtherProcessActive"
ELSE
?"ThisProcessActive"
ENDIF

** This will show the handle specified
*ShowWindow(lCurHwnd,1)
ENDPROC

ENDDEFINE



Regards,

Rob

 

[megmogg]

Thanks for the reply and see what you're doing.

Wouldn't the timer drain resources?

Its just a shame there is no focus or activate event for the application itself.

The activate for the _screen is when the screen gets focus, i.e. when the last form is closed. But not when switching from another application.

 

[MarciaAkins]

Its just a shame there is no focus or activate event for the application itself.

It's a shame that you are not using VFP 9.0 - if you were, you could use BINDEVENT() to tap into the Windows Message events and woudl not need a timer.



Marcia G. Akins

http://www.TightlineComputers.com

 

[megmogg]

Well, as it happens, we are moving to VFP9 in the next couple of weeks.

Do you have an example by any chance?

Thanks

 

[robsuttonjr]

I tried your code and here is something to note. I copied it into a .prg and ran it. When I click on the screen the behind the prg the _screen.activate event fired and the message appeared. However now you just have to figure out how to have the _screen be on top which from what I can see it is not. If you had a form instead of _screen you could possibly handle it that way you want. Create a form and set _screen.visible = .F. at runtime then when the form gets activated your bind will work.

Regards,

Rob

 

[robsuttonjr]

Rick Strahl's idea might help you check this out:

http://west-wind.com/weblog/posts/1869.aspx

Regards,

Rob

 

[MarciaAkins]

Do you have an example by any chance?

There is a very good example written by Randy brown in the solution samples under the "New in VFP 9" category.

Marcia G. Akins

http://www.TightlineComputers.com

 

[megmogg]

Thanks for the replies

robsuttonjr - when it is compiled, it only fires when a form within the _screen is closed and the _screen itself gets the focus. What I want to achieve is when a user is using another application and alt-tab's back to mine, I want the active form to requery. The events within VFP are only firing on VFP actions/events not after the alt-tab.

MarciaAkins - thanks, will take a look.


Thanks both for your help.