How WinWaitActive() works?

[Fatma]

Hi all,

 

I'm using Autoit to run some experiments for research. I'm automating different activities and measuring the activities response times in a Remote Desktop setup.

To find the response time, the script log the time, do the task (e.g., run an application), then use WinWaitActive() to ensure the application window has appeared on the display, then log the time again, and measure response time as the difference between the two logged times.

 

However, I'm wondering how WinWaitActive() function work, how does it check that the window has appeared. I want to know if it is a fair way to measure the response time the way I mentioned above, I cannot make assumptions without understanding what WinWaitActive() does to ensure the application window has appeared.

 

I understand Autoit is not open source any more, but I'm wondering if any one have insights on how the function work, a high-level understanding would be useful as well.

 

Thanks a lot and I appreciate any help.

 

Fatma

[jdelaney]

It's all in the helpfile...click the links:

winwait
winwaitactive
WinGetState - to get the definitions of window states
timerinit
timerdiff

Additionally:

https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/intro/windowsadvanced.htm

Edited October 18, 2018 by jdelaney

[Fatma]

Quote

Additionally:

https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/intro/windowsadvanced.htm

@jdelaney Thanks much for your reply and for sharing the link.

I looked at the link, based on the 4 Modes, does it mean Autoit capture the display and do some image processing to get the window title, and if it matches the title in WInWait() or WinWaitActive() the function returns?

I thought Autoit might be using some Windows APIs to figure out that the application window has opened.

[Fatma]

Quote

I looked at the link, based on the 4 Modes, does it mean Autoit capture the display and do some image processing to get the window title, and if it matches the title in WInWait() or WinWaitActive() the function returns?

I thought Autoit might be using some Windows APIs to figure out that the application window has opened.

I just googled Windows APIs to retrieve a Windows title and there is a function called GetWindowText(), does WinWaitActive() use the GetWindowText() call to figure out if the application window has appeared on the display?

Sorry, I rarely use Windows so I'm not very familiar with it, I should have googled the API before posting.

[careca]

Im not sure on the exact inner workings of it, but i know it can use more than a simple titlebar text, it can use the class, handle and others or even a combination. It's fast enough, never had delays where a window shows up and the function lags, only if the window opens but has not loaded yet, thus, not ready.