How To Detect If Windows Explorer Window Is Currently Active Window

[dwaynek]

Since Windows Explorer dynamically changes it's title depending on which folder it's in, i can't use the regular WinActive() function to detect it. is there another way?

[Valuater]

maybe

; get Active Window  (Title)(Text)
; Author - SmOke_N & Valuater

Sleep(5000); set active window for testing

$MyText = WinGetText(FindActiveWindow())
$MyTitle = WinGetTitle(FindActiveWindow())
MsgBox(0, $MyTitle, $MyText)

Func FindActiveWindow()
    Local $HidOpt = Opt("WinDetectHiddenText", 1);0=don't detect, 1=do detect
    Local $w_WinList = WinList()
    For $i = 1 to $w_WinList[0][0]
      If $w_WinList[$i][0] <> "" AND BitAnd(WinGetState($w_WinList[$i][1]), 2) _
          And BitAnd(WinGetState($w_WinList[$i][1]), 8) Then Return $w_WinList[$i][0]
      Next
    Opt("WinDetectHiddenText", $HidOpt)
EndFunc


; and.................

$iPID = WinGetProcess ( $MyTitle, $MyText)

#include <Process.au3>
$name = _ProcessGetName ( $iPID )

MsgBox(0, $MyTitle, $name)

8)

[herewasplato]

Since Windows Explorer dynamically changes it's title depending on which folder it's in, i can't use the regular WinActive() function to detect it. is there another way?

Here is the short answer:

AutoItSetOption("WinTitleMatchMode", 4)

While 1
    If WinActive("classname=ExploreWClass") _
        Or WinActive("classname=CabinetWClass") Then
        ToolTip("Explorer Window is Active")
    Else
        ToolTip("")
    EndIf
    Sleep(88)
WEnd

Here is the (very) long answer:

I wrote that code while Valuater was posting... but I wanted to read the help file on WinTitleMatchMode option 4 and classname. I did not understand what I read, so I did not make the post. Also, I originally used a MsgBox in the code and it made things a bit messy attempting to determine when the test window was active... yet another reason not to post any code.

I chased some other rabbits (translation - I had a class to go to). When I got back to this, I used a ToolTip and convinced myself that the code works for the various explorer views that I can bring up using the classic view for XP SP2.

Now dwaynek, if you don't mind - I'm going to hijack your thread and ask my own question of those in the forum. The "AutoIt Window Info" shows various values for ClassNameNN within an explorer window and one value for Class. Can someone explain the difference between those two terms and maybe tell me what section of the help file was supposed to convey that I could use the value labeled "Class" like this "classname=ExploreWClass"? Sorry if the question is unclear - the topic is unclear for me.

Edited April 7, 2006 by herewasplato

[DaleHohm]

Depending on your flow, another option would be to get the HWND of the explorer window when you CAN identify it (like when it is created) and then use the HWND with WinActive.

Dale

[SmOke_N]

If there was a search done: "Windows Explorer" you would have found this: http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.ph...ndpost&p=164448

I took the same approach as plato did... but at that time did not know about CabinetWClass.

@plato... I would assume that one is the "Windows Class" and the other is the "Control Class", of course I'd love to see the real answer myself

[herewasplato]

If there was a search done: "Windows Explorer" you would have found this: http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.ph...ndpost&p=164448

I took the same approach as plato did... but at that time did not know about CabinetWClass.

@plato... I would assume that one is the "Windows Class" and the other is the "Control Class", of course I'd love to see the real answer myself

Funny, I found that post while composing my post. (I searched for CabinetWClass.) I referenced it (in a very wordy paragraph) in my reply but took it out to make that post shorter. I had wondered if others had found other values for "Class" using other views of explorer:

CabinetWClass = right click on "my computer" and select open

ExploreWClass = right click on "my computer" and select explore

Make a folder on the desktop.

Double click = CabinetWClass

Make the folders show like a classic two pane view and it is still a CabinetWClass

(So, whatever class you were born to......)

I know that it should not be much of a leap to go from the label "Class:" under the section named:

>>>>>>>>>>>> Window Details <<<<<<<<<<<<<

to the instructions in the help file under Window Titles and Text (Advanced):

Mode 4

Advanced mode.

In this mode special sequences are used in the title parameter so that window classnames and handles can be used. The text parameter remains the same.

The special sequences must contain no whitespace. They are:

"classname=CLASSNAME"

"active"

.....

but sadly, I never made that leap (small step) until today... even worse, I've looked at this more than once. Oh well, enough with the confessions of stupidity (for today).

On the one hand, I can only hope that this discussion helps someone else...

On the other hand, I hope that no one else is that dense...

On the third hand (okay, I cannot tie that to "Click and Clack's" - "On the third half of our show...")

[rakeshranjan1985]

thanks Valuater for the code you posted. it works muttley

[rakeshranjan1985]

thanks Valuater for the code you posted. it works until the point where you retrieve the PID.

Many times, text retrieved is not readable because of which $MyText is garbled and WinGetProcess returns -1.

Any advice for this problem???

[rakeshranjan1985]

Or else we can use WinGetTitle("[active]") and WinGetText("[active]") to get the title and text of the currently active window....

[rakeshranjan1985]

Or else we can use WinGetTitle("[active]") and WinGetText("[active]") to get the title and text of the currently active window....