Send input to inactive window?

[Stooney]

Say I have Window1 and Window2 and Window1 is active. Is it possible to send keyboard input to Window2 without losing focus on Window1? Basically Window1 must stay active the entire time.

[Community On Patrol]

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[Andreik]

Say I have Window1 and Window2 and Window1 is active. Is it possible to send keyboard input to Window2 without losing focus on Window1? Basically Window1 must stay active the entire time.

I do not think you can do this directly but you can do that:

AutoItSetOption("WinTitleMatchMode",2)
$GUI = GUICreate("GUI",100,100)
$BUTTON = GUICtrlCreateButton("SEND",20,20,60,60)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW,$GUI)

While 1
    $MSG = GUIGetMsg()
    If $MSG = $BUTTON Then
        Run("notepad")
        WinWait("Notepad")
        WinSetState("Notepad","",@SW_MAXIMIZE)
        WinActivate("GUI")
        TrayTip("Look in Notepad","I write text without lose focus",1)
        Sleep(3000)
        ControlSend("Notepad","","[CLASS:Edit;INSTANCE:1]","Text")
    ElseIf $MSG = -3 Then
        Exit
    EndIf
    Sleep(15)
WEnd

Edited September 13, 2008 by Andreik

[Stooney]

Thanks for your response Adreik. How does ControlSend work exactly? The example you gave me does everything but send "Text" to the notepad document. It opens notepad, maxmizes it, activates the gui window then stops. No text makes it to notepad.

[SmOke_N]

Thanks for your response Adreik. How does ControlSend work exactly? The example you gave me does everything but send "Text" to the notepad document. It opens notepad, maxmizes it, activates the gui window then stops. No text makes it to notepad.

That's because the title to notepad is incorrect.

[Andreik]

Thanks for your response Adreik. How does ControlSend work exactly? The example you gave me does everything but send "Text" to the notepad document. It opens notepad, maxmizes it, activates the gui window then stops. No text makes it to notepad.

ControlSend() sends a string of characters to a control in this case send "text" to Edit1 from Notepad.

You need to stay 3 sec and then text is send to Edit1 (Spleep(3000)).

That's because the title to notepad is incorrect.

What is wrong in title?

The script work fine for me.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Andreik

[SmOke_N]

ControlSend() sends a string of characters to a control in this case send "text" to Edit1 from Notepad.

You need to stay 3 sec and then text is send to Edit1 (Spleep(3000)).

What is wrong in title?

My notepad titles are "Untitled - Notepad", you'd be better off using "[CLASS:Notepad]"

[Stooney]

When notepad is open the title is 'Untitled - Notepad'. I've tried that and 'Notepad' to no avail. Am I missing something?

(I'm a php coder, autoit syntax looks like greek to me)

[Andreik]

When notepad is open the title is 'Untitled - Notepad'. I've tried that and 'Notepad' to no avail. Am I missing something?

(I'm a php coder, autoit syntax looks like greek to me)

I use option "WinTitleMatchMode" to match any substring in the title.

[Stooney]

Would vista cause this type of problem? That's what I'm using.

[Andreik]

Remove from script, this line:

Sleep(3000)

[Stooney]

Just tested on an XP machine and it works fine. Any idea what tweaks are needed to make it work on Vista Ultimate 64-bit?

[Andreik]

Just tested on an XP machine and it works fine. Any idea what tweaks are needed to make it work on Vista Ultimate 64-bit?

Change ControlSend function with ControlSetText, maybe will work on Vista.

[SmOke_N]

Just tested on an XP machine and it works fine. Any idea what tweaks are needed to make it work on Vista Ultimate 64-bit?

Use the AutoInfo tool to get the vista control id/classnamenn and the class of the parent notepad window.

[Stooney]

Class: Notepad

Control ID: 15

Classnamenn: edit1

[SmOke_N]

Class: Notepad

Control ID: 15

Classnamenn: edit1

I can't fire up my Vista box at the moment ... it is a curious issue though.

I know that vista has a thumbnail gui as well that I "believe" has the same info as the regular gui windows. I thought that Jon fixed that a long time ago, but now you have me curious if it is sending to that thumbnail GUI.

[Stooney]

Anything I can do to help in the meantime? There is no rush on this as it's just a side project.

[SmOke_N]

Anything I can do to help in the meantime? There is no rush on this as it's just a side project.

Instead of Edit1, try sending to the handle of the control. In autoinfo you can see Handle down under the control info. And instead of using class anything or titles, use the Handle for the Notepad as well (also found with autoinfo above the control info).

Example:

Global $h_wnd = HWND(0x4099300)
Global $h_edit = HWND(0x39C003)
ControlSend($h_wnd, "", $h_edit, "Some Text")

Let us know if that sends the data. (HWND() Is necessary)

[Stooney]

I don't see any handles, here's what I get:

Press CTRL-ALT-F to pause the display.

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

Title: Untitled - Notepad

Class: Notepad

Size: X: -4 Y: 24 W: 1065 H: 662

>>>>>>>>>>> Mouse Details <<<<<<<<<<<

Screen: X: 673 Y: 518

Cursor ID: 5

>>>>>>>>>>> Pixel Color Under Mouse <<<<<<<<<<<

RGB: Hex: 0xC0C0C0 Dec: 12632256

>>>>>>>>>>> Control Under Mouse <<<<<<<<<<<

Size: X: 0 Y: 0 W: 1057 H: 616

Control ID: 15

ClassNameNN: Edit1

Text:

>>>>>>>>>>> Status Bar Text <<<<<<<<<<<

(1):

(2): Ln 1, Col 1

>>>>>>>>>>> Visible Window Text <<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>> Hidden Window Text <<<<<<<<<<<

[Stooney]

Ok, I just installed the latest autoit (lol) and now I see handles. Which is which though?