forcing a window to be on top and active

[Overkill]

I've got a parent window ($MainGUI) and a child window ($AddItemGUI). Is there a way, besides using

If WinActive($AddItemGUI)=0 Then WinActivate($AddItemGUI)

to force the child window to be topmost *AND* always active (IE: force a user to close the GUI if they want to continue)?

Also, is there a way I can make the parent window inaccessible (but still visible) while the child window exists? Sometimes when I'm using a program, if I try to click the parent window of a child, the child window's title bar flashes and Windows makes an error sound, and the child window is still active. That's pretty much what I'm trying to achieve. There seems to be something at the OS-level that allows for this parameter to be set, but I don't see anything in Autoit that would accomplish it.

Thanks,

Overkill

[Valuater]

Hide the main window?

8)

[TheOrignl]

  Overkill said:

I've got a parent window ($MainGUI) and a child window ($AddItemGUI). Is there a way, besides using

If WinActive($AddItemGUI)=0 Then WinActivate($AddItemGUI)

to force the child window to be topmost *AND* always active (IE: force a user to close the GUI if they want to continue)?

Also, is there a way I can make the parent window inaccessible (but still visible) while the child window exists? Sometimes when I'm using a program, if I try to click the parent window of a child, the child window's title bar flashes and Windows makes an error sound, and the child window is still active. That's pretty much what I'm trying to achieve. There seems to be something at the OS-level that allows for this parameter to be set, but I don't see anything in Autoit that would accomplish it.

Thanks,

Overkill

Check out GUICreate's parent parameter in the Autoit help file.

[GEOSoft]

  Quote

Also, is there a way I can make the parent window inaccessible (but still visible) while the child window exists?

GUISetState(@SW_DISABLE, $Parent)

You could also take a look at @SW_LOCK

[charvi]

If you would like to create a child window without the ability to activate the parent window by clicking accidentally on it, or by switching with Alt+Tab, you must attach the child to the parent. That's the last parameter in the GUICreate() function.

$AddItemGUI = GUICreate("Add Item",800,600,-1,-1, 0, $WS_EX_TOPMOST, $MainGUI) ; the last option ,$MainGUI is here to make it a real child.

Hope this helps

Edited December 7, 2008 by charvi

[Overkill]

  Quote

GUISetState(@SW_DISABLE, $Parent)

You could also take a look at @SW_LOCK

Will play with this in a bit...

Here's how I'm calling the functions at the moment:

$MainGUI = GUICreate("Startup List",400,650)
...
$AddItemGUI = GUICreate("Add Startup Item",380,200,Default,Default,$GUIOpts,$GUIOptsEx,$MainGUI)

The $GUIOpts and $GUIOptsEx are defined [appropriately] earlier.

The problem isn't putting and keeping the window on top - it's that I can't figure out for the life of me how to lockdown the app to force focus onto the child.

The goal of this app is to launch startup items, defined by the user, after windows has loaded; minimizing startup/login times. I've found it much easier to let Windows load and then run a batch file with my favorite applications in it...this will, ideally, provide the same benefit while increasing the functionality and ease of use =)

[Overkill]

Ok - @SW_DISABLE did the trick. I probably should have dug that up, but meh...that's what you guys are for (jk).

Still looking for an alternative to the If-Then though.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Overkill

[rasim]

Overkill

This?

#include <GuiConstantsEx.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>

$hGUI = GUICreate("Main GUI", 300, 200)
GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $hGUI)

$hGUI_Child = GUICreate("Child GUI", 200, 100, -1, -1, -1, $WS_EX_TOPMOST, $hGUI)

GUIRegisterMsg($WM_ACTIVATE, "WM_ACTIVATE")

GUISetState(@SW_SHOW, $hGUI_Child)

GUISetState(@SW_DISABLE, $hGUI)

Do
Until GUIGetMsg() = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE

Func WM_ACTIVATE($hWnd, $Msg, $wParam, $lParam)
    Local $wActive = BitAND($wParam, 0x0000FFFF)
    
    Switch $hWnd
        Case $hGUI_Child
            If Not $wActive Then
                WinActivate($hGUI)
                WinActivate($hGUI_Child)
            EndIf
    EndSwitch
    
    Return $GUI_RUNDEFMSG
EndFunc

[oMBRa]

what ''0x0000FFFF'' stand for?

[rasim]

oMBra

  Quote

what ''0x0000FFFF'' stand for?

Zeroizes the left part, that is to say first 2 bytes. It's need to obtain the loWORD from the $wParam.