Q121242: HOWTO: Produce a List of Other Applications Running in Windows

Article: Q121242
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:2.5x,2.6,2.6a,3.0,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbcode kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600
Last Modified: 21-OCT-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5x, 2.6, 2.6a 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article demonstrates an approach that you can use to produce a list of all
applications that are running under Microsoft Windows.

MORE INFORMATION
================

It is sometimes necessary for a FoxPro application to determine whether another
application is running. The following article explains how to use the
FindWindow() function to determine whether a particular application is running:

  Q110117 How to Pause Program Execution During a RUN Command

In order to use the FindWindow() function, you need to know the complete text of
the window title. In some cases, the complete text of the window title cannot be
known. When a document is opened in Microsoft Word, for example, the title of
the Microsoft Word window will contain the text "Microsoft Word - " followed by
the name of the document that is being edited. Since it is not possible for a
FoxPro application to know the full text of the window title in cases like this,
the FindWindow() function cannot be used to determine whether the application is
running.

To work around this situation, this article provides a code sample that uses the
Windows API GetWindowText() function to produce a list of all visible windows
currently running in Microsoft Windows, with the exception of Microsoft FoxPro.

The IsWindEx() function can be used in two ways. This function can be used to
determine whether there is a visible window that contains the specified string
of text. This function can also be used to produce a list of all visible windows
currently in existence.

To determine whether there is a visible window that contains a specified string
of text, call the function with the text that you are interested in checking.
For example, to determine whether there are any windows that contain the text
"Microsoft Word", call the function as follows:

     ? IsWindEx("Microsoft Word")

To produce a list of all visible windows currently in existence, call the
function with a null value, as follows:

     =IsWindEx("")

Code Sample
-----------

  FUNCTION IsWindEx
  PARAMETERS WindowName

       IsWindEx = .F.

       SET LIBRARY TO foxtools.fll

       * Register the Windows API functions that will be called

       mGetWinTxt = RegFn("GetWindowText", "I@CI", "I")
       mGetWindow = RegFn("GetWindow", "II", "I")
       mIsWinVis =  RegFn("IsWindowVisible", "I", "I")

       * Get the HWND (handle) to the main FoxPro window

       foxhwnd = MAINHWND()

       * Produce a list of all windows

          hwndNext = CallFn(mGetWindow,foxhwnd,0)

       DO WHILE hwndNext <> 0

            IF (hwndnext <> foxhwnd) .AND. ;
                 CallFn(mGetWindow,hwndnext,4) = 0 .AND. ;
                 CallFn(mIsWinVis,hwndnext) <> 0

                 Stuffer = SPACE(64)
                 x = CallFn(mGetWinTxt,hwndnext,@Stuffer,64)

                 * If a window name was specified, check to
                 * see if this is the specified window. If a
                 * window name was not specified, display the
                 * name of the window.

                 IF LEN(TRIM(WindowName)) = 0

                      ? Stuffer

                 ELSE

                      IF WindowName $ Stuffer

                           IsWindEx = .T.
                           EXIT

                      ENDIF

                 ENDIF

            ENDIF

           hwndNext = CallFn(mGetWindow,hwndnext,2)

          ENDDO

       SET LIBRARY TO

       IF LEN(TRIM(WindowName)) = 0

            IsWindEx = .T.

       ENDIF

  RETURN IsWindEx

For more information about the functions called in this code sample, please refer
to the documentation for the Windows 3.1 Software Development Kit or the
Microsoft Developer's Network (MSDN) Development Library CD-ROM.

For more information about the algorithm used in this article, please refer to
the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q80124 Retrieving the Names of Simultaneous Tasks Under Windows


REFERENCES
==========

MSDN Development Library CD Microsoft Windows 3.1 SDK documentation Microsoft
Visual C/C++ documentation Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q80124

Additional query words: VFoxWin FoxWin 2.50 2.50a 2.50b task open list manager emulate taskmanager

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Keywords          : kbcode kbvfp300 kbvfp500 kbvfp600 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbFoxproSearch kbFoxPro260 kbFoxPro260a kbVFP300 kbVFP500 kbVFP600
Version           : WINDOWS:2.5x,2.6,2.6a,3.0,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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