Develop Reference

Does windows api messages still exists?

Long long time ago (in a galaxy far away), I used to program some fun tools to assist me (as having a disability) or just support my lazyness :)
Tools that do things like "wait 30 seconds and then press play on my media player" or "save a list of all song names from winamp that streaming a live m3u based radio". it was almost 20 years ago, using C# and window messages api (not wanting to relay on mouse clicks and strict window size&position). I would've found the window's handle and the "control" handle and interact with it.
The question is: Can I still do it today in the age of Windows 10?
If so, how?
I would appreciate a starting point.
Let's say I want to press play on my bs.player after x seconds, or close an error message that comes up every 10 seconds (well, its not cause' my windows is healthy ..but theoretically).
Thank you :)

Yes you can, if you talk about Windows API.
You need to declare the external WinAPI's signatures as static extern using the DllImport attribute.
For example to know if the screen saver is active or if an app runs in full screen:
private const int WM_SYSCOMMAND = 0x0112;
private const int SC_SCREENSAVE = 0xF140;
private const int SPI_GETSCREENSAVERRUNNING = 0x0072;
[DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
static extern bool SystemParametersInfo(int action, int param, ref int retval, int updini);
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
private struct RECT
{
public int left;
public int top;
public int right;
public int bottom;
}
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static private extern bool GetWindowRect(HandleRef hWnd, [In, Out] ref RECT rect);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static private extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow();
static private bool IsForegroundFullScreen()
{
return IsForegroundFullScreen(null);
}
static private bool IsForegroundFullScreen(Screen screen)
{
if ( screen == null ) screen = Screen.PrimaryScreen;
RECT rect = new RECT();
GetWindowRect(new HandleRef(null, GetForegroundWindow()), ref rect);
return new Rectangle(rect.left, rect.top, rect.right - rect.left, rect.bottom - rect.top)
.Contains(screen.Bounds);
}
private bool IsScreensaverActive()
{
int active = 1;
SystemParametersInfo(SPI_GETSCREENSAVERRUNNING, 0, ref active, 0);
return active != 0;
}
private bool IsForegroundFullScreenOrScreensaver()
{
return IsForegroundFullScreen() || IsScreensaverActive();
}
Calling Win32 DLLs in C#
c# dllimport with pointers

Can you get the position of a window that is inside of another application

So I found an example from an answer provided here
There was an answer that gave this example of code to move the Notepad window to the top left corner of the screen. I tried it and it worked fine. I then tried it on a small project I am working on and I couldn't move it.
NOTE: I did change the "Notepad" to the name at the top of the window I wanted to move.
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices; // For the P/Invoke signatures.
public static class PositionWindowDemo
{
// P/Invoke declarations.
[DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName);
[DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X, int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
const uint SWP_NOSIZE = 0x0001;
const uint SWP_NOZORDER = 0x0004;
public static void Main()
{
// Find (the first-in-Z-order) Notepad window.
IntPtr hWnd = FindWindow("Notepad", null);
// If found, position it.
if (hWnd != IntPtr.Zero)
{
// Move the window to (0,0) without changing its size or position
// in the Z order.
SetWindowPos(hWnd, IntPtr.Zero, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOZORDER);
}
}
}
I will give an example. Consider Visual Studios and how it has the Solution Explorer Window or the Output window, and I can drag them with the mouse and move them or undock them. Would there be a way to have an application that has windows inside of it similar to Visual Studios and get the position of them in a program?
I have seen many answers on here about moving a window or finding the active window etc. However I am not sure if I will be able to access this subWindow that is inside of another application.
Thanks

Setting position of a application in windows

I have a programm, which calls an extern application. The application is designed to run with 2 monitors. The first programm on monitor 1 and the second at monitor 2.
Now i have the problem that the extern application has no parameter I can give them to enforce raising on the second monitor.
Is there any possability to force another application to chance his position. Also good would be a possability to enforce changing his window state (always start as maximized).

See this instruction from MSDN.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd162827(v=vs.85).aspx
Functions from WinAPI you'll need are
FindWindow - Find the window handle (HWND)
SetWindowPos - Sets the window position
ShowWindow - Change window state
EnumDisplayMonitors - Get monitor information
See pinvoke.net how to import these functions in C#

API can help you achieve same
so start by declaring
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X, int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool ShowWindowAsync(IntPtr hWnd, int nCmdShow);
const int SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED = 3;
const int SWP_FRAMECHANGED = 0x0020;
to use above simply invoke the target app and send it where you want it to and maximize
Process p = Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo("notepad"));
Thread.Sleep(1000); //depends
IntPtr handle = p.MainWindowHandle;
SetWindowPos(handle, IntPtr.Zero, 200, 200, 500, 600, SWP_FRAMECHANGED);
ShowWindowAsync(handle, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED);
above example is using notepad, you will choose your app here

How can I hide the little keyboard popup in Windows Mobile 6.5? (c#)

I have an app that is essentially a wizard that goes through some dialog boxes. One of the forms has just a button on it that brings up the common "take picture" dialog.
After that picture functionality is dismissed the little keyboard icon shows up (inconveniently covering over one of my wizard buttons).
I tried setting the covered window to the fron by calling:
nextButton.BringToFront();
But that has no effect. I need to disable the little keyboard icon somehow and not sure how to do it.
Note - it is not the soft keyboard - but the image that the user clicks that will bring that up.
Note - there are no text controls on this form - there are only 4 buttons - one that initiates the CameraCaptureDialog, and a few others that control the user going to the "next" and "previous" screens.
EDIT
Given that two people were very confident their code would work, and looking at the references online I figured they might be right I figured I would elaborate on the issue since neither suggestions fix the problem.
The keyboard item seems to be a remnant left over after I select either the cancel or OK button on the menu in the "take picture"/CameraCaptureDialog.
On exiting the Dialog I seem to have the middle/keyboard menu item left over and there is nothing I seem to be able to do about it.
Here is what it looks like in the emulator (happens on emulator as well)
Note - calling all the following have NO effect on the keyboard icon thingy hiding the button:
// nextButton is the Button on the control hidden by the keyboard icon thingy
nextButton.Focus();
nextButton.BringToFront();
nextButton.Invalidate();
nextButton.Refresh();
nextButton.Show();

I was also looking for the solution to hide the small keyboard icon (SIP icon) and I achieved this by using the FindWindowW and MoveWindow or SetWindowPos functions of coredll.dll and user32.dll
Declare the function we are interested in:
[DllImport("coredll.dll", EntryPoint = "FindWindowW", SetLastError = true)]
private static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName);
[DllImport("coredll.dll", SetLastError = true)]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
private static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int x, int y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
Then find the handle to keyboard icon and call the SetWindowPos to hide it:
IntPtr hWnd = FindWindow(Nothing, "MS_SIPBUTTON");
SetWindowPos(hWnd, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, &H80);
Useful links:
P/Invoke - coredll.dll
Disable keyboard icon in Windows Mobile using VB.net
Manage SIP - skip to the bottom on this post and look for
comments of user name Mark
EDIT
I had to modify this slightly to compile.
const int SWP_HIDE = 0x0080;
IntPtr hWnd = FindWindow(null, "MS_SIPBUTTON");
SetWindowPos(hWnd, IntPtr.Zero, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_HIDE);

[DllImport("coredll.dll", EntryPoint = "SipShowIM")]
public static extern bool SipShowIMP(int code);
SipShowIMP(1); //Show the keyboard
SipShowIMP(0); //Hide the keyboard
That should do it :-)

This answer was taken from the following article http://beemobile4.net/support/technical-articles/windows-mobile-programming-tricks-on-net-compact-framework-12 (I have only added the using statements). I'm on Windows Mobile 6.1 Classic, .NET CF 3.5.
using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
[DllImport("coredll.dll", SetLastError = true)]
private static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string caption, string className);
[DllImport("coredll.dll", SetLastError = true)]
private static extern bool ShowWindow(IntPtr hwnd, int state);
[DllImport("coredll.dll")]
private static extern IntPtr GetWindow(IntPtr hWnd, uint uCmd);
private const int SW_HIDE = 0;
private const int SW_SHOW = 1;
private const int GW_CHILD = 5;
///
/// Shows the SIP (Software Input Panel) button.
///
static public void ShowHideSIP(int nShowOrHide)
{
IntPtr hSipWindow = FindWindow("MS_SIPBUTTON", "MS_SIPBUTTON");
if (hSipWindow != IntPtr.Zero)
{
IntPtr hSipButton = GetWindow(hSipWindow, GW_CHILD);
if (hSipButton != IntPtr.Zero)
{
bool res = ShowWindow(hSipButton, nShowOrHide);
}
}
}

Setting a Windows form to be bottommost

Some background
One of my current clients runs a chain of Internet points where customers an access the net through PC:s set up as "kiosks" (a custom-built application "locks" the computer until a user has signed in, and the running account is heavily restricted through the Windows group policy). Currently, each computer is running Windows XP and uses Active Desktop to display advertisements in the background. However, since my client has got problems with Active Desktop crashing on a daily basis (in addition to generally slowing down the computer) I have been asked to develop an application that replaces it.
The problem
I am trying to investigate whether it is possible to build a Windows forms application (using C#) that always stays in the background. The application should lie above the desktop (so that it covers any icons, files etc) but always behind all other running applications. I guess I'm really looking for a BottomMost property of the Form class (which doesn't exist, of course).
Any tips or pointers on how to achieve this would be highly appreciated.

This isn't directly supported by the .NET Form class, so you have two options:
1) Use the Win32 API SetWindowPos function.
pinvoke.net shows how to declare this for use in C#:
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X, int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
static readonly IntPtr HWND_BOTTOM = new IntPtr(1);
const UInt32 SWP_NOSIZE = 0x0001;
const UInt32 SWP_NOMOVE = 0x0002;
const UInt32 SWP_NOACTIVATE = 0x0010;
So in your code, call:
SetWindowPos(Handle, HWND_BOTTOM, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOACTIVATE);
As you commented, this moves the form to the bottom of the z-order but doesn't keep it there. The only workaround I can see for this is to call SetWindowPos from the Form_Load and Form_Activate events. If your application is maximized and the user is unable to move or minimise the form then you might get away with this approach, but it's still something of a hack. Also the user might see a slight "flicker" if the form gets brought to the front of the z-order before the SetWindowPos call gets made.
2) subclass the form, override the WndProc function and intercept the WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING Windows message, setting the SWP_NOZORDER flag (taken from this page).

I think the best way to do so is using the activated event handler and SendToBack method, like so:
private void Form1_Activated(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.SendToBack();
}

Set your window to be a child window of the desktop (the "Program Manager" or "progman" process). I've succeeded with this method in Windows XP (x86) and Windows Vista (x64).
I stumbled on this method while searching for a way to make a screensaver display as if it were wallpaper. It turns out, this is sort of built in to the system's .scr handler. You use screensaver.scr /p PID, where PID is the process id of another program to attach to. So write a program to find progman's handle, then invoke the .scr with that as the /p argument, and you have screensaver wallpaper!
The project I'm playing with now is desktop status display (shows the time, some tasks, mounted disks, etc), and it's built on Strawberry Perl and plain Win32 APIS (mainly the Win32::GUI and Win32::API modules), so the code is easy to port to or understand any dynamic language with similar Win32 API bindings or access to Windows' Scripting Host (eg, ActivePerl, Python, JScript, VBScript). Here's a relevant portion of the class that produces the window:
do { Win32::API->Import(#$_) or die "Win32::API can't import #$_ ($^E)" } for
[user32 => 'HWND FindWindow(LPCTSTR lpClassName, LPCTSTR lpWindowName)'],
[user32 => 'HWND SetParent(HWND hWndChild, HWND hWndNewParent)'],
sub __screen_x {
Win32::GUI::GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSCREEN)
}
sub __screen_y {
Win32::GUI::GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSCREEN)
}
sub _create_window { # create window that covers desktop
my $self = shift;
my $wnd = $$self{_wnd} = Win32::GUI::Window->new(
-width => __screen_x(), -left => 0,
-height => __screen_y(), -top => 0,
) or die "can't create window ($^E)";
$wnd->SetWindowLong(GWL_STYLE,
WS_VISIBLE
| WS_POPUP # popup: no caption or border
);
$wnd->SetWindowLong(GWL_EXSTYLE,
WS_EX_NOACTIVATE # noactivate: doesn't activate when clicked
| WS_EX_NOPARENTNOTIFY # noparentnotify: doesn't notify parent window when created or destroyed
| WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW # toolwindow: hide from taskbar
);
SetParent($$wnd{-handle}, # pin window to desktop (bottommost)
(FindWindow('Progman', 'Program Manager') or die "can't find desktop window ($^E)")
) or die "can't pin to desktop ($^E)";
Win32::GUI::DoEvents; # allow sizing and styling to take effect (otherwise DC bitmaps are the wrong size)
}
This program buffers output to prevent flickering, which you'll probably want to do as well. I create a DC (device context) and PaintDesktop to it (you could use any bitmap with only a couple more lines -- CreateCompatibleBitmap, read in a file, and select the bitmap's handle as a brush), then create a holding buffer to keep a clean copy of that background and a working buffer to assemble the pieces -- on each loop, copy in background, then draw lines and brush bitmaps and use TextOut -- which is then copied to the original DC, at which time it appears on screen.

Yes, function SetWindowPos with flag HWND_BOTTOM should help you. But, from my experience: even after calling SetWindowPos as result of some user operations your window may bring to front.

subclass the form, override the WndProc function and intercept the Windows message(s) that are responsible for moving it up the z-order when it gets activated.

Create a Panel that cover your form, but what ever you want on that Panel, then in the Panel's Click-Event write this.sendback .

I've managed to get rid of the flickering when using setwindowpos...
const UInt32 SWP_NOSIZE = 0x0001;
const UInt32 SWP_NOMOVE = 0x0002;
const UInt32 SWP_NOACTIVATE = 0x0010;
const UInt32 SWP_NOZORDER = 0x0004;
const int WM_ACTIVATEAPP = 0x001C;
const int WM_ACTIVATE = 0x0006;
const int WM_SETFOCUS = 0x0007;
static readonly IntPtr HWND_BOTTOM = new IntPtr(1);
const int WM_WINDOWPOSCHANGING = 0x0046;
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool SetWindowPos(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int X,
int Y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr DeferWindowPos(IntPtr hWinPosInfo, IntPtr hWnd,
IntPtr hWndInsertAfter, int x, int y, int cx, int cy, uint uFlags);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern IntPtr BeginDeferWindowPos(int nNumWindows);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
static extern bool EndDeferWindowPos(IntPtr hWinPosInfo);
private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
IntPtr hWnd = new WindowInteropHelper(this).Handle;
SetWindowPos(hWnd, HWND_BOTTOM, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOACTIVATE);
IntPtr windowHandle = (new WindowInteropHelper(this)).Handle;
HwndSource src = HwndSource.FromHwnd(windowHandle);
src.AddHook(new HwndSourceHook(WndProc));
}
private IntPtr WndProc(IntPtr hWnd, int msg, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam, ref bool handled)
{
if (msg == WM_SETFOCUS)
{
IntPtr hWnd = new WindowInteropHelper(this).Handle;
SetWindowPos(hWnd, HWND_BOTTOM, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOACTIVATE);
handled = true;
}
return IntPtr.Zero;
}
private void Window_Closing(object sender, System.ComponentModel.CancelEventArgs e)
{
IntPtr windowHandle = (new WindowInteropHelper(this)).Handle;
HwndSource src = HwndSource.FromHwnd(windowHandle);
src.RemoveHook(new HwndSourceHook(this.WndProc));
}