AutoHotkey Homepage AutoHotkey Community
Let's help each other out
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Confused about WinShow vs WinActivate

 
Reply to topic    AutoHotkey Community Forum Index -> Ask for Help
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
maxand



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 99
PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:17 pm    Post subject: Confused about WinShow vs WinActivate Reply with quote
An application with a main window winA generates a small popup window winB each time a particular function Func is activated. The small window is not often needed and I would like it to be hidden unless I am actually using it. But sometimes I need to unhide it. And I also need to close it. So I wrote a set of 3 macros, using hotkeys F1,F2,F3:


Code:
#IfWinActive ;No matter which window is on top
F1:: Perform Func and allow winB to be on top, i.e., visible
  DetectHiddenWindows, On        ;Off by default
  IfWinExist, winB ;If winB window already exists (means Func is already running)
    ;IF winB ALREADY EXISTS AND IS VISIBLE, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO
    ;WASTE TIME BY RUNNING THE NEXT LINE!
    WinShow, winB  ;Unhide window
  Else ;winB window needs to be created
    Gosub, RunFunc ;Includes creating winB 
  DetectHiddenWindows, Off 
Return

              ;----------------

#IfWinActive ;No matter which window is on top
F2:: ;Perform Func but hide winB
  DetectHiddenWindows, On        ;Off by default
  IfWinNotExist, winB ;First create winB, then hide it
    {
    IfWinNotActive, winA
      {
      WinActivate, winA ;Main Window must be active
      WinWaitActive, winA
      }
    Gosub, RunFunc ;Includes creating winB 
    WinWaitActive, winB
    }
  WinHide, winB  ;Hide window
  DetectHiddenWindows, Off
Return

              ;----------------

F3:: Kill winB when finished
  DetectHiddenWindows, On
  IfWinExist, winB
    WinClose, winB
  DetectHiddenWindows, Off 
Return

RunFunc: ;Activate app's Func function which also creates popup winB
  ;some code
Return


The real version of this code works quite well, but I'm always trying to make it as rigorous as possible, hence this problem.

I can't find any simple way in AHK to ascertain whether a window which exists is hidden or not. In this example, I don't need to unhide it if I know it exists and it's on top. All I should need to do is use WinActivate, maybe, instead of WinShow. Can someone explain the difference between them and also suggest a way of determining whether a window is hidden so that I don't have to WinShow it if there's no need.

The only solution I've found here in the forum is
http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/topic3135.html

but it looks too complex and I'm not sure how I'd fit it into my code.

Thanks for any assistance.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Peter



Joined: 30 Dec 2005
Posts: 448
PostPosted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
maxand wrote:
Can someone explain the difference between them...
WinShow: makes a hidden window visible for the user (Likely it gets activated at the same time.). A hidden window isn't accessible in any way by the user.
WinActivate: puts the window at the front, so it gets focus and it's all visible for the user. The user could have done it him/herself by clicking on the taskbar button, Alt-Tab key, or other ways.
maxand wrote:
The only solution I've found here in the forum is ... but it looks too complex and I'm not sure how I'd fit it into my code.
You have to make yourself familiar with Functions. E.g.
Code:
if WinExist("winB") and IsWindowVisible("winB")
   msgbox winB exists and is visible

IsWindowVisible(p_WindowTitle)
{
    WinGet, Style, Style, % p_WindowTitle
    Transform, IsVisible, BitAnd, %Style%, 0x10000000 ; 0x10000000 is WS_VISIBLE.
    return IsVisible
}
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
maxand



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 99
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 1:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Peter - very helpful reply!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jl34567



Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 262
PostPosted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Not sure if this is what you're looking for, but Leef_me posted this in another thread yesterday.

Check out the WinGetState line.

By "hidden" I'm not sure if you mean minimized. If that's what you mean, check out the WinGet, WinState line.

You may want to check out the WinMinimize/WinMaximize functions.

Code:

#SingleInstance Force
SetTitleMatchMode, 2

WinName=Untitled - Notepad
;WinName=%A_ScriptName%
return

f1::
; msgbox before test

IfWinExist, %WinName%
{
;   msgbox window %WinName% exists
  WinGet, WinState, MinMax
;   msgbox %WinName%
  if (WinState = -1)
     WinRestore
  else
  {
 ;    WinRestore
     WinMinimize
  }
}
else
   msgbox window %WinName% could not be found

   return
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    AutoHotkey Community Forum Index -> Ask for Help All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group