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how to determine the "current" GUI? (not "active window")

orbs

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in AutoIt GUI Help and Support

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orbs Universalist

orbs

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"current" GUI is the GUI last created by GUICreate(), or switched to by GUISwitch().

my script uses several GUI's, and using GUISwitch() often (mostly for updating controls in a GUI pending user input in another). i have a function that needs to determine the "current" GUI among those i created or switched to. currently i'm storing the "current" GUI handle in a global var, and since i must be very strict about updating this on every GUICreate/Switch, this is cumbersome. i believe an easier and more reliable way exists.

i found >this 8-years-old thread asking the same question, left unanswered unless the "current" GUI is also the "active window", which is not my case:

thanks for any hints.

 

Signature - my forum contributions:

Spoiler

UDF:

LFN - support for long file names (over 260 characters)

InputImpose - impose valid characters in an input control

TimeConvert - convert UTC to/from local time and/or reformat the string representation

AMF - accept multiple files from Windows Explorer context menu

DateDuration -  literal description of the difference between given dates

Apps:

Touch - set the "modified" timestamp of a file to current time

Show For Files - tray menu to show/hide files extensions, hidden & system files, and selection checkboxes

SPDiff - Single-Pane Text Diff

 

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Melba23 Universalist

Melba23

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orbs,

I asked much the same question a few years ago and got nowhere. I solved the problem I was having thanks to some clever code from trancexx which meant that I no longer needed to delete a GUI when using the UDF, but other then that I have never seen a solution other than maintaining a Global variable. :(>

M23

Public_Domain.png.2d871819fcb9957cf44f4514551a2935.png Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind

Open spoiler to see my UDFs:

Spoiler

ArrayMultiColSort ---- Sort arrays on multiple columns
ChooseFileFolder ---- Single and multiple selections from specified path treeview listing
Date_Time_Convert -- Easily convert date/time formats, including the language used
ExtMsgBox --------- A highly customisable replacement for MsgBox
GUIExtender -------- Extend and retract multiple sections within a GUI
GUIFrame ---------- Subdivide GUIs into many adjustable frames
GUIListViewEx ------- Insert, delete, move, drag, sort, edit and colour ListView items
GUITreeViewEx ------ Check/clear parent and child checkboxes in a TreeView
Marquee ----------- Scrolling tickertape GUIs
NoFocusLines ------- Remove the dotted focus lines from buttons, sliders, radios and checkboxes
Notify ------------- Small notifications on the edge of the display
Scrollbars ----------Automatically sized scrollbars with a single command
StringSize ---------- Automatically size controls to fit text
Toast -------------- Small GUIs which pop out of the notification area

 

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orbs Universalist

orbs

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thanks Melba23, i'll stick to global var then.

Signature - my forum contributions:

Spoiler

UDF:

LFN - support for long file names (over 260 characters)

InputImpose - impose valid characters in an input control

TimeConvert - convert UTC to/from local time and/or reformat the string representation

AMF - accept multiple files from Windows Explorer context menu

DateDuration -  literal description of the difference between given dates

Apps:

Touch - set the "modified" timestamp of a file to current time

Show For Files - tray menu to show/hide files extensions, hidden & system files, and selection checkboxes

SPDiff - Single-Pane Text Diff

 

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binhnx Adventurer

binhnx

Posted
Posted (edited)

Oops, I had the same experiment when writing the SSCtrlHoverUDF (v1).

Was wonder a directly solution from AutoIt, but it may never happens. So I use a workaround instead. The ugly is, it use WinAPI call, which I and many others do not feel comfortable.

Func FindCurrentGUI()
  Local $idCtrlDummy = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Dummy", 0, 0, 0, 0)
  Local $hWndCurrent = _WinAPI_GetParent(GUICtrlGetHandle($idCtrlDummy)
  GUICtrlDelete($idCtrlDummy)
  Return $hWndCurrent
EndFunc
Edited by binhnx

99 little bugs in the code

99 little bugs!

Take one down, patch it around

117 little bugs in the code!

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orbs Universalist

orbs

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@binhnx, very nice approach!

i relate to your emotions towards WinAPI, but this specific one is more easily understandable then the most. although it does take us into the realm of Win32 windows relationships (parent/owner/ancestor) which is everything but trivial, nevertheless it seems a decent solution. i will put it to the test. thanks!

Signature - my forum contributions:

Spoiler

UDF:

LFN - support for long file names (over 260 characters)

InputImpose - impose valid characters in an input control

TimeConvert - convert UTC to/from local time and/or reformat the string representation

AMF - accept multiple files from Windows Explorer context menu

DateDuration -  literal description of the difference between given dates

Apps:

Touch - set the "modified" timestamp of a file to current time

Show For Files - tray menu to show/hide files extensions, hidden & system files, and selection checkboxes

SPDiff - Single-Pane Text Diff

 

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guinness Universalist

guinness

Posted
Posted

 

The ugly is, it use WinAPI call, which I and many others do not feel comfortable.

Really? I am surprised to hear this as you will be shocked when you find out the inner workings of AutoIt.

Also I wouldn't say that is the "ugly" problem with that code, it's just hacky creating a dummy control and then deleting, which I and many others do not feel comfortable about.

UDF List:

 
_AdapterConnections() • _AlwaysRun() • _AppMon() • _AppMonEx() • _ArrayFilter/_ArrayReduce • _BinaryBin() • _CheckMsgBox() • _CmdLineRaw() • _ContextMenu() • _ConvertLHWebColor()/_ConvertSHWebColor() • _DesktopDimensions() • _DisplayPassword() • _DotNet_Load()/_DotNet_Unload() • _Fibonacci() • _FileCompare() • _FileCompareContents() • _FileNameByHandle() • _FilePrefix/SRE() • _FindInFile() • _GetBackgroundColor()/_SetBackgroundColor() • _GetConrolID() • _GetCtrlClass() • _GetDirectoryFormat() • _GetDriveMediaType() • _GetFilename()/_GetFilenameExt() • _GetHardwareID() • _GetIP() • _GetIP_Country() • _GetOSLanguage() • _GetSavedSource() • _GetStringSize() • _GetSystemPaths() • _GetURLImage() • _GIFImage() • _GoogleWeather() • _GUICtrlCreateGroup() • _GUICtrlListBox_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveCSV() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveHTML() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveTxt() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveXML() • _GUICtrlMenu_Recent() • _GUICtrlMenu_SetItemImage() • _GUICtrlTreeView_CreateArray() • _GUIDisable() • _GUIImageList_SetIconFromHandle() • _GUIRegisterMsg() • _GUISetIcon() • _Icon_Clear()/_Icon_Set() • _IdleTime() • _InetGet() • _InetGetGUI() • _InetGetProgress() • _IPDetails() • _IsFileOlder() • _IsGUID() • _IsHex() • _IsPalindrome() • _IsRegKey() • _IsStringRegExp() • _IsSystemDrive() • _IsUPX() • _IsValidType() • _IsWebColor() • _Language() • _Log() • _MicrosoftInternetConnectivity() • _MSDNDataType() • _PathFull/GetRelative/Split() • _PathSplitEx() • _PrintFromArray() • _ProgressSetMarquee() • _ReDim() • _RockPaperScissors()/_RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock() • _ScrollingCredits • _SelfDelete() • _SelfRename() • _SelfUpdate() • _SendTo() • _ShellAll() • _ShellFile() • _ShellFolder() • _SingletonHWID() • _SingletonPID() • _Startup() • _StringCompact() • _StringIsValid() • _StringRegExpMetaCharacters() • _StringReplaceWholeWord() • _StringStripChars() • _Temperature() • _TrialPeriod() • _UKToUSDate()/_USToUKDate() • _WinAPI_Create_CTL_CODE() • _WinAPI_CreateGUID() • _WMIDateStringToDate()/_DateToWMIDateString() • Au3 script parsing • AutoIt Search • AutoIt3 Portable • AutoIt3WrapperToPragma • AutoItWinGetTitle()/AutoItWinSetTitle() • Coding • DirToHTML5 • FileInstallr • FileReadLastChars() • GeoIP database • GUI - Only Close Button • GUI Examples • GUICtrlDeleteImage() • GUICtrlGetBkColor() • GUICtrlGetStyle() • GUIEvents • GUIGetBkColor() • Int_Parse() & Int_TryParse() • IsISBN() • LockFile() • Mapping CtrlIDs • OOP in AutoIt • ParseHeadersToSciTE() • PasswordValid • PasteBin • Posts Per Day • PreExpand • Protect Globals • Queue() • Resource Update • ResourcesEx • SciTE Jump • Settings INI • SHELLHOOK • Shunting-Yard • Signature Creator • Stack() • Stopwatch() • StringAddLF()/StringStripLF() • StringEOLToCRLF() • VSCROLL • WM_COPYDATA • More Examples...

Updated: 22/04/2018

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orbs Universalist

orbs

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  • Author
Posted (edited)

guinness, you really should not take other people's notions toward the apple of your eye so seriously  :) . you are a programmer. some of us are not.

Really? I am surprised to hear this ...

 

allow me to pinpoint (my viewpoint, anyway, which i think i share with binhnx):

the greatness of AutoIt - one of them, at least - is that it takes all the DllCall,ObjCreate, and such types of advanced programming mechanisms and wraps them in one-liners, easily understood, out-of-the-box usable functions. to the majority of AutoIt coders (which are not programmers, such as yourself), there are no structs and pointers or C-type syntax they need to know or care about; just numbers, strings, arrays. oh joy!

no doubt knowledge of WinAPI is a considerable benefit to the AutoIt coder; but, unlike other programming languages, it is not mandatory, so even mere mortals can produce decent code.

... as you will be shocked when you find out the inner workings of AutoIt.

 

no doubt the inner workings of AutoIt makes extensive use of the mechanisms i mentioned above; but the AutoIt coder needs not be aware of this. that's why it's called "inner workings".

it's just hacky creating a dummy control and then deleting

 

true, but i see no better solution lying around. care to pick up the gauntlet?

Edited by orbs

Signature - my forum contributions:

Spoiler

UDF:

LFN - support for long file names (over 260 characters)

InputImpose - impose valid characters in an input control

TimeConvert - convert UTC to/from local time and/or reformat the string representation

AMF - accept multiple files from Windows Explorer context menu

DateDuration -  literal description of the difference between given dates

Apps:

Touch - set the "modified" timestamp of a file to current time

Show For Files - tray menu to show/hide files extensions, hidden & system files, and selection checkboxes

SPDiff - Single-Pane Text Diff

 

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guinness Universalist

guinness

Posted
Posted (edited)

Not this again. I thought you would have learnt from the last time not to speak for others when you yourself have limited understanding of the language. I shall not waste my time again, as I feel I am just wasting my breath.

Edited by guinness

UDF List:

 
_AdapterConnections() • _AlwaysRun() • _AppMon() • _AppMonEx() • _ArrayFilter/_ArrayReduce • _BinaryBin() • _CheckMsgBox() • _CmdLineRaw() • _ContextMenu() • _ConvertLHWebColor()/_ConvertSHWebColor() • _DesktopDimensions() • _DisplayPassword() • _DotNet_Load()/_DotNet_Unload() • _Fibonacci() • _FileCompare() • _FileCompareContents() • _FileNameByHandle() • _FilePrefix/SRE() • _FindInFile() • _GetBackgroundColor()/_SetBackgroundColor() • _GetConrolID() • _GetCtrlClass() • _GetDirectoryFormat() • _GetDriveMediaType() • _GetFilename()/_GetFilenameExt() • _GetHardwareID() • _GetIP() • _GetIP_Country() • _GetOSLanguage() • _GetSavedSource() • _GetStringSize() • _GetSystemPaths() • _GetURLImage() • _GIFImage() • _GoogleWeather() • _GUICtrlCreateGroup() • _GUICtrlListBox_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveCSV() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveHTML() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveTxt() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveXML() • _GUICtrlMenu_Recent() • _GUICtrlMenu_SetItemImage() • _GUICtrlTreeView_CreateArray() • _GUIDisable() • _GUIImageList_SetIconFromHandle() • _GUIRegisterMsg() • _GUISetIcon() • _Icon_Clear()/_Icon_Set() • _IdleTime() • _InetGet() • _InetGetGUI() • _InetGetProgress() • _IPDetails() • _IsFileOlder() • _IsGUID() • _IsHex() • _IsPalindrome() • _IsRegKey() • _IsStringRegExp() • _IsSystemDrive() • _IsUPX() • _IsValidType() • _IsWebColor() • _Language() • _Log() • _MicrosoftInternetConnectivity() • _MSDNDataType() • _PathFull/GetRelative/Split() • _PathSplitEx() • _PrintFromArray() • _ProgressSetMarquee() • _ReDim() • _RockPaperScissors()/_RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock() • _ScrollingCredits • _SelfDelete() • _SelfRename() • _SelfUpdate() • _SendTo() • _ShellAll() • _ShellFile() • _ShellFolder() • _SingletonHWID() • _SingletonPID() • _Startup() • _StringCompact() • _StringIsValid() • _StringRegExpMetaCharacters() • _StringReplaceWholeWord() • _StringStripChars() • _Temperature() • _TrialPeriod() • _UKToUSDate()/_USToUKDate() • _WinAPI_Create_CTL_CODE() • _WinAPI_CreateGUID() • _WMIDateStringToDate()/_DateToWMIDateString() • Au3 script parsing • AutoIt Search • AutoIt3 Portable • AutoIt3WrapperToPragma • AutoItWinGetTitle()/AutoItWinSetTitle() • Coding • DirToHTML5 • FileInstallr • FileReadLastChars() • GeoIP database • GUI - Only Close Button • GUI Examples • GUICtrlDeleteImage() • GUICtrlGetBkColor() • GUICtrlGetStyle() • GUIEvents • GUIGetBkColor() • Int_Parse() & Int_TryParse() • IsISBN() • LockFile() • Mapping CtrlIDs • OOP in AutoIt • ParseHeadersToSciTE() • PasswordValid • PasteBin • Posts Per Day • PreExpand • Protect Globals • Queue() • Resource Update • ResourcesEx • SciTE Jump • Settings INI • SHELLHOOK • Shunting-Yard • Signature Creator • Stack() • Stopwatch() • StringAddLF()/StringStripLF() • StringEOLToCRLF() • VSCROLL • WM_COPYDATA • More Examples...

Updated: 22/04/2018

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orbs Universalist

orbs

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  • Author
Posted

that's one thing we agree about  :) anyway your contribution to this discussion is appreciated

Signature - my forum contributions:

Spoiler

UDF:

LFN - support for long file names (over 260 characters)

InputImpose - impose valid characters in an input control

TimeConvert - convert UTC to/from local time and/or reformat the string representation

AMF - accept multiple files from Windows Explorer context menu

DateDuration -  literal description of the difference between given dates

Apps:

Touch - set the "modified" timestamp of a file to current time

Show For Files - tray menu to show/hide files extensions, hidden & system files, and selection checkboxes

SPDiff - Single-Pane Text Diff

 

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binhnx Adventurer

binhnx

Posted
Posted (edited)

Arr, guinness, why...so...serious?

When I using a language, I always want to strict with it as much as possible. So I'm not shocked when an C/C++ apps using many WinAPI call :)

And, you are developer. if you have access to AutoIt source code, why not add a not-hacky-solution for all of us :)

PS : Yep, agree. The most ugly part should be the create and delete :) Actually, I find every hacky workaround ugly :) A straighforward solution is what everyone want to archive :)

Edited by binhnx

99 little bugs in the code

99 little bugs!

Take one down, patch it around

117 little bugs in the code!

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guinness Universalist

guinness

Posted
Posted

Jon develops AutoIt, I just look after the help file, UDFs and build scripts.

UDF List:

 
_AdapterConnections() • _AlwaysRun() • _AppMon() • _AppMonEx() • _ArrayFilter/_ArrayReduce • _BinaryBin() • _CheckMsgBox() • _CmdLineRaw() • _ContextMenu() • _ConvertLHWebColor()/_ConvertSHWebColor() • _DesktopDimensions() • _DisplayPassword() • _DotNet_Load()/_DotNet_Unload() • _Fibonacci() • _FileCompare() • _FileCompareContents() • _FileNameByHandle() • _FilePrefix/SRE() • _FindInFile() • _GetBackgroundColor()/_SetBackgroundColor() • _GetConrolID() • _GetCtrlClass() • _GetDirectoryFormat() • _GetDriveMediaType() • _GetFilename()/_GetFilenameExt() • _GetHardwareID() • _GetIP() • _GetIP_Country() • _GetOSLanguage() • _GetSavedSource() • _GetStringSize() • _GetSystemPaths() • _GetURLImage() • _GIFImage() • _GoogleWeather() • _GUICtrlCreateGroup() • _GUICtrlListBox_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveCSV() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveHTML() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveTxt() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveXML() • _GUICtrlMenu_Recent() • _GUICtrlMenu_SetItemImage() • _GUICtrlTreeView_CreateArray() • _GUIDisable() • _GUIImageList_SetIconFromHandle() • _GUIRegisterMsg() • _GUISetIcon() • _Icon_Clear()/_Icon_Set() • _IdleTime() • _InetGet() • _InetGetGUI() • _InetGetProgress() • _IPDetails() • _IsFileOlder() • _IsGUID() • _IsHex() • _IsPalindrome() • _IsRegKey() • _IsStringRegExp() • _IsSystemDrive() • _IsUPX() • _IsValidType() • _IsWebColor() • _Language() • _Log() • _MicrosoftInternetConnectivity() • _MSDNDataType() • _PathFull/GetRelative/Split() • _PathSplitEx() • _PrintFromArray() • _ProgressSetMarquee() • _ReDim() • _RockPaperScissors()/_RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock() • _ScrollingCredits • _SelfDelete() • _SelfRename() • _SelfUpdate() • _SendTo() • _ShellAll() • _ShellFile() • _ShellFolder() • _SingletonHWID() • _SingletonPID() • _Startup() • _StringCompact() • _StringIsValid() • _StringRegExpMetaCharacters() • _StringReplaceWholeWord() • _StringStripChars() • _Temperature() • _TrialPeriod() • _UKToUSDate()/_USToUKDate() • _WinAPI_Create_CTL_CODE() • _WinAPI_CreateGUID() • _WMIDateStringToDate()/_DateToWMIDateString() • Au3 script parsing • AutoIt Search • AutoIt3 Portable • AutoIt3WrapperToPragma • AutoItWinGetTitle()/AutoItWinSetTitle() • Coding • DirToHTML5 • FileInstallr • FileReadLastChars() • GeoIP database • GUI - Only Close Button • GUI Examples • GUICtrlDeleteImage() • GUICtrlGetBkColor() • GUICtrlGetStyle() • GUIEvents • GUIGetBkColor() • Int_Parse() & Int_TryParse() • IsISBN() • LockFile() • Mapping CtrlIDs • OOP in AutoIt • ParseHeadersToSciTE() • PasswordValid • PasteBin • Posts Per Day • PreExpand • Protect Globals • Queue() • Resource Update • ResourcesEx • SciTE Jump • Settings INI • SHELLHOOK • Shunting-Yard • Signature Creator • Stack() • Stopwatch() • StringAddLF()/StringStripLF() • StringEOLToCRLF() • VSCROLL • WM_COPYDATA • More Examples...

Updated: 22/04/2018

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LarsJ Universalist

LarsJ

Posted
Posted

Another way to circumvent such a problem (in first post) is to override GUICreate and GUISwitch with two new functions GUICreateEx and GUISwitchEx with exactly the same parameters as the original functions.

GUICreateEx can be coded like this:

Func GUICreateEx( ... )
  Local $hWnd = GUICreate( ... )
  ; In case of an error you can set and return proper error codes
  $hCurrentWindow = $hWnd ; Global
  Return $hWnd
EndFunc

Same for GUISwitchEx. Then replace all "GUICreate(" and "GUISwitch(" with "GUICreateEx(" and "GUISwitchEx(".

If you don't want to use the global $hCurrentWindow, you can use a static variable in a function:

Func SetCurrentWindow( $hWnd, $fGet = False )
  Local Static $hCurrentWindow = 0
  If $fGet Then Return $hCurrentWindow
  $hCurrentWindow = $hWnd
EndFunc

Func GetCurrentWindow()
  Return SetCurrentWindow( 0, True )
EndFunc

Then replace $hCurrentWindow = $hWnd above with SetCurrentWindow( $hWnd ) and you have no global.

Now just remember to use the new functions. But that's easy to correct with a search/replace if you forget it.

These functions (especially if you avoid the global) can be placed in a small UDF as you can include in your project if you need it.

Controls,  File Explorer,  ROT objects,  UI Automation,  Windows Message Monitor
Compiled code: Accessing AutoIt variables,  DotNet.au3 UDF,  Using C# and VB code
Shell menus: The Context menu,  The Favorites menu.  Shell related: Control Panel,  System Image Lists
Graphics related: Rubik's Cube,  OpenGL without external libraries,  Navigating in an image,  Non-rectangular selections
ListView controls: Colors and fonts,  Multi-line header,  Multi-line items,  Checkboxes and icons,  Incremental search
ListView controls: Virtual ListViews,  Editing cells,  Data display functions

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orbs Universalist

orbs

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  • Author
Posted

thanks LarsJ, that is practically how it is being handled now (except for the use of static var wrapped in a function).

but the problem is mainly with GUIDelete().

both GUICreate() & GUISwitch() result in a known GUI handle, which i can store in a global var. but the result of GUIDelete() lies in the hands of the AutoIt engine. my script needs to know which is the "current" GUI after GUIDelete(). doing that means storing not only the "current" GUI in a single var, but also the entire lineage of all GUI's, and hoping GUIDelete() is consistent in switching to the nearest ancestor.

this is where binhnx's code shows its worth. i have not yet thoroughly tested it, but i'm getting there...  :)

Signature - my forum contributions:

Spoiler

UDF:

LFN - support for long file names (over 260 characters)

InputImpose - impose valid characters in an input control

TimeConvert - convert UTC to/from local time and/or reformat the string representation

AMF - accept multiple files from Windows Explorer context menu

DateDuration -  literal description of the difference between given dates

Apps:

Touch - set the "modified" timestamp of a file to current time

Show For Files - tray menu to show/hide files extensions, hidden & system files, and selection checkboxes

SPDiff - Single-Pane Text Diff

 

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ResNullius Universalist

ResNullius

Posted
Posted

Along the lines of binhnx's solution, but doesn't require creating a dummy control.

Does require that at least one control be present on the Gui though...

Func _FindCurrentGUI()
    ;requires at least one control currently exists on the Gui before this function is called
    Local $hCurrGui = _WinAPI_GetParent(GUICtrlGetHandle(-1))
    Return $hCurrGui
EndFunc ;==>_FindCurrentGUI
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binhnx Adventurer

binhnx

Posted
Posted

@ResNullius: 

It has problem with any non-Win32-control, i.e. dummy, graphic, listview item, treeview item

It also has problem with controls have no parent, like menu or context menu  :ermm:

99 little bugs in the code

99 little bugs!

Take one down, patch it around

117 little bugs in the code!

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