Moving the mouse with SendMessage / PostMessage

Hi,
I have a few questions:

1. What is the difference between SendMessage and PostMessage?

2. Am I using SendMessage correctly? I want to emulate mouse movement in a certain window while still being able to use the computer.

Code:

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#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    POINT btn;
    HWND mWindow;
    cout<<"Set Mouse Over button and press ENTER";
    cin.get();
    GetCursorPos(&btn);
    cout<<"\nAfter Pressing ENTER, you have 5 seconds to set focus to the correct window.";
    cin.get();
    Sleep(5000);
    mWindow = GetFocus();

  SendMessage(mWindow,WM_MOUSEMOVE,0,MAKELPARAM(btn.x,btn.y));
  SendMessage(mWindow,WM_LBUTTONDOWN,0,MAKELPARAM(btn.x,btn.y));
  SendMessage(mWindow,WM_LBUTTONUP,0,MAKELPARAM(btn.x,btn.y));
  return 0;
}

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Please DO NOT suggest SendInput / mouse_event. They do not do what I am looking for. (AKA they hijack the mouse)

Thanks!

Quote:

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The SendMessage function sends the specified message to a window or windows. It calls the window procedure for the specified window and does not return until the window procedure has processed the message.

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Quote:

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The PostMessage function places (posts) a message in the message queue associated with the thread that created the specified window and returns without waiting for the thread to process the message.

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Does it work? It looks like your calls to SendMessage are correct, and it looks like it would work, but looks can be deceiving.

No, it doesn't. For example, I tested it with notepad. I shrunk the notepad window so I just saw the Toolbar, put the console window on the other side of my screen. I set my mouse over the (X) on the notepad window and pressed enter. I pressed enter again and Clicked on the notepad window to set focus to it. Waited 5 seconds and my program just exited. It did not click the button.

1. PostMessage() does not wait for the message to be processed.

2. The messages WM_MOUSEMOVE, WM_LBUTTONDOWN, WM_LBUTTONUP take coordinates in client area of the window. Therefore, I don't think it is possible to hit the (X) with them. (Since the (X) is not within the client area of the window.) Try the corresponding WM_NC* messages. (ie, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN)

Why not just send a WM_CLOSE?

Edit : Just a note, the WM_NC* messages take slightly different parameters... be sure to look the messages up first.

Just tried it again with a button inside of my web browser. I don't know what is wrong. Everything builds w/o error. :confused:

Another question:
Does the cursor just have to be inside the client area of the application inorder for GetCapture to retrieve the window handle? Or does it have to have focus?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by comwiz

Please DO NOT suggest SendInput / mouse_event. They do not do what I am looking for. (AKA they hijack the mouse)

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They "hijack" your mouse for a microsecond, yes...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by maxorator

They "hijack" your mouse for a microsecond, yes...

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It's not so much the mouse hijacking, I want to be able to still use my computer while still sending mouse info the the desired window.

What about mouse_event?