SetFocus error

I have just recieved the handle of an Edit box in another application. I want to put some text in there.

Does the control have to have focus before i place text in there?

I looked up MSDN, it gave me the syntax:

Code:

---

SetFocus(handle);

---

when i use this i gives me the error:
[C++Error] my_IP_suite_keygen.cpp(61): Extra parameter in call to _fastcall Forms::TCustomForm::SetFocus().

so i tried:

Code:

---

SetFocus(handle);

---

when i use this i gives me the error:
[C++Error] my_IP_suite_keygen.cpp(61): Pointer to structure required on left side of -> or ->*.

I use Borland C++ Builder 3, win 2000 Pro

Also what function do i use to set the text?

SetWindowText()
PosMessage()

Is one more appropiate that the other?

Thanks.

1. How did you get the edit control's handle?

2. Both of your codes are the same

3. I think you have to use PostMessage() or SendMessage(), because the edit control is in another process. SetWindowText() and GetWindowText() prevent inter-process communication.

i used

Code:

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hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, hBut, "TEdit", NULL);

---

i used spy++ yo check the handle is right

I don't think you need to have the second parameter as hBut, unless you're enumerating the controls.

Quote:

---

I looked up MSDN, it gave me the syntax:

code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SetFocus(handle);
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

when i use this i gives me the error:
[C++Error] my_IP_suite_keygen.cpp(61): Extra parameter in call to _fastcall Forms::TCustomForm::SetFocus().

so i tried:

code:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SetFocus(handle);
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---

What should the second code fragment actually be?

ah isee.

the second bit of code

Code:

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::SetFocus(hBut)

---

i also tried:

Code:

---

hBut->SetFocus()

---

none worked.

to set the text i tried

Code:

---

PostMessage(hBut, WM_SETTEXT, NULL, (LPARAM)(LPCTSTR)"hey");

---

which also didn't work

Post all your code.

What's the target application? It may require certain security privileges.

Code:

---

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include <process.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <vcl.h>
#include <Windows.h>
#pragma hdrstop

#include "my_IP_suite.h"

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

#pragma package(smart_init)
#pragma resource "*.dfm"
TForm1 *Form1;

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

__fastcall TForm1::TForm1(TComponent* Owner)
    : TForm(Owner)
{
    //const char *appPath = "C:\\Program Files\\My IP Suite\\MyIPSuite.exe";

    //execl(appPath, appPath, NULL);

    HWND hWnd;      //window handle
    HWND hBut;      //control handle

    // get handle of Reminder window
    hWnd = FindWindow(NULL, "Reminder");

    if(! hWnd) exit(0);    //if window don't found, exit program

    //move through controls, get handle of command button
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, NULL, "TButton", NULL);
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, hBut, "TButton", NULL);

    //click command button
    PostMessage(hBut, BM_CLICK, NULL, NULL);


    //get title of Options window
    hWnd = FindWindow(NULL, "Options");

    char buff[] = "HOI";


    if(! hWnd) exit(0);    //if window don't found, exit program

    //move through controls, get handle of edit box
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, NULL, "TButton", NULL);
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, hBut, "TButton", NULL);
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, hBut, "TEdit", NULL);
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, hBut, "TEdit", NULL);
    hBut = FindWindowEx(hWnd, hBut, "TEdit", NULL);


    PostMessage(hBut, WM_SETTEXT, NULL, (LPARAM)(LPCTSTR)"hey");


    //PostMessage(hBut, WM_SETTEXT, 0, (LPARAM)(LPCTSTR)"HI");
    //::SetFocus(hBut);
    //SetWindowText(hBut, buff);

}

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---

1. You're sure the final value of hBut is the correct handle?

2. Try using SendMessage() instead of PostMessage()

3. Try SetFocus(hBut) not ::SetFocus(hBut)

4. Maybe the class TEdit can't be used in this way. Can you give me some info on that class?

ok, sendmessage worked. how simple.

thanks for your help

What about SetFocus(hBut)? Did you get that to work?

no i didn't. I just though the control might to have focus before i could set the text.

But there is no need for setfocus anymore

I suspect that you can't use SetFocus() on a control in another process. I think using AttachThreadInput() would allow this, but I guess you don't need it.

I find it interesting that you were able to send a pointer to a string between processes, and it still worked.

Is this what you did?

Code:

---

SendMessage(hBut, WM_SETTEXT, NULL, (LPARAM)(LPCTSTR)"hey");

---

And it actually displayed "hey"?

ok ill look up AttachThreadInput() . no doubt ill need it sometime.

yeah, thats the code, and yeah it worked

It shouldn't have worked. That pointer points to a text string in YOUR process's virtual memory area. The other process shouldn't have access to that memory area. What version of Windows are you running?

Windows 2000 Pro

It works on XP too, I guess it's not the version...

I seem to recall this problem from a thread I started earlier this year... there was some reason why pointers worked in this case and not others. For example, when manipulating a tree view control in another process I couldn't pass the control a pointer to a TVINSERTSTRUCT. I had to allocate memory in the OTHER process, put the struct there, then send the message with the pointer. I'll check back on my posts to try find the reason why WM_SETTEXT works here.