FindWindow inconsistency

I've been looking into FindWindow and have created the following code to illustrate:

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <windows.h>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
    if (FindWindow("Windows Task Manager", 0))                  //This doesn't work
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Windows Task Manager \t found" << endl;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Windows Task Manager \t not found" << endl;
    }

    if (FindWindow("Calculator", 0))                            //This doesn't work
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Calculator \t\t found" << endl;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Calculator \t\t not found" << endl;
    }

    if (FindWindow("Notepad", 0))                              //This works
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Notepad \t\t found" << endl;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Notepad \t\t not found" << endl;
    }

    cin.ignore();
    cin.get();
    return 0;
}

---

The executable identifies Notepad correctly as being open. If Calculator or Windows Task Manager are open, neither is identified as such. Why doesn't FindWindow work with all of these windows in a consistent manner? Is there a way of picking up the processes instead (calc.exe, notepad.exe and taskmgr.exe)?

I realise that the code isn't particularly sensible (several similar if ... else etc.) but I only created it to demonstrate the point I want to ask.

"Notepad" also happens to be the name of the executable. What happens if you use "calc" as the parameter? (I'm unfamiliar with FindWindow().)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dwks

"Notepad" also happens to be the name of the executable. What happens if you use "calc" as the parameter? (I'm unfamiliar with FindWindow().)

---

Findwindow looks for the text in the title bar or alternatively the window class.

I will check out the code above when i get home to see if I get the same results

Code:

---

    if (FindWindow(0, "Windows Task Manager"))
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Windows Task Manager \t found" << endl;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Windows Task Manager \t not found" << endl;
    }

    if (FindWindow(0, "Calculator"))
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Calculator \t\t found" << endl;
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "\n" << "Calculator \t\t not found" << endl;
    }

---

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...findwindow.asp

What happens if you run it on a German computer?

dwks - I've tried using the name of the executable, rather than the window title. It still doesn't pick up Calculator or Windows Task Manager.

Tonto - I'm aware of the MSDN site that you quoted but I'm afraid that it doesn't really mean a lot to me at this stage.

I'm still not sure why it works with Notepad but not the others.

According to the given link, the first parameter is the window class name, the second is the title (in the titlebar). So this should pick up task manager:

Code:

---

if (FindWindow(NULL, "Windows Task Manager"))

---

Apparently notepad has the same classname...

Perfect - thank you.

I knew there had to be something different about Notepad which caused the inconsistency.