Thread: Browser Help

Even with a windows compiler, you are going about this the wrong way IMO

Easier way is to build the URL to search google with and call ShellExecute on it - like so

Code:

#include <windows.h>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>


int main()
{

	std::string strGooglePath = "http://www.google.com/search?q=";
	
	std::cout << "Enter what you want to search for" << std::endl;
	char szToken[256];
	std::cin.getline(szToken,255);
	strGooglePath += szToken;

	ShellExecute(0,"open",strGooglePath.c_str(),0,0,SW_SHOW);	
	return 0;
}

Ok....but the instant problem you have is that to send info that matters (keystrokes, mouse gestures) you need to know where to send it - for example a specific button or edit control. You can find this stuff with FindWindow() to get the window for IE...then FindWindowEx recursively to find the control you want to play with.

But as web content changes to much, you may find as soon as your prog is set, they change the webpage and your prog doesnt work!

Thank you for this information, you are pointing me in the right direction. I have a small test script and I am using with FindWindow() and SendMessage(). I am able to find the window, but cannot seem to send a message to the window with the SendMessage() function.

Here is the code:

Code:

#include <windows.h>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>


int main()
{
    std::string strGooglePath = "http://www.google.com";
    ShellExecute(0,"open",strGooglePath.c_str(),0,0,SW_SHOW);

    Sleep(5000);

    HWND OpenGoogle = FindWindow(0, "Google - Microsoft Internet Explorer");

    if(OpenGoogle != NULL)
      SendMessage(OpenGoogle, WM_CLOSE, 0, 0);
    else
      std::cout << "Could not locate window" << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

Just for test purposes, I wanted to find the window, then close it. I have tested the code with:

if(OpenGoogle != NULL)
std::cout << "Found the window" << std::endl;
else
std::cout << "Could not locate window" << std::endl;

"Found the window" is displayed. I seem to be having a problem with the SendMessage() function. Do you notice anything that I am doing wrong?

Thanks for your help Fordy.