Taskbar and applications

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Guest

I have created a Help file which is invoked from a cmdbutton on a userform.
If the file is minimised and the user clicks the cmdbutton again, the code
checks to see if it is already open and prevents multiple instances. At this
stage I could also generate a message to that effect.
However i thought it would be neat to emulate a click on the taskbar icon
and make the .chm the top window again.
I have tried
AppActivate "xxx Analysis"
ActiveWindow.WindowState = vbNormalFocus
but while the file is activated it is not brought back up again.
Can someone please point the way?

T.I.A.
Geoff
 
isn't there still supposed to be a d on the end?
Application.WindowState = xlMaximized
 
It is not an execel application though and xlmaximize is not recognised
Here is my code

Private Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwDesiredAccess
As Long, _
ByVal bInheritHandle As
Long, _
ByVal dwProcessId As
Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetExitCodeProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal
lnghProcess As Long, _
lpExitCode As
Long) As Long
Private Const PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS = &H1F0FFF
Private RetVal As Long

Public Function ShlProc_IsRunning(ShellReturnValue As Long) As Boolean

Dim lnghProcess As Long
Dim lExitCode As Long
Dim lRet As Long

lnghProcess = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, 0&, ShellReturnValue)
If lnghProcess <> 0 Then
GetExitCodeProcess lnghProcess, lExitCode '''test if help file
is running
If lExitCode <> 0 Then
ShlProc_IsRunning = True
Else
ShlProc_IsRunning = False
End If
End If

End Function

Sub ShellTester()

If ShlProc_IsRunning(RetVal) = False Then '''show help file if not
already open
On Error Resume Next
RetVal = Shell("hh.exe c:\xxx.chm", 1)
On Error GoTo 0
Else
AppActivate "Vehicle Performance Analysis"

Application.WindowState = xlMaximize

'''msgbox "Help File is already loaded"
End If

End Sub

Geoff
 
Ok that's got over the variable issue but its still not working. As I say
focus is switched from Excel to the app but nothing happens beyond that.

Geoff
 
Geoff i am only new to this but have you tried

ActiveWindow.Visible=True

dont know if it will work but thought it might be worth a try.
 
Still no I'm afraid.


Geoff

new_to_vba said:
Geoff i am only new to this but have you tried

ActiveWindow.Visible=True

dont know if it will work but thought it might be worth a try.
Click to expand...
 
Go back to ActiveWindow without the typo

ActiveWindow.WindowState = xlMaximized

If that don't do it, then the window you want is not the active window. But
you should be able to specify the window and use the xlMaximized constant.
 
If the file name is xxx.chm then

AppActivate "xxx"
Windows("xxx.chm").WindowState = xlMaximized
returns 'subscript out of range'

using
Activewindow.WindowState = xlMaximized
activates the help file in the taskbar but does not restore it to its
original state.

Geoff
 
Geoff, don't know if this will help, but I got it out of the VBA help files.

Shell Function Example
This example uses the Shell function to run an application specified by the
user. On the MacIntosh, the default drive name is “HD†and portions of the
pathname are separated by colons instead of backslashes. Similarly, you would
specify Macintosh folders instead of \Windows.

' Specifying 1 as the second argument opens the application in
' normal size and gives it the focus.
Dim RetVal
RetVal = Shell("C:\WINDOWS\CALC.EXE", 1) ' Run Calculator.

windowstyle - Optional. Variant (Integer) corresponding to the style of
the window in which the program is to be run. If windowstyle is omitted, the
program is started minimized with focus. On the Macintosh (System 7.0 or
later), windowstyle only determines whether or not the application gets the
focus when it is run.
 
Hi
In post #6 of this thread you can find that snippet. What my code does in
this case is open the help.chm file, note its id and check if it's still
running should the cmdbutton be used again.
My problem is in wanting to do something with that second press - I can
either give a message or Restore the window assuming it has been minimised.
So the snippet gets part way.
Thanks for your endeavours so far, I appreciate the help in a difficult area.

Geoff
 
I thought I had included this bit in the Shell Funtion blurb, but being late
at night over here, I guess I overlooked it. Instead of

RetVal = Shell("hh.exe c:\xxx.chm", 1)

Try

RetVal = Shell("hh.exe c:\xxx.chm", 3)

According to the help file, the three will return the window as maximized.
 
Hi Geoff,

You'd be much better off using the html help API, same code to open and/or
bring help to front in previous state (though need to be careful with
certain aspects to avoid crashes).

With Shell, you can open to correct page first time, thereafter all you can
do is bring it to front in previous maximized or restored state.

Public Declare Function FindWindowA Lib "user32" _
(ByVal lpClasssName As String, _
ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long

Public Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hwnd As Long, _
ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long

Sub test()
Dim hwnd As Long
Dim sHelp As String
Dim Res As Long

hwnd = FindWindowA("HH Parent", "help-file's main-window-caption")
If hwnd Then
ShowWindow hwnd, 1&
' occassionally might also need SetForegroundWindow hWnd (API not
shown)
Else

sHelp = "hh.exe " & "c:\xxx.chm"
'sHelp = sHelp & "::/" & "myHelpPage.html"

Res = Shell(sHelp, vbNormalFocus)

End If
End Sub

Regards,
Peter T
 
Hi Peter
The code, as is, raises the .chm but does not prevent multiple instances.
So perhaps to explain more fully what is happening:
there are two forms, each capable of calling the .chm from a cmdbutton
After the user has scrolled to whatever in they want in the .chm and return
to the form the .chm is sent to the taskbar. Now if the user leaves it there
and call the second form it is very easy to forget there is an instance of
the help file already raised.
What I can do at the moment with the posted code on the second click is
create a msgbox and also prevent another instance of the .chm. It would be
nice to Restore the .chm though instead. Ideally it would Restore to the
window state before minimising.
I have set the .chm default size and position in HTML Workshop to not
obscure the form which calls it thus the use of shell(....,1) or
vbNormalFocus.
Hope this explains better.

Geoff
 
Well, with that last explanation, I realized that I cannot supply the remedy
to your dilemma. Therefore, I exit. Good luck, Geoff.
 
Hi JLGWhiz
But thank you for staying with the issue. Thats what ngs are all about. I
really appreciate your efforts - thanks. Hopefully I'll get there in the end
:)

Regards

Geoff
 
The code, as is, raises the .chm but does not prevent multiple instances.

The example I posted aims to cater for just that -

If the chm is open (ie its window handle is found) then
restore the chm window to front
Else
Open the chm with Shell
End if

The restore with the API call as I posted is to the previous window
'restored' .coordinates or maximized as previously left by the user. If you
want to reset to the coordinates you set in the html workshop you could do
that with another API with hardcoded coordinates. Personally I wouldn't, if
user subsequently resized or maximized it might have been for user's
preference, and easy for user to resize if necessary.

As I mentioned previously, the html help API gives a lot more control, but
Shell works too

Regards,
Peter T
 
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