Puzzling behaviour of Notepad

[terrypin]

With no window already open, I would expect this command to open Notepad, but it doesn't.

Activate or Launch: Window "Notepad", Program "notepad.exe", Parameters ""

<ACTIVATE OR LAUNCH Title="Notepad" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" Path="C:\\Windows\\notepad.exe" Mode="\x00" Default_Path="TRUE" Wait="1" Wait_For_Program="12"/>

However this does:

Activate or Launch: Window "Untitled - Notepad", Program "notepad.exe", Parameters ""

<ACTIVATE OR LAUNCH Title="Untitled - Notepad" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" Path="C:\\Windows\\notepad.exe" Mode="\x00" Default_Path="TRUE" Wait="1" Wait_For_Program="12"/>

Both are set to 'Partial' and both contain the string 'Notepad', so I don't see why the first doesn't work?

 

--

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

 

 

[Cory]

Odd. Do you have any invisible programs running that have the word "Notepad" in them?

[Cory]

I created a macro that has a message box with a condition of if a window exists with a partial name of "Notepad" and it tests true. I can't find it but it's there. I think you might have the same issue.

<IF WINDOW Option="\x01" Title="Notepad" Partial="TRUE" Wildcards="FALSE"/>
<MESSAGEBOX Caption="Yup" Message="It exists" Icon="0"/>
<END IF/>

[Cory]

In my case I had my web browser open to this post and it has "Notepad" in the title so it was switching to the web browser and not launching Notepad. I closed this web browser and your first command ran fine. I suggest you write a macro with a Repeat With Windows (all) and a condition of If Variable Contains to look for any instances of a window that contains "Notepad" and display them in a message box. I bet you have something running with Notepad in the title.

[terrypin]

Neat idea! I was just about to reply to your first answer, reporting that I could find nothing containing 'Notepad' or 'notepad', including in the scores (hundreds?) listed under Hidden. Then I tried your macro.

 

But I only get existence confirmed if I have this thread open in my browser!

 

Maybe that's the case for you too?

 

--

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

[terrypin]

Crossed in the post!

 

Will explore more, including that suggestion, but as mentioned MX Pro could not see any.

[terrypin]

Nope, that Repeat macro confirmed the only instance was this thread. I closed it (and even Firefox itself) and retried the command

Activate or Launch: Window "Notepad", Program "notepad.exe", Parameters ""

<ACTIVATE OR LAUNCH Title="Notepad" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" Path="C:\\Windows\\notepad.exe" Mode="\x00" Default_Path="TRUE" Wait="1" Wait_For_Program="12"/>

But it still failed to open

[Cory]

I don't know what to tell you then It should work and in fact does work for me. But I'll keep trying to think of anything else to try.

[Look_Up]

Hello Terri,

 

please try this peace of code to find out which window is open, hidden or visible

<COMMENT Value="Initialing"/>
<VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x00" Destination="%text_variable2[1]%" Value="--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x00" Destination="%text_variable2[2]%" Value="VISIBLE WINDOW" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<VARIABLE SET STRING Option="\x00" Destination="%text_variable2[3]%" Value="HIDDEN WINDOW" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<COMMENT Value="Write \"visible window\" into textfile"/>
<TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="Please wait" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang1031{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil\\fcharset0 Tahoma;}{\\f1\\fnil Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\f0\\fs16 Please wait while loading and writing Window list...\\f1 \r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="center" Top="366" Width="294" Height="94" Monitor="0" OnTop="FALSE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x02" Delay="0"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable2[1]%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable2[2]%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable2[1]%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<COMMENT Value="Write all 'visible window' names into textfile"/>
<REPEAT WITH WINDOWS ToRetrieve="\x01" SortOrder="\x01" Destination="%text_variable%"/>
<DELAY Flags="\x02" Time="50"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<END REPEAT/>
<COMMENT Value="Write \"hidden window\" into textfile"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable2[1]%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable2[3]%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable2[1]%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<COMMENT Value="Write all 'hidden window' names into textfile"/>
<REPEAT WITH WINDOWS ToRetrieve="\x02" SortOrder="\x01" Destination="%text_variable%"/>
<DELAY Flags="\x02" Time="50"/>
<VARIABLE MODIFY STRING Option="\x12" Destination="%text_variable%" Filename="%temp%\\find_window.txt" Strip="TRUE" NoEmbeddedVars="FALSE"/>
<END REPEAT/>
<TEXT BOX CLOSE Header="Please wait"/>
<IF MESSAGE Caption="Ready. Open file?" Message="Hey. I'm ready to list all visible and hidden window. The textfile is in \"temp\\find_window.txt\". Do you want open it ?" BtnMode="\x00" Default="TRUE" Left="Center" Top="Center" Monitor="0" Delay="0"/>
<SHOW DIALOG WINDOW Dialog="Run Programs"/>
<DELAY Flags="\x01" Time="1"/>
<TEXT TYPE Action="0" Text="%temp%\\find_window.txt<ENTER>"/>
<ELSE/>
<MACRO STOP/>
<END IF/>

This code create a file find_window.txt into %temp% folder. After that he write all window title into this text file. When it's all done he want ask you to open this text file. With Contr.+F you can search for "notepad" window title. Good luck.

 

Look_Up

[terrypin]

Thanks Look-Up, but that gave the same result as my much simpler macro:

 

Repeat with Windows: All Windows: Store in variable %tWindows%
If Variable %tWindows% Contains "Notepad"
Text Box Display: This is a window containing Notepad
End If
End Repeat

<REPEAT WITH WINDOWS ToRetrieve="\x00" SortOrder="\x00" Destination="%tWindows%"/>
<IF VARIABLE Variable="%tWindows%" Condition="\x06" Value="Notepad" IgnoreCase="FALSE"/>
<TEXT BOX DISPLAY Title="This is a window containing Notepad" Content="{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil Tahoma;}}\r\n\\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\f0\\fs16 %tWindows%\r\n\\par }\r\n" Left="Center" Top="Center" Width="278" Height="200" Monitor="0" OnTop="TRUE" Keep_Focus="TRUE" Mode="\x00" Delay="0"/>
<END IF/>
<END REPEAT/>

However, your macro will certainly be useful to provide a neat presentation of all windows for visual browsing.

 

BTW, I'm curious about the way you've named your variables? Why not just names like tVisible, tHidden, tUnderline, etc? Or even T[1], T[2], T[3] to save typing?

 

@Cory: There must be some other explanation for that bizarre behaviour, not a hidden window. Or at least not one that MX Pro can find. I'll just use '-Notepad' in future.

 

Incidentallly, I currently see no fewer than 252 windows listed!

 

--

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

[Look_Up]

[...] BTW, I'm curious about the way you've named your variables? Why not just names like tVisible, tHidden, tUnderline, etc? Or even T[1], T[2], T[3] to save typing? [...]

 

--

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

 

Hey Terry.

 

Do you try to restart you MEP ? Sometime MEP behave strange and after a restart it works fine.

 

This is my (crazy) way to write variables names ;-) In huge and complex macro, real short macros variable names are not good to identify and so i use long and good readable var.

 

Wait a second: i try to open notepad with MEP. Stand by

[Look_Up]

The "Activate or Launch" command first looking for a window with the same name. If he find one he will activate it (and don't start notepad.exe)

<LAUNCH PROGRAM AND ACTIVATE WINDOW Title="Untitled" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" Path="C:\\Windows\\notepad.exe" Mode="\x00" Default_Path="TRUE" Wait="1" Wait_For_Program="12"/>

Its better to use the command "launch program and activate window" and use 'Untitled' as window name.

<IF PROGRAM Option="\x01" Program="NOTEPAD.EXE"/>
<WINDOW ACTIVATE Title="Untitled" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" _IGNORE="0x0006"/>
<ELSE/>
<LAUNCH PROGRAM AND ACTIVATE WINDOW Title="Untitled" Exact_Match="FALSE" Wildcards="FALSE" Path="C:\\Windows\\notepad.exe" Mode="\x00" Default_Path="TRUE" Wait="1" Wait_For_Program="12"/>
<END IF/>

Look_Up