pinvoke.net: Edit: user32.FindWindow

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Summary: The FindWindow API

!!!!C# Signature:
 [DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
 static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName);
!!!!VB Signature:
     <DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
Private Shared Function FindWindow(ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As IntPtr
    End Function
    <DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="FindWindow", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
Private Shared Function FindWindowByClass(ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal zero As IntPtr) As IntPtr
    End Function
    <DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="FindWindow", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
Private Shared Function FindWindowByCaption(ByVal zero As IntPtr, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As IntPtr
    End Function
!!!!User-Defined Types:
None.

!!!!Notes:
The FindWindow function retrieves the handle to the top-level window whose class name and window name match the specified strings. This function does not search child windows.

Works hand-in-hand with FindWindowEx

*If lpClassName is NULL FindWindow will search for the window by the lpWindowName (window's title) only. This is useful if the class of a particular window is variable.

!!!!Tips & Tricks:
Use the fantastic Spy++ (One of the vStudio tools) to get details of specific Windows you're looking for.

!!!!Sample Code (C#):
		public static int FindWindow(string windowName, bool wait)
		{
			int hWnd = FindWindow(null, windowName);
			while (wait && hWnd == 0)
			{
				System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(500);
				hWnd = FindWindow(null, windowName);
			}

return hWnd;
		}

// THE FOLLOWING METHOD REFERENCES THE SetForegroundWindow API
		public static bool BringWindowToTop(string windowName, bool wait)
		{
			int hWnd = FindWindow(windowName, wait);
			if (hWnd != 0)
			{
				return SetForegroundWindow((IntPtr)hWnd);
			}
			return false;
		}

!!!!Sample Code (C#):
 //Open Up blank Notepad First !
 string lpszParentClass = "Notepad";
 string lpszParentWindow = "Untitled - Notepad";
 string lpszClass = "Edit";
 
 IntPtr ParenthWnd = new IntPtr(0);
 IntPtr hWnd = new IntPtr(0);
 ParenthWnd = FindWindow(lpszParentClass,lpszParentWindow);
 if (ParenthWnd.Equals(IntPtr.Zero))  
     Console.WriteLine("Notepad Not Running");
 else
 {
     hWnd = FindWindowEx(ParenthWnd,hWnd,lpszClass,"");
     if (hWnd.Equals(IntPtr.Zero))  
         Console.WriteLine("What the F??? Notepad doesn't have an edit component ?");
     else
     {
         Console.WriteLine("Notepad Window: " + ParenthWnd.ToString());
         Console.WriteLine("Edit Control: " + hWnd.ToString());
     }
 }

'// VB (chellios at gmail dot com)
 '// Open up a blank Notepad!
 Dim lpszParentClass As String = "Notepad"
 Dim lpszParentWindow As String = "Untitled - Notepad"
 Dim lpszClass As String = "Edit"

Dim ParenthWnd As New IntPtr(0)
 Dim hWnd As New IntPtr(0)
 
 ParenthWnd = FindWindow(lpszParentClass, lpszParentWindow)

If ParenthWnd.Equals(IntPtr.Zero) Then
    Debug.WriteLine("Notepad Not Running!")
 Else
    hWnd = FindWindowEx(ParenthWnd, hWnd, lpszClass, "")
    
    If hWnd.Equals(IntPtr.Zero)
       Debug.WriteLine("What the F??? Notepad doesn't have an Edit component, how strange.")
    Else
       Debug.WriteLine("Notepad Window: " & ParenthWnd.ToString())
       Debug.WriteLine("Edit Control: " & hWnd.ToString())
    End If
 End If

!!!!Alternative Managed API:
Do you know one?  Please contribute it!

Documentation: FindWindow@msdn on MSDN