msgBox to front

[Kars Lensen]

How can I set a msgBox (or the main form) to de front of the screen after an other program is started?
The form (my program) is in the taskbar, when I click on it is right there where I want it !

[Eduardo-]

How can I set a msgBox (or the main form) to de front of the screen after an other program is started?
The form (my program) is in the taskbar, when I click on it is right there where I want it !

Since many years ago Windows has taken measures to avoid just that: that a program can steal the focus.
The reason is because it is very anoying to the user when she/he is working on something on some program, suppose she is pressing keys because she is writing a letter in Word, and when she look at the Screen she finds that she didn't write anything, because there is a popup window there.

Then, what Windows currently does, is to make the program that is requiring attention to blink in the taskbar.

Another option is to show a balloon tooltip at the system tray.

The question is, what other program is started? Why your program is not on focus?

It is still possible to steal the focus, but it is not so easy and not recomended anyway for the reason stated above.

[Elroy]

There is a vbSystemModal flag that can be used with the MsgBox. But, as Eduardo says, it's not very polite.

[Kars Lensen]

I understand your answers. The program chooses a printer (to pdf) and then shows the file, then the question is whether the user wants to email the file, but the question is then invisible.

I don't now how to use the vbSystemModal flag; I am a hobby programmer and still VB6

[Elroy]

The vbSystemModal is just added to (or OR'd) with your other MsgBox flags, like vbYesNo, vbInformation, vbOkCancel, etc.

Option Explicit

Private Sub Form_Load()
    MsgBox "This is a message", vbInformation + vbOKOnly + vbSystemModal
End Sub

EDIT1: Just to be complete, here's the MSDN on it.

[Eduardo-]

I understand your answers. The program chooses a printer (to pdf) and then shows the file, then the question is whether the user wants to email the file, but the question is then invisible.

I don't now how to use the vbSystemModal flag; I am a hobby programmer and still VB6

    If MsgBox("Do you want to email the file?", vbYesNo Or vbSystemModal) = vbYes Then
        ' email the file
    End If

I'm surprised, in XP that works (steals the focus).

[Elroy]

I'm on Win10-64 and it works here too.

EDIT1: I've never done it but I feel certain I could do this to any form with the correct SendMessage call.
EDIT2: I suppose it's actually not that different from using the HWND_TOPMOST flag with SetWindowPos.

[Kars Lensen]

Thanks to all, I'l give it try (tomorrow) !

[Eduardo-]

I'm on Win10-64 and it works here too.

EDIT1: I've never done it but I feel certain I could do this to any form with the correct SendMessage call.

What I remember is that SetForeGroundWindow doesn't work anymore as in old times it used to do.

[Kars Lensen]

Eduard, it works fantastic, thanks a lot!

[Elroy]

@Eduardo:

[Eduardo-]

@Eduardo:

Stealing the focus... and I stealing the credits