How can you tell if an app is open?

I am making an application that works with another one, is it possible to find out if the app it is working for is open?

Thanks

There are two different ways:
1. you look for the app's window using FindWindow
2. you look for the running process

1.

Code:

---

Public Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long

Function IsAppRunning(AppWindowName as String) as Boolean
if FindWindow(AppWindowName, vbNullstring) <> 0 Then
 IsAppRunning = True
Else
 IsAppRunning = False
End if
End Function

---

2.

Code:

---

Public Const TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS As Long = 2&
Public Const MAX_PATH As Integer = 260

Public Type PROCESSENTRY32
    dwSize As Long
    cntUsage As Long
    th32ProcessID As Long
    th32DefaultHeapID As Long
    th32ModuleID As Long
    cntThreads As Long
    th32ParentProcessID As Long
    pcPriClassBase As Long
    dwFlags As Long
    szExeFile As String * MAX_PATH
End Type
   

Public Declare Function CreateToolhelpSnapshot Lib "kernel32" _
    Alias "CreateToolhelp32Snapshot" _
  (ByVal lFlags As Long, ByVal lProcessID As Long) As Long

Public Declare Function ProcessFirst Lib "kernel32" _
    Alias "Process32First" _
  (ByVal hSnapShot As Long, uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long

Public Declare Function ProcessNext Lib "kernel32" _
    Alias "Process32Next" _
  (ByVal hSnapShot As Long, uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32) As Long

Public Declare Sub CloseHandle Lib "kernel32" _
  (ByVal hPass As Long)

Public RProcesses() As PROCESSENTRY32
Public Const PROCESS_TERMINATE = &H1
Public Declare Function GetExitCodeProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hProcess As Long, lpExitCode As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function TerminateProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hProcess As Long, ByVal uExitCode As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function OpenProcess Lib "kernel32" (ByVal dwDesiredAccess As Long, ByVal bInheritHandle As Long, ByVal dwProcessId As Long) As Long


Public Sub GetRunningProcesses()

    Dim hSnapShot As Long
    Dim uProcess As PROCESSENTRY32
    Dim r As Long
    Dim i&
    ReDim RProcesses(0)
    hSnapShot = CreateToolhelpSnapshot(TH32CS_SNAPPROCESS, 0&)
 
    If hSnapShot = 0 Then Exit Sub

    uProcess.dwSize = Len(uProcess)
    r = ProcessFirst(hSnapShot, uProcess)
    i = 1
    Do While r
        ReDim Preserve RProcesses(UBound(RProcesses) + 1)
        RProcesses(i) = uProcess
        i = i + 1
        r = ProcessNext(hSnapShot, uProcess)

    Loop

    Call CloseHandle(hSnapShot)

End Sub

Function IsAppRunning(AppPath As String) As Boolean
Dim PrName$
GetRunningProcesses
For i = 1 To UBound(RProcesses)
PrName = Left(RProcesses(i).szExeFile, InStr(RProcesses(i).szExeFile, Chr(0)) - 1)
If UCase$(PrName) = UCase$(AppPath) Then IsAppRunning = True: Exit Function
Next i
IsAppRunning = False
End Function

---

[Edited by Razzle on 05-07-2000 at 09:50 AM]

Thanks. I think #1 will do me fine. #2 is a bit too long.

yep, it's pretty long but it's also handy if you want to terminate the app or if you want to be sure about the exe name of the running app :)