Handle

[Amon Ra]

	case WM_COMMAND:
		{
			if(LOWORD(wParam) == BN_CLICKED && (HWND)lParam == hbtnGetHandle)
			{
				char * caption = ""; 
				caption = (char *)GetWindowText(htxtGetWindow,
							(LPTSTR) caption, 25);
				new_hwnd = FindWindow(NULL, (LPCTSTR)caption);
			}
		}
		break;

There is something wrong here. It does not seem to create a handle from the caption of the app the user entered. I don't think the type-casts i made are right. Can anyone please help me fix that Thanks

[parksie]

int len = GetWindowTextLength(hWnd);
TCHAR *pcBuf = new TCHAR[len+1];
GetWindowText(hWnd, pcBuf, len);

// use pcBuf -- possibly in FindWindow

delete[] pcBuf;

[Amon Ra]

Ok, thanks a lot

[Amon Ra]

What is TCHAR for?

[parksie]

Somehow I thought you'd ask that

Normally, you're using ASCII/ANSI. In this, all characters are represented by a single byte (char). For Unicode, it's a 16-bit character set, requiring two bytes (unsigned short). If you look at the definitions for any text-handling functions in the API they have definitions for GetWindowTextA, GetWindowTextW A is ANSI, W is Wide (Unicode). TCHAR swaps between char and unsigned short depending on compile options.

[Amon Ra]

So it can be either?

[parksie]

Yes. If you define _UNICODE and UNICODE in your preprocessor project settings it will do it all for you. Unfortunately it'll then give loads of compiler errors on your no-doubt un-localised string literals

I'm going now anyway, but look up TCHAR and character sets on MSDN for detailed information.

[Amon Ra]

This one does not use the A or the W. (sorry, but that is the thing i need to work on )

[Amon Ra]

Instead of using char, I should use TCHAR?

[Amon Ra]

this won't change the caption, like it should do:

 //get the length of the typed-caption
				int cpt_len = GetWindowTextLength(htxtGetWindow);
				//int wnd_len; //caption of the alien window

				TCHAR  *pcBuf = new TCHAR[cpt_len];//edit text holder
				//retrieve the text from the edit box
				GetWindowText(htxtGetWindow, pcBuf, cpt_len);

				//finally, get the handle
				new_hwnd = FindWindow(0, (LPCTSTR)pcBuf);
				
				//retrieve the caption of the alien window, so it can
				//be restored later...
				/*wnd_len = GetWindowTextLength(new_hwnd);
				pcOldCaption = new TCHAR[wnd_len + 1];
				GetWindowText(new_hwnd, pcOldCaption, wnd_len);*/
				SetWindowText(new_hwnd, "mmmmm");

I don't see why it won't change the caption to mmmmmm.

[parksie]

Look at the definitions in the headers. GetWindowText is actually a macro that points to GetWindowTextA/W depending on compile options. This is why all the VB definitions have A appended to them

Yes, you should use TCHAR, _T("string"), and all the rest of the nice gibberish that comes with internationalisation

Are you sure that the window you specified exists?