Making sure an OUTLOOK window is on top...

[BenFinkel]

I have a program that automates MS Outlook and I want to make sure that outlook is on Top and active when the code runs.

The problem is that the code sends an email automatically, and if Outlook is already open but minimized, a security form pops-up in the background, and the user has no idea.

Before I create and send the email, I want to pop MS Outlook to the front so that they can see the security dialog without having to click the start bar.

Here is the beginning of the code:

    Dim appOutlook As Outlook.Application
    Dim miMail As Outlook.MailItem
    Dim rsIntroEmailInfo As DAO.Recordset
    Dim strFileName As String
      
    Dim lngTemp As Long
      
    Set appOutlook = New Outlook.Application
    
    'Make sure Outlook is shown and maximized
        
    Set miMail = appOutlook.CreateItem(olMailItem)

I was thinking I could use the SHOWWINDOW api call, but I cannot figure out how to get a handle (hWnd) to Outlook (the application object does not expose hWnd).

So, does anyone know how I could either
A)Make outlook active and maximized
or
B)Get a hWnd to an Outlook.Application object

?

Thanks guys!!

--Ben

[BenFinkel]

I like to keep everyone updated, this is what I ended up doing:

Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long
Declare Function EnumWindows Lib "user32" (ByVal lpFunc As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
Declare Function GetWindowText Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowTextA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal lpString As String, ByVal nMaxCount As Long) As Long

Public lngOutlookHWnd As Long

Public Function EnumWindProc(ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long

    Dim strTitle As String
    Dim lngTemp As Long
    
    strTitle = String(255, 0)
    lngTemp = GetWindowText(hWnd, strTitle, 255)
   
    If Left(strTitle, lngTemp) = "Microsoft Outlook" Then
        lngOutlookHWnd = hWnd
        EnumWindProc = 0
        Exit Function
    End If
    
    EnumWindProc = 1

End Function
Public Function GetOutlookHWnd() As Long

    EnumWindows AddressOf EnumWindProc, 0

End Function

Public Function EmailIntro(lngContactID As Long)

    On Error GoTo Error_EmailIntro

    Dim appOutlook As Outlook.Application
    Dim miMail As Outlook.MailItem
    Dim rsIntroEmailInfo As DAO.Recordset
    Dim strFileName As String
      
    Dim lngTemp As Long
      
    Set appOutlook = New Outlook.Application
    
    'Make sure Outlook is shown and maximized
    GetOutlookHWnd
    ShowWindow lngOutlookHWnd, SW_SHOWMAXIMIZED
        
    Set miMail = appOutlook.CreateItem(olMailItem)
...
ETC

Basically, I enumerate the windows to find the window with the text "Microsoft Outlook" then I set that particular windows hWnd to a global variable, which I pass to the ShowWindow function.

Thanks anyways guys!