[RESOLVED] Click Menu Item by Index

[gigemboy]

I have the index number of a menuitem in a submenu, and the handle of the submenu, so now how can I click that menu item? Do I need to use SendMessage? Do I need to get the handle of the menuitem??

Its all done through code, so Im not "clicking the menu items" individually in code, I am just navigating through the handles using the GetSubMenu api, then the GetMenuString for each item in the submenu to find the string I want. That gives me the index number, then I essentially need to initiate a click at that index number in the submenu...

[RobDog888]

Well if your not actually clicking them then you can probably SendMessage with the proper wParam and lParam and WM_COMMAND message.

[gigemboy]

Then what can I do do get the handle of the menuitem by index number? I was using Getsubmenu to get the handle to the submenu... but how do I go about getting the individual menuitem handle of the item I want in the submenu?

So right now I have a handle to the submenu containing the item I want to click, as well as the index number of the menu item... I can try to use SendMessage but I need to get past the step of getting that darn handle of the item I need..

[RobDog888]

The wParam contains the menu item id. You can use the GetMenuItemID passing the menu handle and index number. Once you have the id you can pass it with SendMessage in the wParam with the WM_COMMAND message. I think that should do it.

[gigemboy]

Hmm I tried it, but I'm getting zero for the return result of the sendmessage. I am getting a menuitem number, but when calling the sendmessage, I get nothing, which tells me that I might have a problem in the arguments or in the function declaration...

Dim intResult As Integer
intResult = win32.GetMenuItemID(hSubSubMenu, intMessageMenuIndex)
MsgBox(intResult.ToString) 'returns valid number, like "389"
Dim intresult2 As Integer
intresult2 = win32.SendMessage(hSubSubMenu, win32.WM_COMMAND, intResult, "")
MsgBox(intresult2.ToString) 'returns 0
 
'The function declaration I have for sendmessage, in seperate win32Functions class
Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32.dll" Alias "SendMessageA" ( _
      ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, _
      ByVal wMsg As Int32, _
      ByVal wParam As Int32, _
      ByVal lParam As String) As Int32

[RobDog888]

Maybe there is some value needed in the lParam? 0?

[gigemboy]

Zero gives the same message, after switching the parameter declaration to int32 instead of string.... hehehe grrrrrrrr I love API (sarcastic)

EDIT: The constant declaration for the WM_Command is below:

Public Const WM_COMMAND As Int32 = &H111

[RobDog888]

Other then trying the WM_LBUTTONDOWN and WM_LBUTTONUP I am out of idea as i wonder if there is something missing in the message.

[gigemboy]

Thats what I was going to try, but I need the handle of the particular menu item I want instead of the menu handle..

[RobDog888]

Oh, you know what, there is that codebank example by moeur on interacting with a 3rd party program's menu using subclassing of it and a C++ dll. Should be worth checking out.

[gigemboy]

Found it!! I was passing in the wrong window handle for SendMessage. It needs the Main Application Handle that contains the menu, not the handle of the submenu that contains the item you wish to click.

Thanks alot as always, Rob... I'd rate ya, but it wont let me because apparently I need to spread more around

**Edit - It did let me rate ya.. well how bout that... as if you needed any more.. hehe

[RobDog888]

No worries. I am glad that it worked and I knew something was missing. Bad Gigemboy *SLAP*

It was only logic and reverse experience that I had on building a vb6 app entirely from APIs. No forms or controls. I created a menu from scratch and I remembered the message streams messages and logic. This is not the first time its come in handy.

See ya in the VB.NET forum.