File Associations and the MDI

[daniel_bigham]

Has anyone out there worked with file associations via an MDI interface? If so, you're my hero

The trouble is that, with an MDI, you only want one instance of your program running. Thus, when Joe double click on a file associated with your program, any second copies of the program that are started need to communicate to the first instance the name of the file that the user is attempting to open, and then that second instance needs to close itself.

I've found a project over at vbAccelerator (I think?) that does this, but the description is rather over my head and I haven't been able to make it work. Plus, he uses some annoying timer DLL that I'd rather stay away from if possible.

All I'm looking for here is a straightforward, not overcomplicated way of implementing file associations with an MDI.

SOMEONE out there HAS to have experience with this

Daniel

[Bill Crawley]

Hi,

Not totally sure I understand the question but. If it's simply a case of ensuring one instance use the App object. If you want to associate a child form to an MDI program that is already running then i'd try the following (not ever done it but....) You will need to use the API to get the MDI forms handle use the getwindow API, then use createwindowex API to associate the child window to the MDI parent.