[RESOLVED] How to enumerate seperate program's menu items (of application running) in VB6

[cyberd]

Hi again

How to enumerate seperate program's menu items (of an application running) in VB6 ?

i can enumerating caption - title and buttons but now i want to enumerate menus of an application running and i want to change them... is it possible

see the previous thread i ve started:
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=561340
if that help...

thanks in advance

[MartinLiss]

Why do you want to do that?

[cyberd]

i want to replace with my text/caption/menus for helping user understand better a software or translate them to a different language... not for ever - while pressing a hotkey will be translated... when unpressed will come to first position... while it was

[MartinLiss]

You can create and use a Resource file that contains all your text/caption/menus in different languages and then use the user's regional settings to determine which ones to show.

[cyberd]

@MartinLiss i want to enumerate other's Application (exe) that will running already... for example Calculator of Windows.

ps: by the way Realbasic is good language (better than vb6 for example in databases, direct3d, gui programming, webbrowser controls) or it is not ?

[MartinLiss]

@MartinLiss i want to enumerate other's Application (exe) that will running already... for example Calculator of Windows.

ps: by the way Realbasic is good language (better than vb6 for example in databases, direct3d, gui programming, webbrowser controls) or it is not ?

Sorry, I thought you were talking about your own application.

I thought RealBasic was okay, and even though I wrote that article I didn't get into it very far and I don't use it now, so I can't comment on your examples.

[cyberd]

I didn't get into it very far and I don't use it now

i understand...

so anyone can help about enumerate other's Application (exe) menu that will running already...

[cyberd]

i've found that code...

that may be help... but until now i can't understand how it will work for me...

http://allapi.mentalis.org/vbexample...&category=MISC

can anyone help ?

[vb5prgrmr]

Looking at example now and it is almost what you need from what I can tell. I can also tell that you do not need the dll from the example as you are not going to be appending a menu to another program. I am trying to slowly work up an example for you that is a bit better explained.

[cyberd]

@vb5prgrmr Thank you... i am waiting for your example - because i can't really understand those api's

[vb5prgrmr]

Okay, here we go....

To use, start a new project, add a command button, and add the code

Option Explicit

'constanst used for setting and retrieving the text/caption of windows
Private Const WM_SETTEXT = &HC
Private Const WM_GETTEXT = &HD
Private Const WM_GETTEXTLENGTH = &HE

Private Const MIIM_STATE = &H1
Private Const MIIM_ID = &H2
Private Const MIIM_SUBMENU = &H4
Private Const MIIM_CHECKMARKS = &H8
Private Const MIIM_TYPE = &H10
Private Const MIIM_DATA = &H20

Private Const MFT_STRING As Long = &H0

Private Const MENU_IDENTIFIER As Long = &H1

Private Type MENUITEMINFO
  cbSize As Long
  fMask As Long
  fType As Long
  fState As Long
  wID As Long
  hSubMenu As Long
  hbmpChecked As Long
  hbmpUnchecked As Long
  dwItemData As Long
  dwTypeData As String
  cch As Long
End Type

'used for finding an applications window
Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long

'used for determining if the handle returned by findwindow still exists
Private Declare Function IsWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

'returns a handle to the menu from the window found by FindWindow
Private Declare Function GetMenu Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

'returns the number of menu items of the menu found by GetMenu
Private Declare Function GetMenuItemCount Lib "user32" (ByVal hMenu As Long) As Long

'returns the handle to a specific menu item
Private Declare Function GetMenuItemID Lib "user32" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal nPos As Long) As Long

'returns true/false on success of filling a MENUITEMINFO structure with information
Private Declare Function GetMenuItemInfo Lib "user32" Alias "GetMenuItemInfoA" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal un As Long, ByVal b As Long, lpMenuItemInfo As MENUITEMINFO) As Long

'used for changing the properties of the menu item in question
Private Declare Function SetMenuItemInfo Lib "user32" Alias "SetMenuItemInfoA" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal un As Long, ByVal bool As Boolean, lpcMenuItemInfo As MENUITEMINFO) As Long

'returns a handle to the a sub menu from a menu item
Private Declare Function GetSubMenu Lib "user32" (ByVal hMenu As Long, ByVal nPos As Long) As Long


Private Declare Function IsMenu Lib "user32" (ByVal hMenu As Long) As Long

'the origional and the modified to make it easier to change the caption
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessageSTRING Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As String) As Long

Dim OtherApplicationsWindowHandle As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()

On Error GoTo Form_LoadError

'find notepad
OtherApplicationsWindowHandle = FindWindow("notepad", vbNullString)

'check to see if we have notepad
If IsWindow(OtherApplicationsWindowHandle) = 0 Then
  
  'if we don't, shell it to start it
  Call Shell("notepad", vbNormalFocus)
  
  'now loop until we know that notepad is active
  Do Until IsWindow(OtherApplicationsWindowHandle) <> 0
    OtherApplicationsWindowHandle = FindWindow("notepad", vbNullString)
    DoEvents
  Loop
End If

Exit Sub
Form_LoadError:

MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description

End Sub

Private Sub Command1_Click()

On Error GoTo Command1_ClickError

Dim HandleToOtherWindowMenu As Long, MenuCount As Long, ReturnValue As Long
Dim HandleToSubMenu As Long, SubMenuCount As Long
Dim MII As MENUITEMINFO

'grab the handle to the windows menu
HandleToOtherWindowMenu = GetMenu(OtherApplicationsWindowHandle)

'check to see if we have a valid handle
If HandleToOtherWindowMenu = 0 Then
  MsgBox "Unable to find other applications menu", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Not Found"
  Exit Sub
End If

'just for giggles find out how many top level menu items we have
MenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(HandleToOtherWindowMenu)

'check to make sure we have menus
If MenuCount < 0 Then
  MsgBox "Unalbe to get the count of menu items.", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "No Count"
  Exit Sub
End If

'now set up the menu item info structure
MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
MII.fMask = MIIM_TYPE
MII.fType = MFT_STRING

MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

'this first call may not fail but because we have set the buffer to a zero length string
'the only thing we get back is the correct size of a buffer we need
ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, 0, True, MII)

'then we use that information to set the size of the buffer + 1
MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

'now retrieve the menu information (we want its caption
ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, 0, True, MII)

'now we are going to set up the structure with the string we want to set the menu item to
MII.dwTypeData = "&File Menu "
MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

'after this call, you can check the running instance of notepad and see that it's caption
'for the File menu item should read &File Menu
ReturnValue = SetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, 0, True, MII)

'for giggles test to see if we were successful
If ReturnValue = 0 Then
  MsgBox "Unable to change parent menu caption but will continue.", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "No Joy!"
End If

'now get the sub menus to the file menu
HandleToSubMenu = GetSubMenu(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, 0)

'get the count of sub menus
SubMenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(HandleToSubMenu)

'reset the structure
MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

'make call to get the size of what the sturcture should be
ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToSubMenu, 8, True, MII)

'set up the structrure with the size we need (you can pre do this ahead of time if you
'want by making sure that the size of the string is definitly large enough to hold the
'caption of the menu item)
MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

'pull the data
ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToSubMenu, 8, True, MII)

'set it with the text we want it displayed
MII.dwTypeData = "E&xit Menu "
MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

'make the call to change the E&xit sub menu of &File to E&xit Menu
ReturnValue = SetMenuItemInfo(HandleToSubMenu, 8, True, MII)

'check
If ReturnValue = 0 Then
  MsgBox "Unable to change child menu caption.", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "No Joy!"
End If

Exit Sub
Command1_ClickError:

MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description

End Sub

Now the counts are for retrieving how many menu items there are and you could use a for loop to enumerate through them to return the captions, just remember that while the count may be 5 it starts at zero 0 (0 to 4)

This should get you very well started on completing the task of having a program that will change the menu captions to a different language or to whatever you want.

Good Luck

[cyberd]

RESPECT !!! you are writing well! and ofcourse right!!!!!!! the code changing by targeting the menuitem i want after targeting the window process i want!

but as always... i read the very VERY VERY WELL documentation of your code... but i can't read the menus and submenus or something going bad...
*** First i want to read the menuitem/submenus...

please give me the snippet for like this:

for y=0 to menuitemcount-1
 debug.print menuitem(y).caption
 for x=0 to menuitem(x).submenu.count-1
  debug.print ".." & menuitem(y).submenu(x).caption
 next x
next y

or something - first i need to read if i want to translate...

[vb5prgrmr]

You have all the code you need to be able to accomplish what you want. You just need to modify it. You need to think about what you have, what you want to do, and think step by step on how to accomplish it. Now I have already given you the hints and the code you need to be able to enumerate through the top level menu items and each of their sub menu items and if necessary those sub items. Its all there!

Place a break point at the beginning of the click event and step through the code reading the comments at each step and keep in mind my out of code comments at the end about looping through for retrieval. Then look at how the type is set up to retrive the information and set the information. You can do it, you have all the information you need between the code, the help files, and your own imagination.

Good Luck

[cyberd]

Ok.. you have right... this forum can make me "lazy", something i didn't like all my life...
THANKS AGAIN... RESPECT...
I please moderators and administrators and all users reading that give you as much points they can if that counts for you!

RESOLVED.

[cyberd]

For armenu = 0 To MenuCount - 1
    
    'now set up the menu item info structure
    MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
    MII.fMask = MIIM_TYPE
    MII.fType = MFT_STRING
    
    MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
    MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
    
    'this first call may not fail but because we have set the buffer to a zero length string
    'the only thing we get back is the correct size of a buffer we need
    
    ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, armenu, True, MII)
    
    'then we use that information to set the size of the buffer + 1
    MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
    MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
    
    'now retrieve the menu information (we want its caption
    ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, armenu, True, MII)
    Debug.Print MII.dwTypeData
    
    'now get the sub menus to the file menu
    HandleToSubMenu = GetSubMenu(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, armenu)
    
    'get the count of sub menus
    SubMenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(HandleToSubMenu)
    
    For arsubmenu = 0 To SubMenuCount - 1
    
        'reset the structure
        MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
        MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
        
        'make call to get the size of what the sturcture should be
        ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToSubMenu, arsubmenu, True, MII)
        
        'set up the structrure with the size we need (you can pre do this ahead of time if you
        'want by making sure that the size of the string is definitly large enough to hold the
        'caption of the menu item)
        MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
        MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
        
        'pull the data
        ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToSubMenu, arsubmenu, True, MII)
        
        Debug.Print MII.dwTypeData
        
    Next arsubmenu
 
Debug.Print
Next armenu

That will print Menus and first Submenus...

but i can't make a multi-level check for more submenus - at least i can't make a clear code checker... is it possible to make one may be with a help of array ?

[vb5prgrmr]

Okay, here is a hint...

Read the documentation on GetSubMenu especially the section where it says Return Values.

Now with this knowledge, I hope you realize that you can test for either of these conditions (IF).

Then look up the word recursion or recursive and if you have ever used the dir function recursively then you know where I am leading you, as walking the menu structure should be no different that walking a directory structure.

Good Luck

[vb5prgrmr]

Recieved you PM, busy at moment, but here is some psudo code to get you started

Private Sub/Function RecursiveMenuWalker(HandleToMenu As Long) As WhateverIfFuction
Dim MenuCount As Long, ForLoopCounter As Integer
Dim SubMenuCollection As New Collection

MenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(HandleToMenu)

For ForLoopCounter = 0 To MenuCount - 1
  HandleToSubMenu = GetSubMenu(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, ForLoopCounter)
  If HandleToSubMenu > 0 Then
    SubMenuCollection.Add HandleToSubMenu
  End If
  'do your other stuff...
Next ForLoopCounter

For ForLoopCounter = 1 To SubMenuCollection.Count
  RecursiveMenuWalker SubMenuCollection.Item ForLoopCounter 'may need to wrap collection with clng()
Next ForLoopCounter

End Sub/Function

Now, as you can see from the above psudo code the initial calling sub/function passes the
handle to the menu (HandleToOtherWindowMenu) Then this sub retrieves the count of menu items
and starts to loop through it, all the while testing to see if that menu item has a submenu.
Then if it does it adds the handle to the sub menu to a collection we can use later.
From there you can do all the stuff you need to do to retrieve the caption of each menu item.
Then when it is done with that loop it goes to the next loop where we have stored the handles
to the sub menus. (Now, when it comes to the collection object you will need to look it up
as I created this psudo code in notepad from memory. SO, DON'T take the above as actual code!)

Now, the second loop calls this same sub (recursion) and passed the handles to the sub menus
in and the process starts all over.

Good Luck

[cyberd]

I ve tried... i almost did it but in one level submenus... i think that my mind stopped ! can i have any help plz ?....

my code:

Dim MenuCount As Long, ReturnValue As Long
Dim HANDLETOSUBMENU As Long, SubMenuCount As Long
Dim MII As MENUITEMINFO

Dim armenu As Long


For armenu = 0 To MenuCount - 1
    
    MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
    MII.fMask = MIIM_TYPE
    MII.fType = MFT_STRING
    MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
    MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
    ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, armenu, True, MII)
    MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
    MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)

    ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, armenu, True, MII)
    Debug.Print MII.dwTypeData

    RecursiveMenuWalker armenu

Debug.Print
Next armenu


'the sub....

Private Sub RecursiveMenuWalker(HandleToMenu As Long)

Dim MenuCount As Long, ForLoopCounter As Long
Dim HANDLETOSUBMENU As Long
Dim MII As MENUITEMINFO
Dim ReturnValue As Long

Dim SubMenuCollection(100) As Long
    MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
    MII.fMask = MIIM_TYPE
    MII.fType = MFT_STRING
    
HANDLETOSUBMENU = GetSubMenu(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, HandleToMenu)
MenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(HANDLETOSUBMENU)

If MenuCount <= 0 Then Exit Sub

For ForLoopCounter = 0 To MenuCount - 1
  'HANDLETOSUBMENU = GetSubMenu(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, ForLoopCounter)
  'If HANDLETOSUBMENU > 0 Then
  '  SubMenuCollection(ForLoopCounter) = HANDLETOSUBMENU
  'End If
        MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
        MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
        ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HANDLETOSUBMENU, ForLoopCounter, True, MII)
        MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
        MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
        ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HANDLETOSUBMENU, ForLoopCounter, True, MII)
        
        Debug.Print MII.dwTypeData

Next ForLoopCounter

'RecursiveMenuWalker HANDLETOSUBMENU

'For ForLoopCounter = 0 To MenuCount - 1
  
  'RecursiveMenuWalker ForLoopCounter
  'If SubMenuCollection(ForLoopCounter) > 0 Then RecursiveMenuWalker SubMenuCollection(ForLoopCounter) 'may need to wrap collection with clng()
'Next ForLoopCounter

End Sub

...what to say... i am going to be 'a looser' ... :-( no i can't understand the construction of this API !!!

[vb5prgrmr]

Okay, I tried to use the code on microsoft word to demonstrait the recursive nature but the menu for it is actually a msoCommandBar, so if I ever pursue this in the future I'm going to have to figure something else out...

On another note, I'm glad I saved this as a demo project...

Private Sub Command2_Click()

On Error GoTo Command2_ClickError

Dim HandleToOtherWindowMenu As Long, MenuCount As Long, ReturnValue As Long
Dim HandleToSubMenu As Long, StopChar As String
Dim MII As MENUITEMINFO, ForLoopCounter As Integer

'grab the handle to the windows menu
HandleToOtherWindowMenu = GetMenu(OtherApplicationsWindowHandle)

'check to see if we have a valid handle
If HandleToOtherWindowMenu = 0 Then
  MsgBox "Unable to find other applications menu", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "Not Found"
  Exit Sub
End If

'just for giggles find out how many top level menu items we have
MenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(HandleToOtherWindowMenu)

'check to make sure we have menus
If MenuCount < 0 Then
  MsgBox "Unalbe to get the count of menu items.", vbOKOnly + vbInformation, "No Count"
  Exit Sub
End If

'now set up the menu item info structure
MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
MII.fMask = MIIM_TYPE
MII.fType = MFT_STRING

For ForLoopCounter = 0 To MenuCount - 1
  
  MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
  MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
  
  'this first call may not fail but because we have set the buffer to a zero length string
  'the only thing we get back is the correct size of a buffer we need
  ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, ForLoopCounter, True, MII)
  
  'then we use that information to set the size of the buffer + 1
  MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
  MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
  
  'now retrieve the menu information (we want its caption)
  ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, ForLoopCounter, True, MII)
  
  StopChar = Right(MII.dwTypeData, 1)
  Debug.Print Left(MII.dwTypeData, InStr(1, MII.dwTypeData, StopChar) - 1)
  
  'now get the sub menus to the file menu
  HandleToSubMenu = GetSubMenu(HandleToOtherWindowMenu, ForLoopCounter)
  
  'check to see if we have found a sub menu
  If HandleToSubMenu <> 0 Then
    
    'seems like this menu item has a sub menu so call the recursive menu walker
    RecursiveMenuWalker HandleToSubMenu, Left(MII.dwTypeData, InStr(1, MII.dwTypeData, StopChar) - 1)
    
  End If
  
Next ForLoopCounter

Exit Sub
Command2_ClickError:

MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description

End Sub

Private Sub RecursiveMenuWalker(ByVal SubMenuHandle As Long, ByVal ParentMenu As String)

On Error GoTo RecursiveMenuWalkerError

Dim SubMenuCount As Long, ForLoopCounter As Integer
Dim HandleToSubMenu As Long, StopChar As String
Dim MII As MENUITEMINFO, ReturnValue As Long

'get the count of sub menus
SubMenuCount = GetMenuItemCount(SubMenuHandle)

'now set up the menu item info structure
MII.cbSize = Len(MII)
MII.fMask = MIIM_TYPE
MII.fType = MFT_STRING

For ForLoopCounter = 0 To SubMenuCount - 1
  
  'reset the structure
  MII.dwTypeData = vbNullString
  MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
  
  'make call to get the size of what the sturcture should be
  ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(SubMenuHandle, ForLoopCounter, True, MII)
  
  'set up the structrure with the size we need (you can pre do this ahead of time if you
  'want by making sure that the size of the string is definitly large enough to hold the
  'caption of the menu item)
  MII.dwTypeData = Space(MII.cch + 1)
  MII.cch = Len(MII.dwTypeData)
  
  'pull the data
  ReturnValue = GetMenuItemInfo(SubMenuHandle, ForLoopCounter, True, MII)
  
  StopChar = Right(MII.dwTypeData, 1)
  If StopChar <> "" Then
    Debug.Print ParentMenu & "." & Left(MII.dwTypeData, InStr(1, MII.dwTypeData, StopChar) - 1)
  Else
    If Trim(MII.dwTypeData) <> "" Then
      Debug.Print ParentMenu & "." & MII.dwTypeData
    Else
      Debug.Print ParentMenu & ".-menubar"
    End If
  End If
  'now get the sub menus to the file menu
  HandleToSubMenu = GetSubMenu(SubMenuHandle, ForLoopCounter)
  
  'check to see if we have found a sub menu
  If HandleToSubMenu <> 0 Then
    
    'seems like this menu item has a sub menu so call the recursive menu walker
    RecursiveMenuWalker HandleToSubMenu, ParentMenu & "." & Trim(MII.dwTypeData)
    
  End If
  
Next ForLoopCounter

Exit Sub
RecursiveMenuWalkerError:

MsgBox Err.Number & " " & Err.Description
Resume
End Sub

Good Luck

[cyberd]

msoCommandBar ... that is a problem... hmmm

[vb5prgrmr]

Yeah, that is the problem, but it does have children eventhough I have not had time to enumerate them to find out what they are...