How to get handles of tabs

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Hi all

I am working on a project that requires getting trough tabs in a different application. I am using win32 api in order to access the handles in the other app. I managed to get my code to work, however it has a glitch. it turns out that when you use FindWindowEx() on the tab, it returns the first tab handle only. The way I got it to work is that I actually click the second tab only once end then the project runs flawless.

I used the Spy++ and when I looked at the 1st tab for the first time it shows no siblings(even though I have two more tabs), however when I click on the siblings and go back to the first tab and check again with spy++ it shows me the siblings. Therefore I can't use GetWindow(GW_HWNDNEXT) because it doesn't know it has a sibling until I click on the tab.

I am really trying to avoid using enumchildWindows() since I have no idea how it works, I've been trying to understand but I can hardly find examples, or a good explanation how to use it.

thank you in anticipation.

Posted 26-Aug-11 10:59am

nanomass

Updated 26-Aug-11 11:00am

v2

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 26-Aug-11 17:04pm

Your considerations look correct. Probably handles cannot be accessed by handles as you would do with separate windows. Unfortunately.
I never tried myself though, but your method of research also looks correct.
--SA

Philippe Mori 26-Aug-11 18:23pm

It might also be possible that the tabs are created on demand the first time a page is displayed. Such optimization can help improve initial display performance.

nanomass 26-Aug-11 20:21pm

I think you are right on that, he spy++ doesn't find any next tab, before I click them, is there any way I can get to initialize those handles of those tabs right after initial display?

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#realJSOP · Answer 1 · 2011-08-26T11:15:00

Solution 1

You can't avoid using enumChildWindow. The tab pages are (probably) child windows of the tab control.

Posted 26-Aug-11 11:15am

#realJSOP

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nanomass 26-Aug-11 20:19pm

The tabs are definitely children of the tabcontrol, however I think Philippe is right I think they are created on demand, because the spy++ only finds the handle of the first one If I haven't clicked on the other tabs, so I'm not sure if the EnumChildWindow() will actually find a child tab before I click on them. I will try using the EnumChildWindow, but that's my prediction.... I really hope the EnumChildWindow() works!! lol

nanomass · Answer 2 · 2011-08-28T16:27:00

found a way to get around the EnumChildWindows() which didn't work because the handles for tab 2,3,... aren't created until you click on them. There is a function called SendInput() which allows you to just send whatever you want where ever the cursor is placed, hopefully I should be placing an article on this, I actually learned a lot of Win32 these past few day, thank you guys for all your help!