Keeping Keyboard Focus

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How can I ensure that my C++/MFC dialog based application keeps keyboard focus when it is running? I have tried making the main window topmost using SetWindowPos() but although it stays on top of other windows, it still looses keyboard focus if someone tries to activate another application. I have to click on my application's title bar to regain keyboard focus.

Thanks

Tony

Posted 1-Apr-15 8:26am

softwaremonkey

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PIEBALDconsult 1-Apr-15 15:27pm

What does the _user_ want? What you describe seems user-hostile.

softwaremonkey 3-Apr-15 10:07am

The application is controlling machinery via function keys on the keyboard (customer's requirement, not mine!). The user wants (expects) the machine to respond correctly when he presses the keys at all times. I know Windows isn't the right OS for this kind of thing but again, not my choice ;o)

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Answer 1 · 2015-04-01T08:45:00

You are supposed to loose focus of someone activates another window, this is the only valid behavior. You need to understand that there is only one focused window (child window, a control) per desktop.

However, if you think that the focus should get back to the previously focused control when a window is activated, you are absolutely right.

High-level UI libraries always take care of that, but MFC is not one of them. You can achieve this effect by handling windows message WM_ACTIVATE: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms646274%28v=vs.85%29.aspx[^].

With MFC, you can use CWin:OnActivate: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/1f31c334.aspx[^].

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