Hi all,

I am writing a small piece of app to automate a critical task.  However,
while this app  is running, I can't have any other tasks getting the focus. 
How can I keep my app in focus in Windows, ie, monopolize it for a brief
period of time in vb6?  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Since "System Modal" went the way of the dinosaurs after Win3.1, about the
only way I've seen is to use something like this....

Creating New Desktops and Running Applications
http://www.vbaccelerator.com/home/VB/Code/Libraries/Windows/Creating_New_Desktops/article.asp

.....which creates an entirely new desktop for your app to run on. Alt-Tab
and Ctrl-Alt-Del are of no use when your app's the only one running on the
current desktop. There's no taskbar, start menu, etc for people to muck with
either. You'll need to make double sure that your app has adequate error
handling and you never allow it to close (no matter what) before returning
control to the original desktop. The "Creating New Desktops" sample has
specific uses/limitations and if the app doesn't fall into the "what can I
do with my own desktop" category, you'll have to keep looking.

Hi,

You can use Ken's suggestion, which is a good one.

Another alternative, especially if all you want to do is to make sure that
your application has all of the available resources for SHORT periods of
time (I judge short to be one or two seconds, but might accept a somewhat
longer interval), you can use the Windows SetPriorityClass API to run your
application with a REAL-TIME priority.  Set this way, your app hogs almost
all of Windows' compute resources.  I have code examples under my PC Data
Acquisition link.  Click on Real-time, then select the 'Click here for some
suggestions' link.

Dick

Ken,
Show quoteHide quote

Show quote Hide quote There are far too many variables in that question <g>. If you have the
source for everything you need to communicate with, it may be pretty easy.
No source? Not so easy. With or without source, there are many ways to "skin
a cat". With source, you can communicate directly. Without, you're limited
to the functionality provided by that other "window". If it accepts
keystrokes, you can send them. If it accepts custom messages, you can send
those too. Then, there's always DDE (that simply won't die <g>)

Subclass Help WM_NOTIFY
Efficient way to parse large files
array loop alignment
Finding files and/or folders
BAS Module!
Stopping an Event
Problem executing a DTS from a VB6 application after installing th
"_files" folders and related folders
DataGrid Format Question
Conditional Resume