Re: [perl-win32-gui-users] How to get Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder() to the foreground at open?

[Gail H. <gh...@ho...>]

Thanks, Richard.

I am enclosing here two versions of a complete little script, originally 
showing the problem. The problem was solved by avoiding -addexstyle => 
WS_EX_TOPMOST, and using "-owner => " instead.

Here is the script showing the problem: (5.014 not essential) Note: change 
the 'D:\My documents' to an existing directory.

# Start example script
use strict;
use warnings;
use 5.014;
use Win32::GUI();
use Win32::GUI qw{ WS_EX_TOPMOST};
my ($InputDir, $TopDir, $InputFileName, $dw, $dh, $desktop, $Window);

$TopDir = 'D:\My documents';    # Change this to an existing direcotry of 
yours
$desktop = Win32::GUI::GetDesktopWindow();
$dw = Win32::GUI::Width($desktop);
$dh = Win32::GUI::Height($desktop);
$Window = Win32::GUI::Window->new( -name => 'main', -text => 'Main window',
    -pos => [20/100*$dw, 20/100*$dh], -size => [50/100*$dw, 60/100*$dh],
    -onTerminate => \&TerminateWindow,
    -addexstyle => WS_EX_TOPMOST,   -dialogui => 1, -tabstop => 1, -cancel 
=> 1, );
$Window -> AddButton ( -name => 'ButtonCommit', -pos => [10,10],
    -size =>[16/100*$dw,3.5/100*$dh], -text => 'Commit changes', -onClick => 
\&Commit);
sub Commit {
$InputDir = Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder( -root => $TopDir, -includefiles => 
1,
                -title => 'Select directory for parameter file',
                -text =>'Selext directory for parameter file',
                -size => [50/100*$dw, 50/100*$dh], -addexstyle => 
WS_EX_TOPMOST,);
$InputFileName = Win32::GUI::GetOpenFileName( -title  => 'Select the input 
file',
    -directory => $InputDir, -file   => "\0" . " " x 256,
    -filter => ["Text files (*.txt)" => "*.txt", "All files", "*.*", ],
    -text => 'text Select input file');
} # end sub Commit
$Window ->Show();
Win32::GUI::Dialog();
sub TerminateWindow {
return -1;
}
# end example script

Click the "Commit changes" button, then minimize the main window, and only 
then you see the "hiding" BrowseForFolder() window.
Note that the "BrowseForFolder()" window hides behind other windows, and you 
need to minimize other windows to get to it. All other Perl Win32::GUI 
windows do open up at the foreground.
Furthermore, note that -addexstyle => WS_EX_TOPMOST doesn't have an effect, 
while it usually does in Perl Win32::GUI windows.
Note: change the 'D:\My documents' to an existing directory.

Like I said, using the advice of: http://perlmonks.org/?node_id=995074, I 
eliminated "-addexstyle => WS_EX_TOPMOST", and entered "-owner => $Window" 
at the child window. That fixed it.
The role of  "-owner=>" is not clear to me. Why is it necessary, and why did 
it fix the problem - can you elaborate?

Here is the fixed code:

# Start example script
use strict;
use warnings;
use 5.014;
use Win32::GUI();
use Win32::GUI qw{ WS_EX_TOPMOST};
my ($InputDir, $TopDir, $InputFileName, $dw, $dh, $desktop, $Window);

$TopDir = 'D:\My documents'; # Change this to an existing direcotry of yours
$desktop = Win32::GUI::GetDesktopWindow();
$dw = Win32::GUI::Width($desktop);
$dh = Win32::GUI::Height($desktop);
$Window = Win32::GUI::Window->new( -name => 'main', -text => 'Main window',
  -pos => [20/100*$dw, 20/100*$dh], -size => [50/100*$dw, 60/100*$dh],
  -onTerminate => \&TerminateWindow,
  -dialogui => 1, -tabstop => 1, -cancel => 1, );
$Window -> AddButton ( -name => 'ButtonCommit', -pos => [10,10],
 -size =>[16/100*$dw,3.5/100*$dh], -text => 'Commit changes', -onClick => 
\&Commit);
sub Commit {
$InputDir = Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder( -root => $TopDir, -includefiles => 
1,
     -title => 'Select directory for parameter file',
     -text =>'Selext directory for parameter file',
     -size => [50/100*$dw, 50/100*$dh], -owner => $Window);
$InputFileName = Win32::GUI::GetOpenFileName( -title  => 'Select the input 
file',
  -directory => $InputDir, -file   => "\0" . " " x 256,
     -filter => ["Text files (*.txt)" => "*.txt", "All files", "*.*", ],
  -text => 'text Select input file');
TerminateWindow();
return -1;
} # end sub Commit
$Window ->Show();
Win32::GUI::Dialog();
sub TerminateWindow {
return -1;
}
# end example script

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Richard Hitchins To: Gail Hardmann Sent: Friday, 21 September, 2012 
17:36
Subject: Re: [perl-win32-gui-users] How to get Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder() 
to the foreground at open?

Hi Gail
Strange, I would expect the file browser to be on top.  Can you post any 
more code so I can see the snippet in context?

If not, then a less than ideal way would be to minimize or hide the other 
windows just before you call the file browser and then reinstate them 
afterwards.
Richard

On 21/09/2012 12:29, Gail Hardmann wrote:
Hi Perl Win32::GUI users!

When calling Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder(), the desktop (naturally) has 
several earlier windows on it. The BrowseForFolder() window hides behind 
those windows. This can be confusing and annoying, because sometimes you 
don't realize the program is asking you for a folder name, and you may think 
there is a bug.

(This is in difference from Win32::GUI::GetOpenFileName() or 
GetSaveFileName(), which do pop up in the foreground!).

My question is: how to make BrowseForFolder() come to the foreground?

One possibility is to find its handle, and then raise it to the foreground.
Can anyone suggest how to do it?

Note that
-addexstyle => WS_EX_TOPMOST
doesn't have any effect (see below).
Many TIA
Helen

Code snippet:
$InputDir = Win32::GUI::BrowseForFolder( -root => $TopDir, -includefiles => 
1,
                    -title => 'Select directory for parameter file',
                    -text =>'text Selext directory for parameter file',
                    -size => [50/100*$dw, 50/100*$dh], -addexstyle => 
WS_EX_TOPMOST,);
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