[python-win32] Monitoring the active window

[Tim Roberts]

Nir P wrote:
>
>
> I'm trying to monitor the application on a window machine - I want to
> know when they start, finish, and when the user switch between them. I
> managed to monitor the creation and deletion of processes using
> Win32_Process.watch_for("creation") and
> Win32_Process.watch_for("deletion"), but didn't manage to monitor the
> times when the user switch the active window. I know I can get the
> current active window with
> win32gui.GetWindowText(win32gui.GetForegroundWindow()), but testing
> for changed for it in a loop doesn't sound like a good idea for
> performance, so I assume there is some event I can monitor? Any help,
> suggestions or reference to relevant reading material will be appreciated.
>

You can install a windows hook to do this.  A WH_CBT hook receives
WM_ACTIVATE and WM_DEACTIVATE messages, which are the messages sent when
a window receives and loses focus.

However, I don't think you'll be able to stick to straight Python for
this.  You might look at the pyAA library at
http://www.cs.unc.edu/assist/doc/pyaa to see if they could help.

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That's amazing.  When someone uses the term "Walla!" like that, in
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-- 
Tim Roberts, timr at probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.