Can .Net (VB) run an external file AND manipulate it?

[Denaes]

I know about Automation, but this isn't that sort of case.

 

I know you can run an external exe file. But can you manipulate it someway?

 

Here is the situation, and it's not complicated:

 

A file that opens up, the form has a "From" and a "To" text box, then a button "Start".

 

We want to create a "controller" app with VB.Net so we can set it to run automatically at certain times.

 

The form always opens up with blank text boxes so you have to fill it out every time.

 

If it were a simple file/path/directory backup I'd just write it, but this file shuts down databases, copies them, sets some switch in the copied databases to "storage" with the time and date, then re-activates all the origional databases when finished.

 

Since I know VB can cause the application to execute, I'm thinking there might be a way to get the focus to one text box, vb sends it a path, jumps to the next textbox and gives it another path, then clicks the "run" button.

 

Is there a way to do this, maybe having VB simulating mouse clicks at certain coordinates and then "type" out a string?

 

This would make creating an "Automated Shell" program for simple apps a really sweet deal!

[mutant]

If im understanding you correctly you can do something like this. Start a process using the Process class, and get the handle to the executable from the process object and then use EnumChildWindows and SetWindowText APIs.

[Denaes]

To simplify things:

 

1. I want to write specific text into one textbox.

 

2. I want to write different text into the second textbox.

 

3. click the "Start" button.

 

If this works, I can see it opening up a whole lot of possibilities in the office.

 

Is this how you run it using the process class:

 

Process.Start("Filename")

 

I'm just not sure how to get the handle from that, but I'm sure I can figure out EnumChildWindows and SetWindowText API's.

 

Thanks for the pointer, Its a place to start snooping :)

[mutant]

Create a new Process object instead of just using the shared Start() method:

Dim p As New Process

Then you can use all kinds of interesting methods and properties of the process.

[Denaes]

ok, I looked around and found out how to declare the functions in question, but I'm not sure exactly how I can access any of the textboxes or buttons on this application.

 

"TestApp" is an application with two Textboxes and a Button.

 

 

 

'proc is a process to get the handle for the application in question.
   Dim proc As Process
   'hHandle is the variable for the application
   Dim hHandle As System.IntPtr

   'Declaration of Callback, a required function 
   'for EnumChildWindows.
   Public Delegate Function CallBack( _
       ByVal hwnd As Integer, _
       ByVal lParam As IntPtr) As Boolean

   Declare Function SetWindowText Lib "user32" _
       Alias "SetWindowTextA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
       ByVal lpString As String) As Long

   Public Declare Function EnumChildWindows Lib "user32" ( _
       ByVal hwnd As Integer, _
       ByVal lpEnumFunc As CallBack, _
       ByVal lParam As Integer) As Integer

   Public Shared Function ReceiveWindowHandles(ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByVal lParam As IntPtr) As Boolean

   End Function

   Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
       'In the Form1_Load I have to run through the array of Processes
       'because I don't know how to directly set the name to "TestApp"
       'Once I get to "TestApp", I set hHandle to "TestApp"'s handle.
       'I've successfully closed "TestApp" and gotten info on it, so 
       'I was successful getting to it.
       proc.GetProcesses(Environment.MachineName)
       For Each proc In proc.GetProcesses
           If proc.ProcessName = "TestApp" Then
               hHandle = proc.Handle
           End If
       Next
   End Sub

   Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
       EnumChildWindows(hHandle.ToInt32, AddressOf Me.ReceiveWindowHandles, 0)
   End Sub

 

From what I've read ReceiveWindowHandles is supposed to get the handles? How do I access them?

[mutant]

It should pass them to the hWnd argument.

[Denaes]

It passes them to the hWnd argument, but I'm not sure how to access them.

 

I have no clue what I'd use to get access to the first textbox, the second text box or the button...

 

I'm still looking into it, but there isn't much about this on these forums... hmm, they're old API's so maybe hitting up the vb6 forums might be a good idea.

[Denaes]

Might be Jury Rigged, but it works :)

 

Ok, it works.

 

This is how I did it:

 

   Private Declare Function BringWindowToTop Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hwnd As System.IntPtr) As Integer

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
'Process name is usually the executable name without the ".exe"
       Dim proc() As Process = Process.GetProcessesByName("TestApp")
       Dim x As Integer
      
       'Brings "TestApp" to focus
       BringWindowToTop(proc(x).MainWindowHandle)
       'Focus started in the first textbox, so I just send the text over
       SendKeys.Send("Text1")
       'Tab to the next textbox
       SendKeys.Send(vbTab)
       'Send text to the next textbox
       SendKeys.Send("Text2")
       'Tab to the button
       SendKeys.Send(vbTab)
       'A space activates a button with focus
       SendKeys.Send(" ")
   End Sub

 

This could be applied to any program which has keyboard functionality, which is nearly all of them.

 

It just requires you to to do a run through once to check the tab order and set your tabs accordingly.

 

I'm sure that there is a way to do this more 'slyly', in a more programer stylish way, but for non dynamic forms, this will get the job done :)