jdm@ut-emx.UUCP (Jim Meiss) (12/28/88)
In my desk accessory, I need to tell whether I've been opened under Excel, because Excel always keeps its edit window as the frontmost window. Currently I just check CurApName to see if it includes the string "Excel". Of course that only works if someone hasn't renamed Excel to something else (perverse person!). Anyway, does anyone have a better idea? I always get nervous using a low memory global! Thanks. Jim Meiss jdm@emx.utexas.edu jdm@fusion.utexas.edu
holland@m2.csc.ti.com (Fred Hollander) (12/29/88)
In article <9065@ut-emx.UUCP> jdm@ut-emx.UUCP (Jim Meiss) writes: > > In my desk accessory, I need to tell whether I've been opened >under Excel, because Excel always keeps its edit window as the >frontmost window. > Currently I just check CurApName to see if it includes the >string "Excel". Of course that only works if someone hasn't renamed >Excel to something else (perverse person!). > Anyway, does anyone have a better idea? I always get nervous >using a low memory global! There's a procedure called GetAppParms (see IM II) that will return (among other things) the Finder info. You can check the creator for 'XCEL'. Fred Hollander Computer Science Center Texas Instruments, Inc. holland%ti-csl@csnet-rela The above statements are my own and not representative of Texas Instruments.
oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu (David Phillip Oster) (12/29/88)
In article <9065@ut-emx.UUCP> jdm@ut-emx.UUCP (Jim Meiss) writes: > Currently I just check CurApName to see if it includes the >string "Excel". Of course that only works if someone hasn't renamed >Excel to something else (perverse person!). Get the application's resource fork's refNum. Stack the current refNum UseResFile(appsRefNum); Get1Resource('BNDL',...) (remember, 64kROM macs don't have this call, so you'll need to do a GetResource and a HomeResFile to simulate it.) near the beginning of the BNDL is the application's signature. This is supposed to be unique for each application (that has an icon anyway) So, it is a reliable way of seeing which application your are in. Use the call GetAppParams() to get the application's refnum. It is documented in the Segment Loader section of Inside Mac. --- David Phillip Oster --"When we replace the mouse with a pen, Arpa: oster@dewey.soe.berkeley.edu --3 button mouse fans will need saxophone Uucp: {uwvax,decvax}!ucbvax!oster%dewey.soe.berkeley.edu --lessons." - Gasee
tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney) (12/29/88)
And of course, under MultiFinder you will always be running under "DA Handler", never under Excel, unless you're opened with the Option key. Putting application dependencies into your DA is not recommended. -- Tim Maroney, Consultant, Eclectic Software, sun!hoptoad!tim "If you vote for clowns, you have no right to complain that only clowns make it to the ballot." -- Tim Maroney
lsr@Apple.COM (Larry Rosenstein) (12/29/88)
In article <9065@ut-emx.UUCP> jdm@ut-emx.UUCP (Jim Meiss) writes: > > In my desk accessory, I need to tell whether I've been opened >under Excel, because Excel always keeps its edit window as the >frontmost window. Checking the application signature is better than checking CurApName (since user's can't change the signature), but there is nothing to say that the next version of Excel won't have a different signature. (Aldus and Adobe have both done this with their respective programs.) What is it that you are trying to do? It might be better to check for the undesirable window configuration, and work from there. (That way if soem other application does the same thing, you are still covered.) Larry Rosenstein, Object Specialist Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave, MS 46-B Cupertino, CA 95014 AppleLink:Rosenstein1 domain:lsr@Apple.COM UUCP:{sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!lsr
jdm@ut-emx.UUCP (Jim Meiss) (12/29/88)
In response to my article Larry Rosenstein writes: <Checking the application signature is better than checking CurApName (since <user's can't change the signature), but there is nothing to say that the <next version of Excel won't have a different signature. (Aldus and Adobe <have both done this with their respective programs.) <What is it that you are trying to do? It might be better to check for the <undesirable window configuration, and work from there. (That way if soem <other application does the same thing, you are still covered.) What I'm trying to do is get the result of a calculation automatically entered in an applications window. My routine for doing this is: ------- Boolean underExcel; /* TRUE if CurApplication is Excel*/ Handle DItemHandle(wPtr,item) windowPtr wPtr; int item; { /*return handle for dialog item*/ } Pstr_Length(aStr) char* aStr; { /*return length of a pascal string*/ } PostKeys(itemNo) /*AutoPost of the Result*/ int itemNo; { Str255 theText; int i,len; long message; GetIText(DItemHandle(dce->dCtlWindow,itemNo),theText); len = pstr_Length(theText); for(i=1;i<=len;i++) { message = (long)theText[i]; PostEvent(keyDown,message); } SendBehind(dce->dCtlWindow,((WindowPeek)dce->dCtlWindow)->nextWindow); if(underExcel) SendBehind(FrontWindow(),((WindowPeek)FrontWindow())->nextWindow); } ------- I have to do a second SendBehind for Excel because it keeps its small edit window as the frontmost window, but this window won't accept keydown events. You have to make the spreadsheet window frontmost first. I don't know how to check to see if this kind of window configuration exists in general. This mght happen with other spreadsheet programs, but I only have Excel. Another case when this could happen is for SuperPaint (and perhaps MacPaint too) which has the pallette windows frontmost always. However, this isn't a big problem because I don't envision anyone using my calculator for a painting program. Finally, this procedure doesn't work under Multifinder unless the option key is used on launch of the DA. However, I wouldn't know how to tell which of the running applications should receive the keydown's anyway. I'd entertain any suggestions about how to detect such a window configuration in general, or if there is something better to do than SendBehind. Thanks; Jim Meiss jdm@emx.utexas.edu
blm@cxsea.UUCP (Brian Matthews) (12/30/88)
Jim Meiss (jdm@ut-emx.UUCP) writes: | In my desk accessory, I need to tell whether I've been opened |under Excel, because Excel always keeps its edit window as the |frontmost window. | Currently I just check CurApName to see if it includes the |string "Excel". Of course that only works if someone hasn't renamed |Excel to something else (perverse person!). | Anyway, does anyone have a better idea? I always get nervous |using a low memory global! Instead of looking for a particular nasty application, why not look for the particular behaviour instead? This way you'll work with any application that behaves that way, regardless of the name. In this case, perhaps you could just call FrontWindow, and see if it's yours. Just a suggestion... -- Brian L. Matthews blm@cxsea.UUCP ...{mnetor,uw-beaver!ssc-vax}!cxsea!blm +1 206 251 6811 Computer X Inc. - a division of Motorola New Enterprises