[C#] List running Applications

[Linkinfamous]

Is there any way to list running 'Applications', as opposed to processes? For example, the contents of the task manager's applications tab, and the windows taskbar.

[Andareed]

The application tasks pane is most likely generated by enumerating through all top level windows (via EnumWindows) and including those windows that have the WS_VISIBLE style set (can be retrieved via GetWindowLong).

[Linkinfamous]

Excellent. Works perfectly. Thanks.

[cudret]

i wanna make same .. but i dont know exactly :p

[neowin_hipster]

WEll, i believe the terminology in windows is a "job". A "job" contains several processes which in turn contains several threads.

[Linkinfamous]

Ack! My old thread! It lives again?

For anyone interested, here's how I ended up doing it.

private const int GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20);
        private const int WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW = 0x80;
        private const int WS_EX_APPWINDOW = 0x40000;
        private const int GW_OWNER = 4;
        public delegate int EnumWindowsProcDelegate(int hWnd, int lParam);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int EnumWindows(Pop.EnumWindowsProcDelegate lpEnumFunc, int lParam);
        [DllImport("User32.Dll")]
        public static extern void GetWindowText(int h, StringBuilder s, int nMaxCount);
        [DllImport("user32", EntryPoint = "GetWindowLongA")]
        private static extern int GetWindowLongPtr(int hwnd, int nIndex);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int GetParent(int hwnd);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int GetWindow(int hwnd, int wCmd);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int IsWindowVisible(int hwnd);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int GetDesktopWindow();

        private static bool IsTaskbarWindow(int hWnd)
        {
            int lExStyle;
            int hParent;
            lExStyle = GetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_EXSTYLE);
            hParent = GetParent(hWnd);
            bool fTaskbarWindow = ((IsWindowVisible(hWnd) != 0) & (GetWindow(hWnd, GW_OWNER) == 0) & (hParent == 0 | hParent == GetDesktopWindow()));
            if ((lExStyle & WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW) == WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW)
            {
                fTaskbarWindow = false;
            }
            if ((lExStyle & WS_EX_APPWINDOW) == WS_EX_APPWINDOW)
            {
                fTaskbarWindow = true;
            }
            return fTaskbarWindow;
        }
        public static int EnumWindowsProc(int hWnd, int lParam)
        {
            if (IsTaskbarWindow(hWnd))
            {
                StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(1024);
                GetWindowText(hWnd, sb, sb.Capacity);
                String xMsg = sb.ToString();
                {
                    if (xMsg.Length > 0)
                    {
                        //Do whatever.
                    }
                }
            }
            return 1;
        }

Call it like so:

EnumWindows(EnumWindowsProc, 0);

[budidharma]

  Dayon said:

Ack! My old thread! It lives again?

For anyone interested, here's how I ended up doing it.

private const int GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20);
        private const int WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW = 0x80;
        private const int WS_EX_APPWINDOW = 0x40000;
        private const int GW_OWNER = 4;
        public delegate int EnumWindowsProcDelegate(int hWnd, int lParam);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int EnumWindows(Pop.EnumWindowsProcDelegate lpEnumFunc, int lParam);
        [DllImport("User32.Dll")]
        public static extern void GetWindowText(int h, StringBuilder s, int nMaxCount);
        [DllImport("user32", EntryPoint = "GetWindowLongA")]
        private static extern int GetWindowLongPtr(int hwnd, int nIndex);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int GetParent(int hwnd);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int GetWindow(int hwnd, int wCmd);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int IsWindowVisible(int hwnd);
        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int GetDesktopWindow();

        private static bool IsTaskbarWindow(int hWnd)
        {
            int lExStyle;
            int hParent;
            lExStyle = GetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_EXSTYLE);
            hParent = GetParent(hWnd);
            bool fTaskbarWindow = ((IsWindowVisible(hWnd) != 0) & (GetWindow(hWnd, GW_OWNER) == 0) & (hParent == 0 | hParent == GetDesktopWindow()));
            if ((lExStyle & WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW) == WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW)
            {
                fTaskbarWindow = false;
            }
            if ((lExStyle & WS_EX_APPWINDOW) == WS_EX_APPWINDOW)
            {
                fTaskbarWindow = true;
            }
            return fTaskbarWindow;
        }
        public static int EnumWindowsProc(int hWnd, int lParam)
        {
            if (IsTaskbarWindow(hWnd))
            {
                StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(1024);
                GetWindowText(hWnd, sb, sb.Capacity);
                String xMsg = sb.ToString();
                {
                    if (xMsg.Length > 0)
                    {
                        //Do whatever.
                    }
                }
            }
            return 1;
        }

Call it like so:

EnumWindows(EnumWindowsProc, 0);

586592243[/snapback]

This looks great. But I'm confused about how exactly to use it.

I've got a form set up, and added another class to it: WindowScraper - which has the following code:

using System;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace WindowScraper
{
	/// <summary>
	/// Summary description for WindowScraper.
	/// </summary>
	public class WindowScraper
	{
  public WindowScraper()
  {
  	//
  	// TODO: Add constructor logic here
  	//
  }

  /// <summary>
  /// Imported user32 functions.
  /// </summary>

  private const int GWL_EXSTYLE = (-20);
  private const int WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW = 0x80;
  private const int WS_EX_APPWINDOW = 0x40000;
  private const int GW_OWNER = 4;

  public delegate int EnumWindowsProcDelegate(int hWnd, int lParam);

  [DllImport("user32")]
  private static extern int EnumWindows(EnumWindowsProcDelegate lpEnumFunc, int lParam);

  [DllImport("User32.Dll")]
  public static extern void GetWindowText(int h, StringBuilder s, int nMaxCount);

  [DllImport("user32", EntryPoint = "GetWindowLongA")]
  private static extern int GetWindowLongPtr(int hwnd, int nIndex);

  [DllImport("user32")]
  private static extern int GetParent(int hwnd);

  [DllImport("user32")]
  private static extern int GetWindow(int hwnd, int wCmd);

  [DllImport("user32")]
  private static extern int IsWindowVisible(int hwnd);

  [DllImport("user32")]
  private static extern int GetDesktopWindow();

  /// <summary>
  /// Functions
  /// </summary>

  private static bool IsTaskbarWindow(int hWnd)
  {
  	int lExStyle;
  	int hParent;
  	lExStyle = GetWindowLongPtr(hWnd, GWL_EXSTYLE);
  	hParent = GetParent(hWnd);
  	bool fTaskbarWindow = ((IsWindowVisible(hWnd) != 0) & (GetWindow(hWnd, GW_OWNER) == 0) & (hParent == 0 | hParent == GetDesktopWindow()));
  	if ((lExStyle & WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW) == WS_EX_TOOLWINDOW)
  	{
    fTaskbarWindow = false;
  	}
  	if ((lExStyle & WS_EX_APPWINDOW) == WS_EX_APPWINDOW)
  	{
    fTaskbarWindow = true;
  	}
  	return fTaskbarWindow;
  }

  /// <summary>
  /// 
  /// </summary>
  /// <param name="hWnd"></param>
  /// <param name="lParam"></param>
  /// <returns></returns>

  public static int EnumWindowsProc(int hWnd, int lParam)
  {
  	if (IsTaskbarWindow(hWnd))
  	{
    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(1024);
    GetWindowText(hWnd, sb, sb.Capacity);
    String xMsg = sb.ToString();
  	{
    if (xMsg.Length > 0)
    {
    	//Do whatever.
    }
  	}
  	}
  	return 1;
  }

	}
}

Now, In my form, I want to do the following: Create a function which Clears the listbox and adds an item for each found window (text). I know manipulate the listbox, obviously, but I don't know how to return a list of the window names.

I also want to return a list of the window handles, so that I can create bitmap's of them to save.

Any idea how to do this?

Thanks.

Oh, and one more thing, In the original code, this:

        [DllImport("user32")]
        private static extern int EnumWindows(Pop.EnumWindowsProcDelegate lpEnumFunc, int lParam);

Will not compile because pop is not a valid namespace. I deleted "pop." and it compiled fine, though i don't know if that will affect it working.

[Laura_whitley99]

I think I found some useful information on "forums.devshed.com". Have a quick search in there.

My Webpage

[Burned]

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Filemon.html

[aby]

hi,

i m stucking up at the same point as budidharma!

@MioTheGreat-- Any help on it??

[aby]

just one problem, how did you invoke "EnumWindowsProc"?

[Bi0haZarD]

  aby said:

just one problem, how did you invoke "EnumWindowsProc"?

Sep 7 2005 -> Dec 30 2005.

:blink:

[aby]

  Bi0haZarD said:

Sep 7 2005 -> Dec 30 2005.

:blink:

lols.. :D

that was a stupid question !! I admit ! now dont gimme scary looks..

i was an open source guy thrown in this .net stuff by organization, so got stuck up that time.. lols

well for rest, it worked for me too, if anyone need help, post.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

  aby said:

just one problem, how did you invoke "EnumWindowsProc"?

You don't. The window manager does. EnumWindowsProc is a callback function. You define the function, pass a function pointer (delegate) in the EnumWindows call, and then EnumWindows will call you back by calling that function once for every window in its list.

  Goalie_CA said:

WEll, i believe the terminology in windows is a "job". A "job" contains several processes which in turn contains several threads.

That is not correct. Well, it is correct that Windows has a concept called "job" that groups processes together. But it has nothing to do with what shows up in the Applications tab of Task Manager.

That list uses a similar mechanism to what the taskbar uses. It enumerates top-level windows and decides whether to display each one based on specific properties (WS_EX_APPWINDOW, etc).

[aby]

hey thanks Brandon,

but I've already found the solution. yes the same way I did.

  Brandon Live said:

You don't. The window manager does. EnumWindowsProc is a callback function. You define the function, pass a function pointer (delegate) in the EnumWindows call, and then EnumWindows will call you back by calling that function once for every window in its list.

That is not correct. Well, it is correct that Windows has a concept called "job" that groups processes together. But it has nothing to do with what shows up in the Applications tab of Task Manager.

That list uses a similar mechanism to what the taskbar uses. It enumerates top-level windows and decides whether to display each one based on specific properties (WS_EX_APPWINDOW, etc).