detect Win32 events?
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Hello. I am working on a sort of "PC monitor/assistant" application program (.NET on Windows XP) which detects visible changes in the appearance of windows associated with desktop applications. I have tried taking a snapshot of the desktop when my program starts, then periodically taking snapshots and comparing them with the previous snapshot via pixel-by-pixel comparison. That method will miss important events and is computationally very expensive. Perhaps a better way would be to detect invalidate, refresh, paint, etc. event messages being sent to the other application programs, but after having looked at Microsoft docs and Win32 API calls haven't found a way to do it. If the second method is a good way to get the job done, how do I do that? I conjecture that "virtual desktop" apps do it, or something similar. If that's not how it's done, how is it done?
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Hello. I am working on a sort of "PC monitor/assistant" application program (.NET on Windows XP) which detects visible changes in the appearance of windows associated with desktop applications. I have tried taking a snapshot of the desktop when my program starts, then periodically taking snapshots and comparing them with the previous snapshot via pixel-by-pixel comparison. That method will miss important events and is computationally very expensive. Perhaps a better way would be to detect invalidate, refresh, paint, etc. event messages being sent to the other application programs, but after having looked at Microsoft docs and Win32 API calls haven't found a way to do it. If the second method is a good way to get the job done, how do I do that? I conjecture that "virtual desktop" apps do it, or something similar. If that's not how it's done, how is it done?
Some time back, I was developing a similar application and had faced similar problem. Then, I had put up a similar question in CodeProject but under C# section. Then I had recieved a reply saying that a development kit called MS-DDK (Miscrosoft Device Development Kit) provided the solution for this problem. Unfortunately due to lack of time, I had to live up with the computationally intensive method of doing this. You can refer this DDK to accopmlish your objectives. I am just providing you a direction. I dont have any details regarding this since I have not worked in this. Cheers, Nagu It does not matter WHAT you Say. It does not matter WHEN you Say. The only thing that matters is HOW you Say. Cheers, Nagu