How To Get a Hierarchical List of Window Names and Classes

MORE INFORMATION

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Step-by-Step Example

1. Create a new project with a Form and a Module.
2. Add the following controls to the form:

      Control            Name         Property   Value
      ------------------------------------------------
      Command button     Command1
      Text box           Text1        MultiLine  TRUE
      Text box           Text1        Scrollbars 2- Vertical
   
   						

   NOTE: The MultiLine property only applies to Visual Basic.
3. Type the following code into the module:

         Option Explicit
   
         Public Const GW_CHILD = 5
         Public Const GW_HWNDNEXT = 2
   
         Declare Function GetWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                 ByVal wCmd As Long) As Long
         Declare Function GetWindowText Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowTextA" _
                 (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpString As String, _
                 ByVal cch As Long) As Long
         Declare Function GetTopWindow Lib "user32" _
                 (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
         Declare Function GetClassName Lib "user32" Alias "GetClassNameA" _
                 (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpClassName As String, _
                 ByVal nMaxCount As Long) As Long
   
   						

4. Add the following code to the form's module:

         Sub AddChildWindows(ByVal hwndParent As Long, ByVal Level As Long)
         Dim WT As String, CN As String, Length As Long, hwnd As Long
           If Level = 0 Then
             hwnd = hwndParent
           Else
             hwnd = GetWindow(hwndParent, GW_CHILD)
           End If
           Do While hwnd <> 0
             WT = Space(256)
             Length = GetWindowText(hwnd, WT, 255)
             WT = Left$(WT, Length)
             CN = Space(256)
             Length = GetClassName(hwnd, CN, 255)
             CN = Left$(CN, Length)
             Me!Text1 = Me!Text1 & vbCrLf & String(2 * Level, ".") _
                      & WT & " (" & CN & ")"
             AddChildWindows hwnd, Level + 1
             hwnd = GetWindow(hwnd, GW_HWNDNEXT)
           Loop
         End Sub
   
         Sub Command1_Click()
         Dim hwnd As Long
           hwnd = GetTopWindow(0)
           If hwnd <> 0 Then
             AddChildWindows hwnd, 0
           End If
         End Sub
   
   						

5. Visual Basic only: Run the project.
   
   Access only: Open the form.
6. Click the CommandButton. The text box will be filled with a list of windows and their children arranged in a hierarchical order. The class name will follow the window name, such as:

         MainWindowName (WindowClass)
         ..ChildWindowName (WindowClass)
         ....GrandchildWindowName (WindowClass)
   
   						

NOTE: Not all windows will have a name but all will have a Window Class.