How To Keep Word Print Dialog Box on Top Using APIs

MORE INFORMATION

One problem encountered when you open Word's print dialog box from Visual FoxPro using OLE automation and do not show Word or the document window is that the following message may appear: This usually occurs because Word's print dialog box appears behind the current window. To prevent this message, use the FindWindowA and SetWindowPos Application Program Interface (API) calls to make the print dialog box remain on top.

Sample Code

   ***** Begin code sample *****
   DECLARE LONG FindWindowA IN WIN32API ;
      STRING class, ;
      STRING title

   DECLARE SetWindowPos IN WIN32API ;
      LONG HWND, ;
      LONG hwndafter, ;
      LONG x, ;
      LONG y, ;
      LONG cx, ;
      LONG cy, ;
      LONG flags

   oWord = CREATEOBJECT("Word.Application" )
   oWord.Documents.Add
   * Check background printing.
   lBackground = oWord.Options.PrintBackground()
   IF lBackground
      oWord.Options.PrintBackground = .F.   && Turn off.
   ENDIF

   dlg = oWord.Dialogs(88)   && Open Print dialog box in Word.
   dlg.SHOW

   * Get the window handle to Word 97.
   wordhandle = 0
   DO WHILE wordhandle = 0
      * Pass the class name for Word 97 "OpusApp" to FindWindowA
      wordhandle = FindWindowA("OpusApp", NULL)
   ENDDO

   * Variables used in the SetWindowPos API.
   swp_nosize = 1
   swp_nomove = 2
   hwnd_topmost = -1
   hwnd_notopmost = -2

   * Call SetWindowPos to make the print dialog stay on top.
   lretval = 0
   lretval = SetWindowPos(wordhandle,hwnd_topmost,;
                0,0,0,0,swp_nosize+swp_nomove)

   * Turn on background printing if it was on before.
   IF lBackground
      oWord.Options.Printbackground = !oWord.Options.Printbackground
   ENDIF
   oWord.Quit
   RETURN
   ***** End code sample *****
				

NOTE: On some machines, Word displays briefly and disappears whenever the print dialog box closes.