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Mac Forum / Programming / Mac Programming / September 2008NSWindow pointer to another app's window
Is it possible to get an NSWindow pointer to another application's windows? I am working on an assistive app where I want my application to overlay some additional information over the window(s) of another application. For all intensive purposes, I want the information that I am displaying to appear as if it were actually part of the target window (i.e. moves with the target window as the target window moves around the desktop, correctly handle window layering, etc.) NSWindow has the addChildWindow:ordered: method, which would be fantastic if I could use this to add a transparent overlay to the target window, but I would need a pointer to the target window. Much thanks for all the help. In article <d849c7b8-49d9-4f36-90e8-b13316a30bfe@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>, > Is it possible to get an NSWindow pointer to another application's > windows? No. Pointers are only valid within the address space of the owning application, and one app's address space does not overlap another's. > I am working on an assistive app where I want my application to > overlay some additional information over the window(s) of another > application. For all intensive purposes, Gah. That's "intents and purposes." > I want the information that > I am displaying to appear as if it were actually part of the target [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Much thanks for all the help. If you're creating an assistive app, you should use the API provided to allow assistive apps to work. Start with AXAPIEnabled() and AXUIElementCreateApplication(). Unfortunately, the obvious solution - relying on kAXWindowMovedNotification - won't handle continuous tracking.  Signature"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix That is the path I have been going down but it seems it will be quite kludgy by the time it is all put together. Since the callback functions exist within their own thread it feels like I am adding additional layers of complexity that might not have been needed in the first place. As for intent, I am only providing decision support information for a particular online game. Software serving the same purpose has existed on Windows for several years now, and is widely accepted within the community. As a matter of fact, it might be the only reason I still boot up a Windows machine. In any case, I appreciate your response. > In article > <d849c7b8-49d9-4f36-90e8-b13316a30...@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" > - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix In article <97edc20b-ddd7-4aaa-9559-fc2dc5f9b10f@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, > That is the path I have been going down but it seems it will be quite > kludgy by the time it is all put together. Since the callback [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > As for intent, I am only providing decision support information for a > particular online game. I wasn't questioning your intent. I was correcting a very common error. The phrase is not "intensive purposes;" it's "intents and purposes." > Software serving the same purpose has existed > on Windows for several years now, and is widely accepted within the > community. This might be a silly question, but have you checked with your prospective Mac user base to see whether they would expect (or even tolerate) having an ancillary window tagging along whenever they move the main one? It might be the case that they expect (or even desire) to place it independently and have it stay put. That would certainly be the more typical (albeit not universal) behavior of things like that on the Mac. G Signature"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix The time critical nature of the game kind of eliminates that as a realisitic approach. The way the existing products in the Windows environment overlay the information (which I am trying to mimic) requires much less search time and is widely accepted. Presumably, since there are no Mac equivalent products in this user space, the majority of the customers I intend to target will be converts from one of the Windows products. In other words, I believe that the end result is what the prospective user will be looking for, including myself. I did find a flaw (or an obsticle not yet resolved) with window layering. The target application can have any number of windows open/ displayed at any given point in time (usually something between 2 and 16 windows) and the problem I am having is how to deal with overlapping target windows. Let me try and describe an example. I have two windows open in the target app, and Window1 is partially overlapping Window2. The information I want to display over Window1 is relevant only to activities within Window1, and the same applies to Window2. So when Window1 is blocking the view of Window2, I need to either stop displaying the "hidden" content or find a way to consitently place a transparent overlay window such that it is always just higher than the target window, but lower than any windows that could be layered above it. I would think that trying to let the window manager handle the partial hiding and unhiding of content due to the layout/window order of all windows on the desktop would be the best method, but I do not know how to approach it. Is there any way to get the window order of all open windows, or trap some event when the key window changes (for all windows, not just the windows belonging to my app)? Suggestions of alternative methods are definitely welcome. > In article > <97edc20b-ddd7-4aaa-9559-fc2dc5f9b...@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" > - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix In article <ea4a5f21-a3f1-4414-8c83-78c1fd59cb38@k13g2000hse.googlegroups.com>, > The time critical nature of the game kind of eliminates that as a > realisitic approach. Huh? Status and information displays in time-critical situations (game and otherwise) are generally fixed. > The way the existing products in the Windows > environment overlay the information (which I am trying to mimic) > requires much less search time A window in a fixed location requires no significant search time. (And I'm using the word significant in the formal, mathematical sense rather than using it in the common sense of being dismissive of something ultimately meaningful.) > and is widely accepted. By Windows users. The question I asked was "have you checked with your prospective Mac user base to see whether they would expect (or even tolerate) having an ancillary window tagging along whenever they move the main one?" I'm guessing from your response ("Presumably...," "I believe that..."), that the answer is "No. I have done no research at all into what the needs or expectations of my intended target audience will be." You asked for help. The help I offer is to recommend that you make sure you're doing the right thing before you spend the resources to do what may be the wrong thing the right way. G Signature"Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix I understand your concerns, and appreciate that you are trying to help. You are right that I have not asked anyone directly, but it has been discussed in an open forum. The general consensus is that the users want a mac compatible version of the existing products. The market has already experimented with at least a handful of layouts, and the one that I am trying to mimic, is the only one that remains. The only changes the layout has seen in a number of years are cosmetic in nature. 99% of the features do not include changes to the layout method. The truth of the matter is, I knew this project was much more complicated than anything I have attempted before. So I have taken it on primarily as an opportunity to improve my own abilities. With that in mind, I am making it for myself, and IF I build something that is worthy of distribution, I will re-evaluate if and when I get closer to that point. I know this is a bit backwards, but for now, I am the primary customer. I think my desires from the final product are generally in line with the market, but I still view this as secondary to creating this for me. > In article > <ea4a5f21-a3f1-4414-8c83-78c1fd59c...@k13g2000hse.googlegroups.com>, [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" > - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix |
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