how can open windows xp start menu from c#

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Dear All:
Is there any way to open windows start menu from c#?

For example: if I click some button then windows xp start menu become open.

Like when you click

start---all program

Thank you.

Posted 30-Jan-11 0:44am

Abdullahomaid

Updated 30-Jan-11 1:00am

Henry Minute

v2

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3 solutions

Solution 3

Another, more direct and universal way of doing this is using P/Invoke with Windows API SendInput, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms646310(v=vs.85).aspx[^].

This API simulate keyboard and mouse input on a very low level, as if the input even is fired from the hardware driver, which makes this way of even simulation universally applicable to any situation.

—SA

Posted 23-Feb-11 13:00pm

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Comments

Anthony Mushrow 23-Feb-11 20:45pm

I don't think SendInput works on that low a level. So far as I'm aware it can't fool DirectInput or other similar input libraries. It's not a problem in this case but maybe something to be aware of.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-Feb-11 21:15pm

Thank you for the note.
Maybe, but what's the difference? What do you mean by fooling "DirectInput?"; what would be the example if it?
Thank you.
--SA

Anthony Mushrow 23-Feb-11 22:56pm

DirectInput part of DirectX, allows exclusive access to input devices meaning that there isn't any (or at least very little) handling done by windows between the program using DirectInput and the hardware itself. Games use DirectInput to get user input from game controllers and keyboards, and they're mostly the only things that do.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-Feb-11 23:03pm

I know; you did not answer my question. I wanted to understand what you meant by "fooling"?
--SA

Anthony Mushrow 23-Feb-11 23:52pm

Sorry, I meant that for a program using DI to get input from the keyboard the SendInput API might not have any effect. The sent keypresses might not show up when the device is polled.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 24-Feb-11 1:46am

Interesting. Can you provide an example?
You see, if it is so, how much it defeats the purpose of the API?
And of course, if this is the case, Windows Scrip Host will not simulate as well, is that right?
As to the polling of the hardware (if you mean it, that is, not interrupt-driven), this is always bad. It depends on device driver. For example, when I developed joystick control, DirectInput documentation warned that it _may be_ implemented using polling, but available driver worked without it. Hopefully, polling gradually going to trash.

--SA

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Espen Harlinn · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-30T01:08:00

Solution 2

Use Spy++[^] to determine how to get the required windows handle and send a click event.

Regards
Espen Harlinn

Posted 30-Jan-11 1:08am

Espen Harlinn

Comments

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Jan-11 23:34pm

Pretty universal method for many cases - a 5. I don't think SendKeys might work but P/Invoke will resolve everything.
--SA

fjdiewornncalwe 23-Feb-11 22:22pm

+5. This will work.

Espen Harlinn 24-Feb-11 16:24pm

Thank you Marcus!

Henry Minute · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-30T01:08:00

Solution 1

There are several ways to do what you want and if you had bothered to perform an internet search before asking here, you might have found this[^].

Please, next time, search first. Don't expect others to do your work for you.

Posted 30-Jan-11 1:08am

Henry Minute

Comments

Espen Harlinn 30-Jan-11 7:11am

5+ That's even simpler, good solution :)

Abdullahomaid 30-Jan-11 7:16am

i am searching since 2 hours in google, but i did not find any acceptable solution.any way thank you i also check that site which you have share. "thank u".

Henry Minute 30-Jan-11 7:19am

Then you should say that you have searched, in your question, and also why what you found didn't suit your needs. Then people can suggest things that you haven't already rejected.

Abdullahomaid 30-Jan-11 7:34am

ok and thank you.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 30-Jan-11 23:33pm

Henry, sorry, as far as I can understand, it won't work, because SendKeys only works for active window. I'll be happy if you prove me wrong though.
--SA

Henry Minute 31-Jan-11 6:10am

The article explains the reasons that it works, I took it on trust, I haven't tested it. That is not important, though, the point was that the OP should have searched before asking.

Henry Minute 31-Jan-11 8:22am

The example that I gave to the OP uses the Sendkeys method of Windows Script Host. NOT the API SendKeys. As I said before I did not test this but it seemed a reasonable approach, so I offered it to the OP.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Jan-11 9:31am

Sorry, I did not understand it. Well, I know P/Invoke solution will work, not sure about this one. Like all exotic stuff, better be tested...
--SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 31-Jan-11 11:09am

Henry,

I tested: it does work; the article is not written very well, there is a bug at the suggested call of SendKeys from entry point; should read: cSouza.Utils.Windows.SendKeys.Send("^{ESC}");

--SA

Henry Minute 31-Jan-11 11:11am

Good to know. Thanks.

César de Souza 23-Feb-11 15:51pm

Thanks for noticing it!

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-Feb-11 19:25pm

Hi César,

Oh, you're the author?
Great.

I would be really interesting and useful short article if you make is a bit more descriptive and clear. In particular, for article everyone should remove XML comment, they are distracting and not so readable; article is not for reading through Visual Studio, so your comments should be in normal descriptive text, not in XML. Also, you should have mentioned important alternative: using SendInput APU (please see my Answer). Anyway, thank you for this text and instructions.

Good luck,
--SA

César de Souza 23-Feb-11 19:46pm

Hi SA,

Well, it is my blog. I could surely have used a P/Invoke but didn't want to. Thanks for mentioning SendInput, though. It may be the ideal solution for most situations - but if you just need a trivial and quick copy & paste solution, I am pretty sure copying such a small snippet with XML documentation included wouldn't be that bad.

Cheers,
César

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 23-Feb-11 20:27pm

Understood.
Thank you for the note.
Best,
--SA