Obtaining a Console Window Handle (HWND)

• Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) included with:

      - Microsoft Windows NT versions 3.1 and 3.5
      - Microsoft Windows 95 version 4.0
  

SUMMARY

It may be useful to manipulate a window associated with a console application. The Win32 API provides no direct method for obtaining the window handle associated with a console application. However, you can obtain the window handle by calling FindWindow(). This function retrieves a window handle based on a class name or window name.

Call GetConsoleTitle() to determine the current console title. Then supply the current console title to FindWindow().

MORE INFORMATION

Because multiple windows may have the same title, you should change the current console window title to a unique title. This will help prevent the wrong window handle from being returned. Use SetConsoleTitle() to change the current console window title. Here is the process:

1. Call GetConsoleTitle() to save the current console window title.

2. Call SetConsoleTitle() to change the console title to a unique title.

3. Call Sleep(40) to ensure the window title was updated.

4. Call FindWindow(NULL, uniquetitle), to obtain the HWND this call returns the HWND -- or NULL if the operation failed.

5. Call SetConsoleTitle() with the value retrieved from step 1, to restore the original window title.

The resulting HWND is not guaranteed to be suitable for all window handle operations.

Sample Code

The following function retrieves the current console application window handle (HWND). If the function succeeds, the return value is the handle of the console window. If the function fails, the return value is NULL. Some error checking is omitted, for brevity.

HWND GetConsoleHwnd(void) {

    #define MY_BUFSIZE 1024 // buffer size for console window titles
    HWND hwndFound;         // this is what is returned to the caller
    char pszNewWindowTitle[MY_BUFSIZE]; // contains fabricated WindowTitle
    char pszOldWindowTitle[MY_BUFSIZE]; // contains original WindowTitle

    // fetch current window title

    GetConsoleTitle(pszOldWindowTitle, MY_BUFSIZE);

    // format a "unique" NewWindowTitle

    wsprintf(pszNewWindowTitle,"%d/%d",
                GetTickCount(),
                GetCurrentProcessId());

    // change current window title

    SetConsoleTitle(pszNewWindowTitle);

    // ensure window title has been updated

    Sleep(40);

    // look for NewWindowTitle

    hwndFound=FindWindow(NULL, pszNewWindowTitle);

    // restore original window title

    SetConsoleTitle(pszOldWindowTitle);

    return(hwndFound);