Finding the active window using python

Question

I've been trying to create a program that will identify was the active program on my computer is.

I am writing this code on python. On a windows computer. I don't need the PID i only need the name of the program running. When i say active i mean the program that is currently being used by a user.

I will eventually be able to take the active program and open it using

import os
os.startfile("C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe") #skype for example

Did you try searching for something like "Python list processes"? Then you simply find the one named "skype.exe" — OneCricketeer, Apr 22 '17 at 18:43
The list processes give me all the running programs. I only need one name of the program and I don't want to manually put in the name to find it — Jonathan Kirshner, Apr 22 '17 at 18:47
i just ran this code on a windows computer in spyder and i got the output "Active window: Spyder (Python 3.6)" -- http://stackoverflow.com/a/36419702/2601293 — J'e, Apr 22 '17 at 18:48

RaminNietzsche · Answer 1 · 2017-04-22T19:25:13.020

1

If you want to find active window, You can use win32gui on windows (find it in SourceForge):

import win32gui
window = win32gui.GetForegroundWindow()

with ctypes:

pid = ctypes.wintypes.DWORD()
active = ctypes.windll.user32.GetForegroundWindow()
active_window = ctypes.windll.user32.GetWindowThreadProcessId(active,ctypes.byref(pid))

edited Apr 22 '17 at 19:25

answered Apr 22 '17 at 18:49

RaminNietzsche

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try this: ctypes.windll.user32.GetForegroundWindow() – RaminNietzsche Apr 22 '17 at 19:08
When i used that code by itself, it returned a number, what is that number and how would i instead get a file name – Jonathan Kirshner Apr 22 '17 at 19:10
I was able to use win32gui but still, what about the number i get, what is that and how do i get the name – Jonathan Kirshner Apr 22 '17 at 19:21
@JonathanKirshner read this: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/37501191/how-to-get-windows-window-names-with-ctypes-in-python – RaminNietzsche Apr 22 '17 at 19:23
Sorry but I still don't understand, how do i get a program name? – Jonathan Kirshner Apr 22 '17 at 19:31
@JonathanKirshner you can get it by `GetWindowText` – RaminNietzsche Apr 22 '17 at 20:13
https://gist.github.com/inaz2/6f72f18af15c47ab7432 – RaminNietzsche Apr 22 '17 at 20:18

Finding the active window using python

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