Focus matching word in opened notepad with Process method in C#

Question

I'm trying to do something like add the CTRL-F mechanism to my C# application in visual studio.

My app uses the Process.start method to open Windows Notepad and find a given word. I want to find this word in Notepad and focus it.

I have a way to search this word but how to focus to the correct line as would happen if the user clicked CTRL-F?

Does anybody know how to do this? Or maybe there is there a framework which can help?

My application is about searching any file by typing any sequence of string in textbox and getting file, which contains it, after that i have a open function of this file and i want to get focused word, which im typed in opened notepad (cuz i got txt file containing this string)

For example i typed "hello" in textbox and get file.txt and inside this after opened i have focused word "hello"

Does this answer your question? [Bring another processes Window to foreground when it has ShowInTaskbar = false](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2636721/bring-another-processes-window-to-foreground-when-it-has-showintaskbar-false) — jjxtra, Jan 10 '21 at 15:49
It is not clear how your application interacts with Notepad. Is there a Notepad API that allows you to script that application? It sounds like maybe you are trying the script the Windows 10 UI to open and drive Notepad, is this true? Or are you trying to build something that behaves like Notepad. You need to be clearer. Good luck and welcome! — rfreytag, Jan 10 '21 at 17:44
My application is about searching any file by typing any sequence of string in textbox and getting file, which contains it, after that i have a open function of this file and i want to get focused word, which im typed in opened notepad (cuz i got txt file containing this string) — SilverRaven655, Jan 10 '21 at 18:24
For example i typed "hello" in textbox and get file.txt and inside this after opened i have focused word "hello" — SilverRaven655, Jan 10 '21 at 18:27

Kuba_Z2 · Answer 1 · 2021-01-10T19:40:05.630

0

Code to do this:

private async void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Process.Start("yourProcess");
    this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized;
    await Task.Delay(1000);
    SendKeys.Send("^(f)");
    foreach (char c in textBox1.Text)
    {
        SendKeys.Send("{" + c + "}");
    }
    SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
    //if you want to automatycally remove search window use:
    SendKeys.Send("{ESC}");
}

edited Jan 10 '21 at 19:40

answered Jan 10 '21 at 16:04

Kuba_Z2

54
1
6

Thanks, but do you know also how to do "find" method after ctrl+f click? – SilverRaven655 Jan 10 '21 at 16:12
Or you can use PreviewKeyDown event – Kuba_Z2 Jan 10 '21 at 16:25
So after trying set "SendKeys.Send("^{F}") in if(keybind) now i must do something with focus() method inside this method block? (Im thinking about how to handle and get final focused matching word) – SilverRaven655 Jan 10 '21 at 18:17
I don't understand what are you going to do. – Kuba_Z2 Jan 10 '21 at 18:28
What do you exactly need? @SilverRaven655 – Kuba_Z2 Jan 10 '21 at 18:32
Now I'm edited my question and additionally described problem – SilverRaven655 Jan 10 '21 at 18:33
I tried your code but i had to change 'Send' to 'SendWait' cuz i got message: 'SendKeys cannot run inside this application because the application is not handling Windows messages. Either change the application to handle messages, or use the SendKeys.SendWait method' , also i had problem with: "this.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized;" and i got error that my textbox control doesnt have this property. When i skip this line and also change: 'Send' to 'SendWait' i have no errors but focusing word doesnt work – SilverRaven655 Jan 10 '21 at 20:37
Have you used this code in another class? @SilverRaven655 – Kuba_Z2 Jan 10 '21 at 23:16
I have created User Control and then i used this code in its xaml.cs class – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 09:19
I added below code that i have for now with your suggestions – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 09:33
Which project type do you use? – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 11:24
I use WPF project type – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 12:08
and this is the problem :( – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 13:10
I must do by this form, but WindowState is so important to work this all code? – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 13:31
If no i have no idea why this not work :( – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 13:31
yes, because when notepad window shows it is not selected – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 13:32
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2841258/minimize-a-window-in-wpf – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 13:33
Try this @SilverRaven655 :) – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 13:34
Do you know that its other option to select notepad window other than minimize window? – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 16:34
Im trying something do with code from your upper link but for now im getting only errors :/ – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 16:35
Have you added usings? – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 19:03
Yes, all wchich were required – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 20:12
But i think that i must do something with main window and minimize this, but if i want to get access to it from my search control class i cant get window style option or any similar – SilverRaven655 Jan 11 '21 at 20:13
make "public static YourFormName nameYouWant;" in form class and in public YourFormName "nameYouWant = this;" or something similar @SilverRaven655 – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 20:37
and you can use nameYouWant in your textbox class – Kuba_Z2 Jan 11 '21 at 20:41
I did something like in my form class: "public static MainView mainview;" and: "public Mainview(){ InitializeComponent(); mainview=this;}" and in my textbox class i tried: "Mainview.mainview..." reference but i got error that: "Name type mainview doesnt exist in MainView type" – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 10:09
Try to use the Mainview instead of the MainView @SilverRaven655 – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 10:30
MainView is my name of main window form, and i change it to: "public static MainView mainview;" and: "public MainView(){ InitializeComponent(); mainview=this;}" but still the same problem – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:09
Visual cant read property mainview which i wrote in MainView constructor – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:10
Can't you use one class? – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 13:11
Can't because i have two classes one is MainView form which contains main Window and User Control class, in which i have button click method to open a notepad according with upper code – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:21
I added also all usings – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:22
MainView is your form and class name? – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 13:23
Ahh no my fault – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:24
My code class for MainView is MainView.xaml.cs – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:25
So use your class name instead of form name – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 13:25
But MainView.xaml and MainView.xaml.cs is i guess the same object as MainView to reference – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:32
Now i tried and can't get other object than MainView in my control class – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 13:32
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/14921354/access-form-from-usercontrol/17398854 try this – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 13:35
Still nothing, but i found a InputSimulator library for simulating keys shortcuts so maybe this will work for my project – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 18:02
But you have to minimize the window anyway – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 19:00
Yes, but option from link upper i think doesnt't work for wpf project – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 19:29
Maybe maximize window will help? – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 19:30
No, you can also deselect window, but I think you can't do that by code – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 19:47
There is no chance for deselect? – SilverRaven655 Jan 12 '21 at 20:05
This is almost the same as Minimize – Kuba_Z2 Jan 12 '21 at 22:08

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 11 '21 at 09:33

Here is my code for now (but not working) inside: "private async void OpeningFile_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)"

        try
        {
            var startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo();

            startInfo.FileName = PathResult.ToString();
            startInfo.Arguments = "\"" + PathResult.ToString() + "\"";
            startInfo.UseShellExecute = true;

            Process.Start(startInfo);
       
            MessageBox.Show(ControlHelper.WordToFind);
           
            await Task.Delay(1000);

           
            System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("^(f)");

            foreach(char x in ControlHelper.WordToFind)
            {
                System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{" + x + "}");
            }

            System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{ENTER}");
            
            System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{ESC}");          
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            MessageBox.Show(ex.Message + "\n" + PathResult.ToString());
        }

Focus matching word in opened notepad with Process method in C#

2 Answers2