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Introduction

I was interested to have a tool such as Spy++ in Microsoft Visual Studio, but I'd like that the tool can modify window controls. For instance, some times, we need to enable some inactive controls in a program during run-time. MS Spy++ does not have any facilities to do this, and so I made it by myself.

This program is useful to obtain a window handle, caption, class name, style, and size. Moreover, it facilitates changing caption name, style, and extended style of victim window control in run-time load.

The application is a Win32 project without using MFC. It hooks the target window by WindowFromPoint() user32 API. There is an algorithm to seek on child and parent window to capture child windows inside a program by using GetWindowRect() and GetWindow() in a tricky way. It applies GetWindowLong() to obtain window properties and SetWindowLong() to modify them.

Hooking target window

We can hook victim window through WM_MOUSEMOVE mouse event:

case WM_MOUSEMOVE:
if (bSeeking)
{
  HWND hWindowUnderTheMouse;
  //HWND hWindowUnderTheMouseChild;

  points = MAKEPOINTS(lParam); 
  point.x=points.x;
  point.y=points.y;
  ClientToScreen(hDlg,&point);
  hWindowUnderTheMouse = WindowFromPoint(point);
  if((hwndMain==hWindowUnderTheMouse)||
    (hwndMain==GetParent(hWindowUnderTheMouse)))
  {
    break;
  }
  //------------------------------

  hChildFound=NULL;
  SeekDumpWindow(hWindowUnderTheMouse,point);
  if((IsWindow(hChildFound))&&(hChildFound!=NULL))
  {
    hWindowUnderTheMouse=hChildFound;
  }
  //------------------------------

  if(hWindowUnderTheMouse != hSeekedWindow)
  {
    //

    FrameWindow(hSeekedWindow);
    hSeekedWindow = hWindowUnderTheMouse;
    FrameWindow(hSeekedWindow);
    // update the twin window

    strcpy(szSeekedWindow,"0x");
    _itoa((DWORD)hSeekedWindow,szSeekedWindow+2,16);
    CharUpperBuff(szSeekedWindow+2,(DWORD)strlen(szSeekedWindow));
    SetDlgItemText(hDlg,IDC_WINDOWHANDLE,szSeekedWindow);
    GetWindowInfo(hSeekedWindow);
  }
}
else
{
  points = MAKEPOINTS(lParam); 
  point.x=points.x;
  point.y=points.y;
}
break;

It seeks the correct window target by searching through its parent and its children by SeekDumpWindow() which is defined in <DumpSeek.h> inside the program.

Modifying target window

It is very easy to modify the victim window by its handle. If you have the window handle, you can obtain and change styles very easily by GetWindowLong() and SetWindowLong() and also window caption by using SetWindowText() and SendDlgItemMessage(). By looking inside UpdateFlags() in the program, you will find the code which performs this to modify the target window:

if(TopMost) 
{
  dwExtendedStyle|=WS_EX_TOPMOST; 
  SetWindowPos(hHandle, 
  HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0,
  SWP_NOSIZE|SWP_NOMOVE);
}
else
{
  dwExtendedStyle&=~WS_EX_TOPMOST;
  SetWindowPos(hHandle, 
  HWND_NOTOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0,
  SWP_NOSIZE|SWP_NOMOVE);
}
//----------------------------------------------

if(BACKdwID!=dwID) SetWindowLong(hHandle, GWL_ID, dwID);
if(BACKdwStyle!=dwStyle)SetWindowLong(hHandle, GWL_STYLE, dwStyle);
if(BACKdwExtendedStyle=dwExtendedStyle)
SetWindowLong(hHandle, GWL_EXSTYLE, dwExtendedStyle);
if(Visible)
{
  ShowWindow(hHandle,SW_HIDE);
  ShowWindow(hHandle,SW_SHOW);
}
else
{
  ShowWindow(hHandle,SW_SHOW);
  ShowWindow(hHandle,SW_HIDE);
}
UpdateWindow(GetParent(hHandle));

The code to change caption depends on the type of window control. To change caption of Edit Control and Box Control, it has to use SendDlgItemMessage() instead of SetWindowText() in other window controls:

if((strstr(_szClassName,"EDIT")==NULL)&&(strstr(_szClassName,"BOX")==NULL))
{
  SetWindowText(hHandle,szTitle);
}
else
{
  HWND hWndParent=GetParent(hHandle);
  SendDlgItemMessage(hWndParent,dwID,WM_SETTEXT,0,(LPARAM)szTitle);
}

Conclusion

I hope this tool clarifies window classes and their manipulation for people who are beginners in this field. This would be an introduction to make window Spy tools and work with handles.

Eventually, I should appreciate you if you would kindly take the time to mention your ideas, suggestions, and any bugs you may find in this program.

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One Pblm Naveen.R 19:23 10 Sep '07   Hi, Me too was trying to create some application like this and in between I had a problem in finding the window just below the mouse. So I searched the net and finally reached here. But your application also have same problem. Check the following secnario. In a dialog place a frame and label control one over the other( the label should be kep inside the frame ). Arrange the tab order so that frame is first and label is second. Now your application cannot identify the label which is inside the frame. But SPY++ does. I have found some other applications like WinID also finds this window. Do you have any solutions? nave [OpenedFileFinder] Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Spy++ Bourtree 10:26 7 Mar '07   Is it possible to programatically access the functionality of Spy++ - is there an interface to it that I could access. I would like to write an application that integrates at the UI level with a standard 'out of the box' application and was looking to use the content returnd by Spy++ to do so. Thanks Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Nice article, but cannot compile with VS.Net 2005 yjagota 10:38 18 Feb '07   Can u help me out. There were some errors, I did removed them but the executable doesnt executes, in debug or release configuration and even as a release standalone exe. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 Can it capture a label in vb6 program? pctimhk 9:24 30 Sep '06   I can get the textbox caption. However, I cannot get a label caption in a form. It only can get the caption from a form. How can i get a caption of a label within a form? Thank you for you help. Tim Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 Google Earth Toolbar Todd Wilder 17:55 22 Jul '06   I am trying to disable the google earth toolbar, and when I click "disable" on the toolbar it goes invisible (assuming thats showwindow()), but when you click the area the toolbar is still active. what other API functions go into your disable? great tool though Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Extra Ordinary AsheshVashi 20:56 9 May '06   Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink MsDos roberto1979es 5:15 8 Feb '06   Hello, Do you know if there are any application similar that, for msdos operating system? I want to capture a data for a msdos windows. I have installed windows xp, and the vmware. I want to capture some data in it, have you any idea how can I do that? Excuseme but my english is very bad. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 1.00/5 vb.net roberto1979es 12:10 7 Feb '06   Have you this application in vb.net? I want to do something similar for another application and I want to use your idea, but I don't anything about Visual C++. Excuse but my english is very very bad. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: vb.net Ashkbiz Danehkar 13:07 7 Feb '06   Hi, You can write the similar code in vb. net, unfortunately I am not so perfect to write vb. net code, so I can not help you. In order to rewrite in vb, you should pay attention to the API functions which were used in sample code. Regard, Ashkbiz Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 Re: vb.net Tutu 21:51 7 Jun '06   For .Net you can use the Runtime Object Editor: http://www.codeproject.com/csharp/RuntimeObjectEditor.asp[^]. Tutu. http://www.acorns.com.au Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink windows controls B!Z 23:13 16 Jan '06   hye,I visit codeproject.com very often and there I saw your programme ZERO DUMP.It certainly helped me in learning windows handle. Actually I want to make a programme which modifies windows controls (minimize, max, and close options on the upper right corner of a window) whenever LEFTMOUSEBUTTON is clicked on THEM and i m stuck in how to do it. Is there any method which gives me this option to send any other msg in responce to a that like if user clicks minimize the application closes instead minimizing. Can u help me in this regard? I hope i'll be having ur answer very soon THANKU. B!Z Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5 Modifing Window Title name Vitoto 12:10 7 Dec '05   Hi, is posible modify window title name ? Is posible when appz is running or is posible when my Program launch the external .exe program ? You know some issue, How make code for Hook Alert or Protect the hook Specify .exe program in memory ? Thank you. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Modifing Window Title name Ashkbiz Danehkar 13:19 7 Feb '06   Hi, Regarding modify window title name, you are seeing that it is possible by this win spy tools. Regarding second question, during running , you can change by spying the windows handle and change the title name. Before running time, you can modify it by tracing the position of title name in .data section by an appropriate debugger like ollydbg (http://www.ollydbg.de) and modify the data... or maybe the .rsrc section and changing the string table ... Regarding third question, there is some issues, but it is beyond to explain in some sentences, probably if I had time, I would explain them in a complete text. However, you can find so much information on Web, just look at the sites related to reverse engineering and you will find the answer... Regards, Ashkbbiz Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 3.00/5 Found bug and fix - nice app drudru 20:54 2 Aug '05   Hey, nice app. On line 276 of TabCtrl.cpp there is: if(BACKdwExtendedStyle=dwExtendedStyle) This needs to be: if(BACKdwExtendedStyle!=dwExtendedStyle) Otherwise, when I try to turn off all the extended styles (as I did), nothing happens since the expression evaluates to zero. Cheers. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Found bug and fix - nice app Ashkbiz Danehkar 13:09 7 Feb '06   Hi, Many Thanks for taking your time to find bug. I will update the code as soon as possible. Best Regards, Ashkbiz Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink may be a bug Amilan 7:17 29 Jun '05   Hi Ashkbiz, I like the ability to capture the disabled windows, but there seems to be a bug in the code; when you try to enable or disable a Textbox control, it fails. If you have some spare time please update the code ... I didn't get time to see the code ... I have downloded a lot of tools and codes from CP, and i am just testing them one by one ... Regards Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Just what I want ispring 1:30 24 Jun '05   this tool save me from the boring "tuning-compile-tuning" work, and It's a good way to study Windows GUI programming. thanks Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink XP related question CodeBuddy26 8:59 12 Jun '05   Hi there, The article is really nice and knowledge enhancer. I saw one problem though. I tried to run this utility on WinXP and changed the "Start" button caption to "START" just to check out. But the windows sets its style back to what it was originally. i.e. "start" (all lower case). Is there any reason why does it happen? Your information will be a great help. Thanks Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: XP related question JackyFrost 15:02 26 Aug '05   I noticed this also. It seems that after you modify the Start button and then move onto another application to modify, the Start button goes back to it's original state. Almost as if Windowspy is losing hold of the control it has on the start button after it modifies another application. Just a guess. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Porting to WindowsCE hgode 1:55 9 Jun '05   Hello I like your application, great work. Unfortunately, many features you used in coding are not supported on Windows CE. After I have removed and changed some of your code, I got it running and the main dialog shows me the handle and so on. Now I am stuck with the properties dialog. As I am a beginner, I dont really understand your code here. I inserted a GetLastError() and it says 'invalid parameter' after in this: HWND WINAPI OnSelChanged(HWND hwndDlg) { DLGHDR *pHdr = (DLGHDR *) GetWindowLong(hwndDlg, GWL_USERDATA); int iSel = TabCtrl_GetCurSel(pHdr->hwndTab); // Destroy the current child dial!og box, if any. if (pHdr->hwndDisplay != NULL) DestroyWindow(pHdr->hwndDisplay); // Create the new child dialog box. HWND hChild=NULL; hChild = CreateDialogIndirect(hInst, pHdr->apRes[iSel], hwndDlg,(DLGPROC) ChildDialogProc); if (hChild != NULL) pHdr->hwndDisplay = hChild; else ShowError(GetLastError()); return(pHdr->hwndDisplay); } So I only get an empty tabbed dialog, but no prop pages Can you help? Thanks Josef Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Porting to WindowsCE hgode 3:40 9 Jun '05   Uuups I found the eror myself: I replaced so much things and one too much. In DLGTEMPLATE * WINAPI DoLockDlgRes(LPTSTR lpszResName) { HRSRC hrsrc = FindResource(hInst, lpszResName, RT_DIALOG); HGLOBAL hglb = LoadResource(hInst, hrsrc); return (DLGTEMPLATE *) LockResource(hglb); } I replaced the first hInst by NULL and therefor no resource was loaded. If anyone is interested, I will post the Windows CE code. Josef Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Porting to WindowsCE foobar7 6:57 15 Oct '05   Yes, it would interesting to look at it, please post! Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Porting to WindowsCE Ashkbiz Danehkar 13:22 7 Feb '06   Hi, Thanks for updating it in Win CE. I am thankful if you would post yout code which works inside Win CE. Best Regards, Ashkbiz Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Porting to WindowsCE [modified] Prabhat.Singh 2:01 30 Sep '07   Hello , It's Very Urgent. please can you send me code. my Email address prabhat.singh@webdunia.net Prabhat Singh -- modified at 7:28 Sunday 30th September, 2007 Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Where is the input focus? Free to Go 10:35 21 Mar '05   Pls help! I am interested in knowing whether there are any chances to locate the "keyboard cursor" location. Finding the top most window is not difficult but I have no idea which control within a child window that got the keyboard focus nor where is the keyboard cursor location. I wonder whether you have any ideas on 1) which child windows got the keyboard focus, 2) which control within this child window got the keyboard focus and 3) where is the exact location (x,y) the input cursor or keyboard cursor is Regards, Joe Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 2.00/5

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