Execute a program in a second monitor

• Download monitor-noexe.zip - 102.4 KB
• Download monitor.zip - 177.8 KB

Introduction

I need to execute a slideshow on a second monitor. After a research, I found a way to get information about the monitor and how to specify the position for an exe. I couldn't find how to specify that the program begins on the second monitor. I could only find a way to open a program and then move the window of the program to the second monitor.

Background

In .NET, you can get information about monitors using the namespace System.Windows.Forms. More information is available here: Screen class.

You can control the settings for windows with functions available here: Windows Functions.

Using the code

The parameters for the command line are: the number of monitors, the name of the program, the arguments for executing the program.

Example: monitor notepad.exe text.txt 2

With the above instruction on a cmd, Notepad opens on the second monitor in full screen and with the name of the file text.txt.

Here is part of the code. First, we get the number of monitors in the CPU. After that, we get the information about the monitor for displaying the exe. And finally, move the window to that monitor.

if (numberMonitor >=1 )
{
 if (Screen.AllScreens.Length < numberMonitor)
 {
    MessageBox.Show("The monitor doesn't exist");
    Close();
 }
 else
 {
    numberMonitor--;
    //Get the data of the monitor
    monitor = Screen.AllScreens[numberMonitor].WorkingArea;
    //change the window to the second monitor
    SetWindowPos(proceso.MainWindowHandle, 0,
    monitor.Left, monitor.Top, monitor.Width,
    monitor.Height, 0);
  }
}

Points of Interest

I didn't know that with .NET, you can get information about the screens and with the APIs for windows, you can control the position of any window if you have the handle to the window. And you can get the handle to any exe easily.

There are a lot functions in Windows APIs, for example, you can set the foreground any window, change to another window if you press ALT + TAB, etc.

With these functions, you can do for example:

• A chat window that when receiving a message, can get to the front of other windows.
• You can open other instances of your application and with buttons, you can change to other instances of your application.

I have examples of these functions that I explain in other articles.