help with window focus, and sending an application information

I am trying to make a form to use with AutoCAD, where when you click on the Enter button on my form, it changes the focus to AutoCAD and then feeds it information. I tried searching this forum for help, but i couldn't find anything that I understood. For this example, lets say I want to put focus on AutoCAD then have it enter:
the word "Line" then "13, 5, ENTER".

Is there any easy way to do this?

you can use the SendKeys statement

Could you give me an example of the SendKeys Function? Also, I still don't know how to tell it where to "send" these keys to. I have never tried this before, and i can't figure out how to get AutoCAD to get focus.....

Could you give me an example of the SendKeys Function? Also, I still don't know how to tell it where to "send" these keys to. I have never tried this before, and i can't figure out how to get AutoCAD to get focus.....

The main idea is to enumerate all existing windows with API. You can find such code here, I guess, or everywhere in VB related sites.

When you "get" the good window, you can use SendKeys to that window.

Here is a sample code (not mine, done by Jaime Muscatelli) to enum all windows :

http://www.planet-source-code.com/vb/scripts/ShowCode.asp?txtCodeId=35999&lngWId=1

I hope this will give you some clues

Okay, I took that code and put it into a module, but how do I call on that code? I made a listbox called "list1" on my form....but how do i populate it using that code? :confused:

If you want AutoCad to receive the focus you can use the following from MSDN:

Dim MyAppID, ReturnValue
AppActivate "Microsoft Word" ' Activate Microsoft
' Word.

' AppActivate can also use the return value of the Shell function.
MyAppID = Shell("C:\WORD\WINWORD.EXE", 1) ' Run Microsoft Word.
AppActivate MyAppID ' Activate Microsoft
' Word.



' You can also use the return value of the Shell function.
ReturnValue = Shell("c:\EXCEL\EXCEL.EXE",1) ' Run Microsoft Excel.
AppActivate ReturnValue ' Activate Microsoft
' Excel.

Below are some examples of Keystrokes and how you can use them. Hope this helps.

Private Sub Command1_Click()

Call SendKeystrokes("%I")
Call SendKeystrokes("%C")
Call SendKeystrokes(STRING & "{TAB}{ENTER}")
Call SendKeystrokes("%D")
Call SendKeystrokes("%C")
Call SendKeystrokes(Trim$(TEXT1)& "{TAB}")
Call SendKeystrokes(Trim$(TEXT2) & "{TAB}")
Call SendKeystrokes(Trim$(TEXT3) & "{TAB}")
Call SendKeystrokesToCafe("{TAB}{TAB}")
Call SendKeystrokesToCafe("{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}")
Call SendKeystrokesToCafe("1{TAB}")

End Sub

Private Sub SendKeystrokes(ByVal Keystrokes As String)
On Error GoTo Err_SendKeys

AppActivate "AUTOCAD"

SendKeys Keystrokes, True

On Error GoTo 0

Exit Sub

Err_SendKeys:
MsgBox "Error: " & Err.Number & vbCrLf & vbCrLf & Err.Description, vbExclamation, "Error Sending Data To Cafe"
End Sub

You can remove the cafe from the code. Sorry, it was a quick copy and paste.

Hey man, thanks! I tried this for Word, and it worked great! Now i'll just have to wait until i get home to be able to test it in AutoCAD.