Mathimagics

This little ripper copies out-of-process ListView data...

Uses cross-process data "pipe" - works on NT/2000 and Win98 platforms (probably any platform! if not let me know!)

Instructions for driving the demo are in CopyListView.frm

Updated the demo (comments only) - see next post

Dr Memory

Mathimagics

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Mathimagics

First of all, thanks to everybody who has sent mail and/or PM's commenting favourably on this demo. Much appreciated!

Many have asked about copying the ListView/TreeView/ToolBar image list Icons, and some I know have been attacking that problem, as I myself have several times over the past few years (and given up on each occasion).

You will be interested to learn, perhaps, that I have developed a very clean solution to this problem.

But it is not possible with window messages and simple cross-process data marshalling, it requires some more high-powered tools.

I'll be publishing details of the solution, which uses 3rd-party tools (my own as it happens) but is written entirely in conventional VB6, on my website in the near future, but you might like to look at these snapshots I took of the first working full ListView copy in action. It not only copies the icons, it can substitute different ones, right into a VB ListView in the target, as the picture shows.

Not evident in these pictures is whether the ImageList spy program has copied the large icons as well - rest assured it has!

I think it's worth noting that this is still a 100% VB6 solution - the tools used here are themselves written entirely in VB6.

Cheers

Dr Memory

Mathimagics

Technical Update:

I regularly get queries from people who find that they can't get the text from listview's in particular applications. All other information is obtained correctly, including item counts and column header text, etc, but individual item text entries appear to be null.

Many commercial applications use a technique called "owner-draw". The item text is not stored in the control itself but drawn directly into the window by the application itself. This is most probably an intentional security measure, and it is certainly effective. There is no way to automatically extract the listview text in these cases.