How to find TaskBar button screen Rect of a window?

Question

Every WPF(&Win32) app window, using "ShowInTaskbar", are represented by TaskBar button at the TaskList.
How to programmatically (c#, c++, Win32, WPF) find screen rectangle of app TaskBar button?
One can easily find application Notify Icon position & rect...how to do it with app TaskBar button?

Thanks!
Vladimir

Answer 1

You can use IUIAutomation

Test in C# WinForms on Windows 10 ( add a button for the Click) :

// Add reference to : c:\Windows\system32\UIAutomationCore.dll
// Add : using UIAutomationClient;



    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        [DllImport("User32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
        public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName);

        [DllImport("User32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
        public static extern IntPtr FindWindowEx(IntPtr hwndParent, IntPtr hwndChildAfter, string lpszClass, string lpszWindow);

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            IntPtr hWndTray = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", null);
            IntPtr hWndTrayNotify = FindWindowEx(hWndTray, IntPtr.Zero, "TrayNotifyWnd", null);
            IntPtr hWndSysPager = FindWindowEx(hWndTrayNotify, IntPtr.Zero, "SysPager", null);
            IntPtr hWndToolbar = FindWindowEx(hWndSysPager, IntPtr.Zero, "ToolbarWindow32", null);

            IntPtr hWndRebar = FindWindowEx(hWndTray, IntPtr.Zero, "ReBarWindow32", null);
            IntPtr hWndMSTaskSwWClass = FindWindowEx(hWndRebar, IntPtr.Zero, "MSTaskSwWClass", null);
            IntPtr hWndMSTaskListWClass = FindWindowEx(hWndMSTaskSwWClass, IntPtr.Zero, "MSTaskListWClass", null); 

            IUIAutomation pUIAutomation = new CUIAutomation();

            // Taskbar
            IUIAutomationElement windowElement = pUIAutomation.ElementFromHandle(hWndMSTaskListWClass);
            if (windowElement != null)
            {
                IUIAutomationElementArray elementArray = null;
                IUIAutomationCondition condition = pUIAutomation.CreateTrueCondition();
                elementArray = windowElement.FindAll(TreeScope.TreeScope_Descendants | TreeScope.TreeScope_Children, condition);
                if (elementArray != null)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Taskbar");
                    int nNbItems = elementArray.Length;
                    for (int nItem = 0; nItem <= nNbItems - 1; nItem++)
                    {
                        IUIAutomationElement element = elementArray.GetElement(nItem);
                        string sName = element.CurrentName;
                        string sAutomationId = element.CurrentAutomationId;
                        tagRECT rect = element.CurrentBoundingRectangle;
                        Console.WriteLine("\tName : {0} - AutomationId : {1}  - Rect({2}, {3}, {4}, {5})", sName, sAutomationId, rect.left, rect.top, rect.right, rect.bottom);
                    }
                }
            }

            // Tray icons
            IUIAutomationElement windowElementTray = pUIAutomation.ElementFromHandle(hWndToolbar);
            if(windowElementTray != null) 
            {
                IUIAutomationElementArray elementArray = null;
                IUIAutomationCondition condition = pUIAutomation.CreateTrueCondition();
                elementArray = windowElementTray.FindAll(TreeScope.TreeScope_Descendants | TreeScope.TreeScope_Children, condition);
                if (elementArray != null)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Tray Icons");
                    int nNbItems = elementArray.Length;
                    for (int nItem = 0; nItem <= nNbItems - 1; nItem++)
                    { 
                        IUIAutomationElement element = elementArray.GetElement(nItem);
                        string sName = element.CurrentName;
                        string sAutomationId = element.CurrentAutomationId;
                        tagRECT rect = element.CurrentBoundingRectangle;
                        Console.WriteLine("\tName : {0} - AutomationId : {1}  - Rect({2}, {3}, {4}, {5})", sName, sAutomationId, rect.left, rect.top, rect.right, rect.bottom); 
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

Answer 2

WOW! Thanks man!

Just tried code and conceptually works!!!

I have to adjust for my code for other secondary taskbars using class name "Shell_SecondaryTrayWnd"

find Classname("Shell_SecondaryTrayWnd") =>find Classname("WorkerW") => find Classname("MSTaskListWClass")

etc...in case "Combine taskbar buttons" TaskBar settings enabled...probably to find object per HWND for, you must re-search automation children elements.

Answer 3

@Castorix31 do you mind sharing the same code to c++? I don't know much about c# either c++ but this function would help me as I would add it to another program, in which is written in c++, thank you.

Answer 4

I got till IUIAutomationCondition *condition = from here on i don't understand well

-Edit- Sorry for my dumbness, its my first time using the website, i thought i was posting in the comment section instead of as a new answer.
I tried to delete my previous comment but looks like it remain even after deleting.

void button1_Click(int sender, EventArgs *e)
{

    IUIAutomation* pUIAutomation = NULL;
    HRESULT hr = CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);

    HWND hWndTray = FindWindow(L"Shell_TrayWnd", nullptr);
    HWND hWndTrayNotify = FindWindowEx(hWndTray, 0, L"TrayNotifyWnd", nullptr);
    HWND hWndSysPager = FindWindowEx(hWndTrayNotify, 0, L"SysPager", nullptr);
    HWND hWndToolbar = FindWindowEx(hWndSysPager, 0, L"ToolbarWindow32", nullptr);

    HWND hWndRebar = FindWindowEx(hWndTray, 0, L"ReBarWindow32", nullptr);
    HWND hWndMSTaskSwWClass = FindWindowEx(hWndRebar, 0, L"MSTaskSwWClass", nullptr);
    HWND hWndMSTaskListWClass = FindWindowEx(hWndMSTaskSwWClass, 0, L"MSTaskListWClass", nullptr);

    // Taskbar
    IUIAutomationElement* windowElement = NULL;
    hr = pUIAutomation->ElementFromHandle(hWndMSTaskListWClass, &windowElement );

    if (windowElement != nullptr)
    {
        IUIAutomationElementArray *elementArray = nullptr;
        IUIAutomationCondition *condition = pUIAutomation->CreateTrueCondition();
        elementArray = windowElement->FindAll(TreeScope::TreeScope_Descendants | TreeScope::TreeScope_Children, condition);
        if (elementArray != nullptr)
        {
            std::wcout << L"Taskbar" << std::endl;
            int nNbItems = elementArray->Length;
            for (int nItem = 0; nItem <= nNbItems - 1; nItem++)
            {
                IUIAutomationElement *element = elementArray->GetElement(nItem);
                std::wstring sName = element->CurrentName;
                std::wstring sAutomationId = element->CurrentAutomationId;
                tagRECT *rect = element->CurrentBoundingRectangle;
                std::wcout << L"\tName : " << sName << L" - AutomationId : " << sAutomationId << L"  - Rect(" << rect->left << L", " << rect->top << L", " << rect->right << L", " << rect->bottom << std::endl;
            }
        }
    }

    // Tray icons
    IUIAutomationElement *windowElementTray = pUIAutomation->ElementFromHandle(hWndToolbar);
    if (windowElementTray != nullptr)
    {
        IUIAutomationElementArray *elementArray = nullptr;
        IUIAutomationCondition *condition = pUIAutomation->CreateTrueCondition();
        elementArray = windowElementTray->FindAll(TreeScope::TreeScope_Descendants | TreeScope::TreeScope_Children, condition);
        if (elementArray != nullptr)
        {
            std::wcout << L"Tray Icons" << std::endl;
            int nNbItems = elementArray->Length;
            for (int nItem = 0; nItem <= nNbItems - 1; nItem++)
            {
                IUIAutomationElement *element = elementArray->GetElement(nItem);
                std::wstring sName = element->CurrentName;
                std::wstring sAutomationId = element->CurrentAutomationId;
                tagRECT *rect = element->CurrentBoundingRectangle;
                std::wcout << L"\tName : " << sName << L" - AutomationId : " << sAutomationId << L"  - Rect(" << rect->left << L", " << rect->top << L", " << rect->right << L", " << rect->bottom << std::endl;
            }
        }
    }

}