how to capture desktop image ?

well, it's only normal. you are copying the desktop but the sidebar is not drawn on the desktop. it's actually a window. so in order to catch everything, you will need to catch all windows bitmap in order to make out o full screenshot. but this means that you wil be catching all windows. (here is a sample code to capture one: http://delphi.about.com/od/adptips2006/qt/captureactive.htm)
basically, you will have to use enumwindows to find all active windows which are not minimized (and maybe whic hare on teh current desktop) and maybe even check if they are partly visible or not (in order to not capture windows that are not visible at all) and then you will have a complete capture of the screen.
but again, it will be capturing of the screen, not the desktop, sicne you already done that.

if you don't want to capture the whole screen, only desktop plus sidebar, you can check if you are on vista (http://www.delphi3000.com/articles/article_5145.asp) and if so, then find the sidebar and capture that (if it's visible).

alkisg : my program captures the entire screen too , anything on screen , except sidebar of vista !
ciuly : my code captures all windows on desktop , if you look at the sent image , you can see a program is running and it is captured , my only issue is with vista side bar , I dont have any problems in XP. seems somehow this sidebar is different. may be I should use another method to capture screen.

Try this app:

FRAPS:

Download from:

http://www.fraps.com/download.php

well, I don't have vista to investigate so .. I'm bailing out on this one :)

Sorry, I misunderstood.

MSDN has a sample program for screen/window capturing, called WinCap:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/97193

I'd suggest you have a look at these two functions:

COPY.C: HBITMAP FAR CopyScreenToBitmap(LPRECT lpRect)
and the calling function,
WINCAP.C: void DoCapture(HWND hWnd, WORD wCommand)
maybe you'll find something you overlooked.

For example, in DoCapture, it waits for all windows to draw themselves before calling CopyScreenToBitmap:
             // Wait until everybody repaints themselves

             while (PeekMessage(&msg,NULL,0,0,PM_REMOVE) != 0) {
                    TranslateMessage(&msg);
                    DispatchMessage(&msg);
                    }

@Steven-Fernandez : I dont need an app , I need a working code for delphi.
@alkisg : thx , I look into it and will tell you the result

Understood. And I too as I don't have Vista have to bail out of this question. Good Luck.

http://delphi.about.com/od/graphics/l/aa082801a.htm

procedure InitScreen;
var i,j:integer;
begin
  //get Desktop bitmap
  DesktopBitmap := TBitmap.Create;
  with DesktopBitmap do begin
    Width := Screen.Width;
    Height := Screen.Height;
  end;
  BitBlt(DesktopBitmap.Canvas.Handle,
         0,0,Screen.Width,Screen.Height,
         GetDC(GetDesktopWindow),0,0,SrcCopy);

  Shuffler.Image1.Picture.Bitmap := DesktopBitmap;

end;

I am using almost the same code ! I just used StretchBlt , you have used BitBlt. anyway I will try it to see if it works.

@dinilud : BitBlt produced the same result as StretchBlt , sidebar is not captured.

@alkisg : Hi , I looked into WinCap , it suggest not to use BitBlt and use DibAPI which is included in package , I downloaded dibapi.dll and I tried to import and use the following function :

HBITMAP   FAR  CopyScreenToBitmap (LPRECT);

but no success , can you tell me how to import this function into delphi and call it ?

@ciuly : may I use this method to capture screen ?
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/Languages/Pascal/Delphi/Q_23107303.html

I don't have Delphi installed yet because I bought a new pc, so I'm not sure this is correct:
type
  CopyScreenToBimap: function(r: PRect): HBITMAP; stdcall; external 'dibapi.dll';

Be sure to include "uses Windows". If PRect (long pointer to rectangle) is undeclared, you can either do (var r: Rect) or (r: LPRECT).

But I think it will be easier if you just convert the CopyScreenToBitmap source code to Pascal. If you don't find a solution for several days :-) (I hope that you do) I'll have Delphi installed and I'll be able to convert it for you then.

@alkisg : I tried it , it didnt work :(

That was my first thought, but then I thought it would be unacceptable because it messes the clipboard! :-)
Anyway, I'm glad you solved it!

Closed, 500 points refunded.
Vee_Mod
Community Support Moderator