Find Instance

>I don't know what exe is
its a executable file, just a program like notepad,
just an application

>and where it is
normally on the filesystem, if no instance from it is started

>what is an instance
if you execute an executeable file, then you have an instance of this application started, if you execute the executeable file moreoften without finishing an instance, then you've started some instaces from the same executable file, like
if you start notepad.exe twice, then you've two instances of the notepad.exe running on your system.

>what is a handle
a handle is an id to a os-object, there may various handles
(windowhandle, processhandle,..)

well to go back to your question
>I wanna find the instance of an exe

tell us what kind of handle you have

meikl ;-)

Thanks kretzschmar

In fact, I enumerate all the handle of the running application.

I have alle their handle.
But I wanna have their instance.

cause the api GetModuleFileName work only with the instance

Thanks

well, guessing you've a windowhandle

then look at the windows api GetWindowThreadProcessId

from the helpfile

The GetWindowThreadProcessId function retrieves the identifier of the thread that created the specified window and, optionally, the identifier of the process that created the window. This function supersedes the GetWindowTask function.

DWORD GetWindowThreadProcessId(

    HWND hWnd,     // handle of window
    LPDWORD lpdwProcessId      // address of variable for process identifier
   );    
 

Parameters

hWnd

Identifies the window.

lpdwProcessId

Points to a 32-bit value that receives the process identifier. If this parameter is not NULL, GetWindowThreadProcessId copies the identifier of the process to the 32-bit value; otherwise, it does not.

 

Return Values

The return value is the identifier of the thread that created the window.

--- end paste

in delphi it should work like
(not tested myself)

var
 ProcessHandle : THandle;
begin
 if YourHandle <> 0 then
   GetWindowThreadProcessId(YourHandle, @ProcessHandle);
 //now work with the ProcessHandle
end;

hope this helps

meikl ;-)


   

thinks the solution is not too far from your post,
but it doesn't work.
Look try this code, you'll understand:


// NORMAL Method
procedure TMainForm.Button5Click(Sender: TObject);
 var p :array[0..255]of char;
  begin
    GetModuleFileName(hinstance,p, 255);
    messageboxa(handle, p, '', 0);
  end;


// METHOD with GetWindowThreadProcessId
procedure TMainForm.Button6Click(Sender: TObject);
 var p :array[0..255]of char;
     inst :thandle;
  begin
    GetWindowThreadProcessId(handle, @inst);
    GetModuleFileName(inst,p, 255);
    messageboxa(handle, p, '', 0);
  end;


I try on the handle of my application.
GetWindowThreadProcessId didn't return me the instance
cause the result of GetWindowThreadProcessId and the veritable instance are not the same ??

//What is the difference between a handle and an instance??

an instance is a handle,
a instance is a module handle of the exe/dll

for example take your example and modify :

var
 p :array[0..255]of char;
 begin
showmessage(inttostr(hinstance));

 GetModuleFileName(hinstance,p, 255);
showmessage(inttostr(GetModuleHandle(p)));


so if you want to have the "instance" of an exe then call GetModuleHandle().

how are you getting the window handle of the exe to begin with? ie are you using enumwindows etc?

Thank you Lee_Nover, you've got it.
it's exactly what I was lookiing for.

Sorry for the other who tryed to help me

something happens as i sleeped ;-)