close the favorites window in internet explorer + delphi

Hi nikolaosk...

What about this :

procedure TForm1.Button3Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
 SetForegroundWindow(FindWindow('IEFrame',nil));
 Application.ProcessMessages;

 keybd_event(VK_CONTROL,0,0,0);       //Hold Ctrl
 keybd_event(ord('I'),0,0,0);                //Press I

 keybd_event(ord('I'),0,KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,0);             //Release I
 keybd_event(VK_CONTROL,0,KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,0);   //Release Ctrl
end;

This will sent the Ctrl+I to the IExplorer window.

You can also try a different approach through the registry :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser\ITBarLayout

Disabled :
HKU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser\ITBarLayout:

11 00 00 00 4C 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 34 00 00 00 1F 00 04 00 57 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 20 07 00 00 A0
0F 00 00 05 00 00 00 62 05 00 00 26 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 21 07 00 00 A0 0F 00 00 04 00 00 00 21 01
00 00 A0 0F 00 00 03 00 00 00 20 03 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 60 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 39 35 83 47 C5 D0 25 41 9F A8 08 19 E2 EA AC 93 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00

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Enabled :

11 00 00 00 4C 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 34 00 00 00 1F 00 04 00 57 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 20 07 00 00 A0
0F 00 00 05 00 00 00 62 05 00 00 26 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 21 07 00 00 A0 0F 00 00 04 00 00 00 21 01
00 00 A0 0F 00 00 03 00 00 00 20 03 00 00 00 00 00 00 08 00 00 00 60 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 39 35 83 47 C5 D0 25 41 9F A8 08 19 E2 EA AC 93 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 61 4E A2 EF 78 B0 D0 11 89 E4 00 C0 4F C9 E2 6E 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00

Hope this helps.

hi there CodedK,

your code works. but there is an obvious problem. i want to send the ctrl+I, only when the favorites button on the standard button toolbar is enabled.only then. if it is not enabled-pressed then by sending the ctrl+I has the oppossite effect than the one i want.so i want to check first if the favorites button is enabled and then use your code

thanks

Thats true ...
Well try that:

This is the unit:
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unit Unit1;

interface

uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms,
  Dialogs, StdCtrls, Registry, StrUtils;

type
  TForm1 = class(TForm)
    Button1: TButton;
    Memo1: TMemo;
    procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
  private
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;

var
  Form1: TForm1;

implementation

{$R *.dfm}

function ReadRegBinary(Key: HKEY; Name: string; var Buffer; BufSize: Integer): integer;
var
  DataType: Integer;
  Status: integer;
begin
  result := -1;
  DataType := REG_NONE;
  try
    // return the size of the buffer required
    if BufSize = 0 then begin
    // get data type and buffer size
      Status := RegQueryValueEx(Key, PChar(Name), nil, @DataType, nil, @BufSize);
      if Status  = ERROR_SUCCESS then begin
        result := BufSize;
      end;
    end else begin
      // get data
      if RegQueryValueEx(Key, PChar(Name), nil, @DataType, PByte(Buffer),
         @BufSize) = ERROR_SUCCESS then result := BufSize
      else result := -1;
    end;
  except
    result := -1;
  end;
end;


procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  Key: HKEY;
  buf: array of byte;
  size: integer;
  i,loop: integer;
  s: string;
begin
  Memo1.Clear;
  if RegOpenKeyEx
  (HKEY_CURRENT_USER, 'Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser', 0, KEY_READ, Key)
  = ERROR_SUCCESS then
  try
    size := ReadRegBinary(Key, 'ITBarLayout', buf, 0);
    if size <> -1 then begin
      SetLength(buf, size);
      ReadRegBinary(Key, 'ITBarLayout', buf, size);
    end;
  finally
    RegCloseKey(Key);
  end;

  s := '';
  for i := 0 to High(buf) do begin
    s := s + IntToHex(buf[i],2);
  end;
  Memo1.Lines.Add(s);

  for i:=0 to Memo1.Lines.Count-1 do
  if AnsiContainsStr(Memo1.Lines[i],'614EA2EF78B0D01189E400C04FC9E26E')
  then
   begin
     SetForegroundWindow(FindWindow('IEFrame',nil));
     Application.ProcessMessages;

     keybd_event(VK_CONTROL,0,0,0);
     keybd_event(ord('I'),0,0,0);

     keybd_event(ord('I'),0,KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,0);
     keybd_event(VK_CONTROL,0,KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,0);
   end;
end;

end.
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This is the form 'dfm' ... DONT FORGET to put both scroll bars in memo1.....
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object Form1: TForm1
  Left = 437
  Top = 400
  Width = 216
  Height = 98
  Caption = 'Form1'
  Color = clBtnFace
  Font.Charset = DEFAULT_CHARSET
  Font.Color = clWindowText
  Font.Height = -11
  Font.Name = 'MS Sans Serif'
  Font.Style = []
  FormStyle = fsStayOnTop
  OldCreateOrder = False
  PixelsPerInch = 96
  TextHeight = 13
  object Button1: TButton
    Left = 72
    Top = 16
    Width = 89
    Height = 25
    Caption = 'Send command'
    TabOrder = 0
    OnClick = Button1Click
  end
  object Memo1: TMemo
    Left = 8
    Top = 8
    Width = 25
    Height = 25
    ScrollBars = ssBoth
    TabOrder = 1
    Visible = False
  end
end

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:)

Above i just check the registry if it contains the value :
'614EA2EF78B0D01189E400C04FC9E26E'

inside the key : 'ITBarLayout'

Path :
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER --->  Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser"

If thats true it will send Ctrl+I to Internet Explorer.
The code is little big for the "read registry" part coz data is in binary !

So i hope you'll be happy :)

thanks but is there any other way to check that the favorites button is enabled other than reading the registry?

wy do i need the memo1 in your code?

I store the value from the registry inside the memo....
Its too big to store in a string.
I told you to put both scrolls so i can find the value = 614EA2EF78B0D01189E400C04FC9E26E.

I'd guess that it could be done with the class of the favorites window BUT
even if i tried with several child classes that belong to that window ... I couldnt send the
commands !!!

Anyway there is always another way :)

Its not too big, its just the function plus 10 lines and the Send Ctrl+I commands.

if you are telling me that the this registry key will be in the same path for all computers running windows xp and windows 2000 like below

inside the key : 'ITBarLayout'

Path :
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER --->  Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\WebBrowser"

then i i will use your code.

i am going to use that code in a dll. so i can not have memo objects and buttons

i need the function as it is

function ReadRegBinary(Key: HKEY; Name: string; var Buffer; BufSize: Integer): integer;


but i need the other to be a dll function

somthing like this

function sendmessagetofavorites

//if favorites is eabled then


begin
     SetForegroundWindow(FindWindow('IEFrame',nil));
     Application.ProcessMessages;

     keybd_event(VK_CONTROL,0,0,0);
     keybd_event(ord('I'),0,0,0);

     keybd_event(ord('I'),0,KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,0);
     keybd_event(VK_CONTROL,0,KEYEVENTF_KEYUP,0);
end function



thanks a lot

:/
I dont have a pc with win2k that i can experiment BUT i can tell you
that even if you go with the class method you should take this under consideration too :

Next version of IExplorer is on the way.
Next Windows version is on the way.

I'll keep on searching for the right class :)

As for WinXP i am sure that this solution will work in every pc.

thanks for your effort. let me know if the classname approach works.otherwise we will have to go from the registry

Give me one or two days :)

okey.thanks