FIX: Focus Does Not Return to an MDI Parent Form (180747)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows 5.0
This article was previously published under Q180747

SYMPTOMS

An MDI child form opens a second modal form and you then switch to another Windows program. When you switch back to the second modal form and close the modal form, the focus goes to the other Windows program instead of the MDI child form.

RESOLUTION

There are two possible workarounds for this problem:
  • Set the focus to the MDI child form after showing the non-MDI child form with the SetFocus method.

    -or-
  • Use the SetForegroundWindow API in the unload event of the modal form. The MORE INFORMATION section below shows you how to create a project that demonstrates this problem. If you want this sample project to include the workaround, add the following code to Form2: 
          Option Explicit
      Private Declare Function SetForegroundWindow Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

      Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
         SetForegroundWindow MDIForm1.hwnd
      End Sub

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This bug has been fixed in Visual Basic 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

  1. Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default. Set the MDIChild property of Form1 to True.
  2. Add an MDI form to the project by completing the following steps:

    1. From the Project menu, click Add MDI form to display the Add MDI Form dialog box.
    2. From the New tab, check that MDI form is highlighted.
    3. Click Open to close the Add MDI Form dialog box.
  3. Add a second form to the project.
  4. Add a CommandButton to Form1.
  5. Copy the following code to the Code window of Form1: 
          Option Explicit
      Private Sub Command1_Click()
         Form2.Show vbModal
      End Sub
  6. Start another Windows program, such as Windows Explorer.
  7. Switch back to Visual Basic. On the Run menu, click Start or press the F5 key to start the program. Click the Command Button to display the Second form. Switch to the other Windows program using the ALT+TAB KEYS. Switch back to the modal from with the ALT+TAB keys. Close the modal form. Note that the focus goes to the Windows program rather than the MDI Parent form.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/18/2003
Keywords:kbbug kbfix KB180747
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.