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Using Data Copy

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The following example demonstrates how to send information between two applications using the WM_COPYDATA message.

The sending application displays a dialog box to the user which requests certain information. The application packages the information into a private data structure, includes a pointer to the structure in the COPYDATASTRUCT structure, and sends the information to the receiving application using the WM_COPYDATA message. The receiving application has a hidden window with the class name Disp32Class.

// ************ Globals ************
//
#define MYDISPLAY 1
typedef struct tagMYREC
{
   char  s1[80];
   char  s2[80];
   DWORD n;
} MYREC;
COPYDATASTRUCT MyCDS;
MYREC MyRec;
HRESULT hResult;
BOOL CALLBACK InfoDlgProc( HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM );
// ************ Code fragment ****************
// Get data from user. InfoDlgProc stores the information in MyRec.
//
   DialogBox( ghInstance, "InfoDlg", hWnd, (DLGPROC) InfoDlgProc );
//
// Copy data into structure to be passed via WM_COPYDATA.
// Also, we assume that truncation of the data is acceptable.
//
   hResult = StringCbCopy( MyRec.s1, sizeof(MyRec.s1), szFirstName );
   if (hResult != S_OK)
        return False;
   hResult = StringCbCopy( MyRec.s2, sizeof(MyRec.s2), szLastName );
   if (hResult != S_OK)
        return False;
   MyRec.n = nAge;
//
// Fill the COPYDATA structure
// 
   MyCDS.dwData = MYPRINT;          // function identifier
   MyCDS.cbData = sizeof( MyRec );  // size of data
   MyCDS.lpData = &MyRec;           // data structure
//
// Call function, passing data in &MyCDS
//
   hwDispatch = FindWindow( "Disp32Class", "Hidden Window" );
   if( hwDispatch != NULL )
      SendMessage( hwDispatch,
                   WM_COPYDATA,
                   (WPARAM)(HWND) hWnd,
                   (LPARAM) (LPVOID) &MyCDS );
   else
      MessageBox( hWnd, "Can't send WM_COPYDATA", "MyApp", MB_OK );

The receiving application has a hidden window which receives the information from WM_COPYDATA and displays it to the user.

// ************ Globals ************
//
#define MYDISPLAY 1
typedef struct tagMYREC
{
   char  s1[80];
   char  s2[80];
   DWORD n;
} MYREC;
PCOPYDATASTRUCT pMyCDS;
void WINAPI MyDisplay( LPSTR, LPSTR, DWORD );
//
// ************ Code fragment ****************
//
case WM_COPYDATA:
   pMyCDS = (PCOPYDATASTRUCT) lParam;
   switch( pMyCDS->dwData )
   {
      case MYDISPLAY:
         MyDisplay( (LPSTR) ((MYREC *)(pMyCDS->lpData))->s1,
                    (LPSTR) ((MYREC *)(pMyCDS->lpData))->s2,
                    (DWORD) ((MYREC *)(pMyCDS->lpData))->n );
   }
   break;

Reference

FindWindow