set focus in "file name" control?

[rshory]

Is there a dialog extender that will set focus to the "file name" control, so I can just start typing the file name without clicking there first? I have tried several and none of them do this. I have software for my scanner (HP PrecisionScan Pro) which worked fine under Windows XP. However, under Windows 7, the File Save dialog comes up with the focus set evidently nowhere. I have to either explicitly click in the "File Name" control, or press <Tab> four times first, before I can start typing the file name. This seems trivial, but it more than doubles the effort of saving a file.
The dialog extenders I've tried do all sorts of cool things, but none of them have this simple option. Does anyone know another way to make this happen, besides a dialog extender? Or how I would write my own dialog extender?

[skwire]

Hi, rshory, and welcome to the DonationCoder site.  The extender that I use, FlashFolder, works like you describe (for me anyway =]).

[rjbull]

Have you tried Listary?

[rshory]

Neither "FlashFolder" nor "Listary" did what I wanted.

[tomos]

I have tried several and none of them do this. I have software for my scanner (HP PrecisionScan Pro) which worked fine under Windows XP. However, under Windows 7, the File Save dialog comes up with the focus set evidently nowhere.

-rshory (August 26, 2012, 12:52 AM)

have you tried running the problem software in XP compatibility mode?

[rshory]

I tried every compatibility mode back to Windows 95. No difference.

[rjbull]

Is it possible to write a macro in AHK, AutoIt, PowerPro or something, that will watch for the appropriate window, and put the cursor in the right location whenever it first appears?

[rshory]

 Well, like everything in computers "it's easy -- after you know how".

 Of the three scripting suggestions, I chose AutoIt at random. It took me about a day to learn enough to write the few lines of code I needed. Here it is, with all my debugging comments still in. I just start it in the background, and then kill the process after I'm done scanning; or leave it running till next time.

Code: Text [Select]

1. While 1
2.         $handle = WinWaitActive("Save As", "File &name:") ; listen for Save As dialog
3. ;       MsgBox(0, "Event", "Save As window active")
4.         If (WinExists("HP Precisionscan Pro") = 1) Then ; is the parent app running?
5.         ; assure the app is indeed the parent of this Save As dialog
6.                 $HPPsPHandle = WinGetHandle("HP Precisionscan Pro")
7. ;               msgbox(0,"PS handle", $HPPsPHandle)
8.                 $result = DllCall("user32.dll", "int", "GetParent", "hwnd", $handle)
9. ;               msgbox(0,"Result0",$result[0])
10. ;               msgbox(0,"Result1",$result[1])
11.         ; parent handle is in hex, and result in decimal, but equality works
12.                 If ($result[0] = $HPPsPHandle) Then
13. ;                       msgbox (0,"OK", "They match")
14.                         Send("!n") ; send Alt-n to set focus to File Name control
15.                 EndIf
16.         EndIf
17.         ; wiat till the dialog closes, so as not to re-fire
18.         WinWaitClose($handle)
19. WEnd