Author Topic: Problems with Ghoster (Read 73,488 times)

f0dder · « **on:** October 03, 2005, 03:22 AM »

Hey Skrommel, just played around with Ghoster a bit.

While it migth be classified as a "toy", I find it very appealing - it could be pretty useful when one needs to code for a while, keeping you from being distracted too much by things in the background.

However, there's a little bug - after I exited Ghoster, at least two of my windows still had "always on top" enabled - one was mIRC which was easy to fix, the other was firefox which I'll probably have to close down and re-start after posting this message.

Also, when selecting tabs (probably also MDI windows), the active window flashes as if it was being ghosted and then re-enabled. I think the on-top stickyness might be related to this, since both mIRC and FireFox are tabbed, and I switched tabs in both apps while running Ghoster.

brotherS · « **Reply #1 on:** October 03, 2005, 07:32 AM »

I have the same problem, please read http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=326.0 to see if you use the same Windows feature as I do. If not this seems to be a real bug to fix then - I have noticed it also only for tabbed windows...

f0dder · « **Reply #2 on:** October 04, 2005, 02:23 AM »

I'm not using any kind of X-Window mouse stuff, so it's not that.

Can't remember if I clicked the tabs or used <ctrl>+<tab> to switch between them, in case that makes any difference.

EDIT:
Okay, a couple more things:

1) - doesn't work in multi-monitor configurations, apps running on second monitor are fullbright (and apps running half one one monitor, half on the other, are half dimmed... might be a windows, nvidia, or driver limit?)

2 - it would be nice if you supply the .au3 with the .exe (if the .au3 can be extracted directly, nevermind this request)

3 - it would be nice if the taskbar and tray weren't shaded.

brotherS · « **Reply #3 on:** October 04, 2005, 06:35 AM »

Quote from: f0dder on October 04, 2005, 02:23 AM

I'm not using any kind of X-Window mouse stuff, so it's not that.

3 - it would be nice if the taskbar and tray weren't shaded.

Interesting... lets see what Skrommel says about that mouse stuff thingy... maybe it's really a bug for tabbed windows.

Regarding your idea #3: well, I think it makes a lot of sense to dim ALL but the active window (like it's done now) - you can still see the taskbar and tray, it's just dimmed a bit.

skrommel · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2005, 12:28 AM »

Multimonitor support should be possible, I'll look into it.

And I really should add a cleanup routine in there, too, to put back the ontop windows. But if you activate the desktop before closing Ghoster, all is OK!

I thought I put an option in the Ghoster.ini to not dim the taskbar? Yes, showontop=1 should take care of that. It also makes all other ontop windows peek through, so maybe I'll add an extra option for just the taskbar...

Skrommel

f0dder · « **Reply #5 on:** October 05, 2005, 02:10 AM »

Thank you, Skrommel

I've only just started using AutoIt myself, it's nice to see that you can do all kinds of stuff with it

skrommel · « **Reply #6 on:** October 05, 2005, 09:29 PM »

Try the version I just uploaded, and tell me if the multimonitor works. Remember to delete the existing Ghoster.ini file before running.

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #7 on:** October 05, 2005, 09:55 PM »

Hi Skrommel, could you please look into the problem that we have with tabbed windows too? Would be great if this could be fixed

Also, this code perfectly starts Ghoster with a hotkey but does not close Ghoster as it should if it's already running - any idea why not?

Code

^+p::
Process, Exist, Ghoster.ahk
pid=%ErrorLevel%
If pid=0
  Run,D:\Downloads\Ghoster.ahk
Else
  Process,Close,Ghoster.ahk
Return

And a suggestion: On http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Skrommel/ it still says "Ghoster v1.0" - maybe you could always (automatically?) write the date besides that when it is updated?

skrommel · « **Reply #8 on:** October 05, 2005, 10:33 PM »

If you compile Ghoster.ahk into Ghoster.exe and update your script to show exe instead of ahk, it should run properly. There's no process called Ghoster.ahk, it shows as AutoHotkey.exe.

What's the problem with tabbed windows?

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #9 on:** October 06, 2005, 07:28 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on October 05, 2005, 10:33 PM

If you compile Ghoster.ahk into Ghoster.exe and update your script to show exe instead of ahk, it should run properly. There's no process called Ghoster.ahk, it shows as AutoHotkey.exe.

Ah, nice, I will try that with the next version you release

Quote

What's the problem with tabbed windows?

See above please, the first two posts. Just ask if you need more details, I'm more than willing to give them to you.

skrommel · « **Reply #10 on:** October 07, 2005, 12:21 AM »

I think it's got to do with the window changing it's title...

I'll look into it.

Skrommel

skrommel · « **Reply #11 on:** October 07, 2005, 12:29 AM »

Try the version I just uploaded, it should solve the tab flicker.

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #12 on:** October 07, 2005, 06:55 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on October 07, 2005, 12:29 AM

Try the version I just uploaded, it should solve the tab flicker.

Skrommel

It does, but it has some problems:

it's rather slow
when I hit Alt-TAB I always see a AutoHotkey-Icon named "WINDOW"
it messes with that bring-windows-to-foreground-on-mouseover feature I use

Would be great if you could improve it

skrommel · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2005, 09:08 AM »

The WINDOW window is the one covering the screen, and since it has to be on top, I don't know how to remove it from the Alt-Tab-chain.

The speed is the limited by AutoHotkey, so I can only recommend you buy a faster PC.

How does it interfere?

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #14 on:** October 07, 2005, 10:00 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on October 07, 2005, 09:08 AM

The WINDOW window is the one covering the screen, and since it has to be on top, I don't know how to remove it from the Alt-Tab-chain.

Maybe the friendly AHK guys could help there? If it's even possible at all? Or the author maybe might add this as a new feature?

Quote

The speed is the limited by AutoHotkey, so I can only recommend you buy a faster PC.

hehe, it's not brandnew, but not too old

Quote

How does it interfere?

Quote

Strange, I couldn't reproduce one bug I had with that latest version... but it still messes with that window focus, tabbed windows mostly won't leave their foremost position on the desktop after running Ghoster....

skrommel · « **Reply #15 on:** October 07, 2005, 10:20 PM »

$:-\$ "... after running Ghoster" is a problem. I should really clean up before exiting, but the quick solution is to activate the task bar before quitting.

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2005, 08:10 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on October 07, 2005, 10:20 PM

$:-\$ "... after running Ghoster" is a problem. I should really clean up before exiting, but the quick solution is to activate the task bar before quitting.

Thanks, that really worked 2 of 3 times when I just tested it

If you could add the cleaning up to the script it would be really great! And btw, it's still saying version 1.0

skrommel · « **Reply #17 on:** October 08, 2005, 10:08 PM »

Just uploaded Ghoster v1.1!

Nothing major, just cleaned up the code, removed some flickering and removed the WINDOW from the Alt-Tab chain.

Please let me know if I broke something else!

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2005, 05:06 PM »

I downloaded the .exe and tested it, starting and stopping it with my major AHK script. That works nicely now, but after I exit Ghoster just the windows I used in 'Ghoster mode' are able to be shown in the foreground then... just switching with Alt-TAB to a different window will activate that but will not bring it to the foreground...

EDIT: Tested it again with two other windows, one of them tabbed. Strange thing: after ending Ghoster the tabbed program behaves normally, the Windows explorer window I used in the text not...

I then tested it AGAIN and now ended Ghoster when the tabbed window was active in the foreground. Now THAT one acted up...

Somehow it seems to be related to the last active window(s) when exiting...

And I also noticed Ghoster doesn't clean up the tray when exiting:

skrommel · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2005, 09:20 PM »

I think this has got to do with your other AHK-script. The Process,Close prevents a proper shutdown, and that is why you get leftover ontop windows and tray icons.

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #20 on:** October 09, 2005, 09:41 PM »

You seem to be right! I closed my main AHK script and just started Ghoster.exe - played around with it and right-clicked it in the tray to exit it - and everything worked as it should...

Is there maybe some way around "Process,Close" to fix this for all those guys running AHK 24/7 (like me)?

skrommel · « **Reply #21 on:** October 10, 2005, 07:35 AM »

WinClose is more gentle.

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #22 on:** October 10, 2005, 08:41 AM »

Nice!

I now use

Code

^+p::
Process, Exist, Ghoster.exe
pid=%ErrorLevel%
If pid=0
  Run,D:\Downloads\Ghoster.exe
Else
  WinClose, Ghoster
Return

in my main AHK script and IT WORKS!

It just takes the focus away from the current window altough the mouse cursor is still above it - how to fix that?

skrommel · « **Reply #23 on:** October 10, 2005, 11:00 AM »

Quote from: brotherS on October 10, 2005, 08:41 AM

It just takes the focus away from the current window altough the mouse cursor is still above it - how to fix that?

What do you mean?

Edit: I think I get it. To be on the safe side when exiting, I activate the taskbar.

Skrommel

brotherS · « **Reply #24 on:** October 10, 2005, 11:28 AM »

Quote from: skrommel on October 10, 2005, 11:00 AM

I think I get it. To be on the safe side when exiting, I activate the taskbar.

Hmm... so I would just need to add a line to my start/stop script?
That just activates the window the cursor is over after the "WinClose, Ghoster" command?