Bringing window to foreground (Qt)

Overview¶

When automating multiple applications or a single application with multiple windows it can be useful (or required) to bring one window to the foreground, or to make the non active application active.

The problem with this is that modern operating systems and window managers actively try to prevent that an application makes itself active. And this is something that Squish cannot change.

However, sometimes the following workarounds might work.

IMPORTANT - Additional settings for Linux¶

On Linux systems you may have to configure one of the following.

Ubuntu¶

Set the entry...

CompizConfig Settings Manager > General > General Options > Focus & Raise Behaviour > Focus Prevention Level

...to Off. (May require installing the CompizConfig Settings Manager.)

Other Linux distributions¶

Set the entry...

System Settings > "Window Behavior > Window Behavior > Focus > Focus stealing prevention level

...to None.

(German: "Fensterverhalten", "Fensterverhalten", "Aktivierung", "Vorbeugung gegen unerwünschte Aktivierung".)

IMPORTANT - Additional settings for Windows¶

On Windows you may have to configure the registry entry ForegroundLockTimeout ( google ForegroundLockTimeout ).

Reading the existing value in cmd.exe (`Command Prompt`):¶

reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ForegroundLockTimeout

Setting (overwriting) the existing value in cmd.exe (`Command Prompt`):¶

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ForegroundLockTimeout /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Notes¶

It is possible that the value does not exist. In that case it must be added.
To disable this mechanism, which interferes with application/window activation, the value of the ForegroundLockTimeout entry must be set to 0.
Changing this entry requires to log out (alternatively a reboot) to take effect.
Updates to Windows may reset this registry entry.

To handle this, consider setting up an automated task that keeps settings this entry to 0. For example a .bat file in the user's Startup folder (see Configure Startup Applications in Windows ), which executes:
```
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop" /v ForegroundLockTimeout /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```

Workaround #1: TopLevelWindow API¶

Squish offers the TopLevelWindow API for manipulating windows.

Workaround #2: raise() + activateWindow()¶

In general:

def main()
    startApplication("addressbook")
    o = waitForObject({"type": "MainWindow", "unnamed": 1, "visible": 1, "windowTitle": "Address Book"})
    o.show()
    getattr(o, "raise")()
    o.activateWindow()

test.py

Also see:

Workaround #3: Create, show and close a QMessageBox¶

This relies on the side effect that closing a QMessageBox will activate the respective application:

def main()
    # Start first instance:
    ctx1 = startApplication("addressbook")

    # Start second instance:
    ctx2 = startApplication("addressbook")

    # Make first instance the current context in Squish:
    setApplicationContext(ctx1)

    # Try to bring it to foreground:
    mainwindow_to_foreground()

def mainwindow_to_foreground():
    w = waitForObject({"type": "QMainWindow", "visible": 1})
    mb = QMessageBox(w)
    mb.show()
    clickButton(waitForObject({"text": "OK", "type": "QPushButton", "visible": 1}))
    snooze(0.1)