🚀 go-pugleaf

I have an application that is divided into two separate executable 
files. The first one writes data to a file and starts the second one. 
When the second exe starts, it reads the data from a file and displays 
it. During the startup the second exe must check if the program is 
already running. In that case it sends a command to the running program 
which reads the data and displays it. The running program must bring 
it's window to the front, but that seems to be difficult under Windows XP.

The following function calls (called from TForm context) do not have 
(any) effect:

VCL:
Show();
Visible = true;
BringToFront();
Application->BringToFront(); //Flashes the status bar icon three times?
SetFocus();

Windows API:
BringWindowToTop(Handle);
SetForegroundWindow(Handle);
EnableWindow(Handle, TRUE);
SetActiveWindow(Handle);
::SetFocus(Handle);


The following works, but the look and feel is bad especially if window 
open/close animation is turned on (which is the default setting in Windows).

Application->Minimize();
Application->Restore();


The following is the best solution that I have managed to make. The 
problem is that if the window is not in a minimized state, it is not 
activated, but the focus stays in the original application. The 
'minimized' is a boolean member that is updated in the Application event 
handlers OnMinimize and OnRestore.

    if (minimized)
    {
       Application->Restore();
    }
    else
    {
       SetWindowPos(Handle,
                    HWND_TOPMOST,
                    0,0,0,0,  	// Dummy size & position
                    SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOMOVE);
       SetWindowPos(Handle,
                    HWND_NOTOPMOST,
                    0,0,0,0,
                    SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_NOMOVE);
    }


How can this be so difficult, or am I missing something completely trivial?


/Jyrki Holopainen