🚀 go-pugleaf

> [...] The running program must bring it's window to the
> front, but that seems to be difficult under Windows XP.

I know exactly what you are talking about, becasue I've
developed similar software few years ago. I experienced
the very same issues. Every single code which worked in
one scenariio faild in other and vice versa.

Now, I've looked in the code which I beleave was a solution
in my case. You can try and check if it can help in your case.

I tried everything, and stopped with this silly code.

--- Service EXE which calls other EXE ---

// function C(...) is my internal, and it returns just an AnsiString
// from crypted resource file.
// Just use simple "...some appropriate text ..." instead
// ...
HANDLE lanmsg = FindWindow( 
C(IDS_SER_MAIN_NT_SERVICE_INVOKING_CLASS).c_str(), NULL );

if ( lanmsg != NULL )
{
   // These three lines helped.
   // Of course I could bundle all this in just one call but then
   // things just didn't work (flickering in status bar)

   PostMessage ( lanmsg, WM_USER + 1010, 0, 0 );
   PostMessage ( lanmsg, WM_USER + 1011, 0, 0 );
   PostMessage ( lanmsg, WM_USER + 1012, 0, 0 );
}
else
{
   AnsiString Exe = ExtractFilePath( ParamStr(0) ) + 
C(IDS_SER_MAIN_NT_SERVICE_INVOKING_EXE_FILE);

   STARTUPINFO StartInfo;
   PROCESS_INFORMATION ProcInfo;
   memset(&ProcInfo, 0, sizeof(ProcInfo));
   memset(&StartInfo, 0 , sizeof(StartInfo));
   StartInfo.cb = sizeof(StartInfo);
   if ( ! CreateProcess( Exe.c_str(),NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 
NULL,
                         &StartInfo, &ProcInfo ) )
   {
      SystemOk = false;
      GoSendMessageToLog( SERVICE_CREATE_PROCESS_FAILED );
   }
}
// ...

--- EXE which is called ---
(btw, it was FormStyle = fsStayOnTop)

void __fastcall TLanMsgMainForm::WndProc( TMessage &Msg )
{
   switch ( Msg.Msg )
   {
      // ...
      case   WM_USER + 1010:
         ReloadView(); //<--- Data to be shown in TreeView
         break;

      case   WM_USER + 1011:
         Application->Restore();
         break;

      case   WM_USER + 1012:
         Application->BringToFront();
         break;
      // ...
   }
   TForm::WndProc( Msg );
}

All this tels me that some Application->ProcessMessages()
placed in appropriate place could help in preventing flashing
app in status bar, but never had time to investigate further.


-- 
Best Regards,
Vladimir Stefanovic