Purpose
You want to capture a screenshot of a control that you have created with the "Control" statement.

Solution
Use the VB.NET function "capture" given below.

The screenshot is saved as an image file and you can use it in the same InputScript, for example to build up an MS Word file for or a PDF file.

Remarks

  • As a special case you can capture the content of the web browser control
    In this case, first wait until the web page is fully loaded (VB function see below)
  • The "capture" function also works for controls started with the -invisible option, allowing you to generate images from HTML pages or Active controls without displaying the controls


Example

We generate two .png image files via a hidden control:

  1.  The first image file captures a webcam via a URL
  2. The second image file captures a chart generated via JavaScript; we use the example in Using JavaScript frameworks

 

InputScript

Remarks: For our control "mycontrol", the variable V[mycontrol] is passed as object pointer from GuiXT to VB.NET. The variable V[mycontrol.hwnd] is the Window handle of the control that we need for generating the screenshot.

// open an invisible HTML control with a webcam URL
Control (1,1) (30,200) _
  name="mycontrol" _
  progID="https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/funtenseetauern/" _
  -floating -invisible

// wait until HTML page is complete
 CallVB utilities.control.wbComplete "&V[mycontrol]"

// capture a screenshot
 CallVB utilities.control.capture "&V[mycontrol.hwnd]" "C:\temp\screenshot1.png"

// close the control
 CloseControl name="mycontrol"

// open a blank HTML control
 Control (2.7,6.3) (18,85.4) _
  name="mycontrol" _
  progID="about:blank" _
  -floating -invisible

// generate a chart via JavaScript
CallJS display_chart "&V[mycontrol]"

// capture a screenshot
 CallVB utilities.control.capture "&V[mycontrol.hwnd]" "C:\temp\screenshot2.png"

// close the control
 CloseControl name="mycontrol"

// we now can use the two image files for further actions ...
Return


Files generated

VB.NET

Imports System
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Drawing.Imaging
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports SHDocVw


Public Class control

    Public Structure RECT
        Public left As Integer
        Public top As Integer
        Public right As Integer
        Public bottom As Integer
    End Structure

    Public Enum WINDOWSTAT As Integer
        SW_HIDE = 0
        SW_NORMAL = 1 
    End Enum

 ' Windows functions
    Private Declare Function GetWindowRect Lib "user32.dll" _
                (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr,_ 
                  ByRef lpRect As RECT) As Boolean

    Private Declare Function PrintWindow Lib "user32.dll" _ 
                 (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal hDC As IntPtr, _
                  ByVal nFlags As UInteger) As Boolean

    Private Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32.dll" _ 
                  (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, _
                  ByVal nCmdShow As Integer) As Boolean

    Private Declare Function InvalidateRect Lib "user32.dll" _
                 (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, 
                  ByVal lpRect As IntPtr, _
                  ByVal bErase As Boolean) As Boolean

    Private Declare Function MoveWindow Lib "user32.dll" _
                 (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, _
                  ByVal X As Int32, _
                  ByVal Y As Int32, _ 
                  ByVal Width As Int32, _
                  ByVal Height As Int32, 
                  ByVal Repaint As Boolean) As Boolean

    Private Declare Function IsWindowVisible Lib "user32.dll" _ 
                 (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Boolean
   

    ' wait until web browser page is fully loaded
    Public Sub wbComplete(ie As SHDocVw.WebBrowser)
        Try
            While ie.Busy OrElse _ 
                  ie.ReadyState <> tagREADYSTATE.READYSTATE_COMPLETE

                System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(10)
                Application.DoEvents()

            End While

        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.Message)
        End Try

    End Sub


    ' capture window screenshot
    Public Sub capture(charhwnd As String, filename As String)

        Try

            Dim hwnd As Integer = CInt(charhwnd)

            ' get window size
            Dim r As New RECT
            GetWindowRect(hwnd, r)

            Dim image As Image = _
                 New Bitmap(r.right - r.left, r.bottom - r.top)
            Dim screenshot As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(image)

            Dim isHidden As Boolean = Not IsWindowVisible(hwnd)
            If isHidden Then
                ' move window out of screen to avoid flickering
                MoveWindow(hwnd, r.left, r.top + 8000, _
                            r.right - r.left, r.bottom - r.top, True)

                ' make window visible
                ShowWindow(hwnd, WINDOWSTAT.SW_NORMAL)
            End If

            InvalidateRect(hwnd, IntPtr.Zero, True)
            Application.DoEvents()

            ' print client area of window to bitmap
            Dim PW_CLIENTONLY As Integer = 1
            PrintWindow(hwnd, screenshot.GetHdc, PW_CLIENTONLY)
            screenshot.ReleaseHdc()

            If isHidden Then
                ' hide window
                ShowWindow(hwnd, WINDOWSTAT.SW_HIDE)
                ' restore window position
                MoveWindow(hwnd, r.left, r.top, _
                          r.right - r.left, r.bottom - r.top, True)

                Application.DoEvents()
            End If


            image.Save(filename, _
                        System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png)

        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.Message)
        End Try

    End Sub

End Class

Components
InputAssistant