What am I missing here? [SOLVED]

[Ten_Mile_Hike]

UPDATE... Deactivate doesn't work like I thought that it did...SORRY!!!

Code: Text  [Select][+][-]

1.  Win11, Lazarus 4.8, Error happens when running the .exe both inside and external to the IDE
2. ----------------
3. The following code only ever shows "Activate" when program is initially started.
4. "Deactivate" NEVER fires and "Activate" NEVER fires again after initial startup
5. despite the fact that I start a text editor then switch back to the program
6. ==================
7. LFM is:
8. object Form1: TForm1
9.   Left = 477
10.   Height = 240
11.   Top = 164
12.   Width = 320
13.   Caption = '0'
14.   DesignTimePPI = 120
15.   LCLVersion = '4.8.0.0'
16.   OnActivate = FormActivate
17.   OnDeactivate = FormDeactivate
18. end
19. =================
20. So Events are assigned normally
21. WHAT AM I MISSING???
22.  

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. unit Unit1;{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
2.  
3. interface
4.  
5. uses Classes, StdCtrls, SysUtils, Forms, Controls, Graphics, Dialogs;
6.  
7. type { TForm1 }
8.   TForm1 = class(TForm)
9.     procedure FormActivate(Sender: TObject);
10.     procedure FormDeactivate(Sender: TObject);
11.   end;
12.  
13. var
14.   Form1: TForm1;
15.  
16. implementation{$R *.lfm}{ TForm1 }
17.  
18.  
19. // OnActivate = FormActivate in Object Inspector
20. // On Deactivate = FormDeactivate in Object Inspector
21. procedure TForm1.FormActivate(Sender: TObject);
22. begin
23.   ShowMessage('Activate');
24. end;
25.  
26. procedure TForm1.FormDeactivate(Sender: TObject);
27. begin
28.   ShowMessage('Deactivate');
29. end;
30.  
31. end.

[LeP]

Note from Windows:
The OnActivate event of the application (TApplication), not the form, occurs when Windows switches control from another application.

[Handoko]

@Ten_Mile_Hike

I quickly wrote a demo for you:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. unit Unit1;
2.  
3. {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
4.  
5. interface
6.  
7. uses
8.   Classes, SysUtils, Forms, Controls, StdCtrls, ExtCtrls, Unit2;
9.  
10. type
11.  
12.   { TForm1 }
13.  
14.   TForm1 = class(TForm)
15.     IdleTimer1: TIdleTimer;
16.     Memo1: TMemo;
17.     procedure FormActivate(Sender: TObject);
18.     procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
19.     procedure FormDeactivate(Sender: TObject);
20.   private
21.     procedure RunOnce(Sender: TObject);
22.   end;
23.  
24. var
25.   Form1: TForm1;
26.  
27. implementation
28.  
29. {$R *.lfm}
30.  
31. { TForm1 }
32.  
33. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
34. begin
35.   IdleTimer1.OnTimer  := @RunOnce;
36.   IdleTimer1.Interval := 100;
37.   Memo1.Clear;
38.   Memo1.ReadOnly := True;
39. end;
40.  
41. procedure TForm1.FormDeactivate(Sender: TObject);
42. var
43.   S: string;
44. begin
45.   S := TimeToStr(Now);
46.   Memo1.Lines.Add(S + ': Form1 deactivated');
47. end;
48.  
49. procedure TForm1.FormActivate(Sender: TObject);
50. var
51.   S: string;
52. begin
53.   S := TimeToStr(Now);
54.   Memo1.Lines.Add(S + ': Form1 activated');
55. end;
56.  
57. procedure TForm1.RunOnce(Sender: TObject);
58. begin
59.   IdleTimer1.OnTimer := nil;
60.   Form2.Left := Form1.Left + Form1.Width + 20;
61.   Form2.Top  := Form1.Top;
62.   Form2.Show;
63. end;
64.  
65. end.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. unit Unit2;
2.  
3. {$mode ObjFPC}{$H+}
4.  
5. interface
6.  
7. uses
8.   Classes, SysUtils, Forms, Controls, StdCtrls;
9.  
10. type
11.  
12.   { TForm2 }
13.  
14.   TForm2 = class(TForm)
15.     Memo1: TMemo;
16.     procedure FormActivate(Sender: TObject);
17.     procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
18.     procedure FormDeactivate(Sender: TObject);
19.   end;
20.  
21. var
22.   Form2: TForm2;
23.  
24. implementation
25.  
26. {$R *.lfm}
27.  
28. { TForm2 }
29.  
30. procedure TForm2.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
31. begin
32.   Memo1.Clear;
33.   Memo1.ReadOnly := True;
34. end;
35.  
36. procedure TForm2.FormDeactivate(Sender: TObject);
37. var
38.   S: string;
39. begin
40.   S := TimeToStr(Now);
41.   Memo1.Lines.Add(S + ': Form2 deactivated');
42. end;
43.  
44. procedure TForm2.FormActivate(Sender: TObject);
45. var
46.   S: string;
47. begin
48.   S := TimeToStr(Now);
49.   Memo1.Lines.Add(S + ': Form2 activated');end;
50.  
51. end.

[Ten_Mile_Hike]

@Handoko
I finally decided that what I wanted was to be notified when another Windows program took or gave back focus. Not another Form within my app doing so. OnActivate, OnDeactivate don't fire (to my surprise) when that happens.
I finally accomplished this by the following code that keeps a log of what external apps have focus at all times.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. unit Unit1;{$mode objfpc}{$H+}interface
2. uses Classes, StdCtrls,SysUtils, Forms, Dialogs, Windows, ExtCtrls, Controls;
3. type
4.  
5.   { TForm1 }
6.  
7.   TForm1 = class(TForm)
8.     Memo1:TMemo;
9.     Timer1: TTimer;
10.     procedure Timer1Timer(Sender: TObject);
11.   private
12.     function GetForegroundProcessName: string;
13.     procedure CheckForeground;
14.   end;
15. var Form1: TForm1;implementation{$R *.lfm}
16.  
17. Procedure TForm1.Timer1Timer(Sender: TObject);
18. begin
19.   CheckForeground;
20. end;
21.  
22. Procedure TForm1.CheckForeground;
23. var S:String;
24. begin
25.   S:=Caption;
26.   Caption := 'Foreground:   ' + GetForegroundProcessName;
27.   if S<>Caption then
28.   Begin
29.    Memo1.lines.add(Datetimetostr(now)+'  '+Caption);
30.    Memo1.lines.SaveToFile('Memo1.txt');
31.   end;
32. end;
33.  
34. Function TForm1.GetForegroundProcessName: string;
35. var
36.   hWnd: qword; //Windows.HWND;
37.   PID: DWORD;
38.   hProcess: THandle;
39.   Buffer: array[0..MAX_PATH - 1] of WideChar;
40.   Size: DWORD;
41. begin
42.   Result := '';
43.   hWnd := GetForegroundWindow;
44.   if hWnd = 0 then Exit;
45.   GetWindowThreadProcessId(hWnd, @PID);
46.   if PID = 0 then Exit;
47.   hProcess := OpenProcess(PROCESS_QUERY_LIMITED_INFORMATION, False, PID);
48.   if hProcess = 0 then Exit;
49.   try
50.     Size := MAX_PATH;
51.     if QueryFullProcessImageNameW(hProcess, 0, Buffer, @Size)
52.      then Result := ExtractFileName(String(Buffer))
53.      else Result := 'unknown.exe';
54.   finally
55.     CloseHandle(hProcess);
56.   end;
57. end;
58. end.

[Handoko]

Nice trick.

I would use TApplicationProperties, which is cross-platform. The code below showing a circle stop moving if the program loses focus:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. unit Unit1;
2.  
3. {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
4.  
5. interface
6.  
7. uses
8.   Classes, SysUtils, Forms, Controls, Graphics, ExtCtrls;
9.  
10. type
11.  
12.   { TForm1 }
13.  
14.   TForm1 = class(TForm)
15.     ApplicationProperties1: TApplicationProperties;
16.     Shape1: TShape;
17.     Timer1: TTimer;
18.     procedure ApplicationProperties1Activate(Sender: TObject);
19.     procedure ApplicationProperties1Deactivate(Sender: TObject);
20.     procedure FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
21.   private
22.     procedure Animate(Sender: TObject);
23.   end;
24.  
25. var
26.   Form1: TForm1;
27.  
28. implementation
29.  
30. const
31.   OffsetX: ShortInt = 3;
32.   OffsetY: ShortInt = 3;
33.  
34. {$R *.lfm}
35.  
36. { TForm1 }
37.  
38. procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
39. begin
40.   Timer1.Interval := 20;
41.   Timer1.OnTimer  := @Animate;
42. end;
43.  
44. procedure TForm1.ApplicationProperties1Activate(Sender: TObject);
45. begin
46.   Timer1.Enabled := True;
47.   Caption := 'Running';
48. end;
49.  
50. procedure TForm1.ApplicationProperties1Deactivate(Sender: TObject);
51. begin
52.   Timer1.Enabled := False;
53.   Caption := 'Paused';
54. end;
55.  
56. procedure TForm1.Animate(Sender: TObject);
57. begin
58.   Shape1.Left := Shape1.Left + OffsetX;
59.   Shape1.Top  := Shape1.Top  + OffsetY;
60.   if Shape1.Left <= 0 then OffsetX := Random(10) + 3;
61.   if (Shape1.Left + Shape1.Width) >= Width then OffsetX := -Random(10) - 3;
62.   if Shape1.Top <= 0 then OffsetY := Random(10) + 3;
63.   if (Shape1.Top + Shape1.Height) >= Height then OffsetY := -Random(10) - 3;
64. end;
65.  
66. end.

[loaded]

...
I would use TApplicationProperties, which is cross-platform. The code below showing a circle stop moving if the program loses focus:
...

Thanks for the example, Handoko.
However, the project still appears to be running when minimized...

[Thaddy]

However, the project still appears to be running when minimized...

Of course it is still running. It just ignores paint messages, etc, because these are not needed when minimized..No screen updates to process.