DOCUMENT:Q180747  10-FEB-1998  [vbwin]
TITLE   :BUG: Focus Does Not Return to an MDI Parent Form
PRODUCT :Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:5.0
OPER/SYS:WINDOWS
KEYWORDS:vb5all VBKBObj VBKBVB

======================================================================
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions
   for Windows, version 5.0
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SYMPTOMS
========

An MDI child form opens a second modal form and you then switch to another
Windows program. When you switch back to the second modal form and close
the modal form, the focus goes to the other Windows program instead of the
MDI child form.

RESOLUTION
==========

There are two possible workarounds for this problem:


 - Set the focus to the MDI child form after showing the non-MDI child form
   with the SetFocus method.

   -or-

 - Use the SetForegroundWindow API in the unload event of the modal form.
   The MORE INFORMATION section below shows you how to create a project
   that demonstrates this problem. If you want this sample project to
   include the workaround, add the following code to Form2:

      Option Explicit
      Private Declare Function SetForegroundWindow Lib "user32" _
        (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

      Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
         SetForegroundWindow MDIForm1.hwnd
      End Sub

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products
listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this
bug and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by
   default. Set the MDIChild property of Form1 to True.

2. Add an MDI form to the project by completing the following steps:

   a. From the Project menu, click Add MDI form to display the Add MDI Form
      dialog box.

   b. From the New tab, check that MDI form is highlighted.

   c. Click Open to close the Add MDI Form dialog box.

3. Add a second form to the project.

4. Add a CommandButton to Form1.

5. Copy the following code to the Code window of Form1:

      Option Explicit

      Private Sub Command1_Click()
         Form2.Show vbModal
      End Sub

6. Start another Windows program, such as Windows Explorer.

7. Switch back to Visual Basic. On the Run menu, click Start or press the
   F5 key to start the program. Click the Command Button to display the
   Second form. Switch to the other Windows program using the ALT+TAB KEYS.
   Switch back to the modal from with the ALT+TAB keys. Close the modal
   form. Note that the focus goes to the Windows program rather than the
   MDI Parent form.
======================================================================
Keywords          : vb5all VBKBObj VBKBVB
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

=============================================================================

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Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.