Impersonate Linux's Multi-desktop Feature on Windows Platform

Jerry.Wang

4.87/5 (13 votes)

5 Mar 2009CPOL1 min read

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This is a tiny tool to create multi virtual desktop, and allows you to switch between them.

Introduction

The feature, multi desktops (workspace), is supported by KDE/GNOME on Linux, and it can also be found on Mac OSX.

This tiny tool can impersonate this feature on Windows platform.

Desktop Functions

There is a series of APIs to maintain desktops.

Function	Description
`CloseDesktop`	Closes an open handle to a desktop object.
`CreateDesktop`	Creates a new desktop, associates it with the current window station of the calling process, and assigns it to the calling thread.
`CreateDesktopEx`	Creates a new desktop, associates it with the current window station of the calling process, and assigns it to the calling thread.
`EnumDesktops`	Enumerates all desktops associated with the current window station of the calling process.
`EnumDesktopWindows`	Enumerates all top-level windows associated with the specified desktop.
`GetThreadDesktop`	Retrieves a handle to the desktop assigned to the specified thread.
`GetUserObjectInformation`	Gets information about a window station or desktop object.
`GetUserObjectSecurity`	Gets security information for a window station or desktop object.
`OpenDesktop`	Opens the specified desktop object.
`OpenInputDesktop`	Opens the desktop that receives user input.
`SetThreadDesktop`	Assigns the specified desktop to the calling thread.
`SetUserObjectInformation`	Sets information about a window station or desktop object.
`SetUserObjectSecurity`	Sets security information for a window station or desktop object.
`SwitchDesktop`	Makes a desktop visible and activates it. This enables the desktop to receive input from the user.

How To Create a New Desktop

The simple code below demonstrates how to create a new desktop.

C++

// create the new desktop
SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES stSecurityAttr = {sizeof(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES), 0, TRUE};
stSecurityAttr.nLength = sizeof(SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES);
stSecurityAttr.bInheritHandle = TRUE;
HDESK hDesktop = ::CreateDesktop( lpszDesktopName
	, NULL
	, NULL
	, 0
	, GENERIC_ALL
	, &stSecurityAttr
	);
if( hDesktop == NULL )
{
	::MessageBox( m_hWnd, _T("Failed to create new desktop."), 
				_T("Error"), MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
	return;
}

// start the Windows Shell(explorer.exe) on the new created desktop
STARTUPINFO stStartInfo = {0};
stStartInfo.cb = sizeof(STARTUPINFO);
stStartInfo.lpDesktop = (LPTSTR)lpszDesktopName;
PROCESS_INFORMATION stProcInfo = {0};
CString strCmdLine = _T("explorer.exe");
BOOL bRet = ::CreateProcess( NULL
	, strCmdLine.GetBuffer()
	, NULL
	, NULL
	, TRUE
	, 0
	, NULL
	, NULL
	, &stStartInfo
	, &stProcInfo
	);
strCmdLine.ReleaseBuffer();
if( !bRet )
{
	::CloseDesktop(hDesktop);
	::MessageBox( m_hWnd, _T("Failed to launch the explorer.exe 
			in the new desktop."), _T("Error"), MB_ICONERROR | MB_OK);
	return;
}
::SwitchDesktop(hDesktop);

// sleep for 3 seconds for the shell ready
Sleep(3000);

// launch another instance on the new created shell
TCHAR tszBuffer[MAX_PATH] = {0};
GetModuleFileName( m_hInstance, tszBuffer, MAX_PATH);
bRet = ::CreateProcess( NULL
	, tszBuffer
	, NULL
	, NULL
	, TRUE
	, 0
	, NULL
	, NULL
	, &stStartInfo
	, &stProcInfo
	);
	
::CloseDesktop(hDesktop);

History

5^th March, 2009: Initial post

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)