AutoIt Wait until browser window is visible not working as expected - windows

Question

Consider that I have the handle ($browser_handle) of a web browser window ('firefox') available in my AutoIt script.
I would like perform some keystrokes after I know that the firefox browser window is open and visible on my display so that I can bring it to focus using -
WinActivate($browser_handle)
or
WinWaitActive($browser_handle)
To make sure that the window is visible before I try to bring it into focus I have a while loop which waits till the state of the window handle is visible (2).
While (Not BitAND(WinGetState($browser_handle), 2)) WEnd //until window visible
If I use a Sleep(5000) function before the while loop then I do not face any issues.
If I do not use an arbitrary Sleep function in my script, the Whileloop condition never becomes true and turns into an infinite loop.
When I tried to check what the return value of WinGetState($browser_handle) is when there is no Sleep function,
It remains 5 even if the browser is visible and becomes 0 after the browser window is closed.
I'm unable to understand why the WinGetStatereturn value never becomes 2(visible) even if the browser is visible when there is no Sleep function.
This is a test code which can reproduce the issue -
#include <Constants.au3>
Local $browser_name = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
Run($browser_name)
ProcessWait('iexplore.exe')
Local $browsers = ProcessList('iexplore.exe')
Local $pid = $browsers[1][1];
_WinActiveByPID($pid)
Local $sText = WinGetTitle("[ACTIVE]")
; Display the window title.
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", $sText)
Func _WinActiveByPID($pid) ;False to WinActivate, True to just see if it's active
Local $aWL = WinList()
For $iCC = 1 To $aWL[0][0]
If ($aWL[$iCC][0] <> '') And _
(WinGetProcess($aWL[$iCC][1]) = $pid) Then
While (Not BitAND(WinGetState($aWL[$iCC][1]), 2))
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", WinGetState($aWL[$iCC][1]))
WEnd
WinWait($aWL[$iCC][1])
WinActivate($aWL[$iCC][1])
WinWaitActive($aWL[$iCC][1])
Return 1
EndIf
Next
Return SetError(2, 0, 0)
EndFunc
Note:
WinWait does not work in this situation, If you see the example in the link there is a Sleep after WinWait, this function returns even if the window is hidden.
The browser window in my original script is not launched using Run, it is a Java program which opens the browser. I know that the Run method returns the PID of the browser which I can use to resolve this issue but since it starts from Java I have to use ProcessList to obtain the PID of the browser.
Please let me know how I can get this to work.
Thanks

Answer 1

You got thing too complicated for no reason there. Let me show you.
Local $browser_name = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
Run($browser_name)
ProcessWait('iexplore.exe')
Sleep(500) ; because ProcessWait will exit when the process is created not when the window is visible. If your computer is slow you will have an problem
Local $BrowsersHWND = WinList()
Local $hBrowserHandle[2]
For $i = 0 To $BrowsersHWND[0][0] -1
If StringInStr($BrowsersHWND[$i][0], "Internet Explorer") Then
$hBrowserHandle[0] = $BrowsersHWND[$i][0] ;title
$hBrowserHandle[1] = $BrowsersHWND[$i][1] ;handle
ExitLoop
EndIf
Next
If $hBrowserHandle[0] = "" Or $hBrowserHandle[1] = "" Then Exit MsgBox(0, 0, "Internet Explorer not found")
Local $hState = WinGetState($hBrowserHandle[0])
Local $sVisibleStates[24] = [2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 34, 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47] ;visible states
Local $hCheck = False
For $j = 0 To UBound($sVisibleStates) -1
If $hState = $sVisibleStates[$j] Then
ConsoleWrite("Window state(visisble): " & $hState & #LF)
$hCheck = True
ExitLoop
EndIf
Next
If $hCheck = False Then
ConsoleWrite("Activating: " & $hBrowserHandle[0] & #LF)
WinActivate($hBrowserHandle[0])
EndIf
I have added all the cases of states where your window would be visible.
WinWait will not activate any window and I recommend you never use it. It could freeze a script for ever without reason. I will not explain why because it would take pages but avoid it. Also avoid using WinWaitActive. For similar reasons.
You have too many issues in your code that's why I completely changed it. Not worth explaining it.

Answer 2

I think the problem is not necessarily with the code, but possibly with the logic. I could be way off base here, but maybe we should not be looking for a state of 2, but something closer to 15.
A sample with notepad:
$WIN_STATE_EXISTS (1) = Window exists
$WIN_STATE_VISIBLE (2) = Window is visible
$WIN_STATE_ENABLED (4) = Window is enabled
$WIN_STATE_ACTIVE (8) = Window is active
A window that is active (8), enabled (4), visible(2), and exists(1) will have a windows state of 15.
; Look for notepad and display WindowState number
if WinExists("[Class:Notepad]") Then
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", "Found")
WinActivate("[Class:Notepad]")
$WinState = WinGetState("[Class:Notepad]")
MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", $WinState)
EndIf