# Windows Specifics

## Setting the foreground window

In the `instanceStarted()` example in the `README` we demonstrated how an
application can bring it's primary instance window whenever a second copy
of the application is started.

On Windows the ability to bring the application windows to the foreground is
restricted, see [AllowSetForegroundWindow()][https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms632668.aspx] for more
details.

The background process (the primary instance) can bring its windows to the
foreground if it is allowed by the current foreground process (the secondary
instance). To bypass this `SingleApplication` must be initialized with the
`allowSecondary` parameter set to `true` .

If the widget is minimized to Windows task bar, `QWidget::raise()` or
`QWidget::show()` can not bring it to the front, you have to use Windows API
`ShowWindow()` .

Here is an example, you can find this project in the example directory:

```cpp
SingleApplication app(argc, argv, true);
if ( app.isSecondary() ) {
    // This API requires LIBS += User32.lib to be added to the project
    AllowSetForegroundWindow( DWORD( app.primaryPid() ) );

    objApp.sendMessage("SHOW_WINDOW");

    return 0;
}

QWidget* widget = new QWidget;

QObject::connect(&app, &SingleApplication::receivedMessage,
                 widget, [widget] () { RaiseWidget(widget); } );
```

```cpp
void RaiseWidget(QWidget* widget) {

    HWND hwnd = (HWND)widget->winId();

    // check if widget is minimized
    if (::IsIconic(hwnd)) {
        ::ShowWindow(hwnd, SW_RESTORE);
    }

    ::SetForegroundWindow(hwnd);
}
```