Retrieves the specified window's unique ID, process ID, process name, or a list of its controls. It can also retrieve a list of all windows matching the specified criteria.

Parameters

Cmd is the operation to perform, which if blank defaults to ID. It can be one of the following words:

ID: Retrieves the unique ID number (HWND/handle) of a window. If there is no matching window, OutputVar is made blank. The functions WinExist() and WinActive() can also be used to retrieve the ID of a window; for example, WinExist("A") is a fast way to get the ID of the active window. To discover the HWND of a control (for use with PostMessage or DllCall), use the function GetChildHWND.

IDLast: Same as above except it retrieves the ID of the last/bottommost window if there is more than one match. If there is only one match, it performs identically to ID. This concept is similar to that used by WinActivateBottom.

PID: Retrieves the Process ID (PID) of a window.

ProcessName: Retrieves the name of the process (e.g. notepad.exe) that owns a window. If there are no matching windows, OutputVar is made blank.

Count: Retrieves the number of existing windows that match the specified WinTitle, WinText, ExcludeTitle, and ExcludeText (0 if none). To count all windows on the system, leave WinTitle, WinText, and ExcludeText blank but specify Program Manager for ExcludeTitle (or omit all four parameters in v1.0.30.03+ to count all windows). Hidden windows are included only if DetectHiddenWindows has been turned on.

List: Retrieves the unique ID numbers of all existing windows that match the specified WinTitle, WinText, ExcludeTitle, and ExcludeText (to retrieve all windows on the entire system, leave WinTitle and WinText blank but specify Program Manager or a nonexistent title for ExcludeTitle [this is no longer necessary in v1.0.30.02+]). Each ID number is stored in an array element whose name begins with OutputVar's own name, while OutputVar itself is set to the number of retrieved items (0 if none). For example, if OutputVar is MyArray and two matching windows are discovered, MyArray1 will be set to the ID of the first window, MyArray2 will be set to the ID of the second window, and MyArray itself will be set to the number 2. Windows are retrieved in order from topmost to bottommost (according to how they are stacked on the desktop). Hidden windows are included only if DetectHiddenWindows has been turned on. Within a function, to create an array that is global instead of local, declare MyArray as a global variable prior to using this command.

MinMax: Retrieves the minimized/maximized state for a window. OuputVar is made blank if no matching window exists; otherwise, it is set to one of the following numbers:
-1: The window is minimized (WinRestore can unminimize it).
1: The window is maximized (WinRestore can unmaximize it).
0: The window is neither minimized nor maximized.

ControlList: Retrieves the control names for all controls in a window. If no matching window exists or there are no controls in the window, OutputVar is made blank. Otherwise, each control name consists of its class name followed immediately by its sequence number, as shown by Window Spy.

Each item except the last is terminated by a linefeed (`n). To examine the individual control names one by one, use a parsing loop as shown in the examples section below.

Controls are sorted according to their Z-order, which is usually the same order as TAB key navigation if the window supports tabbing.

The control currently under the mouse cursor can be retrieved with MouseGetPos.

Transparent [v1.0.26+]: Retrieves the degree of transparency of a window (see WinSet for how to set transparency). OutputVar is made blank if: 1) the OS is older than Windows XP; 2) there are no matching windows; 3) the window has no transparency level; or 4) other conditions (caused by OS behavior) such as the window having been minimized, restored, and/or resized since it was made transparent. Otherwise, a number between 0 and 255 is stored, where 0 indicates an invisible window and 255 indicates an opaque window. For example:
MouseGetPos,,, MouseWin
WinGet, Transparent, Transparent, ahk_id %MouseWin% ; Transparency of window under the mouse cursor.

TransColor [v1.0.26+]: Retrieves the color that is marked transparent in a window (see WinSet for how to set the TransColor). OutputVar is made blank if: 1) the OS is older than Windows XP; 2) there are no matching windows; 3) the window has no transparent color; or 4) other conditions (caused by OS behavior) such as the window having been minimized, restored, and/or resized since it was made transparent. Otherwise, a six-digit hexadecimal RGB color is stored, e.g. 0x00CC99. For example:
MouseGetPos,,, MouseWin
WinGet, TransColor, TransColor, ahk_id %MouseWin% ; TransColor of the window under the mouse cursor.

Style or ExStyle: Retrieves an 8-digit hexadecimal number representing style or extended style (respectively) of a window. If there are no matching windows, OutputVar is made blank. The following example determines whether a window has the WS_DISABLED style:

WinGet, Style, Style, My Window Title
if (Style & 0x8000000)  ; 0x8000000 is WS_DISABLED.
  ... the window is disabled, so perform appropriate action.

The next example determines whether a window has the WS_EX_TOPMOST style (always-on-top):

WinGet, ExStyle, ExStyle, My Window Title
if (ExStyle & 0x8)  ; 0x8 is WS_EX_TOPMOST.
  ... the window is always-on-top, so perform appropriate action.

See the styles table for a partial listing of styles.

Remarks

A window's ID number is valid only during its lifetime. In other words, if an application restarts, all of its windows will get new ID numbers.

ID numbers retrieved by this command are numeric (the prefix "ahk_id" is not included) and are stored in hexadecimal format regardless of the setting of SetFormat.

The ID of the window under the mouse cursor can be retrieved with MouseGetPos.

Although ID numbers are currently 32-bit unsigned values, they may become 64-bit in future versions. Therefore, it is unsafe to perform numerical operations such as addition on these values because such operations require that their input strings be parsable as signed rather than unsigned values.

Window titles and text are always case sensitive. Hidden windows are not detected unless DetectHiddenWindows has been turned on.

Related

WinGetClass, Process, WinGetTitle, MouseGetPos, ControlGet, ControlFocus, GroupAdd

Examples

; Example #1: Maximize the active window and report its unique ID:
WinGet, active_id, ID, A
WinMaximize, ahk_id %active_id%
MsgBox, The active window's ID is "%active_id%".

; Example #2: This will visit all windows on the entire system and display info about each of them:
WinGet, id, list,,, Program Manager
Loop, %id%
{
	StringTrimRight, this_id, id%a_index%, 0
	WinActivate, ahk_id %this_id%
	WinGetClass, this_class, ahk_id %this_id%
	WinGetTitle, this_title, ahk_id %this_id%
	MsgBox, 4, , Visiting All Windows`n%a_index% of %id%`nahk_id %this_id%`nahk_class %this_class%`n%this_title%`n`nContinue?
	IfMsgBox, NO, break
}

Example #3: Extract the individual control names from a ControlList:
WinGet, ActiveControlList, ControlList, A
Loop, Parse, ActiveControlList, `n
{
	MsgBox, 4,, Control #%a_index% is "%A_LoopField%". Continue?
	IfMsgBox, No
		break
}

Example #4: Display in real time the active window's control list:
#Persistent
SetTimer, WatchActiveWindow, 200
return
WatchActiveWindow:
WinGet, ControlList, ControlList, A
ToolTip, %ControlList%
return