Start external exe with node.js on second monitor

Question

Do you know, if it's possible to start a software on a specific monitor? And how this can be done?

I have a node.js server on my computer (windows 10) and I need to start some external software (I can't change code in that external software, because I only have the exe-file). The final application should work on a setup with a real monitor and a second fake monitor. On the first monitor is a browser window in full screen. There is a start and stop button (they work already) to start and stop the external software. On the second monitor (not visible) should start the external software. If everything works this way, I can connect per remote on that computer and look at the second screen. There I can use the external software. And on the Monitor (1) of that computer is always only the browser window visible.

To test I use notepad.exe as the external software. If I click start, the software opens on my main monitor (1) but it should start on the second monitor.

Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

It looks like, it's not possible to do that directly. But if you start from node.js a little helper program it's not that difficult. You can start it with execFile() look at: nodejs docs

I made a little C# console application with following functions:

    [DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint = "SetForegroundWindow")]
    public static extern IntPtr SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr hWnd);

    [DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint = "ShowWindow")]
    public static extern bool ShowWindow(IntPtr hWnd, int cmdShow);

    [DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
    internal static extern bool MoveWindow(IntPtr hWnd, int x, int y, int nWidth, int nHeight, bool bRepaint);

Then I iterated through System.Windows.Forms.Screen.AllScreens and started with Process my executable. From Process I got the MainWindowHandle and with that, it's possible to set the window on the screen you want.

 static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        if (args.Length == 1 && args[0].Equals("h"))
        {
            Console.Out.WriteLine("Command: [displayName] [executable] [arguments for executable]");
            return;
        }

        if (args.Length < 2)
        {
            Console.Out.WriteLine("arguments not correct. Should be: [displayName] [executable1] [arguments for executable]");
            return;
        }

        foreach (var screen in Screen.AllScreens)
        {
            Console.Out.WriteLine(screen.DeviceName);
            if (screen.DeviceName.Equals(args[0]))
            {
                var process = new Process();

                process.StartInfo.FileName = args[1];
                string[] arguments = args.Skip(2) as string[];
                if (arguments != null) process.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Join(" ", arguments);

                process.Start();

                var hwnd = process.MainWindowHandle;
                Console.Out.WriteLine("while get process.MainWindowHandle");
                while (!process.HasExited)
                {
                    process.Refresh();
                    if (process.MainWindowHandle.ToInt32() != 0)
                    {
                        hwnd = process.MainWindowHandle;
                        break;
                    }
                }
                Console.Out.WriteLine("windowHandle: " + hwnd);

                MoveWindow(hwnd, screen.WorkingArea.X, screen.WorkingArea.Y, screen.WorkingArea.Width, screen.WorkingArea.Height, true);
                ShowWindow(hwnd, SwMaximize);
                SetForegroundWindow(hwnd);
                // Waits here for the process to exit.
                process.WaitForExit();
                return;
            }
        }
        Console.Out.WriteLine("screen not found: " + args[0]);
    }
}