slideshow mode returns to edit mode when loses focus

[mwaller]

(OSX 10.2, Office.x with all available updates)
We are finding that if Powerpoint is in slideshow mode that if it
loses focus the edit view is displayed.
This is a repeat of a bug we found on Win32 platform, for which we
implemented a workaround.
Now it looks like we need a workaround for OSX - any ideas on where to
start?

The following is what I posted to microsoft.public.powerpoint :

After a lot of research we have uncovered several documented instances
of PowerPoint slideshow responding to normal events by returning to
edit mode, synopsis of some of these reproduced below.
fixed, but we are finding it happen with PowerPoint 2000 on particular
machines, running both Win98 and W2K. The affected machines all
exhibit this behaviour the first time a slideshow is viewed after a
reboot, when a floating window is removed.
happens?
Using spy++ on the Windows messages shows nothing out of the ordinary,
just cominations of focus and z-order changes.
The fact that this only happens the 1st time a slideshow loses
focus/changes z-order after a reboot suggests that it may have
something to do with ROT registration?

just in case anyone's interested, we implemented a workaround by
actively making the slideshow the foreground window before hiding our
floating window. This did the trick!

 

[Jim Gordon]

Hi

It depends upon how you change the focus from PowerPoint to something else.
On my TiBook there is some black space on each side while a presentation is
running. If I click into the black area the focus changes to the desktop and
PowerPoint goes to edit mode.

If I use Apple+H to hide PowerPoint, when I click on the PowerPoint icon in
the dock PowerPoint regains the focus and is still running at full screen.

Both of these are the expected behavior.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

All responses should be made to this newsgroup within the same thread.
Thanks.

About Microsoft MVPs:
http://www.mvps.org/

Search for help with the free Google search Excel add-in:
<http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm>

----------

 

[mwaller]

Hi

It depends upon how you change the focus from PowerPoint to something else.
On my TiBook there is some black space on each side while a presentation is
running. If I click into the black area the focus changes to the desktop and
PowerPoint goes to edit mode.

If I use Apple+H to hide PowerPoint, when I click on the PowerPoint icon in
the dock PowerPoint regains the focus and is still running at full screen.

Both of these are the expected behavior.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

I don't want to hide PowerPoint, I want to take a screen capture of it
in fullscreen mode.
The focus change is programatical, triggered by an external device.
If this behaviour is by design, what triggers it? I need to know how
to avoid it happening!

mlw

 

[Jim Gordon]

Hi again,

To take a screen capture use Shift+Apple+3

You may also be able to script screen captures with AppleScript
http://www.apple.com/applescript

The information you have given concerning the external device is not enough
to help diagnose the change in focus. There are thousands of possible
scenarios.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

All responses should be made to this newsgroup within the same thread.
Thanks.

About Microsoft MVPs:
http://www.mvps.org/

Search for help with the free Google search Excel add-in:
<http://www.rondebruin.nl/Google.htm>

----------

 

[mwaller]

Hi again,

To take a screen capture use Shift+Apple+3

You may also be able to script screen captures with AppleScript
http://www.apple.com/applescript

The information you have given concerning the external device is not enough
to help diagnose the change in focus. There are thousands of possible
scenarios.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

The application is designed to work with an electronic whiteboard,
which has 'buttons' along the bottom. We float a small toolbar with 3
buttons on it on top of all other applications, and then in response
to either a toolbar button press or a whiteboard button press we take
a screen capture and display it in our application at fullscreen so it
can be annotated.
(The floating toolbar is not focus enabled, but does respond to mouse
clicks.)
The problem appears to be connected with our application becoming
active at a time when we want PowerPoint to repaint itself to remove
the 'hole' where our floating toolbar was. Simply removing the
floating toolbar is enough to spur Powerpoint to return to edit mode
instead of repainting its slideshow.

mlw