Change settings of a running process

[codekomlete]

I noticed that when a process starts for the first time, it statically reads some system parameter info only once and keeps it until terminated

which means,

that if there is some modification to the system parameters already read by the process, they wouldn'y reflect until the process is restarted.

e.g. Launch Notepad and type ';' key on the keyboard. Now change the input language from the langauge toolbar to Spanish. Now again hit the key ';'. Though the Input langauge has been changed to Spanish, the keys are still English (as seen by pressing ';' key).

Ideally on pressing ';' afer the input language is changed to Spanish, we should have noticed 'ñ'.

When we restart Notepad, we notice that ';' results in 'ñ' which means that the Notepad process needed to be restarted to take effect.

Is there some way where the process is not needed to be restarted to reflect the change in the Input method?

Thanks

[JVene]

I don't think so.

In some operating systems that IS the definition, but generally not so in Windows (or *nix, if memory serves).

It would require some kind of signal that a change has occurred. For example, when an application launches it may center a non-maximized window as part of it's design. If the desktop size changes (a resolution change, for example), the Windows OS sends a message indicating a repaint is required, and the application CAN by design check and recenter. This is close to what you're asking.

However, a great many settings in Windows don't end up sending messages, or if they do, the applications themselves may not be written to respond to such messages.

In MAC, for example, especially under Cocoa, it is a design paradigm that settings are "live" - all such settings, and have responses within applications that adjust themselves according to such notifications. What you want would work in OSX in most situations because of that design specification.

I haven't researched this, but perhaps what you're looking for is implemented in .NET - someone with .NET expertise would have to jump in on that one.