Name

getsystemmetrics — Retrieves the specified system metric or system configuration setting. (Windows only)

Calling Sequence

res = getsystemmetrics(key)

Parameters

res

a value (integer)

key

a string (see below)

Description

Retrieves the specified system metric or system configuration setting.

SM_ARRANGE The flags that specify how the system arranged minimized windows. For more information, see the Remarks section in this topic.
SM_CLEANBOOT The value that specifies how the system is started: 0 Normal boot 1 Fail-safe boot 2 Fail-safe with network boot A fail-safe boot (also called SafeBoot, Safe Mode, or Clean Boot) bypasses the user startup files.
SM_CMONITORS The number of display monitors on a desktop. For more information, see the Remarks section in this topic.
SM_CMOUSEBUTTONS The number of buttons on a mouse, or zero if no mouse is installed.
SM_CXBORDER The width of a window border, in pixels. This is equivalent to the SM_CXEDGE value for windows with the 3-D look.
SM_CXCURSOR The width of a cursor, in pixels. The system cannot create cursors of other sizes.
SM_CXDLGFRAME This value is the same as SM_CXFIXEDFRAME.
SM_CXDOUBLECLK The width of the rectangle around the location of a first click in a double-click sequence, in pixels. The second click must occur within the rectangle that is defined by SM_CXDOUBLECLK and SM_CYDOUBLECLK for the system to consider the two clicks a double-click. The two clicks must also occur within a specified time. To set the width of the double-click rectangle, call SystemParametersInfo with SPI_SETDOUBLECLKWIDTH.
SM_CXDRAG The number of pixels on either side of a mouse-down point that the mouse pointer can move before a drag operation begins. This allows the user to click and release the mouse button easily without unintentionally starting a drag operation. If this value is negative, it is subtracted from the left of the mouse-down point and added to the right of it.
SM_CXEDGE The width of a 3-D border, in pixels. This metric is the 3-D counterpart of SM_CXBORDER.
SM_CXFIXEDFRAME The thickness of the frame around the perimeter of a window that has a caption but is not sizable, in pixels. SM_CXFIXEDFRAME is the height of the horizontal border, and SM_CYFIXEDFRAME is the width of the vertical border. This value is the same as SM_CXDLGFRAME.
SM_CXFOCUSBORDER The width of the left and right edges of the focus rectangle that the DrawFocusRect draws. This value is in pixels.
SM_CXFRAME This value is the same as SM_CXSIZEFRAME.
SM_CXFULLSCREEN The width of the client area for a full-screen window on the primary display monitor, in pixels. To get the coordinates of the portion of the screen that is not obscured by the system taskbar or by application desktop toolbars, call the SystemParametersInfo function with the SPI_GETWORKAREA value.
SM_CXHSCROLL The width of the arrow bitmap on a horizontal scroll bar, in pixels.
SM_CXHTHUMB The width of the thumb box in a horizontal scroll bar, in pixels.
SM_CXICON The default width of an icon, in pixels. The LoadIcon function can load only icons with the dimensions that SM_CXICON and SM_CYICON specifies.
SM_CXICONSPACING The width of a grid cell for items in large icon view, in pixels. Each item fits into a rectangle of size SM_CXICONSPACING by SM_CYICONSPACING when arranged. This value is always greater than or equal to SM_CXICON.
SM_CXMAXIMIZED The default width, in pixels, of a maximized top-level window on the primary display monitor.
SM_CXMAXTRACK The default maximum width of a window that has a caption and sizing borders, in pixels. This metric refers to the entire desktop. The user cannot drag the window frame to a size larger than these dimensions. A window can override this value by processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.
SM_CXMENUCHECK The width of the default menu check-mark bitmap, in pixels.
SM_CXMENUSIZE The width of menu bar buttons, such as the child window close button that is used in the multiple document interface, in pixels.
SM_CXMIN The minimum width of a window, in pixels.
SM_CXMINIMIZED The width of a minimized window, in pixels.
SM_CXMINSPACING The width of a grid cell for a minimized window, in pixels. Each minimized window fits into a rectangle this size when arranged. This value is always greater than or equal to SM_CXMINIMIZED.
SM_CXMINTRACK The minimum tracking width of a window, in pixels. The user cannot drag the window frame to a size smaller than these dimensions. A window can override this value by processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.
SM_CXPADDEDBORDER The amount of border padding for captioned windows, in pixels.
SM_CXSCREEN The width of the screen of the primary display monitor, in pixels. This is the same value obtained by calling GetDeviceCaps as follows: GetDeviceCaps( hdcPrimaryMonitor, HORZRES).
SM_CXSIZE The width of a button in a window caption or title bar, in pixels.
SM_CXSIZEFRAME The thickness of the sizing border around the perimeter of a window that can be resized, in pixels. SM_CXSIZEFRAME is the width of the horizontal border, and SM_CYSIZEFRAME is the height of the vertical border. This value is the same as SM_CXFRAME.
SM_CXSMICON The recommended width of a small icon, in pixels. Small icons typically appear in window captions and in small icon view.
SM_CXSMSIZE The width of small caption buttons, in pixels.
SM_CXVIRTUALSCREEN The width of the virtual screen, in pixels. The virtual screen is the bounding rectangle of all display monitors. The SM_XVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the coordinates for the left side of the virtual screen.
SM_CXVSCROLL The width of a vertical scroll bar, in pixels.
SM_CYBORDER The height of a window border, in pixels. This is equivalent to the SM_CYEDGE value for windows with the 3-D look.
SM_CYCAPTION The height of a caption area, in pixels.
SM_CYCURSOR The height of a cursor, in pixels. The system cannot create cursors of other sizes.
SM_CYDLGFRAME This value is the same as SM_CYFIXEDFRAME.
SM_CYDOUBLECLK The height of the rectangle around the location of a first click in a double-click sequence, in pixels. The second click must occur within the rectangle defined by SM_CXDOUBLECLK and SM_CYDOUBLECLK for the system to consider the two clicks a double-click. The two clicks must also occur within a specified time. To set the height of the double-click rectangle, call SystemParametersInfo with SPI_SETDOUBLECLKHEIGHT.
SM_CYDRAG The number of pixels above and below a mouse-down point that the mouse pointer can move before a drag operation begins. This allows the user to click and release the mouse button easily without unintentionally starting a drag operation. If this value is negative, it is subtracted from above the mouse-down point and added below it.
SM_CYEDGE The height of a 3-D border, in pixels. This is the 3-D counterpart of SM_CYBORDER.
SM_CYFIXEDFRAME The thickness of the frame around the perimeter of a window that has a caption but is not sizable, in pixels. SM_CXFIXEDFRAME is the height of the horizontal border, and SM_CYFIXEDFRAME is the width of the vertical border. This value is the same as SM_CYDLGFRAME.
SM_CYFOCUSBORDER The height of the top and bottom edges of the focus rectangle drawn by DrawFocusRect. This value is in pixels.
SM_CYFRAME This value is the same as SM_CYSIZEFRAME.
SM_CYFULLSCREEN The height of the client area for a full-screen window on the primary display monitor, in pixels. To get the coordinates of the portion of the screen not obscured by the system taskbar or by application desktop toolbars, call the SystemParametersInfo function with the SPI_GETWORKAREA value.
SM_CYHSCROLL The height of a horizontal scroll bar, in pixels.
SM_CYICON The default height of an icon, in pixels. The LoadIcon function can load only icons with the dimensions SM_CXICON and SM_CYICON.
SM_CYICONSPACING The height of a grid cell for items in large icon view, in pixels. Each item fits into a rectangle of size SM_CXICONSPACING by SM_CYICONSPACING when arranged. This value is always greater than or equal to SM_CYICON.
SM_CYKANJIWINDOW For double byte character set versions of the system, this is the height of the Kanji window at the bottom of the screen, in pixels.
SM_CYMAXIMIZED The default height, in pixels, of a maximized top-level window on the primary display monitor.
SM_CYMAXTRACK The default maximum height of a window that has a caption and sizing borders, in pixels. This metric refers to the entire desktop. The user cannot drag the window frame to a size larger than these dimensions. A window can override this value by processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.
SM_CYMENU The height of a single-line menu bar, in pixels.
SM_CYMENUCHECK The height of the default menu check-mark bitmap, in pixels.
SM_CYMENUSIZE The height of menu bar buttons, such as the child window close button that is used in the multiple document interface, in pixels.
SM_CYMIN The minimum height of a window, in pixels.
SM_CYMINIMIZED The height of a minimized window, in pixels.
SM_CYMINSPACING The height of a grid cell for a minimized window, in pixels. Each minimized window fits into a rectangle this size when arranged. This value is always greater than or equal to SM_CYMINIMIZED.
SM_CYMINTRACK The minimum tracking height of a window, in pixels. The user cannot drag the window frame to a size smaller than these dimensions. A window can override this value by processing the WM_GETMINMAXINFO message.
SM_CYSCREEN The height of the screen of the primary display monitor, in pixels. This is the same value obtained by calling GetDeviceCaps as follows: GetDeviceCaps( hdcPrimaryMonitor, VERTRES).
SM_CYSIZE The height of a button in a window caption or title bar, in pixels.
SM_CYSIZEFRAME The thickness of the sizing border around the perimeter of a window that can be resized, in pixels. SM_CXSIZEFRAME is the width of the horizontal border, and SM_CYSIZEFRAME is the height of the vertical border. This value is the same as SM_CYFRAME.
SM_CYSMCAPTION The height of a small caption, in pixels.
SM_CYSMICON The recommended height of a small icon, in pixels. Small icons typically appear in window captions and in small icon view.
SM_CYSMSIZE The height of small caption buttons, in pixels.
SM_CYVIRTUALSCREEN The height of the virtual screen, in pixels. The virtual screen is the bounding rectangle of all display monitors. The SM_YVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the coordinates for the top of the virtual screen.
SM_CYVSCROLL The height of the arrow bitmap on a vertical scroll bar, in pixels.
SM_CYVTHUMB The height of the thumb box in a vertical scroll bar, in pixels.
SM_DBCSENABLED Nonzero if User32.dll supports DBCS; otherwise, 0.
SM_DEBUG Nonzero if the debug version of User.exe is installed; otherwise, 0.
SM_IMMENABLED Nonzero if Input Method Manager/Input Method Editor features are enabled; otherwise, 0. SM_IMMENABLED indicates whether the system is ready to use a Unicode-based IME on a Unicode application. To ensure that a language-dependent IME works, check SM_DBCSENABLED and the system ANSI code page. Otherwise the ANSI-to-Unicode conversion may not be performed correctly, or some components like fonts or registry settings may not be present.
SM_MEDIACENTER Nonzero if the current operating system is the Windows XP, Media Center Edition, 0 if not.
SM_MENUDROPALIGNMENT Nonzero if drop-down menus are right-aligned with the corresponding menu-bar item; 0 if the menus are left-aligned.
SM_MIDEASTENABLED Nonzero if the system is enabled for Hebrew and Arabic languages, 0 if not.
SM_MOUSEPRESENT Nonzero if a mouse is installed; otherwise, 0. This value is rarely zero, because of support for virtual mice and because some systems detect the presence of the port instead of the presence of a mouse.
SM_MOUSEHORIZONTALWHEELPRESENT Nonzero if a mouse with a horizontal scroll wheel is installed; otherwise 0.
SM_MOUSEWHEELPRESENT Nonzero if a mouse with a vertical scroll wheel is installed; otherwise 0.
SM_NETWORK The least significant bit is set if a network is present; otherwise, it is cleared. The other bits are reserved for future use.
SM_PENWINDOWS Nonzero if the Microsoft Windows for Pen computing extensions are installed; zero otherwise.
SM_REMOTECONTROL This system metric is used in a Terminal Services environment. Its value is nonzero if the current session is remotely controlled; otherwise, 0.
SM_REMOTESESSION This system metric is used in a Terminal Services environment. If the calling process is associated with a Terminal Services client session, the return value is nonzero. If the calling process is associated with the Terminal Server console session, the return value is 0. The console session is not necessarily the physical console. For more information, see WTSGetActiveConsoleSessionId.
SM_SAMEDISPLAYFORMAT Nonzero if all the display monitors have the same color format, otherwise, 0. Two displays can have the same bit depth, but different color formats. For example, the red, green, and blue pixels can be encoded with different numbers of bits, or those bits can be located in different places in a pixel color value.
SM_SECURE This system metric should be ignored; it always returns 0.
SM_SERVERR2 The build number if the system is Windows Server 2003 R2; otherwise, 0.
SM_SHOWSOUNDS Nonzero if the user requires an application to present information visually in situations where it would otherwise present the information only in audible form; otherwise, 0.
SM_SHUTTINGDOWN Nonzero if the current session is shutting down; otherwise, 0.
SM_SLOWMACHINE Nonzero if the computer has a low-end (slow) processor; otherwise, 0.
SM_STARTER Nonzero if the current operating system is Windows XP Starter Edition; otherwise, 0.
SM_SWAPBUTTON Nonzero if the meanings of the left and right mouse buttons are swapped; otherwise, 0.
SM_TABLETPC Nonzero if the current operating system is the Windows XP Tablet PC edition, 0 if not.
SM_XVIRTUALSCREEN The coordinates for the left side of the virtual screen. The virtual screen is the bounding rectangle of all display monitors. The SM_CXVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the width of the virtual screen.
SM_YVIRTUALSCREEN The coordinates for the top of the virtual screen. The virtual screen is the bounding rectangle of all display monitors. The SM_CYVIRTUALSCREEN metric is the height of the virtual screen.

Examples

 
getsystemmetrics('SM_MOUSEPRESENT')
getsystemmetrics('SM_SLOWMACHINE')
getsystemmetrics('SM_REMOTESESSION');
 

Authors

A.C