Windows Messages in Library Code

I am porting a library to Windows. In a function I need to block on the arrival of a WM_DEVICEC开发者_C百科HANGE message.

What options are available for doing this? As my code resides in a library I have little-to-no information on the current set-up (so if it is a Console application, a regular GUI application, if my code is being run in a spawned thread, and so on). Therefore what is the best way to wait for the arrival of a specific message?

Blocking and receiving Windows messages are mutually incompatible. You get messages by pumping a message loop. Since you cannot rely on the app pumping one, you'll need to do this yourself.

You will need to create a thread. Create a hidden window in that thread then run the standard message loop. The window procedure for that window can see the WM_DEVICECHANGE message. It can do what ever it needs to do, within the constraints of running inside a separate thread. Like setting an event to signal that a function should stop blocking.

The message is probably sent using BroadcastSystemMessage(). You could create a hidden top-level window and its window proc would probably get this message. I'm not sure; but that's what I'd try first.