# system.nav.getCurrentWindow() in Client Tag Change scripts does not the expected behaviour

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685>\
**Category:** Ignition\
**Tags:** vision\
**Created:** [November 18, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685 "2022-11-18T15:20:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Emile\_Laplante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Emile\_Laplante](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Emile_Laplante)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 3:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/1 "2022-11-18T15:20:54Z")

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Hi!

I design an HMI on ignition vision. When I'm on a specific window, I need to wait that a modbus register changes from 0 to 1 to change to another window. To do this, I created a _client tag change script_ on the modbus register. But I need to know if I'm in the specific waiting window to swap to the desired window (ex : don't swap to that window if the current window is the home page). So, on the event, I check the current opened window with "**system.nav.getCurrentWindow()**", but the function don't always return the window that is showing in the HMI. If there is other windows that are still opened in background, the function sometimes return one of those windows.

What is happening?

How can I get the "Currently showing window" in the client tag change scripts?

There is the complete script:

```auto
print event.tagPath
print initialChange
print newValue.value
current_window = system.nav.getCurrentWindow()
print "this is the current window : "
print current_window 
if current_window == "main_windows/rfid_successs" and newValue.value == 1:
	system.nav.closeWindow(current_window)
	system.nav.openWindow("main_windows/charging_2")
	system.tag.writeBlocking("[Sample_Tags]_Intesis OCPP 1_6 Modbus Gateway_/UnitId 0/trans_id0-trans_id0/trans_id0", 321)
	system.tag.writeBlocking("[Sample_Tags]_Intesis OCPP 1_6 Modbus Gateway_/UnitId 0/start_proces0-start_proces0/start_proces0", 1)

```

Thank you!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lrose](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/lrose/32/62724_2.png) [@lrose](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/lrose)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/2 "2022-11-18T15:49:30Z")

</div>

~~Tag Change Scripts are in a different _scope_ than the GUI.~~ Thanks for setting me straight @pturmel

You should create a custom property on the root container and bind it to the tag that represents the modbus register you want to wait for the change on. Then in the property change script of the root container you can filter for the custom property and when it changes to 1 execute any script that you want.

```auto
if event.propertyName == 'yourPropertyName':
    system.tag.writeBlocking(['[Sample_Tags]_Intesis OCPP 1_6 Modbus Gateway_/UnitId 0/trans_id0_trans_id0/trans_id0','[Sample_Tags]_Intesis OCPP 1_6 Modbus Gateway_/UnitId 0/start_proces0-start_proces0/start_proces0'],[321,1])
    system.nav.swapTo('main_windows/charging_2')

```

Notice that I combined your two `writeBlocking()` calls into a single call. This is the preferred way to use the function as it is much more efficient.

[https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/system.tag.writeBlocking](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/system.tag.writeBlocking)

Also, notice that I have changed the order of the code so that you write to the tags prior to navigating away from the window. This guarantees that the tag write occurs before the window closes since `writeBlocking()` blocks the thread until it returns. If you don't want to wait to navigate, then consider using `writeAsync()` instead.

Since you are closing the current window and opening another, you can just use `system.nav.swapTo()`, the function closes the current window and opens the window at the provided path.

[https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/system.nav.swapTo](https://docs.inductiveautomation.com/display/DOC81/system.nav.swapTo)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/3 "2022-11-18T18:13:45Z")

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> [@lrose](#):
>
> Tag Change Scripts are in a different _scope_ than the GUI.

Emile specifically called out Client Tag Change Scripts, which are very much in client scope in Vision. But "current window" is only for main windows, and if there are more than one of those, the result is unreliable. Popups are not main windows.

> [@lrose](#):
>
> You should create a custom property on the root container and bind it to the tag that represents the modbus register you want to wait for the change on.

But this is spot on.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Porter\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Porter\_Ellis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Porter_Ellis)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/4 "2025-08-21T18:47:26Z")

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Is there a ‘getActiveWindow’ or equivalent? I know that Ignition can differentiate between active windows because the ‘internalFrameActivated’ event listener exists.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/5 "2025-08-21T19:08:42Z")

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This might work:

```python
from java.awt import Window

def activeWindow():
	"""
	Returns the currently active window, if any, or else None.
	"""
	return next(w for w in Window.getWindows() if w.active)

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/6 "2025-08-21T19:14:42Z")

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I'd do:

```python
def getActiveWindow():
    for w in system.gui.getOpenedWindows():
        if w.focusOwner:
            return w
    return None

```

Based on [java.awt.Window.getFocusOwner()](https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.desktop/java/awt/Window.html#getFocusOwner()).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Porter\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Porter\_Ellis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Porter_Ellis)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/7 "2025-08-21T19:55:16Z")

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@pturmel the string representation of this object is simply the lowest project tree node of the window. Is there a way to get the full path of the window?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/8 "2025-08-21T20:10:04Z")

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It is the actual window object. Don't stringify it. (If you are opening multiple instances of windows, duplicate names are possible. Use the object, not the name.) But look at the documentation. 🤷‍♂️

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Porter\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Porter\_Ellis](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Porter_Ellis)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 3:49pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/9 "2025-08-27T15:49:22Z")

</div>

Because the system/Client/CurrentWindow tag has the same unpredictable behavior as OP’s code, how would I go about creating a client tag that monitors the `focusOwner`?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/10 "2025-08-27T16:21:11Z")

</div>

The easiest answer is to not bother with a client tag - just run the script on demand wherever you need it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![imt.sebastian.sanche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@imt.sebastian.sanche](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/imt.sebastian.sanche)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/11 "2025-10-01T21:51:02Z")

</div>

So from the code below we were seeing that the `system.nav.getCurrentWindow()` was not printing the new opened window if the timeout was active. We changed to `swapTo()` and now it is updating will the client tag stay in any opened window if we don’t close it? I’m using Vision 8.1.38

```python
print(system.nav.getCurrentWindow())

if system.nav.getCurrentWindow() != 'MainWindows/Login':
	# Read Username and User Roles from system client tags
	userRole = system.tag.readBlocking(['[System]Client/User/RolesString'])[0].value
	userName = system.tag.readBlocking(['[System]Client/User/Username'])[0].value
	
	# only run if not already logged in as default user
	# should be redundant now if checking window
	if 'default' not in userName.lower():
		
		# set different timeout for operator role
		if ('operator' in userRole.lower()) and (userRole.count(',') == 0):
			timeInactive = 3600
		elif (('engineer' in userRole.lower()) and (userRole.count(',') == 0)) or (('engineer' in userRole.lower()) and ('administrator' in userRole.lower()) and ('operator' not in userRole.lower())):
			timeInactive = 180
		else:
			timeInactive = 60
			
		print(timeInactive)
	
		# if timeout exceeded, switch to default account, go to login window, and close alarm popup
		if system.util.getInactivitySeconds() > timeInactive:
			system.security.switchUser('default','default')
			system.nav.swapTo('MainWindows/Login')
			system.nav.closeWindow('Popups/TemplateWindows/activeAlarmPopup')
			print(system.nav.getCurrentWindow())
			
elif system.nav.getCurrentWindow() == 'MainWindows/Login':
	if (system.util.getInactivitySeconds() > 10) and (system.tag.readBlocking(['[client]User/Login/username'])[0].value != ''):
		print("inactivity: " + str(system.util.getInactivitySeconds()))
		system.tag.writeBlocking(['[client]User/Login/username'], [''])

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/12 "2025-10-01T22:22:57Z")

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`system.nav.getCurrentWindow()` returns the same value as the Vision system tag for CurrentWindow. Neither can be used if you allow multiple main windows to be open at the same time. In other words, you must only use `system.nav.openWindow()` for **popups** (or docks), not for **main** windows. You **MUST** use `system.nav.swapTo()` for **all** main windows if you want `.getCurrentWindow()` to be accurate. That is the whole point of the workarounds in this topic: how to get the focused window even when not constraining main windows.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![imt.sebastian.sanche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@imt.sebastian.sanche](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/imt.sebastian.sanche)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/system-nav-getcurrentwindow-in-client-tag-change-scripts-does-not-the-expected-behaviour/66685/13 "2025-10-01T22:56:13Z")

</div>

I assumed that might be the case but wasn’t 100% sure. Thanks for the info.