title: MFC: How to prevent app from becoming foreground window when setting focus to a child window
body: <p>We have an MFC MDI app that during the process of operation can set the focus on a given control, e.g. it might change the active tab if the result of the operation is more appropriate for a different tab. </p>
  
  <p>If the app has focus when the SetFocus occurs this is fine, tab changes and the correct control has focus. However, if the app does not have focus (ie the user has clicked on another app while waiting for the operation to finish) the SetFocus on the child window causes an OnActivate to occur in the parent MDI frame and the app becomes the foreground window.</p>
  
  <p>How do we SetFocus to a child window without the whole app from becoming the foreground window if the user is working in another app.</p>