---
title: "system.vision.getDesktopHandles"
description: "Gets a list of all secondary handles of the open desktops associated with the current client."
---

# system.vision.getDesktopHandles

> Gets a list of all secondary handles of the open desktops associated with the current client.

:::info Backwards Compatibility
This function replaces [system.gui.getDesktopHandles](versioned_docs/version-8.1/appendix/scripting-functions/system-gui/system-gui-getDesktopHandles.md). Any scripts containing Vision Client scoped functions that were replaced with system.vision syntax will still work to maintain backwards compatibility.
:::

This function is used in **Python Scripting**.

## Description
Gets a list of all **secondary** handles of the open desktops associated with the current client. In this case, **secondary** means any desktop frame opened by the original client frame.

For example, if the original client opened two new frames ('left client' and 'right client'), then this function would return ['left client', 'right client'].

See the [Multi-Monitor Clients](ignition-modules\vision\common-tasks-in-vision\multi-monitor-clients\multi-monitor-clients.md) page for more details.

:::note
This function is available on secondary desktops via the [system.vision.desktop](system-vision-desktop.md) function. 
:::

## Client Permission Restrictions
This scripting function has no [Client Permission](../../../ignition-modules/vision/vision-project-properties/vision-project-properties.md#vision-permissions-properties) restrictions.

## Syntax
`system.vision.getDesktopHandles()`

### Parameters
Nothing

### Returns
**List[Any]** - A Python list of unicode strings, representing the handle of all secondary desktop frames.

### Scope
Vision Client

## Code Examples
```python title="Example #1 - Getting Desktop Handles"
# The following example list all handles (except the main client)
# in the client console (Help -> Diagnostics -> Console)

print system.vision.getDesktopHandles()
```

```python title="Example #2 - Putting Desktop Handles in a Table"
# Create the header and fetch handle names
header = ["Desktop Names"]
handleList = system.vision.getDesktopHandles()
 
# change the handle name list into a column
handleColumn = [[name] for name in handleList]
 
# display the handle list in a table component
event.source.parent.getComponent('Handles Table').data = system.dataset.toDataset(header, handleColumn)
```