Hotkeys

How do i create a hotkey?

You can use the RegisterHotKey API's, i.e.
In a Module:

Code:

---

Private Type POINTAPI
        x As Long
        y As Long
End Type

Private Type MSG
    hwnd As Long
    message As Long
    wParam As Long
    lParam As Long
    time As Long
    pt As POINTAPI
End Type

Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (Destination As Any, Source As Any, ByVal Length As Long)
Private Declare Function RegisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal id As Long, ByVal fsModifiers As Long, ByVal vk As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function UnregisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal id As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowsHookExA" (ByVal idHook As Long, ByVal lpfn As Long, ByVal hmod As Long, ByVal dwThreadId As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function UnhookWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function CallNextHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long, ByVal nCode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long

Private Const WH_GETMESSAGE = 3
Private Const WM_HOTKEY = &H312

Public Const MOD_ALT = &H1
Public Const MOD_CONTROL = &H2
Public Const MOD_SHIFT = &H4
   
Private lHookID As Long
Private lHotKeys As Long

Private Function CallBackHook(ByVal nCode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
    Dim tMSG As MSG
       
    CopyMemory tMSG, ByVal lParam, Len(tMSG)
    If tMSG.message = WM_HOTKEY And wParam Then
        'Execute whatever for the HotKey here
        Form1.lPressed = tMSG.wParam
        Form1.Command1_Click
    End If
    If nCode < 0 Then CallBackHook = CallNextHookEx(lHookID, nCode, wParam, ByVal lParam)
End Function

Public Function SetHotKey(ByVal lSpecial As Long, ByVal lKey As Long) As Long
    Static lHotKeyID As Long
   
    lHotKeyID = lHotKeyID + 1
    If RegisterHotKey(0&, lHotKeyID, lSpecial, lKey) <> 0 Then
        lHotKeys = lHotKeys + 1
        SetHotKey = lHotKeyID
        If lHookID = 0 Then lHookID = SetWindowsHookEx(WH_GETMESSAGE, AddressOf CallBackHook, App.hInstance, App.ThreadID)
    End If
   
End Function

Public Sub RemoveHotKey(ByVal lHotKeyID As Long)
    If UnregisterHotKey(0&, lHotKeyID) Then
        If lHotKeys > 0 Then lHotKeys = lHotKeys - 1
    End If
    If lHotKeys = 0 And lHookID <> 0 Then
        Call UnhookWindowsHookEx(lHookID)
        lHookID = 0
    End If
End Sub

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Example Usage:

Code:

---

Private lHotKey(3) As Long
Public lPressed As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()
    lHotKey(0) = SetHotKey(0, vbKeyF9)
    lHotKey(1) = SetHotKey(0, vbKeyF10)
    lHotKey(2) = SetHotKey(0, vbKeyF11)
    lHotKey(3) = SetHotKey(0, vbKeyF12)
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
    Dim lIndex As Long
    For lIndex = 0 To 3
        RemoveHotKey lHotKey(lIndex)
    Next
End Sub

Public Sub Command1_Click()
    'Make the Command Buttons Click Event Public, so it can be called outside the Forms Module.
    MsgBox "You pressed the Hotkey with the ID of: " & lPressed, vbSystemModal
End Sub

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if thats a little too complicated for you(like it is for me)

you could use GetAsyncKeyState

Code:

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Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" Alias "GetAsyncKeyState" (ByVal vKey As Long) As Integer
Private Const VK_ESCAPE = &H1B

Private Sub tmrKey_Timer()
'check for escape-key keypress
 If GetAsyncKeyState(VK_ESCAPE) = -32767 Then
  tmrWnd.Enabled = False
 End If
End Sub

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I am using that to check for escape key press in my API Spy.

I set the interval to 25

Thanks Aaron Young!! that did it!!
and thanks to Denniswrenn too!