How Much Text Is Selected

Is there a way you can tell when text is selected any where on the computer? And just how much? anyone know how to do it?

You can send keys ^ C
then do Len("Copied Stuff")

If you need to find out at your own form in a textbox

Code:

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MsgBox Text1.SelLength

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or if it's another window use findwindow and windowfrompos to find the window, then use findwindowex, then use sendmessage to get the selected text (with Const EM_GETSEL = &HB0) then check the length of that variable :)


....

or you could just use my class:
http://www.geocities.com/despotez/WH/

many examples included!

To get the selected text from any window:

Add to a Form with a CommandButton. This example tells how much text is selected from Notepad. (so make sure to open Notepad).

Code:

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Private Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal hWnd1 As Long, ByVal hWnd2 As Long, ByVal lpsz1 As String, ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Const EM_GETSEL = &HB0

Function LoWord(ByVal LongVal As Long) As Integer
    LoWord = LongVal And &HFFFF&
End Function

Function HiWord(ByVal LongVal As Long) As Integer
    If LongVal = 0 Then
        HiWord = 0
        Exit Function
    End If
    HiWord = LongVal \ &H10000 And &HFFFF&
End Function

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    Dim iStart As Integer, iLength As Integer, lResult As Long, hEdit As Long
   
    hEdit = FindWindowEx(FindWindowEx(0, 0, "Notepad", vbNullString), 0, "Edit", vbNullString)
    If hEdit <> 0 Then
        lResult = SendMessage(hEdit, EM_GETSEL, iStart, iLength)
        Print HiWord(lResult) - LoWord(lResult)
    End If
End Sub

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This next example will detect the selected text of the window the mouse is over, just as long as it's class is "Edit".

Add to a Form with a Timer.

Code:

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Private Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowExA" (ByVal hWnd1 As Long, ByVal hWnd2 As Long, ByVal lpsz1 As String, ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function GetClassName Lib "user32" Alias "GetClassNameA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal nMaxCount As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function WindowFromPoint Lib "user32" (ByVal xPoint As Long, ByVal yPoint As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetCursorPos Lib "user32" (lpPoint As POINTAPI) As Long
Private Type POINTAPI
    x As Long
    y As Long
End Type
Private Const EM_GETSEL = &HB0
Private PrevHwnd As Long

Function LoWord(ByVal LongVal As Long) As Integer
    LoWord = LongVal And &HFFFF&
End Function

Function HiWord(ByVal LongVal As Long) As Integer
    If LongVal = 0 Then
        HiWord = 0
        Exit Function
    End If
    HiWord = LongVal \ &H10000 And &HFFFF&
End Function

Private Sub Form_Load()
    Timer1.Interval = 1
    AutoRedraw = True
End Sub

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
   
    Dim PT As POINTAPI
    Dim Wnd As Long
    Dim sClass As String * 255
    GetCursorPos PT
    Wnd = WindowFromPoint(PT.x, PT.y)
    GetClassName Wnd, sClass, 255
    If Left(sClass, InStr(1, sClass, vbNullChar) - 1) = "Edit" Then
       
        Dim iStart As Integer, iLength As Integer, lResult As Long, hEdit As Long
   
        hEdit = FindWindowEx(FindWindowEx(0, 0, "Notepad", vbNullString), 0, "Edit", vbNullString)
        If hEdit <> 0 Then
            lResult = SendMessage(hEdit, EM_GETSEL, iStart, iLength)
            temp = HiWord(lResult) - LoWord(lResult)
            If temp = PrevHwnd Then Exit Sub
            Cls
            PrevHwnd = temp
            Print PrevHwnd
        End If
    End If
End Sub

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