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I'm trying to set a hook so that I can respond to a key combo such as Ctrl+O, without having the app in focus.
I've tried the registerhook method but it's not comlpetely global, say if I have a game running the event is not fired when the combo is pressed.
I've looked at DirectInput which worked in VB6 but haven't found a good .net sample.
BTW it's VB2005
Cheers
For a single key combination a system wide hotkey (as per this component) is probably your best bet.
Under the hood it uses the API call RegisterHotkey...
Yeah I've tried it mate, it's not truely system wide as it doesn't function when running a game.
If a game is written using DirectInput (as most are) then nothing will hook it...sorry to be the bringer of bad news.
You can actually use a low level keyboard hook to get underneath di. This is a class that i use for the purpose of hooking keys for games that I play. And yes, they all use DI. My IsHooked function has some stuff very specific to my uses, so you will have to change it for your needs, but I think this will work for you.
Just a side note, this does not work in the ide, you must compile your project and run it for the hook to properly work. Not really sure why this happens, but it does.Code:Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports System.Reflection
Module keyHook
Public Declare Function UnhookWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hHook As Integer) As Integer
Public Declare Function SetWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" _
Alias "SetWindowsHookExA" (ByVal idHook As Integer, _
ByVal lpfn As KeyboardHookDelegate, ByVal hmod As Integer, _
ByVal dwThreadId As Integer) As Integer
Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" _
(ByVal vKey As Integer) As Integer
Private Declare Function CallNextHookEx Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hHook As Integer, _
ByVal nCode As Integer, _
ByVal wParam As Integer, _
ByVal lParam As KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT) As Integer
Public Structure KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT
Public vkCode As Integer
Public scanCode As Integer
Public flags As Integer
Public time As Integer
Public dwExtraInfo As Integer
End Structure
' Low-Level Keyboard Constants
Private Const HC_ACTION As Integer = 0
Private Const LLKHF_EXTENDED As Integer = &H1
Private Const MOD_CONTROL As Long = &H2
Private Const LLKHF_INJECTED As Integer = &H10
Private Const LLKHF_ALTDOWN As Integer = &H20
Private Const LLKHF_UP As Integer = &H80
Private Const LLKHF_DOWN As Integer = &H81
Public Const VK_CONTROL = &H11 'Control
Public Const VK_PRIOR = &H21 'PAGE UP key
Public Const VK_NEXT = &H22 'Page DOWN key
Private Const WH_KEYBOARD_LL As Integer = 13&
Public KeyboardHandle As Integer
Public Function IsHooked(ByRef Hookstruct As KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT) As Boolean
Dim keyA, KeyC, KeyQ As Integer
Dim ini As New IniFile(Application.StartupPath & "\Settings.ini")
keyA = ini.GetString("KEYS", "Main", 65)
KeyC = ini.GetString("KEYS", "Comment", 67)
KeyQ = ini.GetString("KEYS", "Quest", 81)
frmMain.MinimizeToTrayToolStripMenuItem.Text = "Minimize to Tray (ALT + " & CType(keyA, Keys).ToString
frmMain.cWind.Text = "Toggle Comments Window (ALT + " & CType(KeyC, Keys).ToString
frmMain.qWind.Text = "Toggle Quests Window (ALT + " & CType(KeyQ, Keys).ToString
'Toggle the Main Window
If (Hookstruct.vkCode = keyA) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) _
And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_UP) Then
If Not frmMain.Visible Then
frmMain.Show()
frmMain.BringToFront()
Else
frmMain.Hide()
End If
Return True
ElseIf (Hookstruct.vkCode = keyA) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) Then
Return True
End If
'Toggle the Comments Window
If (Hookstruct.vkCode = KeyC) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) _
And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_UP) Then
If Not frmComments.Visible Then
frmComments.Width = cWidth
frmComments.Height = cHeight
frmComments.Left = cWindowX
frmComments.Top = cWindowY
If cGlass Then
frmComments.TransparencyKey = Color.Black
Else
frmComments.Opacity = cTrans / 100
End If
frmComments.Show()
Else
frmComments.Dispose()
End If
Return True
ElseIf (Hookstruct.vkCode = KeyC) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) Then
Return True
End If
'Toggle the Quests Window
If (Hookstruct.vkCode = KeyQ) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) _
And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_UP) Then
If Not frmQuestInfo.Visible Then
frmQuestInfo.Width = qWidth
frmQuestInfo.Height = qHeight
frmQuestInfo.Left = qWindowX
frmQuestInfo.Top = qWindowY
If cGlass Then
frmQuestInfo.TransparencyKey = Color.Black
Else
frmQuestInfo.Opacity = qTrans / 100
End If
frmQuestInfo.Show()
Else
frmQuestInfo.Dispose()
End If
Return True
ElseIf (Hookstruct.vkCode = KeyQ) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) Then
Return True
End If
Return False
End Function
Private Sub HookedState(ByVal Text As String)
End Sub
Public Function KeyboardCallback(ByVal Code As Integer, _
ByVal wParam As Integer, _
ByRef lParam As KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT) As Integer
If (Code = HC_ACTION) Then
If (IsHooked(lParam)) Then
Return 1
End If
End If
Return CallNextHookEx(KeyboardHandle, _
Code, wParam, lParam)
End Function
Public Delegate Function KeyboardHookDelegate( _
ByVal Code As Integer, _
ByVal wParam As Integer, ByRef lParam As KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT) _
As Integer
<MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.FunctionPtr)> _
Private callback As KeyboardHookDelegate
Public Sub HookKeyboard()
callback = New KeyboardHookDelegate(AddressOf KeyboardCallback)
KeyboardHandle = SetWindowsHookEx( _
WH_KEYBOARD_LL, callback, _
Marshal.GetHINSTANCE( _
[Assembly].GetExecutingAssembly.GetModules()(0)).ToInt32, 0)
Call CheckHooked()
End Sub
Public Sub CheckHooked()
If Not (Hooked()) Then
MsgBox("Keyboard hook failed: " & Err.LastDllError)
End If
End Sub
Private Function Hooked()
Hooked = KeyboardHandle <> 0
End Function
Public Sub UnhookKeyboard()
If (Hooked()) Then
Call UnhookWindowsHookEx(KeyboardHandle)
End If
End Sub
End Module
yeah there is always SOME underlying method to be global.. otherwise those game comm apps like teamspeak and vent wouldn't work when you were playing Dx games...
Cheers lads I'll give that class a try. Yeah like I said before, I've had it working with DI through VB6 but haven't come across a decent .net sample till now.
The code is giving me the "hook failed" error when I call HookKeyboard(). I commented your stuff out, and just inserted a msgbox to test it.
Also... how do I hook key A from example, as when you get the keycode your getting it from your ini file, is it ASCII codes?
It is Virtual Keys, just use the Keys enum. like soQuote:
Originally Posted by the182guy
Also about it saying the hook failed, did you read the part in my post that said this does not work when run from the ide. You need ot compile the project and run the executable to test it. When run from the IDE you will always get a hook failed error.Code:If (Hookstruct.vkCode = Keys.A) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) _
And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_UP) Then
'Do something
Return True
ElseIf (Hookstruct.vkCode = Keys.A) And CBool(Hookstruct.flags And LLKHF_ALTDOWN) Then
Return True
End If
Works 100%. Cheers mate, exactly what I needed.
Edit: I can't rate you again yet, I will when I can mate.