Keyboard

[runt1128]

I need to make 3 keys (1,2,3) to pause the program while it is running, start it again, and exit when its done. I figured i'd have to use keypress but i dont know where to start.

[KayJay]

Is this what you wanted?

Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
Select Case KeyAscii
    Case Is = vbKey1
    MsgBox "Pressed 1"
        'code for KeyPressed = 1
    Case Is = vbKey2
    MsgBox "Pressed 2"
        'code for KeyPressed = 2
    Case Is = vbKey3
    MsgBox "Pressed 3"
        'code for KeyPressed = 3
End Select
End Sub

[sebs]

i dunno what your program does, but if there a lot of process,
you might want to think of putting a least one DoEvents
to let the user do a KeyPress!

[runt1128]

Here's the deal with the program. This program runs tests on power supply units. The information from the test is stored in a text box. I need Key 1 to Pause the program, Key 2 to Restart it, and Key 3 to Exit. Im working with old QBasic code, about 13 yrs old, and i am converting it to VB and there's no notes anywhere on the code so im having some trouble. The person who wrote the QB code set the keys as:

On Key(1) GoSub CSOF
On Key(2) GoSub PAUSE
On Key(3) GoSub MANUAL_INPUT
On Key(4) GoSub ADJUST
On Key(5) GoSub RESTART

CSOF being a line to jump to, the same for pause, etc.
CSOF is the exit code.

I figured i could rewrite these lines into sub routines but i don't know how to get the Keys to work properly. I tried running a test for using the number key 1 as an exit button with little success.

Private Sub Form1_Keypress(Ascii As Integer)
If KeyAscii = vbKeyReturn Then
Unload Me
End If

End Sub

I don't know how i would go about pausing the program or restarting it. Any thing else you'd like to know?

[jcfowl]

here is an API call. I've never used it but it is supposed to
pause program execution.

Declare Function WaitForSingleObject Lib "kernel32.dll" (ByVal hHandle As Long, ByVal dwMilliseconds As Long) As Long

[runt1128]

i need it to pause until i hit a key to restart the program.

[KayJay]

How are you defining PAUSE.
If it is program execution, you can handle it in the Form_KeyPress event or
If you want to clear the screen use a loop in the event to set
visible = false for all the controls on the form

[KayJay]

Private Sub Form1_Keypress(Ascii As Integer)
If KeyAscii = vbKeyReturn Then
Unload Me
End If

End Sub

This does not work because, either
(a) You do not have the KeyPreview property of the form set to true

or

(b) The first focus on load is a command button

If the latter, I suggest you set the tabindex of label on your form to 0, so that the focus begins from there.

Hope I am making some sense

[runt1128]

makes a ton of sense, but nothing still. no command button, BUT you were right about the KeyPreview property being false. I set that to true and nothing still. But thats ok, im sure i will figure that out....im more bothered by the pausing of the program and starting it from where it left off again......

[KayJay]

If your app does intensive work, as Sebs mentioned, have well spaced DoEvents, to capture the Keystroke.

Once the keystroke is captured, the easiest (and the least preferrable) way is to simulate a single "CTRL+ALT+DEL" using Sendkeys or something else. This effectively suspends (pauses) the OS. Of course if you want to run other apps while fixing equipment, hooking up cables, etc are done, then of course......

[runt1128]

This is the old QBasic code with the pause being called:

On Key(2) GoSub PAUSE 'At beginning of program

PAUSE:
ST11! = Timer
Call KY
ST! = ST11!
Return

On Key(5) GoSub RESTART

RESTART:
START_FL = 5
Return
RESTART1:
Close
TOTAL_STATUS$ = "Failed"
Call SOF
Color 14, 0
CLS
Call Init
TI! = Timer
GoTo 108

Now i know about the timer but it doesn't really tell mehow it's used, also it would help if i knew more QBasic. but this is basically how its done in the old program and im having trouble replicating it.

[KayJay]

Tried using the timer, Gets stuck!!!

A point: If the purpose of the pause is to give you time to do some physical changes to the Machine, Can you provide a long
enough PAUSE interval, say 5 minutes, or something, if so then you could "pause"
execution on receiving a keystroke like so

Declare Function GetTickCount Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetTickCount" () As Long
 
Sub Pause(Duration As Double)
    'Pause (300) 'pauses for 5 minutes
 
    Dim start As Double
    start# = GetTickCount 'store milliseconds since system start
 
    Do: DoEvents
        On Error Resume Next
    Loop Until GetTickCount - start# >= (Duration# * 1000) 'loop until the actual time (minus stored time) is greater than or equal to the duration (seconds * 1000 = milliseconds)
End Sub

But if you finish your job in less than 5 mins, you still have to wait till this loop gets through.

helping you?

[runt1128]

I was thinking about that.....ill have to find out the average time a pause lasts and just use that for the time being. I have other things i need to deal with at the moment. Someone mentioned to me using an API function and a sleep function on top of that. Haven't looked into it yet. Thanks KayJay ill try that out for now but i know i will have to change it eventually. Any other ideas would be great.

[KayJay]

This is a long thinking-off-head post. So please bear with me!. It seems to work on my machine.

You have TWO apps running

One is your application: APP 1

The other has two buttons, "PAUSE", "RESTART": APP 2

In APP 1 have timer set to, say, 1 second.

Every second, in the timer event, check for a string value in a file "c:\pause.txt"

If the value is "False", it exits the subroutine

When you click the "PAUSE" button in APP 2, the "False" value is changed to "TRUE"

When the timer event fires again it reads a "TRUE" value and runs an indefinte loop.

When you press the "RESTART" button in APP 2, the value is reset to "FALSE".

The Timer event now reads a "False" value and exits the sub routine

Think this will work for you?

[runt1128]

That may work, ill have to try it out. Can you implement that same idea in one app? cause it makes a lot of sense. Say press pause, it jumps to the timer event somewhere in the App and gets looped, then the second you hit restart, it jumps back to where it left off. I think we're getting somewhere. haha. im gonna try this.

[runt1128]

Ok so i can't think right now my mind is going way to nuts, cant even think of how to code this at the moment. Ill give it a shot when i go home tonight. Thanks a ton kayjay. I shall post my results later.

[KayJay]

This is working for me fine now. I dont know why, but 4 DoEvents seem to do the trick

Dim mloop As Boolean
 
Private Sub Form_KeyPress(KeyAscii As Integer)
If KeyAscii = vbKey2 Then 'pause
    mloop = True
ElseIf KeyAscii = vbKey4 Then 'continue
    mloop = False
ElseIf KeyAscii = vbKeyReturn Then
 End
End If
End Sub
 
Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
Do While mloop = True
    Debug.Print "looping"
    DoEvents
    DoEvents
    DoEvents
    DoEvents
    If mloop = False Then
        Exit Sub
    End If
Loop
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
Label1.TabIndex = 0
End Sub

Check it out and let me know

[KayJay]

Take care

[runt1128]

Hey thanks. I just tried it out and it works for me so far. I still wanna try the timer idea. Also....tell me what you think of this?

What if i have Key 2 create a message box to pop up with just a simple OK. Wouldn't this freeze the program until ok is clicked again? just a quick thought.

[joijo]

Originally posted by runt1128
What if i have Key 2 create a message box to pop up with just a simple OK. Wouldn't this freeze the program until ok is clicked again? just a quick thought.

Message box freeze the program when it is run not compiled but once compiled it will only stop the module from where is displayed but not timers or other procedures already running.