Check if a key is currently pressed?

[Disyne]

How would I check if a key is currently being pressed?

Also how would I detect if a key is pressed without using the KeyDown event. The reason I am not using the keydown event is when the user holds down a key it calls the event, waits a second than keeps calling it. I do not want the wait period if a user is holding down a key.

[jmcilhinney]

The KeyDown event is what detects when a key is depressed so that's what you use. If you don't want to detect multiple events then you simply add a bit of logic to ignore all but the first one:

Public Class Form1
 
    Private ignoreKeyDown As Boolean = False
 
    Private Sub Form1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As Object, _
                              ByVal e As KeyEventArgs) Handles Me.KeyDown
        If Not Me.ignoreKeyDown Then
            Me.ignoreKeyDown = True
 
            'Process the key here.
        End If
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub Form1_KeyUp(ByVal sender As Object, _
                            ByVal e As KeyEventArgs) Handles Me.KeyUp
        Me.ignoreKeyDown = False
    End Sub
 
End Class

As for the first question, I'm not aware of a way to do that with managed code. I think you'd have to use the GetAsyncKeyState function from the Windows API. If you search the forum you will undoubtedly find examples.

[Disyne]

Sorry what I meant was I do want it to detect multiple events. I just do not want that wait period in between the detection. Like how you hold down a key in a chat box it prints the key, than waits a second and continues printing the key if it is still pressed. I just don't want that one second wait.

[Vectris]

Use this declaration at the top of your form:

    Private Declare Function GetKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal keyCode As Integer) As Integer

Then create a Timer with an interval of 1 and use this in the Tick event.

        If GetKeyState(Keys.Left) < 0 Then 'Do Stuff

Keys.Left can be any key you want and whatever action is in 'Do Stuff will happen the instant the key is pressed and will not pause to repeat.

[jmcilhinney]

Sorry what I meant was I do want it to detect multiple events. I just do not want that wait period in between the detection. Like how you hold down a key in a chat box it prints the key, than waits a second and continues printing the key if it is still pressed. I just don't want that one second wait.

In that case you'd have to ignore system settings, because that delay is part of Windows. It helps prevent people accidentally registering multiple key presses if they're a bit slow to release the key.

Start a Timer on the KeyDown event and then Stop it on the KeyUp event, then handle the Tick event of your Timer.