[RESOLVED] Global Mouse Hook

[Emcrank]

Got another problem :/

Public Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal vKey As Int32) As UShort


    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load



        t = New Threading.Thread(New Threading.ThreadStart(AddressOf threadfunc))

        t.Start()



    End Sub


    Public Sub threadfunc()

        While running

            Dim pressed As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.LButton)

            If pressed Then

                MessageBox.Show("L mouse button pressed")

            End If

        End While

    End Sub


    Public Shared ReadOnly Property KeyStatus(ByVal Key As Keys) As Boolean

        Get

            If Key = Keys.LButton AndAlso My.Computer.Mouse.ButtonsSwapped Then

                Key = Keys.RButton

                MessageBox.Show("right button pushed")

            ElseIf Key = Keys.RButton AndAlso My.Computer.Mouse.ButtonsSwapped Then

                Key = Keys.LButton

                MessageBox.Show("Lbutton button pushed")

            End If

            Return GetAsyncKeyState(Key) And &H8000US

        End Get

    End Property


    Private Sub Form1_FormClosing(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles MyBase.FormClosing

        running = False

        t.Join()

    End Sub

This was the code
and this is the thread HERE
Ok its working and everything but when i want to perform something when click is noticed it says i cant cross-threads or something can you help me out with that please, thanks.

[MonkOFox]

What exactly are you trying to do when the click is noticed.. If you're trying to change the form's UI somehow you're going to have to take a look at delegates..

Justin

[Emcrank]

im trying to get the cursor X and Y value when clicked
Is there a way to make cross-thread calls?

[Emcrank]

bump

[MonkOFox]

Yes you can make cross thread calls, you use delegates to do that.
I'm not sure how you're going to get the mouse coords if the mouse is clicked outside of the form, prolly somemore api calls.

But to use delegates, you would define a function or sub in your form class first...

Public Function getCoords() as Point
 
Return new Point(mymousex,mymousey)
 
End Function

Something like that...

Then at the top of your form class you would define a delegate with the same signature...

Private Delegate Function mouseCoords() as Point

Then in your thread function (the one constantly checking for mouse press)
When you want to call that function you would do:

Dim d as New mouseCoords()
Me.Invoke(d)

I'm not sure if you can call Me.Invoke in the thread function, or if you need to pass a parameter to the thread that holds a reference of the form...

Try that and let me know what happens

Justin

[Emcrank]

Ok all them are in place, i have an error,
its here

Private Sub threadfunc()

        While running
            Dim Rclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.RButton)
            Dim Lclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.LButton)

            If Lclick Then
                Dim d As New mouseCoords <---- this
                  Me.Invoke(d)
            End If
            If Rclick Then

            End If
        End While
    End Sub

the error is: Delegate 'Venis_Auto_Clicker.Form1.mouseCoords' requires an 'AddressOf' expression or lambda expression as the only argument to its constructor.

[yo mismo]

all delegates need a sub/function to point. If you are using the same code as in the monkofox example replace "Dim d as New mouseCoord" with " Dim d as New mouseCoords(AddresOf getCoords)"

[Emcrank]

ok thanks

[Emcrank]

this freezes the aplication for some reason, some help please

    Private Sub threadfunc()

        While running
            Dim Rclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.RButton)
            Dim Lclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.LButton)

            If Lclick Then
                Dim d As New mouseCoords(AddressOf Getcoords)
                  Me.Invoke(d)
            End If
            If Rclick Then

            End If
        End While
    End Sub
    Public Function Getcoords() As Point
        Return New Point(MousePosition.X.ToString, MousePosition.Y.ToString)
    End Function

[MonkOFox]

Sorry about that delegate code, hard to remember all that stuff...

Um, I don't see anything that wrong with your code. Only thing I can think of is this line:

Return New Point(MousePosition.X.ToString, MousePosition.Y.ToString)

Might want to leave the .ToString off, but if you're not getting compiler errors I don't see how that would freeze up the application. Does it freeze up right way? Or only after you have left clicked?

Justin

[Emcrank]

it freezes when i click exit button in corner, but i added msgbox to the leftclick to see if it was working and it didn't work.

    Private Sub threadfunc()

        While running
            Dim Rclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.RButton)
            Dim Lclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.LButton)

            If Lclick Then
                Dim d As New mouseCoords(AddressOf Getcoords)
                  Me.Invoke(d)
            End If
            If Rclick Then

            End If
        End While
    End Sub
    Public Function Getcoords() As Point
        Return New Point(MousePosition.X, MousePosition.Y)
        MsgBox("worked")
    End Function

[MonkOFox]

Does it eventually throw an error after it freezes up?

Justin

[MonkOFox]

put the message box before the return statement.

Also, if you want to use the point that the delegate returns I think you can do:

...
Dim obj as Object = Me.Invoke(d)
Dim p as Point = CType(obj,Point)
 
' then use p for something
 
...

Justin

[Emcrank]

Ok it still freezes on exit and doesn't get the coordinates. this my code so far and where the msgbox's have worked.

    Private Sub threadfunc()

        While running
            MsgBox("worked2")                               -WORKED
            Dim Rclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.RButton)
            Dim Lclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.LButton)
            If Lclick Then
                MsgBox("worked1")                           - WORKED
                Dim d As New mouseCoords(AddressOf Getcoords)
                Dim obj As Object = Me.Invoke(d)
                Dim p As Point = CType(obj, Point)
                Msgbox(p.tostring)            -WORKED
            End If
            If Rclick Then

            End If
        End While
    End Sub
    Public Function Getcoords() As Point
        Return New Point(MousePosition.X, MousePosition.Y)
        MsgBox("worked")                - DIDN'T WORK
    End Function

any suggestions? why is it freezing when i click exit button?

[Emcrank]

and no it doesn't throw any errors after it freezes up, it also doesn't say (Not responding in the title bar)

[Emcrank]

Ok also i need to make it so i can put the coordinates into the text boxes, i get the same error about cross-threading or something
i tried to replicate what you showed me but it didn't work some help please.
Basicly i have X1-15 and Y1-15 of textboxes and when the user clicks i am going to put the X and Y values into the textboxes accordingly. Still the problem in the previous post as well

[MonkOFox]

Change

    Public Function Getcoords() As Point
        Return New Point(MousePosition.X, MousePosition.Y)
        MsgBox("worked")                - DIDN'T WORK
    End Function

To

    Public Function Getcoords() As Point
        MsgBox("worked")                - DIDN'T WORK
        Return New Point(MousePosition.X, MousePosition.Y)
    End Function

And see if the msgbox works...

justin

[Emcrank]

Yes okay that bit works, Now on to the other problems, any idea why it freezes when i click exit button?
Also how do i make textboxes be able to crossthread?

[MonkOFox]

Sounds to me like the Thread is gettng hung up, because t.Join() should wait for the thread to finish, then continue on to let the form close.

I'll have to test the full code tomorrow at work.

Justin

[Emcrank]

Is there anything i should put on the formclose? Like thread.stop or anything like that? Mayb i have to do it maunally? I dont know, correct me if im wrong.

[Emcrank]

I have fixed it myself for once lol. I changed, T.Join() to T.Abort() on the formclosing event.
Now how can i make the coordinates go into the textboxes? I need to cross thread again, i tried to replicate yours but it didn't work, some help please. Thankyou

[Emcrank]

bump

[MonkOFox]

I think I read somewhere that the Abort() method doesn't always work.

If you want to update textboxes from the thread, you'll have to make another delegate, and another function on the form that updates a certain textbox.

And you would invoke that delegate the same way, but you'll want to pass parameters, so you woud invoke it like so:

Dim updatebox as New UpdateTextBoxes(addressof Me.UpdateTB)
Me.Invoke(updatebox,new object(){"TextBox1","TextBox2",mouse.X.tostring,Mouse.Y.tostring})

Where your delegate and the UpdateTB signatures look like:

Private Delegate Sub UpdateTextBoxes(TB1 as string, TB2 as string, X as string, Y as string)
 
....
 
Public Sub UpdateTB(TB1 as string, TB2 as string, x as string, y as string)
 
Dim txtbox1 as textbox = ctype(me.Controls(TB1),TextBox)
dim txtbox2 as textbox = ctype(me.Controls(TB2),TextBox)
txtbox1.text = x
txtbox2.text = y
 
End sub

Something like that.

Justin

[Emcrank]

do i have to make 15 functions then for each text box.. Isn't there like a way i can do them all in one sub or function?

[MonkOFox]

yeah you would just pass the different names to that one function, you don't have to make different ones.

for example:

For i as integer = 1 to 6
 
UpdateTB("TextBoxX" + i.toString,"TextBoxY" + i.tostring,"X","Y")
 
Next

Justin

[Emcrank]

I get an error here
says TB1 Type String cannot be converted to Windows.Forms.Form.Textbox or something

    Public Sub UpdateTB(ByVal TB1 As String, ByVal TB2 As String, ByVal x As String, ByVal y As String)
        Dim txtbox1 As TextBox = CType(TB1, TextBox)

        Dim txtbox2 As TextBox = CType(TB2, TextBox)
    End Sub

[Emcrank]

Also Monk i dont want all the textboxes to update at once, Wont this update them all at once?

For i as integer = 1 to 15
UpdateTB("TextBoxX" + i.toString,"TextBoxY" + i.tostring,"X","Y")
Next

[MonkOFox]

I updated the UpdateTB code. should've been:

Ctype(me.controls(TB1),textbox)
Ctype(me.controsl(TB2),textbox)

And for your last post, that was just an example. Wasn't intended to be used directly, just an example of how to update a different pair of textboxes with the same sub routine.

Justin

[Emcrank]

Ok well, i want only X1 And Y1 to update at same time then i have a Integer which tells the program how many coordinates are already in.
How can i do it so when cAmount = 1 X1 and Y1 update then when cAmount = 2 X2 and Y2 Update and so on up to 15?

[MonkOFox]

Have a variable in your thread function that initially hold the value of the first set of boxes to be updated (1). Now in the while loop, if they pressed the left mouse button, update the textboxes X1, and Y1 and then increment the variable (now it equals 2) and so on...

Justin

[Emcrank]

ok done that part, i get error here when i debug. the error is Object of type 'System.Int32' cannot be converted to type 'System.String'

Me.Invoke(updatebox, New Object() {"X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, MousePosition.X, MousePosition.Y})

[Emcrank]

Can anyone help me fix this problem ive been trying for like 2and half hours now, thanks in advance.

[MonkOFox]

Add a .ToString() to the MousePosition.X and MousePosition.Y, if you look at the signature of the function, it accepts 4 string, not two strings and two integers.

Justin

[Emcrank]

Thankyou at last!, but... another problem is: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
That normally means u need to use the New keyword thingy but i dont want a new textbox so what would i do?

    Public Sub UpdateTB(ByVal TB1 As String, ByVal TB2 As String, ByVal x As String, ByVal y As String)
        Dim txtbox1 As TextBox = CType(Me.Controls(TB1), TextBox)

        Dim txtbox2 As TextBox = CType(Me.Controls(TB2), TextBox)

        txtbox1.Text = x  <- IT POINTS TO THIS WHEN IT GIVES ERROR AT DEBUG

        txtbox2.Text = y  <- THIS IS ALSO THE SAME SO IT WILL PROBLY POINT TO THIS AFTER
    End Sub

[MonkOFox]

Make sure when you pass the names of the textboxes to that function, that it matches the name exactly.

for example, if you had a TextBox name TextBox1 and another named TextBox2

You would call the function like so:

Dim one as integer = 1
dim two as integer = 2
UpdateTB("TextBox"+one.tostring,"TextBox"+two.tostring,"x","y")

Has to be case sensitive, you can't pass "textBox" or anything else.

Justin

[Emcrank]

I have it like this and i is declared at the top like so

Dim i As Integer = 1

,

    
    Private Sub threadfunc()
        CollectingStarted = True
        Me.Invoke(updatebox, New Object() {"X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, MousePosition.X.ToString, MousePosition.Y.ToString})
        Dim obj As Object = Me.Invoke(d)
        Dim p As Point = CType(obj, Point)
        While running
            Dim Rclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.RButton)
            Dim Lclick As Boolean = KeyStatus(Keys.LButton)
            If CollectingStarted = True Then
                If Lclick Then
                    If cAmount = 1 Then
                        i = 1
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 2
                    ElseIf cAmount = 2 Then
                        i = 2
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 3
                    ElseIf cAmount = 3 Then
                        i = 3
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 4
                    ElseIf cAmount = 4 Then
                        i = 4
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 5
                    ElseIf cAmount = 5 Then
                        i = 5
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 6
                    ElseIf cAmount = 6 Then
                        i = 6
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 7
                    ElseIf cAmount = 7 Then
                        i = 7
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 8
                    ElseIf cAmount = 8 Then
                        i = 8
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 9
                    ElseIf cAmount = 9 Then
                        i = 9
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 10
                    ElseIf cAmount = 10 Then
                        i = 10
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 11
                    ElseIf cAmount = 11 Then
                        i = 11
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 12
                    ElseIf cAmount = 12 Then
                        i = 12
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 13
                    ElseIf cAmount = 13 Then
                        i = 13
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 14
                    ElseIf cAmount = 14 Then
                        i = 14
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 15
                    ElseIf cAmount = 15 Then
                        i = 15
                        UpdateTB("X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, p.X, p.Y)
                        Threading.Thread.Sleep(500)
                        cAmount = 16
                    End If
                End If
                If Rclick Then

                End If
            End If
        End While
    End Sub

Public Sub UpdateTB(ByVal TB1 As String, ByVal TB2 As String, ByVal x As String, ByVal y As String)
        Dim txtbox1 As TextBox = CType(Me.Controls(TB1), TextBox)

        Dim txtbox2 As TextBox = CType(Me.Controls(TB2), TextBox)

        txtbox1.Text = x

        txtbox2.Text = y
    End Sub

[Emcrank]

Is anything wrong with that? If so how can i correct it. Thanks in advance.

[yo mismo]

¿Your textboxes are named "X1", "Y1" literal?

[MonkOFox]

Again, p.X and p.Y need to have .ToString added to the end.

Secondly, you're not going to be able to directly call UpdateTB from the thread, you'll need to instantiate a delegate with the addressOf set to UpdateTb, then call Me.Invoke(delegateVariable, New Object(){param1,param2,param3,param4})

That should be it.

Justin

[Emcrank]

I added the .Tostring part to them all, so if i call the Me.Invoke(updatebox, New Object() {"X" & i.ToString, "Y" & i.ToString, MousePosition.X.ToString, MousePosition.Y.ToString}) thingy instead of the actual sub(UpdateTB) it will do the UpdateTB sub?
I have these at the top:

    Private Delegate Sub UpdateTextBoxes(ByVal TB1 As String, ByVal TB2 As String, ByVal X As String, ByVal Y As String)
    Dim updatebox As New UpdateTextBoxes(AddressOf Me.UpdateTB)