Show/Hide On Screen Keyboard (OSK, Touchscreen)

[intellilogic]

I want to show and hide the OSK keyboard (docked at the bottom) for my touch screen application best methods? (I want to make sure when I show that I try to run, in case someone closed it while using the app)

[salmawy]

make a button or menu strip as u wish and call it what u wish
and use this code

Shell("cmd.exe /c start osk")

Works like charm

[intellilogic]

What about hiding the OSK?

[salmawy]

The user will close it or minimize it

[sapator]

Simplest.
Use process to get the id of the osk and close it.

[jmcilhinney]

As always, you should use Process.Start in preference to Shell. We're using VB.NET now so let's use VB.NET.

Public Class Form1
 
    Private oskProcess As Process
 
    Private Sub openButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles openButton.Click
        If Me.oskProcess Is Nothing OrElse Me.oskProcess.HasExited Then
            If Me.oskProcess IsNot Nothing AndAlso Me.oskProcess.HasExited Then
                Me.oskProcess.Close()
            End If
 
            Me.oskProcess = Process.Start("osk")
        End If
    End Sub
 
    Private Sub closeButton_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles closeButton.Click
        If Me.oskProcess IsNot Nothing Then
            If Not Me.oskProcess.HasExited Then
                'CloseMainWindow would generally be preferred but the OSK doesn't respond.
                Me.oskProcess.Kill()
            End If
 
            Me.oskProcess.Close()
            Me.oskProcess = Nothing
        End If
    End Sub
 
End Class

[intellilogic]

Mine Opens, but does not close. I don't actually need to close it, I could minimize it or something too. I also realize now that the OSK isn't the same keyboard used in the Tablet PC input panel. The one in the Tablet PC input panel is better :-/

[Privs]

the tablet OSK is:
Me.oskProcess = Process.Start("C:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\ink\TabTip.exe")