detecting keystrokes

is there any other way to detect key strokes than in this function

Code:

---

LRESULT CALLBACK MainProcedure (HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
      switch (message)
            case WM_KEYDOWN:

---

i tried directinput but this:

Code:

---

if(inputkeyboard->GetDeviceState(256, &keystate) == DI_OK)
                if(keystate[DIK_ESCAPE] & 0x80)

---

works as GetAsyncKeyState, and i need to detect only one stroke

:D i figure out GetKeyboardStateand get GetKeyState functions, im using loword to get "the key is toggled", it works but i would like to know what methods professional developers use (im building a "game" :D)