SendInput

[Covin]

SendInput is now recommended as opposed to the much simpler mouse_event for XP, etc.

Most of the code I have seen for it no the web either won't compile or even once compiled doesn't work properly.

There is basically a routine floating around out there on the web to Press the P key and send a right mouse click. That code sample (commonplace as it is) is riddled with small errors and hence doesn't compile (or work). I have edited it so that is just sends a left mouse-click but it does work and post it below:

I am a bit nervous about my use of the CopyMemory function however as I don't want to create any memory leakage. If anyone spots a problem with it I would be very grateful if you could point it out!

Option Explicit

Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (pDst As Any, pSrc As Any, ByVal ByteLen As Long)
Private Declare Function SendInput Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal nInputs As Long, pInputs As INPUT_TYPE, ByVal cbSize As Long) As Long

Private Const MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN = &H2
Private Const MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP = &H4
Private Const INPUT_MOUSE = 0
Private Const INPUT_KEYBOARD = 1
Private Const INPUT_HARDWARE = 2

Type MOUSEINPUT
  dx As Long
  dy As Long
  mouseData As Long
  dwFlags As Long
  dwtime As Long
  dwExtraInfo As Long
End Type

Type INPUT_TYPE
  dwType As Long
  xi(0 To 23) As Byte
End Type


Public Sub ClickDaMouse()

    Dim intX As Integer
    Dim inputEvents(0 To 1) As INPUT_TYPE ' holds information about each event
    Dim mouseEvent As MOUSEINPUT ' temporarily hold mouse input info

    ' Load the information needed to synthesize pressing the left mouse button.
    mouseEvent.dx = 0 ' no horizontal movement
    mouseEvent.dy = 0 ' no vertical movement
    mouseEvent.mouseData = 0 ' not needed
    mouseEvent.dwFlags = MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN ' left button down
    mouseEvent.dwtime = 0 ' use the default
    mouseEvent.dwExtraInfo = 0 ' not needed
    ' Copy the structure into the input array's buffer.
    inputEvents(0).dwType = INPUT_MOUSE ' mouse input
    CopyMemory inputEvents(0).xi(0), mouseEvent, Len(mouseEvent)
      
    ' Do the same as above, but for releasing the left mouse button.
    mouseEvent.dx = 0 ' no horizontal movement
    mouseEvent.dy = 0 ' no vertical movement
    mouseEvent.mouseData = 0 ' not needed
    mouseEvent.dwFlags = MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP ' left button up
    mouseEvent.dwtime = 0 ' use the default
    mouseEvent.dwExtraInfo = 0 ' not needed
    ' Copy the structure into the input array's buffer.
    inputEvents(1).dwType = INPUT_MOUSE ' mouse input
    CopyMemory inputEvents(1).xi(0), mouseEvent, Len(mouseEvent)
      
    ' Now that all the information for the 2 input events has been placed
    ' into the array, finally send it into the input stream.
    intX = SendInput(2, inputEvents(0), Len(inputEvents(0))) ' place the events into the stream

End Sub

[eswar_525]

i'm not sure whether you see this or not, but with little hope i'm posting.


hii ,
i'm searching for how to use sendinput api , i saw you link

i didnt understand what happens when we run the code you supplied there.

please tell me what it does, i want to simulate mouse clicks for my project??

i'm using VB6 and os is windows XP.

THANKS in advance.

[PeejAvery]

eswar_525, welcome to the forums.

Please note the date of the original post. This thread was created over 3.5 years ago. You should have posted your own new thread.

For API, AllAPI.net should be your first stop. Here is the SendInput API information.

[eswar_525]

thanks for your suggestion. Yes I know little bit about sendinput API.

But can you tell me what happens when we run the code given there by '
'Covin' in this post.

Thanks in advance.

[eswar_525]

sorry me again..

i wanna know more about the following

MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN = &H2
MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP = &H4
WM_ACTIVATE
GW_CHILD
GW_HWNDNEXT
MA_ACTIVATE
..
..
..


can you give me a link where I can find related information about them.

thanks.

[TCanuck42]

Welcome. You should definetly check out www.AllApi.net. The website supplies the syntax of the SendInput API and a couple of examples. If your answer cannot be found there, then search microsofts MSDN library. Happy Searching!

[sethmay]

i use VB Express Edition 2005 but anyways you guys are doing it the hard way, dont make an array of bytes make it a mouseinput structure. you can also add the constants for mousemove leftdown leftup...they are bitflags and can all be sent at once, i use short names for my constants but you should be able to figure out what they all are. keep in mind my integers are 32 bit

Public Structure MOUSEINPUT
Public dx As Integer
Public dy As Integer
Public mouseData As Integer
Public dwFlags As Integer
Public dwtime As Integer
Public dwExtraInfo As Integer
End Structure

Public Structure INPUT_TYPE
Public dwType As Integer
Public xi As MOUSEINPUT
End Structure

Private Declare Function SendInput Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal nInputs As Integer, ByRef pInputs As INPUT_TYPE, ByVal cbSize As Integer) As Integer
Const M_MOVE = &H1
Const M_LD = &H2
Const M_LU = &H4
Public Sub ClickDaMouse(ByVal xyC As xyCord, ByVal iMF As Integer)

Dim inputEvents(0) As INPUT_TYPE

inputEvents(0).xi.dx = 0
inputEvents(0).xi.dy = 0
inputEvents(0).xi.mouseData = 0
inputEvents(0).xi.dwFlags = M_MOVE + M_LD + M_LU
inputEvents(0).xi.dwtime = 0
inputEvents(0).xi.dwExtraInfo = 0
inputEvents(0).dwType = INPUT_MOUSE

SendInput(1, inputEvents(0), Len(inputEvents(0)))
End Sub