How to Capture keyboard input??!?!

I realize that I need to use the getkeyboardstate api call... what i want to do is just check if a key is being pressed, it really doesnt matter what key, can you drop me a hint??? Thanks.

FaRd0wN

'Set the KeyPreview Property of the form to True

'Put this code in the KeyDown even of the form
'Look up Key code constants in VB help for other key codes

Private Sub Form_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)Then
msgbox "Key pressed"

End Sub

Iouri Boutchkine
[email protected]

nah, i need to find out what keys are being pressed outside of my programs interface, hence, api.

Code:

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'module

Public Enum HookFlags
    HFMouseDown = 1
    HFMouseUp = 2
    HFMouseMove = 4
    HFKeyDown = 8
    HFKeyUp = 16
End Enum


Private Declare Function SetWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowsHookExA" (ByVal idHook As Long, ByVal lpfn As Long, ByVal hmod As Long, ByVal dwThreadId As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function CallNextHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long, ByVal nCode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function UnhookWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long) As Long
Private Declare Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (lpDest As Any, lpSource As Any, ByVal cBytes As Long)
Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState% Lib "user32" (ByVal vKey As Long)
Private Declare Function GetForegroundWindow& Lib "user32" ()
Private Declare Function GetWindowThreadProcessId& Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, lpdwProcessId As Long)
Private Declare Function GetKeyboardLayout& Lib "user32" (ByVal dwLayout As Long)
Private Declare Function MapVirtualKeyEx Lib "user32" Alias "MapVirtualKeyExA" (ByVal uCode As Long, ByVal uMapType As Long, ByVal dwhkl As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetWindowPos Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal hWndInsertAfter As Long, ByVal x As Long, ByVal y As Long, ByVal cx As Long, ByVal cy As Long, ByVal wFlags As Long) As Long
    Private Const SWP_NOSIZE = &H1
    Private Const SWP_NOMOVE = &H2
    Private Const SWP_NOREDRAW = &H8
    Private Const WM_KEYDOWN = &H100
    Private Const WM_KEYUP = &H101
    Private Const WM_MOUSEMOVE = &H200
    Private Const WM_LBUTTONDOWN = &H201
    Private Const WM_LBUTTONUP = &H202
    Private Const WM_LBUTTONDBLCLK = &H203
    Private Const WM_RBUTTONDOWN = &H204
    Private Const WM_RBUTTONUP = &H205
    Private Const WM_RBUTTONDBLCLK = &H206
    Private Const WM_MBUTTONDOWN = &H207
    Private Const WM_MBUTTONUP = &H208
    Private Const WM_MBUTTONDBLCLK = &H209
    Private Const WM_MOUSEWHEEL = &H20A
    Private Const WH_JOURNALRECORD = 0


Type EVENTMSG
    wMsg As Long
    lParamLow As Long
    lParamHigh As Long
    ' msgTime As Long
    ' hWndMsg As Long
    End Type
    Dim EMSG As EVENTMSG
    Dim hHook As Long, frmHooked As Form, hFlags As Long


Public Function HookProc(ByVal nCode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long


    If nCode < 0 Then
        HookProc = CallNextHookEx(hHook, nCode, wParam, lParam)
        Exit Function
    End If
    Dim i%, j%, k%
    CopyMemory EMSG, ByVal lParam, Len(EMSG)


    Select Case EMSG.wMsg
        Case WM_KEYDOWN


        If (hFlags And HFKeyDown) = HFKeyDown Then
            If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyShift) Then j = 1
            If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyControl) Then j = 2
            If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyMenu) Then j = 4


            Select Case (EMSG.lParamLow And &HFF)
                Case 0 To 31, 90 To 159
                k = (EMSG.lParamLow And &HFF)
                Case Else
                k = MapVirtualKeyEx(EMSG.lParamLow And &HFF, 2, GetKeyboardLayout(GetWindowThreadProcessId(GetForegroundWindow, 0)))
            End Select
        frmHooked.System_KeyDown k, j
    End If
    Case WM_KEYUP


    If (hFlags And HFKeyUp) = HFKeyUp Then
        If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyShift) Then j = 1
        If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyControl) Then j = 2
        If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyMenu) Then j = 4


        Select Case (EMSG.lParamLow And &HFF)
            Case 0 To 31, 90 To 159
            k = (EMSG.lParamLow And &HFF)
            Case Else
            k = MapVirtualKeyEx(EMSG.lParamLow And &HFF, 2, GetKeyboardLayout(GetWindowThreadProcessId(GetForegroundWindow, 0)))
        End Select
    frmHooked.System_KeyUp k, j
End If
Case WM_MOUSEWHEEL
Debug.Print "MouseWheel"
Case WM_MOUSEMOVE


If (hFlags And HFMouseMove) = HFMouseMove Then
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyLButton) Then i = 1
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyRButton) Then i = 2
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyMButton) Then i = 4
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyShift) Then j = 1
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyControl) Then j = 2
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyMenu) Then j = 4
    frmHooked.System_MouseMove i, j, CSng(EMSG.lParamLow), CSng(EMSG.lParamHigh)
End If
Case WM_LBUTTONDOWN, WM_RBUTTONDOWN, WM_MBUTTONDOWN


If (hFlags And HFMouseDown) = HFMouseDown Then
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyShift) Then i = 1
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyControl) Then i = 2
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyMenu) Then i = 4
    frmHooked.System_MouseDown 2 ^ ((EMSG.wMsg - 513) / 3), i, CSng(EMSG.lParamLow), CSng(EMSG.lParamHigh)
End If
Case WM_LBUTTONUP, WM_RBUTTONUP, WM_MBUTTONUP


If (hFlags And HFMouseUp) = HFMouseUp Then
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyShift) Then i = 1
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyControl) Then i = 2
    If GetAsyncKeyState(vbKeyMenu) Then i = 4
    frmHooked.System_MouseUp 2 ^ ((EMSG.wMsg - 514) / 3), i, CSng(EMSG.lParamLow), CSng(EMSG.lParamHigh)
End If
End Select
Call CallNextHookEx(hHook, nCode, wParam, lParam)
End Function


Public Sub SetHook(fOwner As Form, flags As HookFlags)
    hHook = SetWindowsHookEx(WH_JOURNALRECORD, AddressOf HookProc, 0, 0)
    Set frmHooked = fOwner
    hFlags = flags
    Window_SetAlwaysOnTop frmHooked.hwnd, True
End Sub


Public Sub RemoveHook()
    UnhookWindowsHookEx hHook
    Window_SetAlwaysOnTop frmHooked.hwnd, False
    Set frmHooked = Nothing
End Sub


Private Function Window_SetAlwaysOnTop(hwnd As Long, bAlwaysOnTop As Boolean) As Boolean
    Window_SetAlwaysOnTop = SetWindowPos(hwnd, -2 - bAlwaysOnTop, 0, 0, 0, 0, SWP_NOREDRAW Or SWP_NOSIZE Or SWP_NOMOVE)
End Function


'form

Private Sub Form_Load()
    SetHook Me, HFMouseDown + HFMouseUp + HFMouseMove + HFKeyDown + HFKeyUp
    Text1 = "Mouse activity log:"
    Text2 = "Keyboard activity log:"
End Sub


Public Sub System_KeyDown(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    Dim s As String


    Select Case KeyCode
        Case 32 To 90, 160 To 255
        s = LCase(Chr$(KeyCode))
        Case Else
        s = "ASCII code " & KeyCode
    End Select
If Shift = vbShiftMask Then s = UCase(s): s = s & " + Shift "
If Shift = vbCtrlMask Then s = s & " + Ctrl "
If Shift = vbAltMask Then s = s & " + Alt "
Text2 = Text2 & vbCrLf & s & " down"
End Sub

Public Sub System_KeyUp(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
    Dim s As String


    Select Case KeyCode
        Case 32 To 90, 160 To 255
        s = LCase(Chr$(KeyCode))
        Case Else
        s = "ASCII code " & KeyCode
    End Select
If Shift = vbShiftMask Then s = UCase(s): s = s & " + Shift "
If Shift = vbCtrlMask Then s = s & " + Ctrl "
If Shift = vbAltMask Then s = s & " + Alt "
Text2 = Text2 & vbCrLf & s & " up"
End Sub


Public Sub System_MouseDown(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)
    Dim s As String
    If Button = vbLeftButton Then s = "Left Button "
    If Button = vbRightButton Then s = "Right Button "
    If Button = vbMiddleButton Then s = "Middle Button "
    If Shift = vbShiftMask Then s = s & "+ Shift "
    If Shift = vbCtrlMask Then s = s & "+ Ctrl "
    If Shift = vbAltMask Then s = s & "+ Alt "
    Text1 = Text1 & vbCrLf & s & "Down at pos (pixels): " & CStr(x) & " , " & CStr(y)
End Sub


Public Sub System_MouseUp(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)
    Dim s As String
    If Button = vbLeftButton Then s = "Left Button "
    If Button = vbRightButton Then s = "Right Button "
    If Button = vbMiddleButton Then s = "Middle Button "
    If Shift = vbShiftMask Then s = s & "+ Shift "
    If Shift = vbCtrlMask Then s = s & "+ Ctrl "
    If Shift = vbAltMask Then s = s & "+ Alt "
    Text1 = Text1 & vbCrLf & s & "Up at pos (pixels): " & CStr(x) & " , " & CStr(y)
End Sub


Public Sub System_MouseMove(Button As Integer, Shift As Integer, x As Single, y As Single)
    Dim s As String
    If Button = vbLeftButton Then s = "Left Button "
    If Button = vbRightButton Then s = "Right Button "
    If Button = vbMiddleButton Then s = "Middle Button "
    If Shift = vbShiftMask Then s = s & "+ Shift "
    If Shift = vbCtrlMask Then s = s & "+ Ctrl "
    If Shift = vbAltMask Then s = s & "+ Alt "
    Label1 = "Mouse info" & vbCrLf & "X = " & x & " Y= " & y & vbCrLf
    If s <> "" Then Label1 = Label1 & "Extra Info: " & vbCrLf & s & "pressed"
End Sub


Private Sub Form_Unload(Cancel As Integer)
    RemoveHook
End Sub

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Iouri Boutchkine
[email protected]

:D - Thanks!!!!!! I would vote 10 but i can only give you a 3. Thank you very much for the extensive explaination!

hi, the code that was given here is not working my machine. am using windows 2000 system. could you please help me.

thanks
prasath

Hi,

Another option you could look at if you only wanted to check for one or two different key combinations being pressed, is the RegisterHotKey() API.

This results in a message being sent to your form whenever the key combination is pressed.

You would need to subclass the form to check for the hotkey message, but if you know about subclassing, its only a few lines of code you need to worry about to setup the hotkey.

Can give you more details if you are interested.

Cheers,
Tinbum747