keypress == action when form isnt' active

[ikkeugh]

I've restarted to modify one of my previous programs in vb6.0and I'm having a problem: how could you let the program know when the ctrl button is pressed down when the form isn't active
someone told me to hook my keyboard, but what's that ?

[ljy61ex]

Hello,ikkeugh!
I can add a timer to the form and set the interval.
Then declare the API Function:

Public Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" Alias "GetAsyncKeyState" (ByVal vKey As Long) As Integer

If you use GetAsyncKeyState(KeyCode) and return a negtive number, it means that you have press down the key which the virtual KeyCode maps to.
You enter:

Public Function HotKey(tKey As Long) As Boolean
 HotKey = (GetAsyncKeyState(tKey) < 0)
End Function

And I give you the KeyCode List Module:
Attribute VB_Name = "KeyModule"

Public Function RKeyName(UKeyCode As String, ReKey As Integer) As Integer
    If Len(UKeyCode) = 1 And ((Asc(UKeyCode) > 47 And Asc(UKeyCode) < 58) Or (Asc(UKeyCode) > 64 And Asc(UKeyCode) < 91)) Then
        RKeyName = Asc(UKeyCode)
    ElseIf (Len(UKeyCode) = 2 Or Len(UKeyCode) = 3) And Asc(Left$(UKeyCode, 1)) = 70 Then
        RKeyName = Asc(Right$(UKeyCode, Len(UKeyCode) - 1)) + 63
    ElseIf Len(UKeyCode) = 5 And (Asc(Right$(UKeyCode, 1)) > 47 And Asc(Right$(UKeyCode, 1)) < 58) Then
        RKeyName = Asc(Right$(UKeyCode, 1))
    Else
        Select Case UKeyCode
        Case "Enter"
         RKeyName = 13
        Case "Esc"
         RKeyName = 27
        Case "Space"
         RKeyName = 32
        Case "Caps Lock"
         RKeyName = 20
        Case "Page Up"
         RKeyName = 33
        Case "Page Down"
         RKeyName = 34
        Case "End"
         RKeyName = 35
        Case "Home"
         RKeyName = 36
        Case "←"
         RKeyName = 37
        Case "↑"
         RKeyName = 38
        Case "→"
         RKeyName = 39
        Case "↓"
         RKeyName = 40
        Case "Insert"
         RKeyName = 45
        Case "Delete"
         RKeyName = 46
        Case "Num Lock"
         RKeyName = 144
        Case "Pause Break"
         RKeyName = 19
        Case "NUM /"
         RKeyName = 111
        Case "NUM *"
         RKeyName = 106
        Case "NUM -"
         RKeyName = 109
        Case "NUM +"
         RKeyName = 107
        Case "NUM ."
         RKeyName = 110
        Case "`"
         RKeyName = 192
        Case "-"
         RKeyName = 189
        Case "="
         RKeyName = 187
        Case "Scroll Lock"
         RKeyName = 145
        Case "\"
         RKeyName = 220
        Case "Back"
         RKeyName = 8
        Case "["
         RKeyName = 219
        Case "]"
         RKeyName = 221
        Case ";"
         RKeyName = 186
        Case "'"
         RKeyName = 222
        Case ","
         RKeyName = 188
        Case "."
         RKeyName = 190
        Case "/"
         RKeyName = 191
        Case Else
         RKeyName = ReKey
        End Select
    End If
End Function
Public Function UKeyName(KeyCode As Integer, ReKey As String) As String
    If (KeyCode > 64 And KeyCode < 91) Or (KeyCode > 47 And KeyCode < 58) Then
        UKeyName = Chr(KeyCode)
    ElseIf KeyCode > 95 And KeyCode < 106 Then
        UKeyName = "NUM " + Chr(KeyCode - 48)
    ElseIf KeyCode > 111 And KeyCode < 124 Then
        UKeyName = "F" + Chr(KeyCode - 63)
    Else
        Select Case KeyCode
        Case 13
         UKeyName = "Enter"
        Case 27
         UKeyName = "Esc"
        Case 32
         UKeyName = "Space"
        Case 20
         UKeyName = "Caps Lock"
        Case 33
         UKeyName = "Page Up"
        Case 34
         UKeyName = "Page Down"
        Case 35
         UKeyName = "End"
        Case 36
         UKeyName = "Home"
        Case 37
         UKeyName = "←"
        Case 38
         UKeyName = "↑"
        Case 39
         UKeyName = "→"
        Case 40
         UKeyName = "↓"
        Case 45
         UKeyName = "Insert"
        Case 46
         UKeyName = "Delete"
        Case 144
         UKeyName = "Num Lock"
        Case 19
         UKeyName = "Pause Break"
        Case 111
         UKeyName = "NUM /"
        Case 106
         UKeyName = "NUM *"
        Case 109
         UKeyName = "NUM -"
        Case 107
         UKeyName = "NUM +"
        Case 110
         UKeyName = "NUM ."
        Case 192
         UKeyName = "`"
        Case 189
         UKeyName = "-"
        Case 187
         UKeyName = "="
        Case 145
         UKeyName = "Scroll Lock"
        Case 220
         UKeyName = "\"
        Case 8
         UKeyName = "Back"
        Case 219
         UKeyName = "["
        Case 221
         UKeyName = "]"
        Case 186
         UKeyName = ";"
        Case 222
         UKeyName = "'"
        Case 188
         UKeyName = ","
        Case 190
         UKeyName = "."
        Case 191
         UKeyName = "/"
        Case Else
         UKeyName = ReKey
        End Select
    End If
End Function

e.g.
Ctrl + A : If HotKey(17)=True And Hotkey(65)=True Then ...

[ikkeugh]

Thanks, could you also let it happen like this

Private Sub Form_KeyUp(KeyCode As Integer, Shift As Integer)
If KeyCode = vbKeyControl Then
Drawing = true

when the button pressed in and when it's released, it lets an action occure.

[ljy61ex]

Ok, I give you a fast solution:

Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal vKey As Long) As Integer
Dim Pressed As Boolean

Private Function HotKey(tKey As Long) As Boolean
 HotKey = (GetAsyncKeyState(tKey) < 0)
End Function

Private Sub Timer1_Timer()
    If HotKey(17) = True Then Pressed = True
    If HotKey(17) = False And Pressed = True Then
        'Your Code
        Drawing = true
        Pressed = False
    End If
End Sub

And you can use the hook function and SendMessage function (they're members of API functions) to hook key envents. It is a little complex, however.

[ikkeugh]

Thanks, that helped!!!
but you don't really need the module to let is work ,isn't it ?