Registering 2 Hotkeys?

Question

Hey, is it possible to register 2  hotkeys? If so how?

Thankyou.

Answer 1

Hi Travy92,

 

You can P/Invoke windows API RegisterHotKey to register hotkeys such as ALT+D.

Code Snippet

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

 

Public Class Form2

 

    Public Const MOD_ALT As Integer = &H1 'Alt key

    Public Const WM_HOTKEY As Integer = &H312

 

    Public Declare Function RegisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer, ByVal fsModifiers As Integer, ByVal vk As Integer) As Integer

    Public Declare Function UnregisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer) As Integer

   

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        Call RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, 9, MOD_ALT, Keys.D)

    End Sub

 

    Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)

        If m.Msg = WM_HOTKEY Then

            MessgeBox.Show("You pressed ALT+D key combination")

        End If

        MyBase.WndProc(m)

    End Sub

 

    Private Sub Form1_FormClosing(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles MyBase.FormClosing

        Call UnregisterHotKey(Me.Handle, 9)

    End Sub

 

End Class

By the way, here are Virtual-Key Codes.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms927178.aspx

 

Trackbac: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=3333078&SiteID=1

 

 

Best regards,

Martin

Answer 2

Hello! Thankyou for this. Also is it possible to register 2 hotkeys? like Alt+D and Alt+C?

Thanks once again.

Answer 3

Travy92 wrote:

Also is it possible to register 2 hotkeys? like Alt+D and Alt+C?

 

Hi Travy92,

 

You can register multiple hotkeys such as Alt+D, Alt+C, etc. like this:

Code Snippet

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

 

Public Class Form1

 

    Public Const MOD_ALT As Integer = &H1 'Alt key

    Public Const WM_HOTKEY As Integer = &H312

 

    <DllImport("User32.dll")> _

  Public Shared Function RegisterHotKey(ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer, ByVal fsModifiers As Integer, ByVal vk As Integer) As Integer

    End Function

 

    <DllImport("User32.dll")> _

  Public Shared Function UnregisterHotKey(ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer) As Integer

    End Function

 

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, 100, MOD_ALT, Keys.D)

        RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, 200, MOD_ALT, Keys.C)

    End Sub

 

    Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)

        If m.Msg = WM_HOTKEY Then

            Dim id As IntPtr = m.WParam

            Select Case (id.ToString)

                Case "100"

                    MessageBox.Show("You pressed ALT+D key combination")

                Case "200"

                    MessageBox.Show("You pressed ALT+C key combination")

            End Select

        End If

        MyBase.WndProc(m)

    End Sub

   

    Private Sub Form1_FormClosing(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.FormClosingEventArgs) Handles MyBase.FormClosing

        UnregisterHotKey(Me.Handle, 100)

        UnregisterHotKey(Me.Handle, 200)

    End Sub

 

End Class

 

Best regards,

Martin Xie

Answer 4

Thankyou! Hmm.. I tried this code:

Code Snippet

Public Class Hider
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

    Private Const SW_HIDE As Integer = 0
    Private Const SW_NORMAL As Integer = 1

    Private HotKeyID As Short
    Private HotKeyID2 As Short
    Private Const WM_HOTKEY As Integer = 786
    Private Const ModifierKey_ALT As Integer = 1

    Protected Friend Declare Function RegisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer, ByVal fsModifiers As Integer, ByVal vk As Keys) As Integer
    Protected Friend Declare Function UnregisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer) As Integer

    Dim app_hwnd As Integer
    Dim wp As WINDOWPLACEMENT
    Private Declare Function GetWindowPlacement Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByRef lpwndpl As WINDOWPLACEMENT) As Integer
    Private Declare Function SetWindowPlacement Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByRef lpwndpl As WINDOWPLACEMENT) As Integer
    Private Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" Alias "ShowWindow" (ByVal handle As IntPtr, ByVal nCmdShow As Integer) As Integer
    Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Integer

    Private Structure POINTAPI
        Dim X As Integer
        Dim Y As Integer
    End Structure

    Private Structure RECT
        Dim Left_Renamed As Integer
        Dim Top_Renamed As Integer
        Dim Right_Renamed As Integer
        Dim Bottom_Renamed As Integer
    End Structure

    Private Structure WINDOWPLACEMENT
        Dim length As Integer
        Dim flags As Integer
        Dim showCmd As Integer
        Dim ptMinPosition As POINTAPI
        Dim ptMaxPosition As POINTAPI
        Dim rcNormalPosition As RECT
    End Structure

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        ComboBox1.Items.Clear()

        RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, HotKeyID, ModifierKey_ALT, Keys.H)
        RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, HotKeyID2, ModifierKey_ALT, Keys.S)
    End Sub

    Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
        If m.Msg = WM_HOTKEY Then
            Dim id As IntPtr = m.WParam
            Select Case (id.ToString)
                Case HotKeyID
                    app_hwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, ComboBox1.Text)
                    ComboBox1.Items.Add(ComboBox1.Text)
                    wp.length = Len(wp)
                    GetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)
                    wp.showCmd = SW_HIDE
                    SetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)
                    Hide()
                Case HotKeyID2
                    app_hwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, ComboBox1.Text)
                    wp.length = Len(wp)
                    GetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)
                    wp.showCmd = SW_NORMAL
                    SetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)
                    Show()
            End Select

        End If
        MyBase.WndProc(m)
    End Sub

But for some reason its not working...?

Any help?

Thanks.

Answer 5

Hi Travy,

 

Please try the following code sample which works fine on my machine.

Code Snippet

Public Class Form1

 

    Private Const SW_HIDE As Integer = 0

    Private Const SW_NORMAL As Integer = 1

 

    ' Please set values

    Private HotKeyID As Short = 100

    Private HotKeyID2 As Short = 200

 

    Private Const WM_HOTKEY As Integer = 786

    Private Const ModifierKey_ALT As Integer = 1

 

    Protected Friend Declare Function RegisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer, ByVal fsModifiers As Integer, ByVal vk As Keys) As Integer

    Protected Friend Declare Function UnregisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer) As Integer

 

    Dim app_hwnd As Integer

    Dim wp As WINDOWPLACEMENT

 

    Private Declare Function GetWindowPlacement Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByRef lpwndpl As WINDOWPLACEMENT) As Integer

    Private Declare Function SetWindowPlacement Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Integer, ByRef lpwndpl As WINDOWPLACEMENT) As Integer

    Private Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" Alias "ShowWindow" (ByVal handle As IntPtr, ByVal nCmdShow As Integer) As Integer

    Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Integer

 

    Private Structure POINTAPI

        Dim X As Integer

        Dim Y As Integer

    End Structure

 

    Private Structure RECT

        Dim Left_Renamed As Integer

        Dim Top_Renamed As Integer

        Dim Right_Renamed As Integer

        Dim Bottom_Renamed As Integer

    End Structure

 

    Private Structure WINDOWPLACEMENT

        Dim length As Integer

        Dim flags As Integer

        Dim showCmd As Integer

        Dim ptMinPosition As POINTAPI

        Dim ptMaxPosition As POINTAPI

        Dim rcNormalPosition As RECT

    End Structure

 

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

        ComboBox1.Items.Clear()

       

        RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, HotKeyID, ModifierKey_ALT, Keys.H) ' Alt + H

        RegisterHotKey(Me.Handle, HotKeyID2, ModifierKey_ALT, Keys.S) ' Alt + S

    End Sub

 

    Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)

        If m.Msg = WM_HOTKEY Then

            Dim id As IntPtr = m.WParam

            Select Case (id.ToString)

                Case HotKeyID

                    MessageBox.Show("You pressed ALT+H key combination") ' Verify

                    app_hwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, ComboBox1.Text)

                    ComboBox1.Items.Add(ComboBox1.Text)

                    wp.length = Len(wp)

                    GetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)

                    wp.showCmd = SW_HIDE

                    SetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)

                    Hide()

                Case HotKeyID2

                    MessageBox.Show("You pressed ALT+S key combination") ' Verify

                    app_hwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, ComboBox1.Text)

                    wp.length = Len(wp)

                    GetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)

                    wp.showCmd = SW_NORMAL

                    SetWindowPlacement(app_hwnd, wp)

                    Show()

            End Select

 

        End If

        MyBase.WndProc(m)

    End Sub

 

End Class

 

Regards,

Martin

Answer 6

Thanks.

Answer 7

Hi Martin,

 

I am in baffled in terms of registering the hotkey. I hope to get some advise upon this matter.

I would like to register hot key (assume F8).  When user run the program, it will not show the interface but it will run in background (show icon in system tray). If user press F8, the program will perform button click in form1.  Based on this, I don't know how should I register my hotkey. As I can see from your example, most of registering part of hotkey is based on form loading. Can you advise me?

 

Thank you 

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zafi