how to create non window bound keyboard shortcuts

Question

I'm creating a C# application, could be WinForm, but preferably console application, which needs to capture keyboard shortcuts even when the application is not in the foreground. How would one do this, I know this is possible as i.e. Songbird can do this.

This keyboard shortcuts would be of the form ctrl+-> I so far don't have any code as I don't even have the slightest idea on how to register keyboard shortcuts globally.

Answer 1

You should use RegisterHotkey and not a keyboard hook.

Using a global keyboard hook when you just want a global hotkey is an abuse of the api. It also has negative performance implications since every key needs to be processed by your program before it arrives at the target program.

Answer 2

Here a sample code that I hope would help... (good luck !!!)

Usage:

            _hotKey0 = new HotKey(Key.F9, KeyModifier.Shift | KeyModifier.Win, OnHotKeyHandler);

...

        // ******************************************************************
    private void OnHotKeyHandler(HotKey hotKey)
    {
        SystemHelper.SetScreenSaverRunning();
    }

Class:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net.Mime;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Interop;

namespace UnManaged
{
    public class HotKey : IDisposable
    {
        private static Dictionary<int, HotKey> _dictHotKeyToCalBackProc;

        [DllImport("user32.dll")]
        private static extern bool RegisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id, UInt32 fsModifiers, UInt32 vlc);

        [DllImport("user32.dll")]
        private static extern bool UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr hWnd, int id);

        public const int WmHotKey = 0x0312;

        private bool _disposed = false;

        public Key Key { get; private set; }
        public KeyModifier KeyModifiers { get; private set; }
        public Action<HotKey> Action { get; private set; }
        public int Id { get; set; }

        // ******************************************************************
        public HotKey(Key k, KeyModifier keyModifiers, Action<HotKey> action, bool register = true)
        {
            Key = k;
            KeyModifiers = keyModifiers;
            Action = action;
            if (register)
            {
                Register();
            }
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        public bool Register()
        {
            int virtualKeyCode = KeyInterop.VirtualKeyFromKey(Key);
            Id = virtualKeyCode + ((int)KeyModifiers * 0x10000);
            bool result = RegisterHotKey(IntPtr.Zero, Id, (UInt32)KeyModifiers, (UInt32)virtualKeyCode);

            if (_dictHotKeyToCalBackProc == null)
            {
                _dictHotKeyToCalBackProc = new Dictionary<int, HotKey>();
                ComponentDispatcher.ThreadFilterMessage += new ThreadMessageEventHandler(ComponentDispatcherThreadFilterMessage);
            }

            _dictHotKeyToCalBackProc.Add(Id, this);

            Debug.Print(result.ToString() + ", " + Id + ", " + virtualKeyCode);
            return result;
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        public void Unregister()
        {
            HotKey hotKey;
            if (_dictHotKeyToCalBackProc.TryGetValue(Id, out hotKey))
            {
                UnregisterHotKey(IntPtr.Zero, Id);
            }
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        private static void ComponentDispatcherThreadFilterMessage(ref MSG msg, ref bool handled)
        {
            if (!handled)
            {
                if (msg.message == WmHotKey)
                {
                    HotKey hotKey;

                    if (_dictHotKeyToCalBackProc.TryGetValue((int)msg.wParam, out hotKey))
                    {
                        if (hotKey.Action != null)
                        {
                            hotKey.Action.Invoke(hotKey);
                        }
                        handled = true;
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        // Implement IDisposable.
        // Do not make this method virtual.
        // A derived class should not be able to override this method.
        public void Dispose()
        {
            Dispose(true);
            // This object will be cleaned up by the Dispose method.
            // Therefore, you should call GC.SupressFinalize to
            // take this object off the finalization queue
            // and prevent finalization code for this object
            // from executing a second time.
            GC.SuppressFinalize(this);
        }

        // ******************************************************************
        // Dispose(bool disposing) executes in two distinct scenarios.
        // If disposing equals true, the method has been called directly
        // or indirectly by a user's code. Managed and unmanaged resources
        // can be _disposed.
        // If disposing equals false, the method has been called by the
        // runtime from inside the finalizer and you should not reference
        // other objects. Only unmanaged resources can be _disposed.
        protected virtual void Dispose(bool disposing)
        {
            // Check to see if Dispose has already been called.
            if (!this._disposed)
            {
                // If disposing equals true, dispose all managed
                // and unmanaged resources.
                if (disposing)
                {
                    // Dispose managed resources.
                    Unregister();
                }

                // Note disposing has been done.
                _disposed = true;
            }
        }
    }

    // ******************************************************************
    [Flags]
    public enum KeyModifier
    {
        None = 0x0000,
        Alt = 0x0001,
        Ctrl = 0x0002,
        NoRepeat = 0x4000,
        Shift = 0x0004,
        Win = 0x0008
    }

    // ******************************************************************
}

Answer 3

One possible approach would be to use Windows Hooks. But in order to do that you would need to create a native DLL, and in it write your callback function to install as a hook.

Lookup SetWindowsHookEx for a starting point. There are also lots of online samples on how to use it.

Answer 4

This can be done via a Low-Level Keyboard Hook via a Windows Hook trapping WH_KEYBOARD_LL.

Here is a CodeProject article on setting up a Global Hook in C# which demonstrates the entire process.