C# Get Global Keyboard Stroke?

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Hello Everyone again!
i had an idea to minimize or close my app when i press a key combo(like CTRL+E or something). Now i know how to minimize and close the app, i can do that either using the win api using the DestroyWindow method or the CloseWindow(this is to minimize the app) method
i also want to be able to press CTRl+B or some sort of key combo and bring the app to the front of the window stack(or window chain or whatever its called) i can do this by calling the BringWindowToTop method in the windows api
what i don't know how to do is how do i tell my app to execute those functions when a keyboard combo is pressed globally, or i should say when my app has focus or not.
i have a felling i will be referring to the win api and the User32.dll method list for this job right?(Gosh i hate using P/Invoke, its so complicated to use unmanned C++)
For the functions i want to do(like minimizing the window and bringing it to the front) i have imported the following methods:

C#

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
public static extern void DestroyWindow(IntPtr hWnd);

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern void CloseWindow(IntPtr hWnd);

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern void BringWindowToTop(IntPtr hWnd);

thanks for all of your help in advance,
MasterCodeon

Posted 17-Dec-14 5:45am

MasterCodeon

Updated 17-Dec-14 7:36am

v2

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Comments

PIEBALDconsult 17-Dec-14 12:05pm

Alt-F4 is standard. Simply set it as the shortcut of the Exit/Close/Whatever menu item.

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 12:13pm

True but what about minimizing the app or Bringing it to the front with a keyboard shortcut?

Tadit Dash (ତଡିତ୍ କୁମାର ଦାଶ) 17-Dec-14 13:52pm

Reply to the message. If you add new comment, user won't be notified.

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 13:53pm

huh? what do you mean? i have setup my profile to not send me notifications.

Tadit Dash (ତଡିତ୍ କୁମାର ଦାଶ) 17-Dec-14 13:57pm

Dude, I am asking you to reply to the message by PIEBALDconsult. :)

If you will add comment, he won't be notified. And I guess you are trying to reply him.

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 14:04pm

oh i was just posting a general message, sorry for the mix up

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 13:34pm

Anyone Got Any More Ideas?

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-17T09:07:00

Solution 1

If you really need to use system-wide hot keys, raw Windows API does it for you. Please see:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms646309%28v=vs.85%29.aspx[^],
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms646327(v=vs.85).aspx[^].

As to the P/Invoke use, it's already done for you:
http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/user32.registerhotkey[^],
http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/user32.unregisterhotkey[^].

Enjoy!

—SA

Posted 17-Dec-14 9:07am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Comments

Maciej Los 17-Dec-14 15:12pm

Sergey, does OP really needs to use anything else than ALT+F4?

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 15:35pm

ok why does everyone keep calling me OP?
what does that mean?

Maciej Los 17-Dec-14 15:38pm

OP = Opponent ;)

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 15:47pm

why is the term Opponent used here anyway?

Maciej Los 17-Dec-14 15:48pm

Just kidding ;)

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 15:50pm

oh he he funny, i get it. so what does it really mean then?

Maciej Los 17-Dec-14 16:16pm

It means the same: opponent, but in discussion, debate.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Dec-14 17:46pm

OP means "Original Poster", something like that. Sorry, I don't like abbreviations, but this is the jargon widely used on this site.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
—SA

MasterCodeon 18-Dec-14 9:29am

oh no inconvenience i was just cirious

MasterCodeon 18-Dec-14 9:38am

sorry for the bad spelling(i am bad at spelling)

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 15:30pm

how do you use the UINT fsModifiers parameter in the RegisterHotKey method?
i want to use the CTRL and the ALT Modifier code how do i use more than one code in the same paramater?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Dec-14 17:47pm

All right, use them; for the values, please see the 3rd link on P/Invoke.
—SA

MasterCodeon 17-Dec-14 15:31pm

oh and also how do i tell if the hot key has been pressed?
i cant go to the second set of links(not because there dead its just on my end)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 17-Dec-14 17:48pm

Your problem is not clear. The documentation clearly explains how to use it.
—SA

MasterCodeon 18-Dec-14 9:31am

well i figured out that i am going to have to use the GetMessage method to receive the hot key message but how do i use the get message method(sorry i don't know how to code in C++ so the parameters seem very confusing to me)?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 18-Dec-14 11:03am

Your follow-up questions will be welcome...
—SA

MasterCodeon 18-Dec-14 9:41am

oh and the documentation explains how to use it but they explain it in C++ not C#. and i don't know almost anything about C++ so i don't understand all of the parameters and the types(some parts look like gibberish to me)

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 18-Dec-14 10:58am

Well, you would understand only the general programming concepts, how they are expressed in C++, such as function parameter passing. If you also look at the C# P/Invoke code written in the pinvoke.net code, you will clearly see how it corresponds to C# code.
—SA

MasterCodeon 18-Dec-14 12:05pm

i tried to go to the pinvoke.net links but my admin has them blocked.
i will ask my admin to unblock them when she gets the chance to do so.

MasterCodeon 18-Dec-14 12:08pm

yeah i know the general programming concepts but what i don't know is some types that are specific to C++ like in the GetMessage doc(http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms644936(v=vs.85).aspx) one of the parameters is a LPMSG type which i have o idea what that would equate to in C#
when i get the chance i will have a look at the 2 pinvoke.net links.
thank you for all of your help.