I have an ActiveX DLL which currently reads from a serial port. Now I want it to accept input from a USB device.
The USB device functions as a standard Human Interface Device. That is to say, if I open Notepad then the device's output will appear in Notepad as if it were typed on a keyboard.
Normally, I would capture Key Up/Down events, but I think that I need a form for that and my DLL does not have a form.
How can I capture that input?
[Update] I found this http://us.generation-nt.com/answer/anyone-know-how-read-keyboard-input-within-an-activex-dll-help-7934442.html# which claims to do it, but the code there won't work as is uses the AddressOf operator, which can only be used in a .BAS file, so not in an DLL .CLS
I am not even sure if I am looking for a system wide hook or application specific.
Hmmm, http://www.xtremevbtalk.com/showthread.php?t=77216 says "You can't implement a global WH_KEYBOARD hook in VB - it requires a standard (non ActiveX dll) as it has to be loaded into the address space of all the running applications."
[Upper date] So, maybe I can a form, make it 1x1 pixel and invisible and have a function GetTheData which shows the form modally and collects and returns the data - either getting keyboard input at form level or into a (n invisible) control then closes the form returning the input.
Would that work? If anyone posts a working example I will award a bounty (I would prefer that the form not be visible on the task bar and have no close button; the user should not be aware of it, or able to close it, it should close itself when it receives enough input from the USB attached HDI).
