I stitched together from code I found in internet myself WH_KEYBOARD_LL
helper class:
Put the following code to some of your utils libs, let it be YourUtils.cs:
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Windows.Input;
namespace MYCOMPANYHERE.WPF.KeyboardHelper
{
public class KeyboardListener : IDisposable
{
private static IntPtr hookId = IntPtr.Zero;
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
private IntPtr HookCallback(
int nCode, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
{
try
{
return HookCallbackInner(nCode, wParam, lParam);
}
catch
{
Console.WriteLine(\"There was some error somewhere...\");
}
return InterceptKeys.CallNextHookEx(hookId, nCode, wParam, lParam);
}
private IntPtr HookCallbackInner(int nCode, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
{
if (nCode >= 0)
{
if (wParam == (IntPtr)InterceptKeys.WM_KEYDOWN)
{
int vkCode = Marshal.ReadInt32(lParam);
if (KeyDown != null)
KeyDown(this, new RawKeyEventArgs(vkCode, false));
}
else if (wParam == (IntPtr)InterceptKeys.WM_KEYUP)
{
int vkCode = Marshal.ReadInt32(lParam);
if (KeyUp != null)
KeyUp(this, new RawKeyEventArgs(vkCode, false));
}
}
return InterceptKeys.CallNextHookEx(hookId, nCode, wParam, lParam);
}
public event RawKeyEventHandler KeyDown;
public event RawKeyEventHandler KeyUp;
public KeyboardListener()
{
hookId = InterceptKeys.SetHook((InterceptKeys.LowLevelKeyboardProc)HookCallback);
}
~KeyboardListener()
{
Dispose();
}
#region IDisposable Members
public void Dispose()
{
InterceptKeys.UnhookWindowsHookEx(hookId);
}
#endregion
}
internal static class InterceptKeys
{
public delegate IntPtr LowLevelKeyboardProc(
int nCode, IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
public static int WH_KEYBOARD_LL = 13;
public static int WM_KEYDOWN = 0x0100;
public static int WM_KEYUP = 0x0101;
public static IntPtr SetHook(LowLevelKeyboardProc proc)
{
using (Process curProcess = Process.GetCurrentProcess())
using (ProcessModule curModule = curProcess.MainModule)
{
return SetWindowsHookEx(WH_KEYBOARD_LL, proc,
GetModuleHandle(curModule.ModuleName), 0);
}
}
[DllImport(\"user32.dll\", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
public static extern IntPtr SetWindowsHookEx(int idHook,
LowLevelKeyboardProc lpfn, IntPtr hMod, uint dwThreadId);
[DllImport(\"user32.dll\", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
public static extern bool UnhookWindowsHookEx(IntPtr hhk);
[DllImport(\"user32.dll\", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
public static extern IntPtr CallNextHookEx(IntPtr hhk, int nCode,
IntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
[DllImport(\"kernel32.dll\", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
public static extern IntPtr GetModuleHandle(string lpModuleName);
}
public class RawKeyEventArgs : EventArgs
{
public int VKCode;
public Key Key;
public bool IsSysKey;
public RawKeyEventArgs(int VKCode, bool isSysKey)
{
this.VKCode = VKCode;
this.IsSysKey = isSysKey;
this.Key = System.Windows.Input.KeyInterop.KeyFromVirtualKey(VKCode);
}
}
public delegate void RawKeyEventHandler(object sender, RawKeyEventArgs args);
}
Which I use like this:
App.xaml:
<Application ...
Startup=\"Application_Startup\"
Exit=\"Application_Exit\">
...
App.xaml.cs:
public partial class App : Application
{
KeyboardListener KListener = new KeyboardListener();
private void Application_Startup(object sender, StartupEventArgs e)
{
KListener.KeyDown += new RawKeyEventHandler(KListener_KeyDown);
}
void KListener_KeyDown(object sender, RawKeyEventArgs args)
{
Console.WriteLine(args.Key.ToString());
// I tried writing the data in file here also, to make sure the problem is not in Console.WriteLine
}
private void Application_Exit(object sender, ExitEventArgs e)
{
KListener.Dispose();
}
}
The problem is that it stops working after hitting keys a while. No error is raised what so ever, I just don\'t get anything to output after a while. I can\'t find a solid pattern when it stops working.
Reproducing this problem is quiet simple, hit some keys like a mad man, usually outside the window.
I suspect there is some evil threading problem behind, anyone got idea how to keep this working?
What I tried already:
- Replacing
return HookCallbackInner(nCode, wParam, lParam);
with something simple. - Replacing it with asynchronous call, trying to put Sleep 5000ms (etc).
Asynchronous call didn\'t make it work any better, it seems stop always when user keeps single letter down for a while.