[Solved] Can I detect key press while the window is inactive

[nikel]

Hello, I need to create a program which can hadle key press while the window is inactive. Earlier I tried AutoHotKey but Windows Defender quarantined my program.

I'm working with clipboard. For example if I press Alt+n the program must change clipboard content and paste the text.

How can I detect key press and prgrammatically press keys?

[mercurhyo]

Global key hooking is the virus‑syndrome of keyloggers.
LCL, FCL, Tarzan and even myself do not provide that kind of disease.
 
Jungle Debug ON.

[nikel]

Thanks for the hint. I'll keep in mind that.

[mercurhyo]

 

[LemonParty]

Windows only solution. This method require for you to have at least 1 form.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. { this not work yet with UNIX }
2.  
3. unit uHotkey;
4.  
5. {$mode objfpc}{$H+}
6.  
7. interface
8.  
9. uses
10.  Classes, SysUtils, Forms{$IfDef Windows}, windows{$EndIf}, process;
11.  
12. const
13.   MY_ID = 13;
14.  
15. var
16.   H: HANDLE; {set this before StartHotkey}
17.   Callback: TProcedure;
18.   PrevWndProc: WNDPROC;
19.  
20. procedure StartHotkey;
21. procedure StopHotkey;
22.  
23. implementation
24.  
25. {$IfDef Windows}
26. function WndCallback(hW: HWND; uMsg: UINT; wP: WParam; lP: LParam): LRESULT; stdcall;
27. begin
28.   if (uMsg=WM_HOTKEY) and (wP=MY_ID) then begin
29.     Callback;
30.   end;
31.   Result:= CallWindowProc(PrevWndProc, hW, uMsg, wP, lP);
32. end;
33. {$EndIf}
34.  
35. procedure StartHotkey;
36. var k: WINBOOL;
37. begin
38. {$IfDef Windows}
39.   PrevWndProc:= Windows.WNDPROC(SetWindowLongPtr(H, GWL_WNDPROC, PtrInt(@WndCallback)));
40.   RegisterHotKey(H, MY_ID, MOD_ALT or MOD_SHIFT, VK_M);
41. {$EndIf}
42. end;
43.  
44. procedure StopHotkey;
45. begin
46. {$IfDef Windows}
47.   UnRegisterHotkey(H, MY_ID);
48. {$EndIf}
49. end;
50.  
51. end.
52.  

How to use. In FormCreate you do:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.   uHotkey.H:= Handle;
2.   uHotkey.Callback:= @Run;
3.   uHotkey.StartHotkey;
4.  

(Run is a simple procedure that you defined myself)
Then in FormDestroy:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1.   uHotkey.StopHotkey;
2.  

[nikel]

Thanks a lot! You're a great coder.

Modify:
I had to change

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. if (uMsg = WM_HOTKEY) and (wP = MY_ID) then
2.   Callback;

to:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. if (uMsg = WM_HOTKEY) and (wP = MY_ID) then
2.   Callback(nil);

[LemonParty]

Also you can use this project if you need Linux too:
https://github.com/TonyStone31/LazHIDControl