HotKeySet for WIN+SPACE does not get trapped

[AndyS01]

In my test code, I set up several hot key traps using HotHeySet() and some of them fail to be trapped.  These key combinations are trapped correctly if I use AutoHotKey to trap them.

 

The keys I'm trying to trap are:

The '+' key on the numpad

The '-' key on the numpad

The 'Enter' key on the numpad

WIN+SPACE

 

The help text for AutoIT says that it doesn't work for the Enter key on the numpad, but I need to find a way to trap it.

 

So I have 2 problems:

1) Why doesn't AutoIT trap the WIN+SPACE key combination?

 

2) How can I trap the numpad-Enter key (without also trapping the keyboard Enter key)?

 

Here is my AutoIT test code:

_Main()
Exit

Func _Main()
    Local $TrayToolTipHdr, $TrayTipStr

    HotKeySet("{ESC}       ", "Exit2")
    HotKeySet("{NumpadADD}", "NumpadADD") ; The '+' key on the numpad
    HotKeySet("{NumpadSUB}", "NumpadSUB") ; The '-' key on the numpad
    HotKeySet("{NumpadEnter}", "NumpadEnter") ; The 'Enter' key on the numpad
    HotKeySet("#" & "{SPACE}", "WinSpace") ; WIN+SPACE

    While (1)
        Sleep(100)
    WEnd
EndFunc   ;==>_Main

Func Exit2()
    Exit (2)
EndFunc   ;==>Exit2

Func NumpadADD()
    ConsoleWrite("+++: NumpadADD() entered" & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>NumpadADD

Func NumpadSUB()
    ConsoleWrite("+++: NumpadSUB() entered" & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>NumpadSUB

Func NumpadEnter()
    ConsoleWrite("+++: NumpadEnter() entered" & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>NumpadEnter

Func WinSpace()
    ConsoleWrite("+++: WinSpace() entered" & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>WinSpace

 

Here is my AutoHotKey code:

#NoEnv
SendMode Input

NumPadAdd::
     msgbox "NumPadAdd"
    return

NumpadSub::
     msgbox "NumpadSub"
    return

NumpadEnter::
     msgbox "NumpadEnter"
return

#space::
     msgbox "WinSpace"
return

 

[Melba23]

AndyS01,

The syntax is wrong for the Win-Space line - this works for me:

HotKeySet("#{SPACE}", "WinSpace")

M23

[dragan]

Win+Space is already mapped by OS (Win7) - "Show desktop". You can't map a hotkey which is already mapped by some other app or system, unless you clear previous mapping first, or override setting new function to that hotkey combo.

[AndyS01]

I tried your syntax and it still didn't work for me.  It just briefly displays the rectangles of all of my windows.  (Try it without the scripts running.)

I'm running Windows 7 if that makes a difference.

As I said, the win+space trap works of AutoKotKey, so it's not an issue of remapping windows 7 keys.

With AutoHotKey, I can trap Windows 7 hotkeys without any problem (for instance, I was able to trap WIN+r, with AutoHotKey).  So it looks like an AuToIT limitation.  

How about trapping the numpad Enter key and WIN + Space keys with calls to _isPressed()?  I tried this but was not too successful.  I think I would have to go pretty deep to trap a keydown for the Win key,followed by a keydown for the Space key,. but i couldn't find a way to do it in AutoIt.

[dragan]

As I said, the win+space trap works of AutoKotKey, so it's not an issue of remapping windows 7 keys.

 

With AutoHotKey, I can trap Windows 7 hotkeys without any problem (for instance, I was able to trap WIN+r, with AutoHotKey).  So it looks like an AuToIT limitation. 

 

Autoit was built this way, it will not re-map hotkey if the hotkey was already set by some other application, you can try it yourself: Map a hotkey, compile script, and start it, then compile 2nd script with same hotkey, but different function, and start it as well. You'll see that the hotkey will call function from script you started first.

 

How about trapping the numpad Enter key and WIN + Space keys with calls to _isPressed()?  I tried this but was not too successful.  I think I would have to go pretty deep to trap a keydown for the Win key,followed by a keydown for the Space key,. but i couldn't find a way to do it in AutoIt.

 

The reason why you can't map numpadEnter is because they're both sending code 13. There's no difference between those ENTER keys when receiving keyboard message. Unlike normal 1 and Numpad1, where normal1 is code: 49, and numpad1 is code: 97.

Left alt = 164

Right alt = 165

-----

left win = 91

right win = 92

-----

Left/Right ctrl = 162/163

-----

left/right shift = 160/161

----

etc....

But the enters are always 13 (ENTER and NUMPADENTER) which is why you cannot map NUMPADENTER, and must use only {ENTER} instead, which stands for code "13" and will hook both enters.

Edited August 28, 2013 by dragan

[AndyS01]

Actually, the keyboard Enter key and the numpad Enter key emit different keycodes, and the keyboard driver translates them to the 13 hex code.  There's no way for AutoIT to get to the keycodes.

Anyway, thanks for your detailed help.  I can now back out of the rat hole I've been down while working this issue.  I'll just have to use AutoHotKey for these keyboard key traps.

Andy

[dragan]

You might be able to detect Win+Space though (even with them mapped as hotkey by some other app), check the example in your helpfiles for function:

_WinAPI_SetWindowsHookEx

edit:
this works for both, Left WIN +Space and Right WIN +Space (and ESC = exit):

expandcollapse popup

#include <WinAPI.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <StructureConstants.au3>
#include <Array.au3>


Global $isWinDown1 = False
Global $isWinDown2 = False

Global $hStub_KeyProc = DllCallbackRegister("_KeyProc", "long", "int;wparam;lparam")
Global $hmod = _WinAPI_GetModuleHandle(0)
Global $hHook = _WinAPI_SetWindowsHookEx($WH_KEYBOARD_LL, DllCallbackGetPtr($hStub_KeyProc), $hmod)

OnAutoItExitRegister("_Cleanup")

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func _Cleanup()
    _WinAPI_UnhookWindowsHookEx($hHook)
    DllCallbackFree($hStub_KeyProc)
EndFunc

Func _MessageWinSpace()
    ConsoleWrite('- you pressed WIN + SPACE, random code: ' & Random(1000, 9999, 1) & @CRLF)
EndFunc

Func _KeyProc($nCode, $wParam, $lParam)
    Local $tKEYHOOKS, $keyCode
    $tKEYHOOKS = DllStructCreate($tagKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT, $lParam)
    If $nCode < 0 Then
        Return _WinAPI_CallNextHookEx($hHook, $nCode, $wParam, $lParam)
    EndIf
    Switch $wParam
        Case $WM_KEYDOWN
            $keyCode = DllStructGetData($tKEYHOOKS, "vkCode")
            Switch $keyCode
                Case 32
                    If $isWinDown1 OR $isWinDown2 Then
                        _MessageWinSpace()
                    EndIf
                Case 91
                    $isWinDown1 = True
                Case 92
                    $isWinDown2 = True
                Case 27;esc
                    Exit
            EndSwitch
        Case $WM_KEYUP
            $keyCode = DllStructGetData($tKEYHOOKS, "vkCode")
            Switch $keyCode
                Case 91
                    $isWinDown1 = False
                Case 92
                    $isWinDown2 = False
            EndSwitch
    EndSwitch
    Return _WinAPI_CallNextHookEx($hHook, $nCode, $wParam, $lParam)
EndFunc

and if you want only one function at a time (Win+Space = calling function only one time, until next Win+Space):

expandcollapse popup

#include <WinAPI.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>
#include <StructureConstants.au3>
#include <Array.au3>

Global $isWinDown1 = False
Global $isWinDown2 = False
Global $FunctionActive = False

Global $hStub_KeyProc = DllCallbackRegister("_KeyProc", "long", "int;wparam;lparam")
Global $hmod = _WinAPI_GetModuleHandle(0)
Global $hHook = _WinAPI_SetWindowsHookEx($WH_KEYBOARD_LL, DllCallbackGetPtr($hStub_KeyProc), $hmod)

OnAutoItExitRegister("_Cleanup")

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func _Cleanup()
    _WinAPI_UnhookWindowsHookEx($hHook)
    DllCallbackFree($hStub_KeyProc)
EndFunc

Func _MessageWinSpace()
    ConsoleWrite('- you pressed WIN + SPACE, random code: ' & Random(1000, 9999, 1) & @CRLF)
EndFunc

Func _KeyProc($nCode, $wParam, $lParam)
    Local $tKEYHOOKS, $keyCode
    $tKEYHOOKS = DllStructCreate($tagKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT, $lParam)
    If $nCode < 0 Then
        Return _WinAPI_CallNextHookEx($hHook, $nCode, $wParam, $lParam)
    EndIf
    Switch $wParam
        Case $WM_KEYDOWN
            $keyCode = DllStructGetData($tKEYHOOKS, "vkCode")
            Switch $keyCode
                Case 32
                    If ($isWinDown1 OR $isWinDown2) AND (NOT $FunctionActive) Then
                        $FunctionActive = True
                        _MessageWinSpace()
                    EndIf
                Case 91
                    $isWinDown1 = True
                Case 92
                    $isWinDown2 = True
                Case 27;esc
                    Exit
            EndSwitch
        Case $WM_KEYUP
            $keyCode = DllStructGetData($tKEYHOOKS, "vkCode")
            Switch $keyCode
                Case 32
                    $FunctionActive = False
                Case 91
                    $isWinDown1 = False
                Case 92
                    $isWinDown2 = False
            EndSwitch
    EndSwitch
    Return _WinAPI_CallNextHookEx($hHook, $nCode, $wParam, $lParam)
EndFunc

Edited August 28, 2013 by dragan

[willichan]

I use the Win key for lots of keymappings in Win7, so I just disable the Microsoft ones altogether.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoWinKeys"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoWinKeys"=dword:00000001

[Yashied]

You can use >HotKey UDF.

[AndyS01]

Interesting...

However, I could not get this to work:

_HotKey_Assign(BitOR($VK_LWIN, $VK_SPACE), 'WinSpace')

 

Also, I didn't see any constants for NumpadADD, NumpadDIV, etc.

[dragan]

Did you try the last >script I posted?

(HotKey UDF was based on the same idea I believe)

Edited August 28, 2013 by dragan

[Yashied]

BitOR($VK_LWIN, $VK_SPACE)

It's silly to begin with. Use $CK_...

 

_HotKey_Assign(BitOR($CK_WIN, $VK_SPACE), 'WinSpace')

Also, I didn't see any constants for NumpadADD, NumpadDIV, etc.

$VK_ADD, $VK_DIVIDE, etc.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Yashied

[AndyS01]

dragan, I tried your script and it trapped WIN+SPACE, but passed it along to Windows, so I got the momentary aero display.  I would like to absorb it instead.

 

 

Yashied, That brought me very close.  Every key except the numpad Enter key. Is there a code for this?  I searched for 'enter' but got nothing useful.  Is it named something else?

 

Thank you both for getting involved in this.

 

Andy

 

[AndyS01]

OK, I found an ugly solution.  The only difference between keyboard Enter and Numpad Enter appears to be that the 'extended-key' flag is set when the Numpad Enter key is pressed, and not set when the keyboard Enter key is pressed.  This flag is available in the __HK_Hook() function in HotKey.au3.  

To prove it, I made a small modification to HotKey.au3 to set an internal 'extended key' flag for every key press.  Then I added a function call to return the flag to the caller (_HotKey_GetExtKeyFlag()).  Then I made a _HotKey_Assign("{ENTER}", "myfunc".  In myfunc(), I made a call to the _HotKey_GetExtKeyFlag() function and if it returned a non-zero value, it meant the Enter key was the Numpad Enter key.  If not, it meant it was the keyboard Enter key.

Mods to HotKey.au3:

Global $___iLastExtendedKeyFlag = 0

.
.
.

Func __HK_Hook($iCode, $wParam, $lParam)

   If ($iCode > -1) And ($hkTb[0][1] = 0) And ($hkTb[0][3] = 0) Then

   Local $vkCode = DllStructGetData(DllStructCreate($tagKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT, $lParam), 'vkCode')
   Local $flags = DllStructGetData(DllStructCreate($tagKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT, $lParam), 'flags')
   $___iLastExtendedKeyFlag = BitAND($flags, $LLKHF_EXTENDED)
   Local $Return = False


.
.
.

 

func _HotKey_GetExtFlag()

    return($___iLastExtendedKeyFlag)

EndFunc

 

In my test script:

_HotKey_Assign($VK_RETURN, 'EnterKey')

Func EnterKey()
    If (_HotKey_GetExtFlag()) Then
        ConsoleWrite("+++: Numpad Enter key" & @CRLF)
    Else
        ConsoleWrite("+++: Keyboard Enter key" & @CRLF)
    EndIf
EndFunc   ;==>EnterKey

This proved the concept, but is not really good code.  For one thing, it means that while I'm only interested in the Numpad Enter key, I also get the keyboard Enter key, and there's no way to pass it along (saying that I didn't handle it).

A more robust method would be to add a flag you could pass to _HotKey_Assign() that says 'extended key only, or something like that.  I tried adding an additional element to the $hkTb array, but I got hung up in the code because all references to this array are numbers, not global constants.

Perhaps creating a new $VK_xxx definition might be another way to solve this.

I'm going to try to make it work without trapping the keyboard Enter key.  If you have any suggestions, I'd appreciate them.

Andy