Temporarily Disable Hotkeys

[ryanbogadi]

Is there an easy way to temporarily disable all hotkeys set in a program. Basically, my problem is that my script relies heavily on hotkeys. And if the user happens to open another window, such as a messenger application, and try to type a message to someone, these hotkeys basically become like landmines. I have found a way to keep the hotkeys from executing their normal behavior using "if" statements. But those keys are still unusable in other applications as long as my program is still running.

I know that one solution would be to set the hotkeys to something unlikely to be pressed in any other app (such as ctrl+shift+something). But I do not want the users to be forced to press any more buttons than is absolutely necessary. If anyone knows of any way to solve my problem, I would appreciate the help.

[seandisanti]

Is there an easy way to temporarily disable all hotkeys set in a program.  Basically, my problem is that my script relies heavily on hotkeys.  And if the user happens to open another window, such as a messenger application, and try to type a message to someone, these hotkeys basically become like landmines.  I have found a way to keep the hotkeys from executing their normal behavior using "if" statements.  But those keys are still unusable in other applications as long as my program is still running.

I know that one solution would be to set the hotkeys to something unlikely to be pressed in any other app (such as ctrl+shift+something).  But I do not want the users to be forced to press any more buttons than is absolutely necessary.  If anyone knows of any way to solve my problem, I would appreciate the help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the easiest way is with if statements, most likely how you're already doing. example:

HotKeySet("{PAUSE}", "RightWindow")
while 1 
    sleep(100)
WEnd

Func RightWindow()
    If WinActive("Untitled - Notepad")Then    MsgBox("0","Success","This hotkey would not have worked if you were not in notepad")
EndFunc

***edit***

or you could just unassign the hotkeys if you really want to go that way...

HotKeySet("{PAUSE}", "OtherFunc")
while 1 
    sleep(100)
    If WinActive("Untitled - Notepad") = 0 then
        HotKeySet("{PAUSE}","")
        while WinActive("Untitled - Notepad") = 0
            sleep(100)
        WEnd
        HotKeySet("{PAUSE}", "OtherFunc")
    EndIf
WEnd

Edited September 6, 2005 by cameronsdad

[ryanbogadi]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing right now. But it still lacks one big functionality. I want to be able to use that key that I assigned as a hotkey in other applications, while mine is still running. So if my GUI is active and I press the hotkey, it executes the function I assigned it to. And if any other window is active and I press that same key, I want that key to do what it would normally do (not its hotkey function).

[seandisanti]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing right now.  But it still lacks one big functionality.  I want to be able to use that key that I assigned as a hotkey in other applications, while mine is still running.  So if my GUI is active and I press the hotkey, it executes the function I assigned it to.  And if any other window is active and I press that same key, I want that key to do what it would normally do (not its hotkey function).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i thought that may be the case... i was editing my post while you were adding this one...

[CodeMaster Rapture]

I dunno if you are using a GUI or not, but you can always do this:

While 1
        If Not (WinActive("Your window's name here")) Then
                HotKeySet("{PAUSE}");remove the hotkey
                HotKeySet(Other key);remove the other hotkey
        Else
                HotKeySet("{PAUSE}","Some_Function")
                HotKetSet(Other key, "Some_other_Function")
        EndIf
        Sleep(10)
WEnd

[LxP]

You could set the hotkey as normal and then in the function that is called when the key is pressed:

• Check what the active window is.
• If the window is my GUI, perform the necessary function.
• If it isn't:
• disable the hotkey;
• send the key combination to the active window; and
• re-enable it.

[ryanbogadi]

Thanks guys. I did what you suggested and it works just fine. I didn't know that you could remove a hotkey by just not assigning a function as a parameter. Now that I know that, I can toggle them on and off depending on the active window, which is just what I wanted to do.