Temporarily Disable Hotkey Filtering - "a" not working

[Seminko]

Hey guys,

I am trying to temporarily disable hotkeys set in a script and came across THIS ('?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>>) thread.

I got it working nicely, finally after a few days of fiddling around. BUT, the "a" button is not working!

Please see my script

expandcollapse popup

While 1
    $CurWindowEx = WinGetTitle("active")
    If $CurWindowEx = "app" Then
           HotkeySet ("a", "something1")
       HotkeySet ("s", "something2")
       HotkeySet ("d", "something3")
       HotkeySet ("f", "something4")
       HotkeySet ("g", "something5")
       HotkeySet ("h", "something6")
    Elseif $CurWindowEx <> "app" Then    
           HotkeySet ("a", "SendA")
       HotkeySet ("s", "SendS")
       HotkeySet ("d", "SendD")
       HotkeySet ("f", "SendF")
       HotkeySet ("g", "SendG")
       HotkeySet ("h", "SendH")
    EndIf
    Sleep(1000)
WEnd

Func SendA ()
   Send("a")
   Sleep(25)
EndFunc

Func SendS ()
   Send("s")
   Sleep(25)
EndFunc

Func SendD ()
   Send("d")
   Sleep(25)
EndFunc

Func SendF ()
   Send("f")
   Sleep(25)
EndFunc

Func SendG ()
   Send("g")
   Sleep(25)
EndFunc

Func SendH ()
   Send("h")
   Sleep(25)
EndFunc

So when I am in the desired app ALL hotkeys work and the script does what it should for EVERY hotkey.

BUT, when I'm in ie Notepad, "a" does not work. Shift+a produces correctly "A" but plain and simple lower "a" does not work.

The strange thing is that every other character works nicely in the lower version as well as in the capital one. All except of "a".

Any ideas please?

[Melba23]

Seminko,

Welcome to the AutoIt forum.

I would just disable the HotKeys rather than continually resetting them to do what the native key does already. Try this and see if it works for you:

; Create a flag to show whether we are in the "app"
Global $fFlag = False

While 1
    $CurWindowEx = WinGetTitle("active")
    If $CurWindowEx = "app" And $fFlag = False Then
        ; Set the Hotkeys
        HotKeySet("a", "something1")
        HotKeySet("s", "something2")
        HotKeySet("d", "something3")
        HotKeySet("f", "something4")
        HotKeySet("g", "something5")
        HotKeySet("h", "something6")
        ; Set the flag
        $fFlag = True
    ElseIf $CurWindowEx <> "app" And $fFlag = True Then
        ; Unset the Hotkeys
        HotKeySet("a")
        HotKeySet("s")
        HotKeySet("d")
        HotKeySet("f")
        HotKeySet("g")
        HotKeySet("h")
        ;Clear the flag
        $fFlag = False
    EndIf
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Now you only change the HotKeys when you really need to, which is why I have reduced the Sleep time. You obviously need to add all the "app" functions.

Let me know how you get on, and please do ask if you have any questions.

M23

[Seminko]

Hello Melba23, this made me realize that I had a flaw in my script preventing the script from writing the lower case "a".

I've re-done the script to match your idea but now it seems that AutoIT thinks the "app" is always the active window, even though I'm AltTabbed to Chrome, for example.

Should I rather use if WinActive?

 

EDIT: BTW, didn't know you can do HotKeySet("a"). Sometimes the easiest solution is the right one

EDIT2: Oh nevermind. Figured it out! It should say: WinGetTitle("[Active]"). Thank you very much Melba23!

Edited November 1, 2013 by Seminko

[Melba23]

Seminko,

Glad I could help.

M23

[Seminko]

Actually, I'm expanding the script and getting stuck again. Maybe you can help

The script works fine as it is but I wanted to further improve it in a way so that the functions get activated only if a specific color is not present.

Here's what I got:

Global $fFlag = False

While 1
    $CurWindowEx = WinGetTitle("[Active]")
    $result = PixelSearch(746, 790, 1257, 813, 0x18181B, 10)
    If $CurWindowEx = "app" And $fFlag = False And IsArray($result) = False Then ;If the app is the active window and PixelSearch does not find the color, it should trigger functions
       HotkeySet ("a", "Something1")
       HotkeySet ("s", "Something2")
       HotkeySet ("d", "Something3")
       HotkeySet ("f", "Something4")
       HotkeySet ("g", "Something5")
       HotkeySet ("h", "Something6")
       $fFlag = True
    ElseIf $CurWindowEx = "app" And $fFlag = False And IsArray($result) = True Then ;If the app is the active window and PixelSearch does in fact find the color, it should not trigger functions but just letters
       HotKeySet("a")
       HotKeySet("s")
       HotKeySet("d")
       HotKeySet("f")
       HotKeySet("g")
       HotKeySet("h")
       $fFlag = False
    Elseif $CurWindowEx <> "app" And $fFlag = True Then ;If the app is not the active window, it should trigger letters only.
       HotKeySet("a")
       HotKeySet("s")
       HotKeySet("d")
       HotKeySet("f")
       HotKeySet("g")
       HotKeySet("h")
       $fFlag = False
    EndIf
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

To my surprise it works only when I restart the script. It works for a while and then it starts executing the functions only.

Edited November 2, 2013 by Seminko

[Melba23]

Seminko,

I have tested this on my machine with one of my "app"s and it seesm to work as you require:

expandcollapse popup

Global $fFlag_App = False, $fFlag_Pixel = False

While 1
    ; Check active window
    $CurWindowEx = WinGetTitle("[Active]")
    If $CurWindowEx = "app" Then
        If $fFlag_App = False Then ; Will only fire as the "app" becomes active
            ; Set the flag
            $fFlag_App = True
        Else ; Will fire as long as "app" remains the active window after it has become active
            ; Check the pixel
            $result = PixelSearch(746, 790, 1257, 813, 0x18181B, 10)
            If IsArray($result) And $fFlag_Pixel = False Then ; If the app is the active window and PixelSearch finds the color, it should not trigger functions but just letters
                HotKeySet("a")
                HotKeySet("s")
                HotKeySet("d")
                HotKeySet("f")
                HotKeySet("g")
                HotKeySet("h")
                $fFlag_Pixel = True
            ElseIf (Not IsArray($result)) And $fFlag_Pixel = True Then; If the app is the active window and PixelSearch does not find the color, it should trigger functions
                HotKeySet("a", "Something1")
                HotKeySet("s", "Something2")
                HotKeySet("d", "Something3")
                HotKeySet("f", "Something4")
                HotKeySet("g", "Something5")
                HotKeySet("h", "Something6")
                $fFlag_Pixel = False
            EndIf
        EndIf
    ElseIf $CurWindowEx <> "app" And $fFlag_App = True Then
        HotKeySet("a")
        HotKeySet("s")
        HotKeySet("d")
        HotKeySet("f")
        HotKeySet("g")
        HotKeySet("h")
        $fFlag_App  = False
        $fFlag_Pixel = False
    EndIf
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Does it work on your machine with your "app"?

M23

[Seminko]

Awesome! Works very nicely. Occasionally does not reset but that's easily fixed.

BTW, $fFlag_Pixel is there because of the reset? It stores the info in the tag so you can manipulate it - reset?

Thanks a million!

[Melba23]

Seminko,

 

BTW, $fFlag_Pixel is there because of the reset?

No, it acts in the same way as $fFlag_App to prevent setting or unsetting the HotKeys on each pass.

By using the flags the setting/unsetting only takes place when the state (either "app" is active/inactive or the pixel is/is not present) changes. This prevents unnecessary action by the script - if you were running a big function on every pass it would really slow the script down; while if you were updating a control doing so on every pass usually leads to quite bad flickering. Using flags means you only action the code when needed.

Glad you got it working.

M23

[Seminko]

Yea, I meant that! But apparently I did not explain myself well :-D

[Melba23]

Seminko,

 

Yea, I meant that!

Then I am delighted I could confirm your supposition!

M23

[Seminko]

Well apparently, when I ALT+TAB out of the application the script stops working. I have to pop up the window where the pixel is and that resets the script and it works again.

[Melba23]

Seminko,

What exactly is this "app" in you are using these HotKeys? Perhaps there is a better way to do what you want without relying on pixel detection, which I have never found particularly reliable.

M23

[Melba23]

Hi,

It now appears that this is a game-related script - so what happens next should come as no surprise to anyone.

M23

P.S. If it does come as a surprise, I suggest you read the Forum rules (there is also a link at bottom right of each page) as soon as possible.