OnEvent> question

JRL · Post by **JRL** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:18 pm

Is there a reason that OnEvent> does not detect the press of the Alt, Ctrl, Shift, LeftWin or RightWin keys when they are pressed alone? It will detect them in conjunction with another key such as Alt+A. But I can't get OnEvent> to detect the single press of, for example, the Alt key.

I included TAB in the following example because it will be detected.

Code: Select all

//Press Esc to close
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK27,0,Quit
//Tab
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK9,0,Test
//LeftWin
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK91,0,Test
//RightWin
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK92,0,Test
//Shift
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK16,0,Test
//Ctrl
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK17,0,Test
//Alt
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK18,0,Test

Label>Loop
  Wait>0.01
Goto>Loop

SRT>Quit
  Exit>0
END>Quit

SRT>Test
Message>Ok
END>Test

Bob Hansen · Post by **Bob Hansen** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:43 pm

It is not possible to monitor a keyboard activity unless it is sending a scan code. I suspect that those keys do not send a "scan" code.

They work locally on the keyboard to modify the scan code of any other keys that may be pressed while that key is down. So it is the other keys that send out a scan code that has been modified.

JRL · Post by **JRL** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:47 pm

Hi Bob,

I had considered that and it might be the case with Ctrl and Shift but Alt will typically set focus to an application's menu and the left or right winkey will call up the windows start menu. So I don't buy that argument in those three cases.

Me_again · Post by **Me_again** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:58 pm

Left and right CTRL send scan codes too.

JRL · Post by **JRL** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:19 pm

I found a way around it. Simply add the OnEvent> modifier that matches the key being pressed. In other words for the shift key use the VK code
16 and the modifier 1. Basically you're asking to detect when the Shift+Shift combination is pressed. OnEvent> will then successfully detect a single shift key press.

Thanks for your replies.

Code: Select all

//Press Esc to close
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK27,0,Quit
//Tab
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK9,0,Test
//LeftWin
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK91,8,Test
//RightWin
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK92,8,Test
//Shift
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK16,1,Test
//Ctrl
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK17,2,Test
//Alt
OnEvent>KEY_DOWN,VK18,3,Test

Label>Loop
  Wait>0.01
Goto>Loop

SRT>Quit
  Exit>0
END>Quit

SRT>Test
Message>Ok
END>Test

Me_again · Post by **Me_again** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:25 pm

Little utilty here to display key codes.

Bob Hansen · Post by **Bob Hansen** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:28 pm

So, my suspicion was wrong.
Sorry about that, but the good news is that you have a solution.

And we all have a new utility tool thanks to Me_again.