C#•11mo ago

✅ Global keypress Simulation?

hello, i have a project where i need to perform global mouse and key Presses, i cant seem to find a way, or Library that can do that, i need to read an array of strings, to perform the presses, and i need to be able to simulate holding down the key and mouse for an amount of time, do you know ways or Librarys to do that? i programm in VS and use windows forms c#. (something like this https://www.nuget.org/packages/H.InputSimulator#readme-tab (i cant get said extra functions to work here))

14 Replies

lycian•11mo ago

this just ends up using win32 APIs for input https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winuser/nf-winuser-sendinput What exactly isn't working?

SendInput function (winuser.h) - Win32 apps

Synthesizes keystrokes, mouse motions, and button clicks.

RohesKätzchenOP•11mo ago

i cant find a way to convert a string into the right format to send the key, and i cant get the key to be held down to get something like "llllllllllllllllllllllll"

RohesKätzchenOP•11mo ago

i need something like this to work or be abe to convert it to the right format

lycian•11mo ago

I don't know much about the library, but I would expect something like this to work

c#
new InputSimulator()
  .Keyboard
  .KeyDown(VirtualKeyCode.VK_A)
  .Sleep(1000)
  .KeyUp(VirtualKeyCode.VK_A)

c#
new InputSimulator()
  .Keyboard
  .KeyDown(VirtualKeyCode.VK_A)
  .Sleep(1000)
  .KeyUp(VirtualKeyCode.VK_A)

That said, if it doesn't work you may have to keep sending the entry at an interval.

RohesKätzchenOP•11mo ago

I think i could make this work with a timer, but i still need so be able to send the input in some way starting with a String, because otherwise i would need to write code for every key and i dont want to do that

RohesKätzchenOP•11mo ago

i think i found somethink that could work, i found the keyword enum and there is something calles enum.TryParse() but i cant figure out how to use it. (and im not even sure if it does what i want it to do)

lycian•10mo ago

You shouldn't need to parse them if you know the key at time of code

RohesKätzchenOP•10mo ago

i dont know the key, my overall goal is to write a program that records a macro and plays it, i have the record part but i cant find a dynamic way to replay the array of keys, i would need to write a function for every key, but i think there shoul be a more elegant way to solve this problem?

RohesKätzchenOP•10mo ago

this is an example of a recorded macro i know how to read the file and convert the line into the right line( for example: Pressed: L to "VK_L") but i dont know how to convert this into the WindowsInput.VirtualKeyCode or whatever the format is called?

lycian•10mo ago

The Api has a way to do text entry https://github.com/HavenDV/H.InputSimulator/blob/master/src%2Flibs%2FH.InputSimulator%2FKeyboardSimulator.cs#L297

GitHub

H.InputSimulator/src/libs/H.InputSimulator/KeyboardSimulator.cs at ...

Allows you to simulate global mouse and keyboard events. - HavenDV/H.InputSimulator

lycian•10mo ago

If that doesn't work and you need more fine grained here is how they construct the input list https://github.com/HavenDV/H.InputSimulator/blob/master/src%2Flibs%2FH.InputSimulator%2FInputBuilder.cs

GitHub

H.InputSimulator/src/libs/H.InputSimulator/InputBuilder.cs at maste...

Allows you to simulate global mouse and keyboard events. - HavenDV/H.InputSimulator

RohesKätzchenOP•10mo ago

thanks, this might be what i need, im going to test some things with it.

RohesKätzchenOP•10mo ago

i've figured out how to get from string to virtualkeycode format wich turn out to be a enumeration, and ive learned what enumerations are. this was the solution to my problem

RohesKätzchenOP•10mo ago

now i need to figure out how to get the key to be held down, bc i think if i simulated the held down keypress by using timers and repeating the input it wouldnt be the same as actually the held down key

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✅ Global keypress Simulation?