Cocoa: Middle mouse click event (global) + gesture API?

Question

Are there any resources that might guide me in how to make my app respond to any type of mouse click that is not the left / right button? Globally, even when my app is not active.

And for magic mouse / trackpad, are there any frameworks or resources available to easily attach my code to a specific gesture?

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

0

You can find everything related to mouse events: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/HandlingMouseEvents/HandlingMouseEvents.html

and trackpad events: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/HandlingTouchEvents/HandlingTouchEvents.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000060i-CH13-SW10

Here is a stack overflow link that has explanation for handling global events.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:45

Community

1
1

answered Feb 20 '13 at 10:05

Shashank

1,743
1
14
20

The problem is I have no NSView or NSWindow, the event can happen in any active application. – Feb 20 '13 at 10:15
Check this out http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4752427/osx-detect-system-wide-keydown-events-solved-with-sample-code – Shashank Feb 20 '13 at 10:26
Thanks, that's exactly it, and in the handler I just check [evt buttonNumber] to find the button that I need. – Feb 21 '13 at 11:13

zekel · Answer 2 · 2013-04-26T21:39:30.267

Here's a code example based on Shashank's (very helpful) answer.

NSEventMask eventMask = NSOtherMouseDownMask|NSOtherMouseUpMask;
[NSEvent addGlobalMonitorForEventsMatchingMask:eventMask
       handler:^(NSEvent *event) {
           if (event.type == NSOtherMouseDown) {
               NSLog(@"middle click down");
           } else if (event.type == NSOtherMouseUp) {
               NSLog(@"middle click up");
           }
       }];

Cocoa: Middle mouse click event (global) + gesture API?

2 Answers2