Global hotkey with WIN32 API?

Question

I've been able to set local hotkeys like this

 RegisterHotKey(hwndDlg, 100, MOD_ALT | MOD_CONTROL, 'S');

How can I set the hotkey to be global? I want it to be there even when my window is hidden.

I've been writing Windows apps for nearly 20 years and I didn't know this API call existed - so thanks, and +1. :) — Rob, Nov 30 '09 at 21:46

score 11 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 30 '09 at 18:10

11

I solved it myself but thanks for your reply here's what was wrong...

ShowWindow(hwndDlg, SW_HIDE);
RegisterHotKey(hwndDlg, 100, MOD_ALT | MOD_CONTROL, 'S');

if you register the hotkey first then hide the window... it ignores the hotkey for some reason... oh well.. it's working now :)

edited Nov 30 '09 at 18:10

Magnus Hoff

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answered Nov 30 '09 at 16:33

Mars

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Cool. So it's guaranteed to be global? – Viet Jan 18 '11 at 08:35

score 8 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

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http://msdn.microsoft.com/ru-RU/library/windows/desktop/ms646309(v=vs.85).aspx

hWnd [in, optional]

Type: HWND

<...> If this parameter is NULL, WM_HOTKEY messages are posted to the message queue of the calling thread and must be processed in the message loop.

That is a better way for registering global hotkeys.

edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

Community

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answered Feb 05 '13 at 07:45

Yan Sultanov

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score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 30 '09 at 16:27

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It desn't matter if your window is visible or not. You should not use a hWnd you plan to destory (like a dialog). Create a separate (invisible) window if you have no other suitable window.

answered Nov 30 '09 at 16:27

Dan Byström

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I don't destroy it I just hide it like this ShowWindow(hwndDlg, SW_HIDE); – Mars Nov 30 '09 at 16:29

Michael Haephrati · Answer 4 · 2022-08-14T00:12:20.643

First you define one or more constants for your hotkeys

#define HOTKEY1 1000
#define HOTKEY2 1002

Then you register these hot keys

RegisterHotKey(NULL, HOTKEY1, MOD_ALT + MOD_SHIFT, 0x53); // ALT+SHIFT+s
RegisterHotKey(NULL, HOTKEY2, MOD_ALT + MOD_SHIFT, 0x51); // ALT+SHIFT+q

Finally in the main event loop you monitor these hot keys and respond to them:

if (msg.message == HOTKEY1) { switch (LOWORD(msg.wParam)) { case HOTKEY1: // do such and such break; case HOTKEY2: // do such and such break; } }

Global hotkey with WIN32 API?

4 Answers4