How to detect multiple key press keyboard shortcut outside my application

Question

I'm trying to extend the hotkey CTRL+N so that if the user presses CTRL+N it makes a new file, but if they keep CTRL held and press N a second time it opens a new instance of notepad.

Here's the pseudocode of what I'm getting at:

event Key_Down(CTRL)
{
   while(key_Down(CTRL)
   {
    if(Key_isPressed('N')){Ncount++;}
   }
}
event Key_UP(CTRL)
{
    do{
       if(Ncount == 1)
       {
          Create New File to Current Location
       }
       else if(Ncount == 2)
       {
          Open Notepad;
       }
       else if(Ncount >2)
       {
         Ncount=Ncount/2;
       }
    }(while Ncount>2);
 }

I'm not really sure how to phrase something like this in C#, but I want it so these events will be raised even when the program doesn't have focus (i.e. is in the background, minimized, running as service w/o GUI, etc...)

Have a look at this: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/985989/how-to-monitor-for-keystrokes-pressed-when-outside-the-app — Martin Lantzsch, Jan 16 '15 at 19:17
You need a "keyboard hook". This project will teach you how to make one: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/19004/A-Simple-C-Global-Low-Level-Keyboard-Hook — Icemanind, Jan 16 '15 at 19:25

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 16 '15 at 21:27

2

You need a "keyboard hook". This project will teach you how to make one: http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/19004/A-Simple-C-Global-Low-Level-Keyboard-Hook

answered Jan 16 '15 at 21:27

Icemanind

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How to detect multiple key press keyboard shortcut outside my application

1 Answers1