Can an app detect when another app gets a key or click?

[Chris Holbrook]

So, could I write an application which detects that another application has received a mouse click or keystroke? And if so, where would I start?

[Michael Mattias]

Came off my on-disk SDK, so I don't have a URL to the online version at msdn, but it will be there

Hooks

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A hook is a point in the system message-handling mechanism where an application can install a subroutine to monitor the message traffic in the system and process certain types of messages before they reach the target window procedure.

[Norm Shupe]

I believe you have to design the two applications with a direct data exchange (DDE) link. I did something like that in the dim and distant past and I believe it worked pretty well. A key stroke or mouse click will only be recognized by the application which has focus and it subsequently performs a DDE link to pass the event to the monitoring application.

[Norm Shupe]

Sorry, make that "dynamic" data exchange (DDE) although "direct" seems more appropriate to me. Norm

[Chris Holbrook]

Thanks both.

Hooks suits my requirement better. Here is a link to what I hope is a reliable and definitive MSDN document: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms997537.aspx

(added) and this code by Semen looks very promising too! http://www.powerbasic.com/support/pb...highlight=hook

PS if you happen to follow that MSDN link, note the date written. I have some ground to make up!

[Michael Mattias]

believe you have to design the two applications with a direct data exchange (DDE) link

If the two applications are cooperating, there are many, many ways for them to talk to each other.. you would not need a hook at all, and DDE is no fun to code (demo in source code forum, search "DDE" in subject).

Except around here, when "not stated" the default is "of course they are not cooperating, I'm trying to make some $50.00 program work like the $100.00 program, and do it for less than $2,500.00 worth of development time"

That said, if these ARE cooperating applications... SendMessage sounds promising.

MCM