I am making a program in VB.NET and need to hide the Caret in textboxes.
I could live with it being either completely hidden or just the same colour as the textboxes background colour. How can I go about doing this? I would prefer to stay away from Custom Controls if at all possible.
Thank you
Add a new class to your project and paste the code shown below. Compile. Drop the new control from the top of the toolbox onto your form.
Public Class NoCaretBox
Inherits TextBox
Protected Overrides Sub OnGotFocus(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
HideCaret(Me.Handle)
MyBase.OnGotFocus(e)
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub OnLostFocus(ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
ShowCaret(Me.Handle)
MyBase.OnLostFocus(e)
End Sub
Private Declare Function HideCaret Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr) As Boolean
Private Declare Function ShowCaret Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hWnd As IntPtr) As Boolean
End Class
Related
I want to copy the highlighted text from outside of winform using vb.net.
For example, if the user highlights a text in a browser or in notepad it should be copied into a textbox in a winform.
Any help would be great!
Thanks in advance.
Ok!
Thanks to this link I got my answer.
My Logic is First of all the user will highlight a value, not specific to browser but anywhere.
then the user will press the Hotkey, In my case it's F8. Then Code will trigger the copy command and then retrieve the Clipboard value and will assign it to a textbox text.
Here is the Full Code along with Helping Class.
Hotkey.vb
Public Class Hotkey
#Region "Declarations - WinAPI, Hotkey constant and Modifier Enum"
''' <summary>
''' Declaration of winAPI function wrappers. The winAPI functions are used to register / unregister a hotkey
''' </summary>
Private Declare Function RegisterHotKey Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer, ByVal fsModifiers As Integer, ByVal vk As Integer) As Integer
Private Declare Function UnregisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer) As Integer
Public Const WM_HOTKEY As Integer = &H312
Enum KeyModifier
None = 0
Alt = &H1
Control = &H2
Shift = &H4
Winkey = &H8
End Enum 'This enum is just to make it easier to call the registerHotKey function: The modifier integer codes are replaced by a friendly "Alt","Shift" etc.
#End Region
#Region "Hotkey registration, unregistration and handling"
Public Shared Sub registerHotkey(ByRef sourceForm As Form, ByVal triggerKey As String, ByVal modifier As KeyModifier)
RegisterHotKey(sourceForm.Handle, 1, modifier, &H77)
End Sub
Public Shared Sub unregisterHotkeys(ByRef sourceForm As Form)
UnregisterHotKey(sourceForm.Handle, 1) 'Remember to call unregisterHotkeys() when closing your application.
End Sub
Public Shared Sub handleHotKeyEvent(ByVal hotkeyID As IntPtr)
SendKeys.Send("^(c)") 'for Ctrl-C[/CODE]
End Sub
#End Region
End Class
This Section will Trigger the Hotkey Code and do the rest of logic
Main Form
'This Program will wait for a key to press in our case it will wait for the F8 key to be press
'Then it will copy the highlighted text (Outside and Inside of the form) and will concatinate the text with a webaddress'
Imports Name_Of_Your_Project.Hotkey
Public Class Form1
'This Chunk of code will register the F8 key as a main key for the Program'
Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
Hotkey.registerHotkey(Me, "f8", Hotkey.KeyModifier.None)
End Sub
'This sub will trigger the Hotkey Sub Code in the Hotkey.vb Class'
Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
If m.Msg = Hotkey.WM_HOTKEY Then
Hotkey.handleHotKeyEvent(m.WParam)
'After pressing the F8 key It will copy the highlighted data from anywhere and store it to the clipboard'
If Clipboard.ContainsText Then
Try
Textbox1.text = My.Computer.Clipboard.GetData(DataFormats.Text).ToString
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show("Error in Program" + ex.ToString())
End Try
End If
End If
MyBase.WndProc(m)
End Sub
'System wide hotkey event handling
End Class
This question already has an answer here:
How to make a window active in vb.net
(1 answer)
Closed 5 years ago.
I'm writing a simple Visual Basic app to help me launch global hotkeys by the press of a taskbar button.
To do this, I basically set the app to minimize itself back to the taskbar. I then want to activate the taskbar itself (not the previously active program) so I can use SendKeys to do these keypresses. In my test, the keypresses get registered. Its just that I can't seem to find out how to actually activate the taskbar from my program.
If I use AppActivate, I need the processID or the window title.
So it seems best to use Windows API's to do it, but I'm not getting the result I'm after either and I must be doing something wrong.
Here's my code:
Public Class Form1
Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Integer
Private Sub Form1_GotFocus(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.GotFocus
Me.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized
Dim intReturn As Integer = FindWindow("Shell_traywnd", "")
AppActivate(intReturn)
SendKeys.Send("%1")
MsgBox("test")
End Sub
End Class
The error I'm getting is that there's no process by this ID running.
FindWindow will return a hwnd handle, not a processID. You will need to use the function SetForegroundWindow to activate it.
Your code becomes as follows:
Public Class Form1
Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Integer
Declare Function SetForegroundWindow Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal hwnd As Integer) As Integer
Private Sub Form1_GotFocus(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.GotFocus
Me.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized
Dim intReturn As Integer = FindWindow("Shell_traywnd", "")
SetForegroundWindow(intReturn)
SendKeys.Send("%1")
MsgBox("test")
End Sub
End Class
Is there any way to make a cursor look something like the blinking, square cursor used in console applications, say, inside of a text box instead of the regular vertical line? Example:
https://gyazo.com/db9f5661d493c32e48434eed2fa45252
You can control the caret (cursor) using the Win API Caret Functions.
A simple custom WinForm TextBox can be given a blinking caret like this:
Public Class MyTB : Inherits TextBox
<DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True)> _
Private Shared Function CreateCaret(ByVal hWnd As IntPtr, ByVal hBitmap As IntPtr, ByVal nWidth As Integer, ByVal nHeight As Integer) As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll")>
Private Shared Function DestroyCaret() As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll")>
Private Shared Function SetCaretBlinkTime(ByVal uMSeconds As UInt32) As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll")> _
Private Shared Function ShowCaret(ByVal hWnd As IntPtr) As Boolean
End Function
Protected Overrides Sub OnGotFocus(e As EventArgs)
MyBase.OnGotFocus(e)
MyTB.CreateCaret(Me.Handle, Nothing, 5, Me.Font.Height)
MyTB.SetCaretBlinkTime(500UI)
MyTB.ShowCaret(Me.Handle)
End Sub
Protected Overrides Sub OnLostFocus(e As EventArgs)
MyBase.OnLostFocus(e)
MyTB.DestroyCaret()
End Sub
End Class
I have a vb.net application which will be minimized to task bar or notification area. Is there any way for me to maximize/focus on that application when user presses a key (even if the user is using any other application).
Tried windows hot key but doesn't focus the app when it is already open.Please help
You require global hotkeys. First, add these functions to your application.
Private Declare Function GetKeyPress Lib "user32" Alias "GetAsyncKeyState" (ByVal key As Integer) As Integer
<DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint:="FindWindow", SetLastError:=True)> _
Private Shared Function FindWindow(lpClassName As String, lpWindowName As String) As IntPtr
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll")> _
Private Shared Function ShowWindow(hWnd As IntPtr, nCmdShow As Integer) As Boolean
End Function
<DllImport("user32.dll")> _
Private Shared Function SetForegroundWindow(hWnd As IntPtr) As Integer
End Function
Next, add a Timer and in its Timer.Tick Event, use this function like this:
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
If GetKeyPress(Keys.LControlKey) And GetKeyPress(Keys.A) Then
Dim Handle As IntPtr = Process.GetProcessById(2916).MainWindowHandle
ShowWindow(Handle, 9)
SetForegroundWindow(Handle)
End If
End Sub
Set the Timer Interval to 150 to avoid repeated keypresses and make sure to enable the timer in the Form Load event.
I'm creating a program to manage a local network but Im having a little problem.
When the form starts, it starts hidden.
I used this code to hide it:
Protected Overrides Sub SetVisibleCore(ByVal value As Boolean)
If Not Me.IsHandleCreated Then
Me.CreateHandle()
value = False
End If
MyBase.SetVisibleCore(value)
End Sub
What I want exactly is to show the form when I click ALT+X for example.
Use a Global Hotkey. That way you don't have to worry about your Application having focus. A good example for VB.Net is here:
http://www.kirsbo.com/How_to_add_global_hotkeys_to_applications_in_VB.NET
To summarise. Define a HotKey class:
Public Class Hotkey
#Region "Declarations - WinAPI, Hotkey constant and Modifier Enum"
''' <summary>
''' Declaration of winAPI function wrappers. The winAPI functions are used to register / unregister a hotkey
''' </summary>
Public Declare Function RegisterHotKey Lib "user32" _
(ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer, ByVal fsModifiers As Integer, ByVal vk As Integer) As Integer
Public Declare Function UnregisterHotKey Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal id As Integer) As Integer
Public Const WM_HOTKEY As Integer = &H312
Enum KeyModifier
None = 0
Alt = &H1
Control = &H2
Shift = &H4
Winkey = &H8
End Enum 'This enum is just to make it easier to call the registerHotKey function: The modifier integer codes are replaced by a friendly "Alt","Shift" etc.
#End Region
#Region "Hotkey registration, unregistration and handling"
Public Shared Sub registerHotkey(ByRef sourceForm As Form, ByVal triggerKey As String, ByVal modifier As KeyModifier)
RegisterHotKey(sourceForm.Handle, 1, modifier, Asc(triggerKey.ToUpper))
End Sub
Public Shared Sub unregisterHotkeys(ByRef sourceForm As Form)
UnregisterHotKey(sourceForm.Handle, 1) 'Remember to call unregisterHotkeys() when closing your application.
End Sub
Public Shared Sub handleHotKeyEvent(ByVal hotkeyID As IntPtr)
MsgBox("The hotkey was pressed")
End Sub
#End Region
End Class
Then add the following Sub to your main form:
'System wide hotkey event handling
Protected Overrides Sub WndProc(ByRef m As System.Windows.Forms.Message)
If m.Msg = Hotkey.WM_HOTKEY Then
Hotkey.handleHotKeyEvent(m.WParam)
End If
MyBase.WndProc(m)
End Sub
Then register a HotKey in the startup code for your form:
Hotkey.RegisterHotKey(Me, "X", Hotkey.KeyModifier.Alt)
The first parameter is the form, the second is the key to be handled and the third is the modifier key. Once this Hotkey is registered it will trigger code in HotKey.handleHotKeyEvent.
You can then use some sort of Callback to trigger a method in the calling form itself if you so desire.