Need code to trap the Esc key when Alt or Ctrl key is held down.

Solitaire

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 28, 2004
Messages
465
Location
New York
Programming Experience
10+
I am updating a program I wrote to display key codes when a key is pressed. The problem is that when the Alt-Esc key combination is pressed, the form hides behind the window. When the Ctrl-Esc key combination is pressed, the Start menu opens. How can these side effects be avoided?

Here is my code. Only 2 labels are on the form:



VB.NET:
    Private Sub Form1_KeyDown(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs) Handles Me.KeyDown
        'Form must have focus.  No visible user controls except labels may be on the form.
        'Form's KeyPreview property was set to True     'or add KeyPreview = True in the Form Load event
        Dim msg As String = e.KeyData.ToString & " was pressed."
        msg &= " KeyValue = " & e.KeyValue.ToString
        lblKeyCode.Text = msg
        e.SuppressKeyPress = True   'Prevents Alt beep from sounding

        'If e.KeyValue = 17 Then e.Handled = True  'same as:  If e.KeyCode = Keys.Control   'doesn't work
        'Ctrl-Esc will open the Menu and possibly freeze keypresses.  Click form to reset and continue.
        'If e.KeyValue = 18 Then e.Handled = True  'same as:  If e.KeyCode = Keys.Alt    'doesn't work 
        'Alt-Esc will hide the form behind the window.  Click form to reset and continue.

        Select Case e.KeyValue
            Case 112 To 123         'all the F keys; prevent 11-12 or 1-10 from freezing
                e.Handled = True    'If cursor key pressed after F key, will focus on a control even if TabStop is False
        End Select
        lblASCII.Text = "ASCII Value:  (not available)" 'clears Label2 if ASCII code cannot be displayed
    End Sub

    Private Sub Form1_KeyPress(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.KeyPressEventArgs) Handles Me.KeyPress
        Dim askey As Integer
        askey = Asc(e.KeyChar)
        lblASCII.Text = "ASCII code for the " & e.KeyChar & " key is " & askey

        'Label is cleared first by KeyDown.
        'This Keypress event is not triggered if a non-ASCII key is pressed.
        'e.Keycode not available in Keypress event.  e.KeyChar not available in KeyDown event.
    End Sub

    Private Sub Form1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Click
        lblKeyCode.Text = "Press any key"
        lblASCII.Text = "ASCII value"
    End Sub
 

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