Pressing Keys Code

[oblique]

I am quite new to VB.Net. I just finished a corse on it creating fairly simple windows apps. This is what i would like my finished program to do:

-run my program.
-run another program.
-press a button on my program that will create a loop that will continually press a key that effects what happens in the other program.

Im not asking you to write the entire code for me, i just need the bit that will press the keys and a the bit that will make it work when a different program has focus. I will create the loops etc.

thanks alot for the help!
Oliver.

 

[JohnH]

See post 6 in this thread http://www.vbdotnetforums.com/showthread.php?t=14341&highlight=sendkeys
you can also search other examples for usage of SendKeys

 

[oblique]

i dont want to send text, i just want the other program to think im pressing a key, say f12 for something like that.

thanks.

 

[JohnH]

SendKeys doesn't send text, it sends keystrokes. The text is only in some cases a result of the key presses.

SendKeys.Send("{F14}")

 

[oblique]

oh ok thanks. but i have been told that for it to work in another program, i have to use API's.... is this right? if so, could you please point me in the direction of how to use them?

thanks.

 

[JohnH]

You mean SendKeys didn't work when you tried? I couldn't imagine why.

Btw, the function to activate other window (SetForegroundWindow) is a win32 api function. Depending on your situation you may have to use other api's to find the other window.