Windows Hooker API

Using the library

Include a COM reference to the WindowsHooker 1.0 Type Library
place the following at the beginning of your program: using WINDOWSHOOKERLib;

The HookManager Object

You must create a HookManager object, which you then use to access the API, to start and stop hooking and logging, and to attach event handlers to.

private HookManager hm = new HookManager ();

Starting/Stopping the Hook plus Logging operations

You can start and stop hooking, and you can turn mouse and/or key logging on and off

hm.LogKeyboard = (boolean)

true to start logging keypresses, false to stop.
e.g., hm.LogKeyboard = true;

hm.LogMouse = (boolean)

true to start logging mice actions, false to stop.
e.g., hm.LogMouse = true;

hm.StartWindowsHook()

start the hooking
should be called after all the LogKeyboard / LogMouse states are set and after the event handlers are created

hm.StopWindowsHook ()

stop the hooking - should be called before exiting the program to stop the hook
e.g., in a FormClosing event

Event Handlers

The object will automatically generate events whenever it detects mouse / key actions. However, you have to attach event handlers if you want to do something with these events.

hm.MouseDown

attach an event handler to a detected Mouse Down event.
hm.MouseDown += new _IHookManagerEvents_MouseDownEventHandler(hm_MouseDown);
void hm_MouseDown(int x, int y, int hWnd, int MouseMessage, int HitTestCode, int dwExtraInfo) {}
- x,y: The position of the cursor in screen coordinates
- hWnd: A pointer to the current window selected
- MouseMessage: Indicates the button pressed (Left, Right, Middle, XButton1, XButton2)
- HitTestCode: Indicates if the cursor is directly under any window
- dwExtraInfo: Contains extra information (e.g., Mouse Wheel Delta)
- For more information visit http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms644968.aspx

hm.MouseUp

as above, but for a Mouse Up event

hm.MouseOther

as above, but for other Mouse events such as Mouse Wheel

hm.KeyDown

attach an event handler to a detected Key Down event.
hm.KeyDown += new _IHookManagerEvents_KeyDownEventHandler(hm_KeyDown);
void hm_KeyDown(int VirtualKeyCode, int Scancode, int RepeatCount, bool KeyPressed, bool PreviousKeyWasDown, bool AltDown, bool ExtendedKey) {}
- For more information visit http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms644967.aspx

hm.KeyUp (

as above, but for Key Up events

hm.KeyOther

as above, but for other Key events