You need a OS level keyboard hook. e.g user32.dll SetWindowsHookEx via P/Invoke. You can find below a sample, but you'll have to tailor it to your needs.
Note: The Dispatcher here is the WPF dispatcher so that RawKeyEventArgs can be raised.
KeyboardListener.cs
/// <summary>
/// Listens keyboard globally.
///
/// <remarks>Uses WH_KEYBOARD_LL.</remarks>
/// </summary>
public class KeyboardListener : IDisposable
{
/// <summary>
/// Creates global keyboard listener.
/// </summary>
public KeyboardListener(Dispatcher dispatcher)
{
// Dispatcher thread handling the KeyDown/KeyUp events.
_dispatcher = dispatcher;
// We have to store the LowLevelKeyboardProc, so that it is not garbage collected runtime
_hookedLowLevelKeyboardProc = LowLevelKeyboardProc;
// Set the hook
_hookId = InterceptKeys.SetHook(_hookedLowLevelKeyboardProc);
// Assign the asynchronous callback event
_hookedKeyboardCallbackAsync = new KeyboardCallbackAsync(KeyboardListener_KeyboardCallbackAsync);
}
private readonly Dispatcher _dispatcher;
/// <summary>
/// Destroys global keyboard listener.
/// </summary>
~KeyboardListener()
{
Dispose();
}
/// <summary>
/// Fired when any of the keys is pressed down.
/// </summary>
public event EventHandler<RawKeyEventArgs> KeyDown;
/// <summary>
/// Fired when any of the keys is released.
/// </summary>
public event EventHandler<RawKeyEventArgs> KeyUp;
#region Inner workings
/// <summary>
/// Hook ID
/// </summary>
private readonly IntPtr _hookId = IntPtr.Zero;
/// <summary>
/// Asynchronous callback hook.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="character">Character</param>
/// <param name="keyEvent">Keyboard event</param>
/// <param name="vkCode">VKCode</param>
private delegate void KeyboardCallbackAsync(InterceptKeys.KeyEvent keyEvent, int vkCode, string character);
/// <summary>
/// Actual callback hook.
///
/// <remarks>Calls asynchronously the asyncCallback.</remarks>
/// </summary>
/// <param name="nCode"></param>
/// <param name="wParam"></param>
/// <param name="lParam"></param>
/// <returns></returns>
[MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.NoInlining)]
private IntPtr LowLevelKeyboardProc(int nCode, UIntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam)
{
if (nCode >= 0)
if (wParam.ToUInt32() == (int)InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_KEYDOWN ||
wParam.ToUInt32() == (int)InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_KEYUP ||
wParam.ToUInt32() == (int)InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_SYSKEYDOWN ||
wParam.ToUInt32() == (int)InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_SYSKEYUP)
{
// Captures the character(s) pressed only on WM_KEYDOWN
string chars = InterceptKeys.VKCodeToString((uint)Marshal.ReadInt32(lParam),
(wParam.ToUInt32() == (int)InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_KEYDOWN ||
wParam.ToUInt32() == (int)InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_SYSKEYDOWN));
_hookedKeyboardCallbackAsync.BeginInvoke((InterceptKeys.KeyEvent)wParam.ToUInt32(), Marshal.ReadInt32(lParam), chars, null, null);
}
return InterceptKeys.CallNextHookEx(_hookId, nCode, wParam, lParam);
}
/// <summary>
/// Event to be invoked asynchronously (BeginInvoke) each time key is pressed.
/// </summary>
private readonly KeyboardCallbackAsync _hookedKeyboardCallbackAsync;
/// <summary>
/// Contains the hooked callback in runtime.
/// </summary>
private readonly InterceptKeys.LowLevelKeyboardProc _hookedLowLevelKeyboardProc;
/// <summary>
/// HookCallbackAsync procedure that calls accordingly the KeyDown or KeyUp events.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="keyEvent">Keyboard event</param>
/// <param name="vkCode">VKCode</param>
/// <param name="character">Character as string.</param>
void KeyboardListener_KeyboardCallbackAsync(InterceptKeys.KeyEvent keyEvent, int vkCode, string character)
{
switch (keyEvent)
{
// KeyDown events
case InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_KEYDOWN:
if (KeyDown != null)
_dispatcher.BeginInvoke(new EventHandler<RawKeyEventArgs>(KeyDown), this, new RawKeyEventArgs(vkCode, false, character));
break;
case InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_SYSKEYDOWN:
if (KeyDown != null)
_dispatcher.BeginInvoke(new EventHandler<RawKeyEventArgs>(KeyDown), this, new RawKeyEventArgs(vkCode, true, character));
break;
// KeyUp events
case InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_KEYUP:
if (KeyUp != null)
_dispatcher.BeginInvoke(new EventHandler<RawKeyEventArgs>(KeyUp), this, new RawKeyEventArgs(vkCode, false, character));
break;
case InterceptKeys.KeyEvent.WM_SYSKEYUP:
if (KeyUp != null)
_dispatcher.BeginInvoke(new EventHandler<RawKeyEventArgs>(KeyUp), this, new RawKeyEventArgs(vkCode, true, character));
break;
default:
break;
}
}
#endregion
#region IDisposable Members
/// <summary>
/// Disposes the hook.
/// <remarks>This call is required as it calls the UnhookWindowsHookEx.</remarks>
/// </summary>
public void Dispose()
{
InterceptKeys.UnhookWindowsHookEx(_hookId);
}
#endregion
}
InterceptKeys.cs
/// <summary>
/// Winapi Key interception helper class.
/// </summary>
internal static class InterceptKeys
{
public delegate IntPtr LowLevelKeyboardProc(int nCode, UIntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
private const int WH_KEYBOARD_LL = 13;
/// <summary>
/// Key event
/// </summary>
public enum KeyEvent : int
{
/// <summary>
/// Key down
/// </summary>
WM_KEYDOWN = 256,
/// <summary>
/// Key up
/// </summary>
WM_KEYUP = 257,
/// <summary>
/// System key up
/// </summary>
WM_SYSKEYUP = 261,
/// <summary>
/// System key down
/// </summary>
WM_SYSKEYDOWN = 260
}
public static IntPtr SetHook(LowLevelKeyboardProc proc)
{
using (Process curProcess = Process.GetCurrentProcess())
using (ProcessModule curModule = curProcess.MainModule)
{
return SetWindowsHookEx(WH_KEYBOARD_LL, proc, GetModuleHandle(curModule.ModuleName), 0);
}
}
[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
private static extern IntPtr SetWindowsHookEx(int idHook, LowLevelKeyboardProc lpfn, IntPtr hMod, uint dwThreadId);
[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
[return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
internal static extern bool UnhookWindowsHookEx(IntPtr hhk);
[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
internal static extern IntPtr CallNextHookEx(IntPtr hhk, int nCode, UIntPtr wParam, IntPtr lParam);
[DllImport("kernel32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, SetLastError = true)]
private static extern IntPtr GetModuleHandle(string lpModuleName);
#region Convert VKCode to string
// Note: Sometimes single VKCode represents multiple chars, thus string.
// E.g. typing "^1" (notice that when pressing 1 the both characters appear,
// because of this behavior, "^" is called dead key)
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern int ToUnicodeEx(uint wVirtKey, uint wScanCode, byte[] lpKeyState, [Out, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPWStr)] System.Text.StringBuilder pwszBuff, int cchBuff, uint wFlags, IntPtr dwhkl);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern bool GetKeyboardState(byte[] lpKeyState);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern uint MapVirtualKeyEx(uint uCode, uint uMapType, IntPtr dwhkl);
[DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, ExactSpelling = true)]
private static extern IntPtr GetKeyboardLayout(uint dwLayout);
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
private static extern IntPtr GetForegroundWindow();
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
private static extern uint GetWindowThreadProcessId(IntPtr hWnd, out uint lpdwProcessId);
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
private static extern bool AttachThreadInput(uint idAttach, uint idAttachTo, bool fAttach);
[DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
private static extern uint GetCurrentThreadId();
private static uint _lastVKCode = 0;
private static uint _lastScanCode = 0;
private static byte[] _lastKeyState = new byte[255];
private static bool _lastIsDead = false;
/// <summary>
/// Convert VKCode to Unicode.
/// <remarks>isKeyDown is required for because of keyboard state inconsistencies!</remarks>
/// </summary>
/// <param name="vkCode">VKCode</param>
/// <param name="isKeyDown">Is the key down event?</param>
/// <returns>String representing single unicode character.</returns>
public static string VKCodeToString(uint vkCode, bool isKeyDown)
{
// ToUnicodeEx needs StringBuilder, it populates that during execution.
var sbString = new System.Text.StringBuilder(5);
var bKeyState = new byte[255];
bool bKeyStateStatus;
bool isDead = false;
// Gets the current windows window handle, threadID, processID
IntPtr currentHWnd = GetForegroundWindow();
uint currentProcessID;
uint currentWindowThreadID = GetWindowThreadProcessId(currentHWnd, out currentProcessID);
// This programs Thread ID
uint thisProgramThreadId = GetCurrentThreadId();
// Attach to active thread so we can get that keyboard state
if (AttachThreadInput(thisProgramThreadId, currentWindowThreadID, true))
{
// Current state of the modifiers in keyboard
bKeyStateStatus = GetKeyboardState(bKeyState);
// Detach
AttachThreadInput(thisProgramThreadId, currentWindowThreadID, false);
}
else
{
// Could not attach, perhaps it is this process?
bKeyStateStatus = GetKeyboardState(bKeyState);
}
// On failure we return empty string.
if (!bKeyStateStatus)
return "";
// Gets the layout of keyboard
IntPtr hkl = GetKeyboardLayout(currentWindowThreadID);
// Maps the virtual keycode
uint lScanCode = MapVirtualKeyEx(vkCode, 0, hkl);
// Keyboard state goes inconsistent if this is not in place. In other words, we need to call above commands in UP events also.
if (!isKeyDown)
return "";
// Converts the VKCode to unicode
int relevantKeyCountInBuffer = ToUnicodeEx(vkCode, lScanCode, bKeyState, sbString, sbString.Capacity, (uint)0, hkl);
string ret = "";
switch (relevantKeyCountInBuffer)
{
// Dead keys (^,`...)
case -1:
isDead = true;
// We must clear the buffer because ToUnicodeEx messed it up, see below.
ClearKeyboardBuffer(vkCode, lScanCode, hkl);
break;
case 0:
break;
// Single character in buffer
case 1:
ret = sbString[0].ToString();
break;
// Two or more (only two of them is relevant)
case 2:
default:
ret = sbString.ToString().Substring(0, 2);
break;
}
// We inject the last dead key back, since ToUnicodeEx removed it.
// More about this peculiar behavior see e.g:
// http://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/System/Windows__Programming/Q_23453780.html
// http://blogs.msdn.com/michkap/archive/2005/01/19/355870.aspx
// http://blogs.msdn.com/michkap/archive/2007/10/27/5717859.aspx
if (_lastVKCode != 0 && _lastIsDead)
{
var sbTemp = new System.Text.StringBuilder(5);
ToUnicodeEx(_lastVKCode, _lastScanCode, _lastKeyState, sbTemp, sbTemp.Capacity, (uint)0, hkl);
_lastVKCode = 0;
return ret;
}
// Save these
_lastScanCode = lScanCode;
_lastVKCode = vkCode;
_lastIsDead = isDead;
_lastKeyState = (byte[])bKeyState.Clone();
return ret;
}
private static void ClearKeyboardBuffer(uint vk, uint sc, IntPtr hkl)
{
var sb = new System.Text.StringBuilder(10);
int rc;
do
{
var lpKeyStateNull = new Byte[255];
rc = ToUnicodeEx(vk, sc, lpKeyStateNull, sb, sb.Capacity, 0, hkl);
} while (rc < 0);
}
#endregion
}
RawKeyEventArgs.cs
/// <summary>
/// Raw KeyEvent arguments.
/// </summary>
public class RawKeyEventArgs : EventArgs
{
public bool IsSysKey { get; private set; }
public Key Key { get; private set; }
public int VKCode { get; private set; }
/// <summary>
/// Convert to string.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>Returns string representation of this key, if not possible empty string is returned.</returns>
public override string ToString()
{
if (Character == null)
return string.Empty;
return Character;
}
public string Character { get; private set; }
/// <summary>
/// Create raw keyevent arguments.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="vkCode"></param>
/// <param name="isSysKey"></param>
/// <param name="character">Character</param>
public RawKeyEventArgs(int vkCode, bool isSysKey, string character)
{
VKCode = vkCode;
IsSysKey = isSysKey;
Character = character;
Key = KeyInterop.KeyFromVirtualKey(vkCode);
}
}
