Sending Strings using SendInput

TheWeird1 · 07-04-2009, 01:11 AM

Hey everyone,

I'm a beginner to C++ and I am having some issues with ease of outputting strings through the SendInput() API.

Currently I am stuck at outputting one key at a time which in itself isn't a problem, but gets tedious if you have 9 different strings with up to 15 characters each. My goal is to be able to set a few hotkeys that call the SendMessage() function that can send a sentence.

This is what I have currently.

Code:

#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN
#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x1337


#include <windows.h>
#include <winable.h> /* GNU GCC specific */


using namespace std;

HHOOK keyboardHook;

void GenerateKey(BYTE vk)
{

    INPUT Input;
    ZeroMemory(&Input, sizeof(Input));
    Input.type = INPUT_KEYBOARD;
    Input.ki.dwFlags = KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY;
    Input.ki.wVk = vk;
    SendInput(1, &Input, sizeof(INPUT));

    return;
}

LRESULT CALLBACK keyboardHookProc(int nCode, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    PKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT p = (PKBDLLHOOKSTRUCT) (lParam);

    // If key is being pressed
    if (wParam == WM_KEYDOWN)
    {

        switch (p->vkCode)
        {

            //Define Hotkeys here
        case VK_SCROLL:
        {

            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('C'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('o'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('d'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('i'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('n'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('g'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan(' '));

            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('i'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('s'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan(' '));

            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('f'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('u'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('n'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('.'));
            GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('\n')); /* enter key */

        }
        break;

        case VK_INSERT:
            break;
        case VK_END:
            break;
        case VK_PRINT:
            break;
            */
        }

    }

    return CallNextHookEx(NULL, nCode, wParam, lParam);
}

void keepAlive()
{
    MSG message;
    while (GetMessage(&message,NULL,0,0))
    {
        TranslateMessage( &message );
        DispatchMessage( &message );
    }
}

int WINAPI WinMain(HINSTANCE hInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nShowCmd)
{

    keyboardHook = SetWindowsHookEx(WH_KEYBOARD_LL, keyboardHookProc, hInstance, 0);

    keepAlive();

    UnhookWindowsHookEx(keyboardHook);

    return 0;

}

As you can see this can get tedious.

Is there a way to do something like

Code:

GenerateKey((UCHAR)VkKeyScan('Coding Is Fun'));

novacain · 07-04-2009, 02:17 AM

Code:

//off the top of my head...(not tested)

void  SendText(char *szText)
{
      for(int i=0;i<strlen(szText);i++)
     {
          GenerateKey( (UCHAR) VkKeyScan( szText[i] ) );
     }
}

TheWeird1 · 07-04-2009, 11:37 AM

Forgive me but how would I pass parameters to your function SendText?

novacain · 07-04-2009, 10:35 PM

Code:

//send constant known string
SendText("Some text to send.");

//use char array to hold dynamic string

//declare char array and init to empty
char szBuf[MAX_PATH]={0};

//format text from variables (one string and one int) 
_snprintf(szBuf, MAX_PATH-1, "%s of %d", szVar, iVar);

//send the text
SendText(szBuf);

//etc

07-04-2009, 02:17 AM	#2
novacain train spotter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: near a computer Posts: 3,359	Code: //off the top of my head...(not tested) void SendText(char *szText) { for(int i=0;i<strlen(szText);i++) { GenerateKey( (UCHAR) VkKeyScan( szText[i] ) ); } } __________________ "Man alone suffers so excruciatingly in the world that he was compelled to invent laughter." Friedrich Nietzsche "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars......the rest I squandered." George Best "If you are going through hell....keep going." Winston Churchill
novacain is offline

07-04-2009, 11:37 AM	#3
TheWeird1 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2	Forgive me but how would I pass parameters to your function SendText?
TheWeird1 is offline

07-04-2009, 10:35 PM	#4
novacain train spotter Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: near a computer Posts: 3,359	Code: //send constant known string SendText("Some text to send."); //use char array to hold dynamic string //declare char array and init to empty char szBuf[MAX_PATH]={0}; //format text from variables (one string and one int) _snprintf(szBuf, MAX_PATH-1, "%s of %d", szVar, iVar); //send the text SendText(szBuf); //etc __________________ "Man alone suffers so excruciatingly in the world that he was compelled to invent laughter." Friedrich Nietzsche "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars......the rest I squandered." George Best "If you are going through hell....keep going." Winston Churchill
novacain is offline

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