local keyboard hook

[bizcor]

Is it possible to do a local keyboard hook to a process running in a
new thread. The process is a command line application and is
instanciated when a button is pressed on the main form. I have had the
hook working Globally, but this means that the hook logs keystokes
from the main app as well as the keystrokes fom the CMD process. The
hook is WH_KEYBOARD. I have tryed passing the threadId into setkeyhook
and thence to SetWindowsHookE x but the KeyboardProc never gets called.
Has anybody got any ideas?

[Willy Denoyette [MVP]]

"bizcor" <st***********@ metronet.co.ukw rote in message
news:11******** *************@y 80g2000hsf.goog legroups.com...

Is it possible to do a local keyboard hook to a process running in a
new thread. The process is a command line application and is
instanciated when a button is pressed on the main form. I have had the
hook working Globally, but this means that the hook logs keystokes
from the main app as well as the keystrokes fom the CMD process. The
hook is WH_KEYBOARD. I have tryed passing the threadId into setkeyhook
and thence to SetWindowsHookE x but the KeyboardProc never gets called.
Has anybody got any ideas?

Processes do not run in threads, cmd runs a separate process not related to the thread that
spawned this process.
What you need is the thread in the cmd process that owns the main window handle, you can get
this TID by a call (through PInvoke) to "User32" GetWindowThread ProcessId API .
Willy.

[bizcor]

Thanks Willy

I have now tried this and cannot get it to work!
can you look at the code snppits below to see if I am doing it
correctly:

Many thanks Steve[bizcor]

Code from Main form....

private void button11_Click( object sender, System.EventArg s e)
{
try
{
ThreadStart mts = new ThreadStart(run Application);
Thread t = new Thread( mts );
t.Start();
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
Debug.WriteLine (ex.Message);
}

}

private static void runApplication( )
{
try
{
process1 = new Process();
process1.StartI nfo.FileName = @"c:\phylip\seq boot.exe";
process1.Enable RaisingEvents = true;
process1.Exited +=new EventHandler(pr ocess1_Exited);
logger.SetFileN ame(@"c:\logger .txt");

// This does not work
//uint threadid1 = GetCurrentThrea dId();
//Debug.Write("Cu rrent thread id 1 is: ");
//Debug.WriteLine (threadid1);
//uint threadid2 = (uint)AppDomain .GetCurrentThre adId();
//Debug.Write("Cu rrent thread id 2 is: ");
//Debug.WriteLine (threadid2);
//logger.StartLog ger(threadid1);

process1.Start( );

// Try Willys method
// Get processes window handle
IntPtr hdlWin = process1.MainWi ndowHandle;

// Set trHandle to null ?
IntPtr trdHandle = (IntPtr)0;

//Call method to get window thread
IntPtr retThread = GetWindowThread ProcessId(hdlWi n,trdHandle);

Debug.Write("Wi ndow Thread is: ");
Debug.WriteLine (retThread.ToIn t32());

//Call startlogger to set the hook
logger.StartLog ger((uint)retTh read.ToInt32()) ;
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
Debug.WriteLine (ex.Message);
}

Methods from Keylogger class ....
public bool StartLogger(uin t byThread)
{
if(!isstarted)
{
FileInfo finfo = new FileInfo(sbDefa ultFileName.ToS tring());
if(File.Exists( sbDefaultFileNa me.ToString()))
{
finfo.Delete();
}

using (StreamWriter swLog = finfo.CreateTex t())
{
swLog.Close();
}
finfo = null;
_ptrHookID = SetHook(_proc, byThread);
isstarted = true;
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
}

private static IntPtr SetHook(Keyboar dProc _proc, uint byThread)
{
//Set hook from the current process
//Use using to allow auto Dispose
using (Process curProcess = Process.GetCurr entProcess())
using (ProcessModule curModule = curProcess.Main Module)
if(byThread==0)
{
Debug.WriteLine (curModule.Modu leName.ToString ());
return SetWindowsHookE x(WH_KEYBOARD, _proc,
GetModuleHandle (curModule.Modu leName), 0);
}
else
{
Debug.WriteLine (curModule.Modu leName.ToString ());
return SetWindowsHookE x(WH_KEYBOARD, _proc,
GetModuleHandle (curModule.Modu leName), byThread
);
}
}