keydown event never fires on Win7

Targets Windows
1

I am relateively new to programming for Windows so please bare with me.

I have a window that I am trying to use the keydown event in. In my event I only have msgbox key right now (to show what key is being pressed). It never fires. so I put the same code in keyup to make sure keydown wasnt firing but keyup was. still nada.

my forums search-fu suggested that a listbox might be eating the keys. On that window I have no listboxes. checkboxes, textareas, textfields, labels, and bevel buttons. Now on the main window that launches this secondary window has a listbox. but I “hide” that window when I launch this window.

what am I doing wrong? it is something simple.

have a good weekend!!
sb

2

Do you return true?

Does the control have the focus?

3

@scott

just tried msgbox key (no return true) and it does work as expected Xojo 2015R3.1 Windows 7 (using just default Window)

I’m with Markus and sounds like a focus issue

4

[quote=231196:@Markus Winter]Do you return true?

Does the control have the focus?[/quote]

I do return true on the keydown but dont return on keyup.

5

not disagreeing with you. but cant see how the only window visable doesnt have focus. again I am probably doing something stupid.

6

Focus +1. It is very possible for the window itself to lose focus. Windows Desktop tends to grab focus so you can navigate the icons with the keyboard.

7

Especially if there are no controls on the window that can receive focus. The OS says, Oh, this window doesn’t need focus…

8

I created a new project with no control on the window. Added KeyDown with MsgBox Key into it. Fires very nicely.

However, when I add a TextField, it steals the event.

You may want to put a System.debuglog in the GotFocus event of each of your controls. Maybe one of them you do not think gets focus is doing it. A ClearFocus could largely improve the situation as well.

Finally, in order to alleviate this keydown nitty-gritty, if what you need is to monitor the keys, sometimes a timer that checks Keyboard.AsyncKeyDown can do wonder. Or a menuitem shortcut.

9

@Tim Hare and @Michel Bujardet thanks for the ideas. I will try them.

on a side note, I rather program for Mac. I tend not to have these odd issues. And I dont think my issues with Windows is a Xojo thing but a Windows thing. I blame Redmond and I am only slightly sarcastic about that statement.

thanks all for the help!

10

Never hurts to blame Bill Gates :wink:

11

I remember you may need to call window.setFocus method to have the keydown event to work on Windows.

12

Where?

Can’t be GotFocus or KeyDown, so I presume the MouseEnter event?

13

For me after calling ClearFocus on Windows I needed to call SetFocus on window to have key events work.
Maybe you call SetFocus in Windows in some places?

14

[quote=231444:@scott boss] I dont think my issues with Windows is a Xojo thing but a Windows thing. I blame Redmond.
[/quote]
You are quite correct.