Making a .NET Windows application show-up on keystroke

Question

My application resides mostly on the system tray on minimize. I'd like the user to be able to hit a keystroke (like ALT+SHIFT etc.) and it shows up on the screen (sort of like Launchy, if you've used it; or the Google search bar).

Anyone knows how to do it?

Answer 1

You want the SetWindowsHookEx Windows API call. There is some details on using it in this CodeProject article:

http://www.codeproject.com/KB/system/CSLLKeyboard.aspx

There is also some useful advice about what will and won't work and what tricky issues lurk around SetWindowsHookEx and .NET here:

http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/user32.SetWindowsHookEx

Answer 2

The Managed Windows API has a Hotkey class that wraps the low-level hooking you want. Incredibly easy to use.