by Richard Puckett (1 Submission)
Category: Windows API Call/Explanation
Compatability: Visual Basic 3.0
Difficulty: Unknown Difficulty
Date Added: Wed 3rd February 2021
Rating: 
(4 Votes)
This code can be used to determine the X,Y coordinates of the mouse cursor
and use them to check for idle mouse activity. This code is useful in that it does
not require your current form to be in focus (active windows status). The
GetCursorPos can be used in conjunction with or be replaced by another API
call GetCaretPos, which determines the X,Y coordinates of the text cursor.
Hopefully this will be useful to anyone looking to check for an idle desktop.
(Richard Puckett, [email protected])
Assumes
1. Take out all of the ME.PRINT statements, since they are only to illustrate how
the function works (I used this code in a login program to monitor mapped
network drive connections in lab environments.) 2. All of the declarations are
in a module. 3. This example is only using the X coords to determine activity, I
am sure a more complex method can be devised.
API Declarations'API Call establishes mouse coords
Public Declare Function GetCursorPos Lib "user32" _
(lpPoint As PointAPI) As Long
Public Pnt As PointAPI
'These values MUST be public
Public OldX As Long
Public OldY As Long
Public NewX As Long
Public NewY As Long
Public Type PointAPI
X As Long
Y As Long
End Type
'This Const determines the total timeout value in minutes
Global Const MINUTES = 15
Public TimeExpired
Public ExpiredMinutes
VBcoders
Public Sub Form_Load()
Timer1.Interval = 1000
OldX = 0
OldY = 0
End Sub
Public Sub Timer1_Timer()
GetCursorPos Pnt
Me.Cls
Me.Print "The current mouse coordinates are "; _
Pnt.X; ","; Pnt.Y
NewX = Pnt.X
NewY = Pnt.Y
Me.Print "OldX coords", OldX
Me.Print "OldY coords", OldY
Me.Print "NewX coords", NewX
Me.Print "NewY coords", NewY
If OldX - NewX = 0 Then
Me.Print "No Movement Detected"
TimeExpired = TimeExpired + Timer1.Interval
Me.Print "Total Time Expired", TimeExpired
Else
Me.Print "Mouse is Moving"
TimeExpired = 0
End If
OldX = NewX
OldY = NewY
ExpiredMinutes = (TimeExpired / 1000) / 60
If ExpiredMinutes >= MINUTES Then
TimeExpired = 0
Me.Print "Times Up!!!"
End If
End Sub