timing how long key is down(pressed)

Question

Hi everyone I need to build a morse code translator program using the keys on the keyboard. I have already found out how to translate the morse code itself to text but I still have one major problem. I need to find out how long I'm pressing a certain key to determined if this is a dash a dot or a space (morse language). In order to do so I think I need to use the key_down function and the timer but I don't really figured out how. I also need to do this method a long duration of time (if I want to write a sentence) so the operation shouldn't run only once. Can you help me or even give me some guidance?

Aleksandar Ilioski · Answer

try this! Hope it will help you... private void Form1_KeyDown( object sender KeyEventArgs e) { timer1.Start(); } private void Form1_KeyUp( object sender KeyEventArgs e) { string morseLeter= null ; timer1.Stop(); if (seconds { morseLeter= dot ; } if (seconds >= 2) { morseLeter= dash ; } MessageBox .Show( the key:  +e.KeyData.ToString() +  was press : + seconds.ToString() +  seconds +  so it is  + morseLeter); seconds = 0; } private void timer1_Tick( object sender EventArgs e) { seconds ++; }

Kosta · Answer

We have the same problem only i'm doing it in VB 2008 i can't get the the timer wright:)

Aleksandar Ilioski · Answer

sorry but I don't think that I can help you this time. That dll you are using is made in c++ and you can't define event like lptStateChange or something at least I don't know how. I was trying to take all keypress events not in my program but at all xp envirioment and the solution was somekind of window service but I'm not familiar werry mutch with it too. look for windows services or ask someone else and If you get an answer i would like to write it if it is ok with you.. I am glad that I helped you before and sorry that i can't do that again (I realy don't know how to solve that)

alon · Answer

if it helps you to see how i've written the program with the KeyDown and the KeyUp function here it is: (the timers interval is 10) private void timer1_Tick( object sender EventArgs e) { this .timing++; } private void timer2_Tick( object sender EventArgs e) { this .timing2++; } private void Form1_KeyDown( object sender KeyEventArgs e) { timer2.Stop(); if ( this .timing2 >= 50 && this .timing2 { this .morseLeter =   ; } timer1.Start(); this .timing2 = 0; this .mst += this .morseLeter; this .morseLeter = null ; } private void Form1_KeyUp( object sender KeyEventArgs e) { timer1.Stop(); timer2.Start(); if ( this .timing > 0 && this .timing { this .morseLeter = . ; } if ( this .timing > 15) { this .morseLeter = - ; } this .timing = 0; this .mst += this .morseLeter; this .morseLeter = null ; }

alon · Answer

Hi again After successfully building my Morse translating program i've built an electronic circuit with a buzzer and a microphone who record the buzzer morse signals. i've placed there also a LPT port with which i can get the signal data received by the microphone to my computer. in order to read this data i've placed a dll file called inpout32.dll into my WINDOWS\system32\ dir then i've put these lines in my program: //Call Input function from DLL file [ DllImport (  inpout32.dll  EntryPoint = Inp32  )] public static extern int Input( int adress); and then when my microphone receives a buzz (similar to KeyDown) the Input(0x379) function returns 111 (an integer) and when it doesn't receive a buzz (similar to KeyUp) the Input(0x379) function returns 127 (an integer). With that information in mind how do i build the same morse code translating program using this Input function?

Aleksandar Ilioski · Answer

feel free to ask If i know the answer I will tell you... I forgot to tell you: timer.Interval = 1000 if you want to rise timer_tick every second... by default it is 100 not 1000 witch means every 100 milisecond 1000 milisecond=1second... I gues you already done that but in case you dont...

alon · Answer

Thank you very much! It helped me undrstanding what should I do. If I have more problems I will ask here again.

alon · Answer

yes i'm using C#

Aleksandar Ilioski · Answer

Hey I think that can help you but first tell me what language do you use? If it is c# I will try to help you... That is realy interesting..:) Good luck and tell me the language..