reading keystrokes and mouse clicks

[musicafterhours]

Anyone know if perl can monitor/process keystrokes and maybe mouse clicks even when the per app is not the "active window"?
I'd like to monitor and detect when a user keyes a particular string in any application.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Zas]

try using javascript. probably easier.

 

[musicafterhours]

Unless there's a way to use javascript that I'm not familiar with, I don't think javascript will work. I think the browser must be active to recognize the event.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[tviman]

The same would apply for an application not in the active window. Assuming that you're using Windows, if the window/application does't have the focus, then it isn't reading any keystrokes. This could be done in DOS by creating a TSR that intercepts the keyboard interrupts and monitors the serial ports but you'll have to make it a really "skinny" program that uses little memory. Otherwise, you're other apps won't start. There's always a better way...

 

[MissouriTiger]

I might know of a way. But first I need to know, what specific string are you trying to detect? _______________________________________
Constructed from 100% recycled electrons

 

[musicafterhours]

I'm actually looking for a number. The idea is to know what "account record" a user is looking at in our client server app so when they launch my web app, it can prefill with certain information rather than having then user rekey the record number.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[tviman]

Couldn't you place a cookie on the user's machine and get the data that way? Seems like it would be a lot easier than trying to read keystrokes... There's always a better way...

 

[musicafterhours]

I don't know how the cookie would help. I need to monitor the keystrokes being entered in another app (non-browser). This will tell me the current record number the user is looking at
Thanks,
Dave