How to Create a Hot Key In Visual Basic 6

What is a Hot Key Control
A hot key is a key combination that the user can press to perform an action quickly. For example, a user can create a hot key that activates a given window and brings it to the top of the z-order. The hot key control displays the user's choices and ensures that the user selects a valid key combination. Here's the code below on how to create a hot key control.

Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias _

"SendMessageA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _

ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, _

lParam As Long) As Long

Declare Function DefWindowProc Lib "user32" _

Alias "DefWindowProcA" (ByVal hwnd As Long, _

ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, _

ByVal lParam As Long) As Long

Public Const WM_SETHOTKEY = &H32

Public Const WM_SHOWWINDOW = &H18

Public Const HK_SHIFTA = &H141 'Shift + A

Public Const HK_SHIFTB = &H142 'Shift * B

Public Const HK_CONTROLA = &H241 'Control + A

Public Const HK_ALTZ = &H45A

'The value of the key-combination has to

'declared in lowbyte/highbyte-format

'That means as a hex-number: the last two

'characters specify the lowbyte (e.g.: 41 = a),

'the first the highbyte (e.g.: 01 = 1 = Shift)

Private Sub Form_Load()

Me.WindowState = vbMinimized

'Let windows know what hotkey you want for

'your app, setting of lParam has no effect

erg& = SendMessage(Me.hwnd, WM_SETHOTKEY, _

HK_ALTZ, 0)

'Check if succesfull

If erg& <> 1 Then

MsgBox "You need another hotkey", vbOKOnly, _

"Error"

End If

'Tell windows what it should do, when the hotkey

'is pressed -> show the window!

'The setting of wParam and lParam has no effect

erg& = DefWindowProc(Me.hwnd, WM_SHOWWINDOW, _

0, 0)

End Sub