How to detect a double-click outside of vb.net form

Question

Setup Environment:

I'm using Visual Studio 2010 and writing code in vb.net (with .NET Framework 4).

My goal:

1. Use Shell("C:\myprogram.exe", AppWinStyle.NormalFocus) to open a new application
2. With new application open as the active window, recognize when user double clicks

If the active window is a vb.net form, it's simple to recognize double click event like so:

Private Sub Button2_DoubleClick(......) Handles Button2.DoubleClick

End Sub

This code works to recognize a SINGLE left click:

• This is Form1.vb

  Public Class Form1
  
      Private WithEvents MouseDetector As MouseDetector
  
      Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load
  
          MouseDetector = New MouseDetector
  
      End Sub
  
      Private Sub MouseDetector_MouseLeftButtonClick(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs) Handles MouseDetector.MouseLeftButtonClick
  
          'Left click occurred
          MsgBox("Left click")
  
      End Sub
  
  End Class
  

• Here's the Enum in MouseDetector.vb

  Private Enum MouseMessages
      WM_LeftButtonDown = 513
      WM_LeftButtonUp = 514
      WM_LeftDblClick = 515
      WM_RightButtonDown = 516
      WM_RightButtonUp = 517
      WM_RightDblClick = 518
  End Enum
  

  
  

• And here's the Function in MouseDetector.vb that recognizes the single click

  Private Function MouseHookProc(ByVal nCode As Integer, ByVal wParam As Integer, ByVal lParam As IntPtr) As Integer
          If nCode < 0 Then
              Return CallNextHookEx(MouseHookID, nCode, wParam, lParam)
          End If
          Dim MouseData As MouseHookStruct = Marshal.PtrToStructure(lParam, GetType(MouseHookStruct))
          Select Case wParam
  
              Case MouseMessages.WM_LeftButtonUp
                  RaiseEvent MouseLeftButtonClick(Nothing, New MouseEventArgs(MouseButtons.Left, 1, MouseData.pt.x, MouseData.pt.y, 0))
  
          End Select
          Return CallNextHookEx(MouseHookID, nCode, wParam, lParam)
      End Function
  

How is it possible to recognize a DOUBLE click?

Obviously there isn't a MouseButtons.LeftDoubleclick, but that's what I'm after.

Would someone be willing to give a suggestion on how to go about doing this? I'd really appreciate it.

Answer 1

If you look at the CodePlex GlobalMouseKeyHook project, they are handling the MouseDouble click events globally for both the Left and Right mouse buttons.

This library attaches to windows global hooks, tracks keyboard and mouse clicks and movement and raises common .NET events with KeyEventArgs and MouseEventArgs, so you can easily retrieve any information you need:
Mouse coordinates
Mouse buttons clicked
Mouse wheel scrolls
Key presses and releases
Special key states