SetTimer from non-static function

Question

I write code that detects key press when window not in focus:

// MainHamsterDlg.cpp : implementation file

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "MainHamsterDlg.h"

// MainHamsterDlg dialog
IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC(MainHamsterDlg, CDialogEx)

MainHamsterDlg::MainHamsterDlg(CWnd* pParent)
    : CDialogEx(MainHamsterDlg::IDD, pParent)
    {}

void MainHamsterDlg::DoDataExchange(CDataExchange* pDX)
{
    CDialogEx::DoDataExchange(pDX);
}


BEGIN_MESSAGE_MAP(MainHamsterDlg, CDialogEx)
   ON_WM_TIMER()
END_MESSAGE_MAP()

HHOOK _hook;
KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT kbdStruct;

LRESULT __stdcall HookCallback(int nCode, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
   if (nCode >= 0)
   {
      if (wParam == WM_KEYUP)
      {
          kbdStruct = *((KBDLLHOOKSTRUCT*)lParam);
          if (kbdStruct.vkCode == VK_INSERT)
          {
              //I want start timer there
          }
       }
    }
return CallNextHookEx(_hook, nCode, wParam, lParam);
}

void SetHook()
{
   if (!(_hook = SetWindowsHookEx(WH_KEYBOARD_LL, HookCallback, NULL, 0)))
   {
      MessageBox(NULL, "Failed to install hook!", "Error", MB_ICONERROR);
   }
}

void ReleaseHook()
{
   UnhookWindowsHookEx(_hook);
}

BOOL MainHamsterDlg::OnInitDialog()
{ 
   SetHook();
   //SetTimer(0, 0, NULL); <<<------- this starts timer 
   CDialogEx::OnInitDialog();
   return TRUE;
}

void MainHamsterDlg::OnTimer(UINT nIDEvent)
{
    //do something
CDialog::OnTimer(nIDEvent);
}

I want start timer on key press when window not focused. Do I need use some pointers or what to call SetTimer from that function. If there is a better issue to make timer work on key press when application has no focused I wish to know.

Answer 1

The best answer what i get is on this web page writen by Andy

Answer 2

The documentation of the SetTimer (MSDN) says that you need to pass an HWND so that you get a OnTimer notification. So, you will have to somehow get the CDialo->m_hWnd to the global win32 SetTimer function.

Other option would be to invoke a member function of MainHamsterDlg from the window hook function on key-press and the dialog can call its on SetTimer (CWnd::SetTimer). Still HookCallback needs to know about the dialog object reference somehow.

I'm not aware of any other method to get the key-board message to a non-focussed window.