Freezing user input with AutoHotKey

Question

In my AutoHotKey script, I want to freeze user input, i.e. any input from the user will not propagate to the active program, and then unfreeze and have all the input that the user typed go to the program.

In other words: I freeze, then the user types "xyz" but this is not passed to the active program, and then I unfreeze, keystrokes "xyz" are passed to the program, and then everything's back to normal and the user can type again and it'll go to the active program.

This is so while I enter a bunch of text in the program using ControlSend, the user's typing won't interfere.

Possible? How?

Answer 1

If you're able to send all of your text using one SendInput, then AutoHotkey takes care of the problem for you. From the AutoHotkey Send documentation,

SendInput and SendPlay [...] buffer any physical keyboard or mouse activity during the send, which prevents the user's keystrokes from being interspersed with those being sent.

If it's acceptable to lose the user input while it's frozen (instead of buffer it and send it afterward), you can use BlockInput. Something like

BlockInput On
; Send desired text here
BlockInput Off

However, the BlockInput documentation says if it starts when keys are already down, it can block the "key up" events and cause keys to appear stuck down. So depending on when you use it, you might have to first wait for keys to be released using KeyWait.

Answer 2

Use the Input command.

http://autohotkey.free.fr/docs/commands/Input.htm

edit

You said:

In my AutoHotKey script, I want to freeze user input, i.e. any input from the user will not propagate to the active program, and then unfreeze and have all the input that the user typed go to the program.

In other words: I freeze, then the user types "xyz" but this is not passed to the active program, and then I unfreeze, keystrokes "xyz" are passed to the program, and then everything's back to normal and the user can type again and it'll go to the active program.

The Input command does:

; Wait for the user to press any key. Keys that produce no visible character, such as the modifier keys, function keys, and arrow keys, are listed as end keys so that they will be detected too.

Input, SingleKey, L1, {LControl}{RControl}{LAlt}{RAlt}{LShift}{RShift}{LWin}{RWin}{F1}{F2}{F3}{F4}{F5}{F6}{F7}{F8}{F9}{F10}{F11}{F12}{Left}{Right}{Up}{Down}{Home}{End}{PgUp}{PgDn}{Del}{Ins}{BS}{Capslock}{Numlock}{PrintScreen}{Pause}

You can loop this for multiple keys or it takes a string of keys as an argument.