windows-mk-debug

A Windows EXE application for debugging mouse and keyboard automation.

Description

This .NET 6.0 Windows Forms application provides real-time tracking of mouse movements and keyboard events, useful for debugging automation scripts and understanding user input patterns.

Building and Releases

Automatic Builds

This project uses GitHub Actions for continuous integration and automated releases:

• CI Build: Runs on every push to main/master/develop branches and pull requests
• Release Build: Automatically triggered when you create and push a version tag

Creating a Release

To create a new release with an automatically built EXE:

1. Commit and push your changes to the main branch
2. Create and push a version tag:

   git tag v1.0.0
   git push origin v1.0.0

3. GitHub Actions will automatically:
   • Build the application as a self-contained Windows x64 executable
   • Create a ZIP archive containing the EXE and dependencies
   • Create a GitHub release with the archive attached
   • Generate release notes from your recent commits

Manual Build

To build locally:

dotnet restore MouseKeyboardTracker.csproj
dotnet build MouseKeyboardTracker.csproj --configuration Release
dotnet publish MouseKeyboardTracker.csproj --configuration Release --runtime win-x64 --self-contained true

Features

• Real-time Mouse Position Tracking: Displays current X,Y coordinates as you move the mouse anywhere on screen
• Global Keyboard Event Logging: Records all key press/release events with precise timestamps
• System-wide Monitoring: Captures input events even when the application doesn't have focus
• Modifier Key Detection: Shows key combinations like Ctrl+C, Alt+Tab, Shift+A, Win+R
• Toggle Control: Enable/disable input monitoring with a simple checkbox
• Clear Log Function: Reset the keystroke log at any time
• Auto-scrolling Log: Automatically scrolls to show the latest keyboard events

Requirements

• .NET 6.0 Runtime (for framework-dependent builds)
• Windows OS (uses Windows-specific APIs for global hooks)
• Administrator privileges may be required for global hook functionality

Usage

Starting the Application

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page
2. Extract the ZIP file to a folder of your choice
3. Run MouseKeyboardTracker.exe
4. Grant any permissions if prompted by Windows security

The application window will open with tracking enabled by default.

Interface Overview

Mouse Position Display

• Located at the top of the window in blue text
• Shows real-time coordinates: Mouse Position: (1234, 567)
• Updates continuously as you move the mouse anywhere on screen

Enable Tracking Checkbox

• Controls global input monitoring
• ✅ Checked: Captures mouse and keyboard events system-wide
• ❌ Unchecked: Stops all input monitoring to pause tracking

Clear Log Button

• Clears the entire keystroke log display
• Useful for starting fresh monitoring sessions
• Does not affect mouse position tracking

Keystroke Log Area

• Large scrollable text area showing all captured keyboard events
• Automatically scrolls to display the most recent events
• Uses monospace font for consistent formatting

Understanding the Log Output

Each keystroke event is logged with the following format:

[HH:mm:ss.fff] EVENT_TYPE: Key_Combination

Event Types:

• DOWN: Key press event (when you press a key down)
• UP: Key release event (when you let go of a key)

Key Examples:

• Individual keys: A, Space, Enter, Escape, F1, Delete
• Number keys: D1, D2, D3 (for 1, 2, 3 on main keyboard)
• Numpad keys: NumPad1, NumPad2, NumPad3
• Arrow keys: Up, Down, Left, Right

Modifier Key Combinations:

• Ctrl+C (copy command)
• Alt+Tab (window switching)
• Shift+A (capital A)
• Win+R (run dialog)
• Ctrl+Alt+Delete (security screen)

Sample Log Session

[14:30:15.001] DOWN: A
[14:30:15.089] UP: A
[14:30:16.234] DOWN: LControlKey
[14:30:16.245] DOWN: C
[14:30:16.298] UP: C
[14:30:16.301] UP: LControlKey
[14:30:17.456] DOWN: Alt+Tab
[14:30:17.523] UP: Alt+Tab

Common Use Cases

Debugging Automation Scripts

• Monitor what keys your automation is actually sending
• Verify timing between key events
• Check if modifier keys are being pressed/released correctly

Input Analysis

• Study typing patterns and speeds
• Analyze key combinations used in workflows
• Debug issues with hotkeys or shortcuts

Testing Applications

• Verify that your application receives the expected input events
• Test keyboard shortcuts and combinations
• Monitor mouse position for UI element positioning

Tips for Effective Use

1. Clear the log before starting a new debugging session for cleaner output
2. Disable tracking when not needed to avoid cluttering the log with unrelated input
3. Administrator privileges may be needed for the global hooks to work properly
4. Focus on timestamps to understand the timing of input events
5. Watch for modifier keys - they often appear as separate DOWN/UP events

Troubleshooting

Mouse position not updating:

• Ensure "Enable Tracking" is checked
• Try running as administrator
• Check if antivirus software is blocking the application

Keyboard events not appearing:

• Verify "Enable Tracking" checkbox is enabled
• Run the application as administrator
• Some security software may block global keyboard hooks

Application won't start:

• Ensure .NET 6.0 Runtime is installed
• Try running as administrator
• Check Windows Defender or antivirus exclusions