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I would like to build my own virtual keyboard for my windows 7 tablet.
I am not starting from zero in programming; I just have no idea on where to start to make a system level device like a virtual keyboard.
Is there a good article or SDK for this?
You’ll need to write a driver in order to truly get a virtual keyboard. Keyboard drivers cannot be written in C#.
Drivers are written in C (not even C++; just C), and they use the Windows Driver Kit for development. There is insufficient documentation, period (the sooner you admit this, the better). Pick up a copy of the following books if you don’t already have them: Windows Internals, Advanced Windows Debugging, Oney’s Programming the Windows Driver Model, and Developing Drivers with the Windows Driver Foundation. I strongly recommend using KMDF, since it makes writing drivers only extremely difficult rather than insanely near-impossible. Subscribe to OSR’s NTInsider and read their mailing list archives (they are the only source I know that has all the missing details on driver writing). Begin working your personal contacts because there’s a medium-to-high chance you’ll need to talk to someone deep within Microsoft.
To be brutally honest, it is a lot easier to hire an existing expert in the field. Driver development is not cheap, but it’s cheaper than doing it yourself.