InputLanguage doesn't work properly

Question

I would like to automatically change the keyboard layout and I create a simple console application in Visual Basic adding the following:

InputLanguage.CurrentInputLanguage = InputLanguage.FromCulture(New CultureInfo("ru"))

But when I compile this code it doesn't change the keyboard layout, so it remains what it was before compiling. What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

There three ways to change keyboard language:

1. Using property .CurrentInputLanguage (only if input language installed)

   InputLanguage.CurrentInputLanguage = InputLanguage.FromCulture(New CultureInfo("ru-RU"))

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2. Using property .CurrentCulture (only if input language installed)

   Dim culture = System.Globalization.CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("ru-RU")
   Dim lang = InputLanguage.FromCulture(culture)
   
   If InputLanguage.InstalledInputLanguages.IndexOf(lang) >= 0 Then
       InputLanguage.CurrentInputLanguage = InputLanguage.InstalledInputLanguages(InputLanguage.InstalledInputLanguages.IndexOf(lang))
       System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = culture
   End If
   

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3. Using winapi function .LoadKeyboardLayout (slowly, works even if input language not installed)

   <DllImport("user32.dll")>
   Private Shared Function LoadKeyboardLayout(ByVal pwszKLID As String, ByVal Flags As UInteger) As IntPtr
   End Function
   
   LoadKeyboardLayout("00000419", 1)
   

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Additional

For check current culture:

InputLanguage.CurrentInputLanguage.Culture.Name

Check is input language installed:

InputLanguage.InstalledInputLanguages.IndexOf(InputLanguage.FromCulture(New CultureInfo("ru-RU"))

Switch to next locale identifier (keyboard layout):

Declare Function ActivateKeyboardLayout Lib "user32" (ByVal HKL As Integer, ByVal flags As Integer) As Integer 

'switch keyboard layout to next
Sub SwitchKeyboardLayout()
    Dim HKL_NEXT As Integer = 1
    Dim dl As Integer = ActivateKeyboardLayout(HKL_NEXT, 0)
    If dl = 0 Then MsgBox("Unsuccessful!")
End Sub

Additional materials

• CultureInfo
• Available Language Packs for Windows