VkKeyScanEx

The VkKeyScanEx function translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state. The function translates the character using the input language and physical keyboard layout identified by the given keyboard layout handle.

SHORT VkKeyScanEx(
  TCHAR ch,  // character to translate
  HKL dwhkl  // keyboard layout handle
);
 

Parameters

ch

Specifies the character to be translated into a virtual-key code.

dwhkl

Handle to the keyboard layout to use to translate the character. This parameter can be any keyboard layout handle previously returned by the LoadKeyboardLayout function.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the low-order byte of the return value contains the virtual-key code and the high-order byte contains the shift state, which can be a combination of the following flag bits.

If the function finds no key that translates to the passed character code, both the low-order and high-order bytes contain –1.

Remarks

For keyboard layouts that use the right-hand alt key as a shift key (for example, the French keyboard layout), the shift state is represented by the value 6, because the right-hand alt key is converted internally into ctrl+alt.

Translations for the numeric keypad (VK_NUMPAD0 through VK_DIVIDE) are ignored. This function is intended to translate characters into keystrokes from the main keyboard section only. For example, the character "7" is translated into VK_7, not VK_NUMPAD7.

VkKeyScanEx is used by applications that send characters by using the WM_KEYUP and WM_KEYDOWN messages.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 4.0 or later.
  Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Windows CE: Unsupported.
  Header: Declared in winuser.h.
  Import Library: Use user32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT.

See Also

Keyboard Input Overview, Keyboard Input Functions, GetAsyncKeyState, GetKeyboardState, GetKeyNameText, GetKeyState, LoadKeyboardLayout, SetKeyboardState, ToAsciiEx