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Keyboard Messages (Compact 2013)

3/28/2014

The following table shows the keyboard messages, with a description of the purpose of each.

Programming element

Description

WM_ACTIVATE

This message is sent when a window is being activated or deactivated.

WM_CHAR

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a WM_KEYDOWN message is translated by the TranslateMessage function.

WM_HOTKEY

This message is posted when the user presses a hot key registered by the RegisterHotKey function.

WM_INITMENUPOPUP

This message is sent when a pop-up menu is about to become active.

WM_KEYDOWN

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a nonsystem key is pressed.

WM_KEYUP

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a nonsystem key is released.

WM_KILLFOCUS

This message is sent to a window immediately before it loses the keyboard focus.

WM_MENUCHAR

This message is sent when a menu is active and the user presses a key that does not correspond to any mnemonic or accelerator key.

WM_SETFOCUS

This message is sent to a window after it has gained the keyboard focus.

WM_SYSCHAR

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a WM_SYSKEYDOWN message is translated by the TranslateMessage function.

WM_SYSCOMMAND

This message is sent to a window when the user chooses a command from the window menu, formerly known as the system or control menu, or when the user chooses the maximize button or the minimize button.

WM_SYSDEADCHAR

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a WM_SYSKEYDOWN message is translated by the TranslateMessage function.

WM_SYSKEYDOWN

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when the user holds down the ALT key and then presses another key.

WM_SYSKEYUP

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when the user releases a key that was pressed while the ALT key was held down.

See Also

Reference

Keyboard Reference