ToUnicodeEx function
Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding Unicode character or characters.
Syntax
int WINAPI ToUnicodeEx( _In_ UINT wVirtKey, _In_ UINT wScanCode, _In_ const BYTE *lpKeyState, _Out_ LPWSTR pwszBuff, _In_ int cchBuff, _In_ UINT wFlags, _In_opt_ HKL dwhkl );
Parameters
- wVirtKey [in]
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Type: UINT
The virtual-key code to be translated. See Virtual-Key Codes.
- wScanCode [in]
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Type: UINT
The hardware scan code of the key to be translated. The high-order bit of this value is set if the key is up.
- lpKeyState [in]
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Type: const BYTE*
A pointer to a 256-byte array that contains the current keyboard state. Each element (byte) in the array contains the state of one key. If the high-order bit of a byte is set, the key is down.
- pwszBuff [out]
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Type: LPWSTR
The buffer that receives the translated Unicode character or characters. However, this buffer may be returned without being null-terminated even though the variable name suggests that it is null-terminated.
- cchBuff [in]
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Type: int
The size, in characters, of the buffer pointed to by the pwszBuff parameter.
- wFlags [in]
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Type: UINT
The behavior of the function. If bit 0 is set, a menu is active. Bits 1 through 31 are reserved.
- dwhkl [in, optional]
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Type: HKL
The input locale identifier used to translate the specified code. This parameter can be any input locale identifier previously returned by the LoadKeyboardLayout function.
Return value
Type: int
The function returns one of the following values.
| Return value | Description |
|---|---|
|
The specified virtual key is a dead-key character (accent or diacritic). This value is returned regardless of the keyboard layout, even if several characters have been typed and are stored in the keyboard state. If possible, even with Unicode keyboard layouts, the function has written a spacing version of the dead-key character to the buffer specified by pwszBuff. For example, the function writes the character SPACING ACUTE (0x00B4), rather than the character NON_SPACING ACUTE (0x0301). |
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The specified virtual key has no translation for the current state of the keyboard. Nothing was written to the buffer specified by pwszBuff. |
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One character was written to the buffer specified by pwszBuff. |
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Two or more characters were written to the buffer specified by pwszBuff. The most common cause for this is that a dead-key character (accent or diacritic) stored in the keyboard layout could not be combined with the specified virtual key to form a single character. However, the buffer may contain more characters than the return value specifies. When this happens, any extra characters are invalid and should be ignored. |
Remarks
The input locale identifier is a broader concept than a keyboard layout, since it can also encompass a speech-to-text converter, an Input Method Editor (IME), or any other form of input.
The parameters supplied to the ToUnicodeEx function might not be sufficient to translate the virtual-key code because a previous dead key is stored in the keyboard layout.
Typically, ToUnicodeEx performs the translation based on the virtual-key code. In some cases, however, bit 15 of the wScanCode parameter can be used to distinguish between a key press and a key release.
As ToUnicodeEx translates the virtual-key code, it also changes the state of the kernel-mode keyboard buffer. This state-change affects dead keys, ligatures, alt+numpad key entry, and so on. It might also cause undesired side-effects if used in conjunction with TranslateMessage (which also changes the state of the kernel-mode keyboard buffer).
Requirements
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Minimum supported client |
Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only] |
|---|---|
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Minimum supported server |
Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only] |
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Header |
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Library |
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DLL |
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See also
- Reference
- LoadKeyboardLayout
- ToAsciiEx
- VkKeyScan
- Conceptual
- Keyboard Input