Key names and operators

This string syntax is used with keys.send and other keyboard functions of this library.

Example:

keys.send("A F2 Ctrl+Shift+A Enter*2"); //keys A, F2, Ctrl+Shift+A, Enter Enter

Key names

Named keys

  • Modifier: Alt, Ctrl, Shift, Win, RAlt, RCtrl, RShift, RWin
  • Navigate: Esc, End, Home, PgDn, PgUp, Down, Left, Right, Up
  • Other: Back, Del, Enter, Apps, Pause, PrtSc, Space, Tab
  • Function: F1-F24
    Lock: CapsLock, NumLock, ScrollLock, Ins

Must start with an uppercase character. Only the first 3 characters are significant; others can be any ASCII letters. For example, can be "Back", "Bac", "Backspace" or "BACK", but not "back" or "Ba" or "Back5".

Alias: AltGr=RAlt, Menu=Apps, PageDown=PgDn, PD=PgDn, PageUp=PgUp, PU=PgUp, PrintScreen=PrtSc, PS=PrtSc, BS=Back, PB=Pause, CL=CapsLock, NL=NumLock, SL=ScrollLock, HM=Home.

Text keys

  • Alphabetic: A-Z (or a-z)
  • Number: 0-9
  • Numeric keypad: #/, #*, #-, #+, #., #0-#9
  • Other: `, -, =, [, ], \, ;, ', ,, ., /

Spaces between keys are optional, except for uppercase A-Z. For example, can be "A B", "a b", "A b" or "ab", but not "AB" or "Ab".

Alias: ~=`, {=[, }=], |=\, :=;, "=', <=,, >=., ?=/.

Other keys

  • Names of enum KKey members. Example: keys.send("BrowserBack");
  • Virtual-key codes. Prefix VK or Vk. Example: keys.send("VK65 VK0x42");
  • Unavailable: Fn (hardware-only key).

Special characters

  • Operator: +, *, (, ), _, ^
  • Numpad key prefix: #
  • Text/HTML argument prefix: !, %
  • Reserved: @, $, &

These characters cannot be used as keys. Instead use =, 8, 9, 0, -, 6, 3, 1, 5, 2, 4, 7.

Operators

Operator Examples Description
*n "Left*3"
$"Left*{i}"		 Press key n times, like "Left Left Left".
See keys.AddRepeat.
*down "Ctrl*down" Press key and don't release.
*up "Ctrl*up" Release key.
+ "Ctrl+Shift+A"
"Alt+E+P"		 The same as "Ctrl*down Shift*down A Shift*up Ctrl*up" and "Alt*down E*down P E*up Alt*up".
+() "Alt+(E P)" The same as "Alt*down E P Alt*up".
Inside () cannot be used operators +, +() and ^.
_ "Tab _A_b Tab"
"Alt+_e_a"
"_**20"		 Send next character like text with option OKeyText.KeysOrChar.
Can be used to Alt-select items in menus, ribbons and dialogs regardless of current keyboard layout.
Next character can be any 16-bit character, including operators and whitespace.
^ "Alt+^ea" Send all remaining characters and whitespace like text with option OKeyText.KeysOrChar.
For example "Alt+^ed b" is the same as "Alt+_e_d Space _b".
Alt is released after the first character. Don't use other modifiers.

Operators and related keys can be in separate arguments. Examples: keys.send("Shift+", KKey.A); keys.send(KKey.A, "*3");.