Key names and operators

This string syntax is used with keys.send and other keyboard functions of this library. A string can contain one or more US keyboard key names separated with a space or operator like +.

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, Delete, Enter, Apps, Pause, PrtSc, Space, Tab
  • Function: F1-F24
  • Lock: CapsLock, NumLock, ScrollLock, Insert

A key name must start with an uppercase character. Other characters - any case. Only the first 3 characters are significant. For example, for "Back" you can also use "Bac", "Backspace" or "BACK".

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 (case-insensitive)
  • Number: 0-9
  • Numeric keypad: #/, #*, #-, #+, #., #0-#9
  • Other: `, -, =, [, ], \, ;, ', ,, ., /

Note: these are key names on US keyboard. They may not match key names on your keyboard. To specify characters instead, use operators (see below). Also in LibreAutomate you can use the input recorder.

Only uppercase A-Z must be separated with spaces. Example of a valid sequence: "A B ab".

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

Other keys

  • Names of enum KKey members. Example: keys.send("BrowserBack MediaNextTrack VolumeUp IMEKanaMode");
  • 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 key names. Instead use key names listed in the "Text keys" section.

Operators

Operator Examples Description
+ "Ctrl+Shift+A"
"Alt+E+P"		 Hotkey. Like "Ctrl*down Shift*down A Shift*up Ctrl*up" and "Alt*down E*down P E*up Alt*up".
+() "Alt+(E P)" Hotkey. Like "Alt*down E P Alt*up".
Inside () cannot be used operators +, +() and ^.
*down "Ctrl*down" Press key and don't release.
*up "Ctrl*up" Release key.
*n "Left*3"
$"Left*{i}"		 Press key n times, like "Left Left Left".
See keys.AddRepeat.
_ "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.
^ "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");.

Raw text

The primary way to send raw text using keys.send - use a separate string argument with prefix !. Example: keys.send("!User", "Tab", "!" + clipboard.text, "Tab Enter");.

Unlike operators ^ and _:

  • Uses option opt.key.TextHow (keys/characters/paste). The default is characters.
  • Supports 2-char Unicode characters.

To paste HTML, use prefix % instead.