Question

Sending key to application with focus

Asked by: moonrise

I am using an online keyboard component that does everything I need except that it can only send a character to a Delphi component:

  FLinkedControl.Perform(WM_CHAR, Ord(Key.KeyValue[KeyLevel][i]), 0);

How can I change that line to send the character to whatever windows has the focus, like MS Word.

I tried SendMessage(GetTopWindow(0), WM_CHAR, Ord(Key.KeyValue[KeyLevel][i]), 0) but it does not work.

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Asked On
2003-04-14 at 12:30:05ID20584886
Tags

delphi

,

focus

,

key

Topic

Delphi Programming

Participating Experts
3
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: mocartsPosted on 2003-04-14 at 13:58:15ID: 8329322

try GetForegroundWindow function - it returns window with user focus:
SendMessage(GetForegroundWindow, WM_CHAR, ...);
or better use PostMessage(..) it don't wait for processing message in receiving application i.e. simply posts message in receiver queue.
wbr, mo.

 

by: robert_marquardtPosted on 2003-04-15 at 00:05:03ID: 8331858

In this case keybd_event is the correct function.
It simulates key presses and key releases as if coming from a real keyboard.

 

by: earlrainerPosted on 2003-04-15 at 00:41:23ID: 8331972

The following code will open a notepad file and type DELPHI in it. of course it is



procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin

ShellExecute(handle,'open','notepad.exe',nil,nil,1);


{ This will write 'Delphi' and ENTER }
keybd_event(VK_SHIFT, 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('D'), 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('D'), 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VK_SHIFT, 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('E'), 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('E'), 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('L'), 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('L'), 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('P'), 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('P'), 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('H'), 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('H'), 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('I'), 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VkKeyScan('I'), 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);
keybd_event(VK_RETURN, 1, 0, 0);
keybd_event(VK_RETURN, 1, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0);


end;

 

by: moonrisePosted on 2003-04-15 at 11:55:10ID: 8335829

The way the keyboard component I use works is as follows: for each key (other than Enter, Delete, etc...), you specify 3 values: normal, with shift, and with Alt - for example a key could be associated to (e,E,ê) - these values are stored in the component. Because of that I don't think keybd_event will work - the configuration of the TKeyboard determines what value is to be sent, not the keyboard driver (as used by keybd_event) - so it will not work for ê.

That's why I was trying with PostMessage but that does not seem to work.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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