WM_CHAR (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)

  • Article

1/6/2010

This message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a WM_KEYDOWN message is translated by the TranslateMessage function. WM_CHAR contains the character code of the key that was pressed.

Syntax

WM_CHAR chCharCode = (TCHAR) wParam; 
    lKeyData = lParam;

Parameters

  • chCharCode
    Specifies the character code of the key.

  • lKeyData
    Specifies the repeat count, context code, previous key-state flag, and transition-state flag, as shown in the following table.

    Value Description

    0–15

    Specifies the repeat count. The value is the number of times the keystroke is repeated as a result of the user holding down the key.

    29

    Specifies the context code. The value is 1 if the ALT key is held down while the key is pressed; otherwise, the value is 0.

    30

    Specifies the previous key state. The value is 1 if the key is down before the message is sent, or it is 0 if the key is up.

    31

    Specifies the transition state. The value is 1 if the key is being released, or it is 0 if the key is being pressed.

Return Value

An application should return zero if it processes this message.

Remarks

Because there is not necessarily a one-to-one correspondence between keys pressed and character messages generated, the information in the high-order word of the lKeyData parameter is generally not useful to applications. The information in the high-order word applies only to the most recent WM_KEYDOWN message that precedes the posting of the WM_CHAR message.

Keys that do not produce printable characters, such as any of the VK_F* keys, must never generate a WM_CHAR message.

For enhanced 101- and 102-key keyboards, extended keys are the right ALT and the right CTRL keys on the main section of the keyboard; the INS, DEL, HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN and arrow keys in the clusters to the left of the numeric keypad; and the divide (/) and ENTER keys in the numeric keypad. Some other keyboards may support the extended-key bit in the lKeyData parameter.

Requirements

Header winuser.h
Windows Embedded CE Windows CE 1.0 and later

See Also

Reference

Keyboard Messages
TranslateMessage
WM_KEYDOWN

Concepts

Processing Character Messages

Other Resources