WM_CHAR Overview  Group

The WM_CHAR 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.

WM_CHAR 

chCharCode = (TCHAR) wParam;    // character code 

lKeyData = lParam;              // key data 

 

Parameters

chCharCode

Value of wParam. Specifies the character code of the key.

lKeyData

Value of lParam. Specifies the repeat count, scan code, extended-key flag, context code, previous key-state flag, and transition-state flag, as shown in the following table:

Value	Description
0-15	Specifies the repeat count for the current message. The value is the number of times the keystroke is auto-repeated as a result of the user holding down the key. If the keystroke is held long enough, multiple messages are sent. However, the repeat count is not cumulative.
16-23	Specifies the scan code. The value depends on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
24	Specifies whether the key is an extended key, such as the right-hand ALT and CTRL keys that appear on an enhanced 101- or 102-key keyboard. The value is 1 if it is an extended key; otherwise, it is 0.
25-28	Reserved; do not use.
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 Values

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.

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.

See Also

TranslateMessage, WM_KEYDOWN