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The virtual-key codes provide a hardware- and language-independent method of
identifying keyboard keys. Each virtual-key code represents a unique
keyboard key and also identifies the purpose of that key. The keyboard
driver must provide a translation table that maps keyboard scan codes to the
appropriate virtual-key codes.
 
Required Virtual Keys
 
The complete virtual-key code set consists of 256 byte values in the range 0
to 255. Most, but not all, of the values used by standard drivers are in the
range 0 to 127. There is a loose distinction between "standard" keys, which
do not vary much, and "OEM" keys, which do vary from keyboard to keyboard.
 
For full Windows functionality, a keyboard driver must provide the following
virtual keys:
 
Virtual-key code      Description
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
VK_0 through VK_9     Number keys (not on numeric keypad): 0 through 9
 
VK_A through VK_Z     Letter keys: A through Z
 
VK_BACK               BACKSPACE key
 
VK_CONTROL            CTRL key
 
VK_DELETE             DELETE key
 
VK_DOWN               Down direction key
 
VK_END                END key
 
VK_ESCAPE             ESC key
 
VK_F1 through VK_F10  F1 through F10 keys
 
VK_HOME               HOME key
 
VK_INSERT             INSERT key
 
VK_LEFT               Left direction key
 
VK_MENU               ALT key
 
VK_NEXT               PAGE DOWN key
 
VK_PRIOR              PAGE UP key
 
VK_RIGHT              Right direction key
 
VK_SHIFT              Left and right SHIFT keys
 
VK_SNAPSHOT           PRINTSCREEN key
 
VK_SPACE              SPACE key
 
VK_TAB                TAB key
 
VK_UP                 Up direction key
 
Shift keys must be available in the combinations unshifted, SHIFT, CTRL, and
CTRL+ALT.
 
Most keyboards, the virtual-key codes VK_INSERT, VK_DELETE, VK_HOME, VK_END,
VK_PRIOR, and VK_NEXT are generated on the numeric keypad only if NUMLOCK is
off.
 
Optional Virtual Keys
 
If a keyboard has a numeric pad, the numeric keys are frequently used as
cursor-control and editing keys if NUMLOCK is off. If NUMLOCK is on, the
virtual-key codes VK_NUMPAD0 through VK_NUMPAD9 are used for the digits.
Keyboards with a DELETE key that also generates the decimal point (period or
comma) use VK_DELETE and VK_DECIMAL to distinguish between the two uses of
the key.
 
Keyboards commonly contain various "lock" keys, such as VK_CAPITAL and
VK_NUMLOCK. If a keyboard driver generates ANSI characters on the numeric
keypad using ALT + numeric-pad keys, it must do this translation only if
NUMLOCK is on. The cursor and editing keys on IBM-compatible keyboards do
not produce this translation.
 
Other keys may vary from keyboard to keyboard. The following set of
virtual-key codes is generally used for punctuation keys, accented letter
keys, and dead keys in the main section of a keyboard:
 
VK_OEM_1 .. VK_OEM_8
VK_OEM_102
VK_OEM_PLUS, VK_OEM_MINUS, VK_OEM_COMMA, VK_OEM_PERIOD
 
If a keyboard has more than 16 function keys, the virtual-key codes in the
range VK_F17 through VK_F24 should be used for the extra function keys.
 
Windows internally generates the mouse-button virtual-key codes VK_LBUTTON,
VK_RBUTTON, VK_MBUTTON, and VK_CANCEL. These virtual-key codes are generated
internally by Windows and are never generated by keyboard or mouse drivers.
 
Keyboard drivers should not generate VK_EXECUTE or VK_SEPARATER.
 
Virtual Keys for 122-Key Keyboards
 
For keyboards with 122 keys, the mapping for the first 101 keys is the same
as described in previous sections.
 
The function keys F13 through F24 should use VK_F13 through VK_F24.
 
The remaining keys should be mapped to the following virtual-key codes:
 
VK_ATTN    VK_OEM_CLEAR
 
VK_CRSEL   VK_PA1
 
VK_EREOF   VK_PLAY
 
VK_EXSEL   VK_ZOOM
 
VK_NONAME
 
Virtual-Key Code Definitions
 
The following table includes the virtual-key codes that are defined for
Windows. The key code values 0 and 0FFh are not used.
 
Name            Value  Comment
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
VK_LBUTTON      01h    Left mouse button.
 
VK_RBUTTON      02h    Right mouse button.
 
VK_CANCEL       03h    Used for control-break processing.
 
VK_MBUTTON      04h    Middle mouse button (3-button mouse).
 
                       05h through 07h undefined.
 
VK_BACK         08h
 
VK_TAB          09h
 
                       0Ah and 0Bh undefined.
 
VK_CLEAR        0Ch
 
VK_RETURN       0Dh
 
                       0Eh and 0Fh undefined.
 
VK_SHIFT        10h
 
VK_CONTROL      11h
 
VK_MENU         12h
 
VK_PAUSE        13h
 
VK_CAPITAL      14h
 
                       15h through 1Ah undefined.
 
VK_ESCAPE       1Bh
 
                       1Ch through 1Fh undefined.
 
VK_SPACE        20h
 
VK_PRIOR        21h    Page up.
 
VK_NEXT         22h    Page down.
 
VK_END          23h
 
VK_HOME         24h
 
VK_LEFT         25h
 
VK_UP           26h
 
VK_RIGHT        27h
 
VK_DOWN         28h
 
VK_SELECT       29h
 
VK_PRINT        2Ah    Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_EXECUTE      2Bh    Never used.
 
VK_SNAPSHOT     2Ch    SYSREQ key starting with Windows 3.0.
 
VK_INSERT       2Dh
 
VK_DELETE       2Eh
 
VK_HELP         2Fh
 
VK_0            30h
 
VK_1            31h
 
VK_2            32h
 
VK_3            33h
 
VK_4            34h
 
VK_5            35h
 
VK_6            36h
 
VK_7            37h
 
VK_8            38h
 
VK_9            39h
 
                       3Ah though 40h undefined.
 
VK_A            41h
 
VK_B            42h
 
VK_C            43h
 
VK_D            44h
 
VK_E            45h
 
VK_F            46h
 
VK_G            47h
 
VK_H            48h
 
VK_I            49h
 
VK_J            4Ah
 
VK_K            4Bh
 
VK_L            4Ch
 
VK_M            4Dh
 
VK_N            4Eh
 
VK_O            4Fh
 
VK_P            50h
 
VK_Q            51h
 
VK_R            52h
 
VK_S            53h
 
VK_T            54h
 
VK_U            55h
 
VK_V            56h
 
VK_W            57h
 
VK_X            58h
 
VK_Y            59h
 
VK_Z            5Ah
 
                       5Bh through 5Fh undefined.
 
VK_NUMPAD0      60h
 
VK_NUMPAD1      61h
 
VK_NUMPAD2      62h
 
VK_NUMPAD3      63h
 
VK_NUMPAD4      64h
 
VK_NUMPAD5      65h
 
VK_NUMPAD6      66h
 
VK_NUMPAD7      67h
 
VK_NUMPAD8      68h
 
VK_NUMPAD9      69h
 
VK_MULTIPLY     6Ah
 
VK_ADD          6Bh
 
VK_SEPARATER    6Ch    Never generated by keyboard driver.
 
VK_SUBTRACT     6Dh
 
VK_DECIMAL      6Eh
 
VK_DIVIDE       6Fh
 
VK_F1           70h
 
VK_F2           71h
 
VK_F3           72h
 
VK_F4           73h
 
VK_F5           74h
 
VK_F6           75h
 
VK_F7           76h
 
VK_F8           77h
 
VK_F9           78h
 
VK_F10          79h
 
VK_F11          7Ah
 
VK_F12          7Bh
 
VK_F13          7Ch
 
VK_F14          7Dh
 
VK_F15          7Eh
 
VK_F16          7Fh
 
VK_F17          80h
 
VK_F18          81h
 
VK_F19          82h
 
VK_F20          83h
 
VK_F21          84h
 
VK_F22          85h
 
VK_F23          86h
 
VK_F24          87h
 
                       88h through 8Fh unassigned.
 
VK_NUMLOCK      090h   NUMLOCK on all keyboards.
 
VK_OEM_SCROLL   091h   SCROLL LOCK on all keyboards.
 
                       92h through B9h unassigned.
 
VK_OEM_1        0BAh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_PLUS     0BBh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_COMMA    0BCh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_MINUS    0BDh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_PERIOD   0BEh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_2        0BFh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_3        0C0h   Punctuation.
 
                       C1h through DAh unassigned.
 
VK_OEM_4        0DBh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_5        0DCh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_6        0DDh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_7        0DEh   Punctuation.
 
VK_OEM_8        0DFh   Punctuation.
 
VK_F17          0E0h   F17 key on Olivetti extended keyboard (internal use
                       only).
 
VK_F18          0E1h   F18 key on Olivetti extended keyboard (internal use
                       only).
 
VK_OEM_102      0E2h   < or | on IBM-compatible 102 enhanced keyboard
                       (non-U.S.).
 
VK_ICO_HELP     0E3h   Help key on Olivetti extended keyboard (internal use
                       only).
 
VK_ICO_00       0E4h   00 key on Olivetti extended keyboard (internal use
                       only).
 
                       E5h unassigned.
 
VK_ICO_CLEAR    0E6h   Olivetti extended keyboard (internal use only).
 
                       E7h and E8h unassigned.
 
VK_OEM_RESET    0E9H   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_JUMP     0EAH   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_PA1      0EBH   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_PA2      0ECH   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_PA3      0EDH   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_WSCTRL   0EEH   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_CUSEL    0EFH   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_ATTN     0F0H   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_FINNISH  0F1H   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_COPY     0F2H   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_AUTO     0F3H   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_ENLW     0F4h   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_OEM_BACKTAB  0F5h   Only used by Nokia.
 
VK_ATTN         0F6H
 
VK_CRSEL        0F7H
 
VK_EXSEL        0F8H
 
VK_EREOF        0F9H
 
VK_PLAY         0FAH
 
VK_ZOOM         0FBH
 
VK_NONAME       0FCH
 
VK_PA1          0FDH
 
VK_OEM_CLEAR    0FEH
 
 
                                      ♦