Tip 167: Controlling the State of Virtual Keys on the Keyboard

December 5, 1995
Abstract
This article explains how to control the state of any virtual key from within a
Microsoft Visual Basic application.
Retrieving and Setting the State of Virtual Keys
From within a Microsoft Visual Basic application, you can control the state of any
one of the 256 virtual keys on the keyboard. You do this by executing two Micro
soft Windows application programming interface (API) functionsGetKeyboardState and
SetKeyboardState.
In the example program below, you switch the state of both the CAPS LOCK and NUM
LOCK keys. To do this, you must first retrieve the state of these two toggle ke
ys by calling the GetKeyboardState function. After calling this function, the Ke
yboardBuffer array that you have defined in the program contains the current sta
te of every virtual key.
To isolate the CAPS LOCK and NUM LOCK keys, you must interrogate the bytes store
d in the KeyboardBuffer array. The constants VK_CAPITAL and VK_NUMLOCK represent
the CAPS LOCK and NUM LOCK keys, respectively. If the low-order bit in the byte
representing the toggle key is 1, then the key is on. If the low-order bit is 0
, the key is off.
You can use the Visual Basic logical AND operator to test the low-order bit for
the toggle keys, as shown here:
If KeyboardBuffer(VK_CAPITAL) And 1 Then
KeyboardBuffer(VK_CAPITAL) = 0
Else
KeyboardBuffer(VK_CAPITAL) = 1
End If
In the code fragment above, you first test the state of the CAPS LOCK key. If th
e CAPS LOCK key is currently on (the low-order bit is 1), you reset the low-orde
r bit to 0 to turn the key off. If the CAPS LOCK key is off (the low-order bit i
s 0), you reset the low-order bit to 1 to turn the key on.
When you want to reverse the state of the toggle keys (that is, turn the key on
if it is not engaged or off if it is engaged), you use the SetKeyboardState func
tion. This function modifies the state of any virtual key. The key you want to m
odify is again stored in the KeyboardBuffer array.
Example Program
This program shows how to turn the toggle (CAPS LOCK and NUM LOCK) keys on and o
ff.
Create a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
Add the following Constant and Declare statements to the General Declarations se
ction of Form1:
Private Declare Sub GetKeyboardState Lib "user32" (lpKeyState As Any)
Private Declare Sub SetKeyboardState Lib "user32" (lpKeyState As Any)
Const VK_CAPITAL = &H14
Const VK_NUMLOCK = &H90
Add a Command Button control to Form1. Command1 is created by default.
Add the following code to the Click event for Command1:
Private Sub Command1_Click()
ReDim KeyboardBuffer(256) As Byte
GetKeyboardState KeyboardBuffer(0)
If KeyboardBuffer(VK_CAPITAL) And 1 Then
KeyboardBuffer(VK_CAPITAL) = 0
Else
KeyboardBuffer(VK_CAPITAL) = 1
End If
If KeyboardBuffer(VK_NUMLOCK) And 1 Then
KeyboardBuffer(VK_NUMLOCK) = 0
Else
KeyboardBuffer(VK_NUMLOCK) = 1
End If
SetKeyboardState KeyboardBuffer(0)
End Sub
Run the example program by pressing F5. Notice that both the CAPS LOCK and NUM L
OCK keys are off. Click the Command Button control. The CAPS LOCK and NUM LOCK k
eys are both on. Each time you click the Command Button control, the state of th
e CAPS LOCK and NUM LOCK keys is reversed.