The _KEYHIT function returns ASCII one and two byte, OpenGL Virtual Key and Unicode keyboard key press codes.

Syntax

keycode& = _KEYHIT

Description

• Return values range up to &H40000000 so use a LONG or _INTEGER64 variable type. See the _KEYDOWN code list:
  • 0-255: ASCII values (Refer to CP437).
  • 256-65535: ASCII character codes : code = CVI(CHR$(0) + CHR$(scancode)) (unaffected by SHIFT/ALT/CTRL modifiers).
  • 65536-&H40000000: _KEYDOWN (designated with + for 100000 on keyboard below)
  • Negative LONG values returned indicate that a key was released or a lock function key has been turned off.
• Note: _KEYHIT can only return one value at a time so use the _KEYDOWN keyhit value to find key combinations.
• To receive input from a $CONSOLE window, use _CINP.

'                                **_KEYHIT Keyboard Codes**
'
' **Esc  F1    F2    F3    F4    F5    F6    F7    F8    F9    F10   F11   F12   Sys  ScL Pause**
'  27 15104 15360 15616 15872 16128 16384 16640 16896 17152 17408 34048 34304 +316 +302 +019
' **`~  1!  2@  3#  4$  5%  6^  7&  8*  9(  0) -_ =+ BkSp   Ins   Hme   PUp   NumL   /     *    -**
' 126 33  64  35  36  37  94  38  42  40  41 95 43   8   20992 18176 18688 +300   47    42   45
' * 96 49  50  51  52  53  54  55  56  57  48 45 61*
' **Tab Q   W   E   R   T   Y   U   I   O   P  [{  ]}  \|   Del   End   PDn   7Hme  8/▲   9PU   + **
'  9  81  87  69  82  84  89  85  73  79  80 123 125 124 21248 20224 20736 18176 18432 18688 43
' *   113 119 101 114 116 121 117 105 111 112  91  93  92                    55    56    57 *
' **CapL   A   S   D   F   G   H   J   K   L   ;:  '" Enter                   4/◄-   5    6/-►
' +301  65  83  68  70  71  72  74  75  76  58  34  13                     19200 19456 19712  **E**
' *      97 115 100 102 103 104 106 107 108  59  39                          52    53    54 *   **n**
' **Shift   Z   X   C   V   B   N   M   ,<  .>  /?    Shift       ▲           1End  2/▼   3PD   t**
' +304   90  88  67  86  66  78  77  60  62  63    +303       18432        20224 20480 20736  **e**
' *      122 120  99 118  98 110 109  44  46  47                             49    50    51 *   **r**
' **Ctrl   Win  Alt     Spacebar      Alt  Win  Menu  Ctrl   ◄-   ▼   -►      0Ins        .Del **
' +306  +311 +308       32         +307 +312 +319  +305 19200 20480 19712  20992       21248 13
'                                                                      *     48          46*
'
'     **    Lower value = LCase/NumLock On __________________ + = add 100000 **

= &H40000000: Unicode.

• Font cyberbit.ttf, included with QB64 (version 0.92 and up), is required to facilitate the IME(in Chinese settings) only. The 12.7 MB font is free for non-commercial use and is not loaded unless the user switches to the Input Mode Editor. Set to “UNICODE”. Setting up the Unicode Input Method Editor in Windows If you need help with IME support in Vista see the following article: Setting up IME in Vista
• QB64 can use several Windows fonts when cyberbit is not present so it is not necessary to include with program packages.
• An important difference between INKEY$ and _KEYHIT is how they work when CTRL, ALT or SHIFT are used. INKEY$ returns a different code if you hold down CTRL, ALT or SHIFT before pressing F1 (for example). _KEYHIT will return the same code regardless of which modifiers were used but you can check _KEYDOWN to see which modifying keys are being used.
• Keyboards with an Alt Gr key note: _KEYHIT may return both Alt (100307) and Ctrl (100306) codes when AltGr key is pressed or released.

Example(s)

This routine will return the codes for any keyboard presses.

DEFLNG A-Z
SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(800, 600, 8)
CLS , 1
font = _LOADFONT("cyberbit.ttf", 24)
unifont = _LOADFONT("cyberbit.ttf", 24, "UNICODE")
_FONT font

DO
  x = _KEYHIT
  IF x THEN
    IF x < 0 THEN  'negative value means key released
      COLOR 2
      PRINT "Released ";
      x = -x
    ELSE
      COLOR 10
      PRINT "Pressed ";   'positive value means key pressed
    END IF
    IF x < 256 THEN    'ASCII code values
      PRINT "ASCII "; x;
      IF x >= 32 AND x <= 255 THEN PRINT "[" + CHR$(x) + "]" ELSE PRINT
    END IF
    IF x >= 256 AND x < 65536 THEN '2 byte key codes
      PRINT "2-BYTE-COMBO "; x AND 255; x \ 256;
      x2 = x \ 256
      IF x2 >= 32 AND x2 <= 255 THEN PRINT "[" + CHR$(x2) + "]" ELSE PRINT
    END IF
    IF x >= 100000 AND x < 200000 THEN      'QB84 Virtual Key codes
      PRINT "SDL VK"; x - 100000
      END IF
      IF x >= 200000 AND x < &H40000000 THEN
            PRINT "QB64 VK"; x - 200000
    END IF
    IF x >= &H40000000 THEN              'Unicode values (IME Input mode)
      PRINT "UNICODE "; x - &H40000000; "0x" + HEX$(x - &H40000000) + " ...";
      cx = POS(1): cy = CSRLIN
      _FONT unifont
      LOCATE cy, cx
      COLOR 15
      z$ = MKL$(x - &H40000000) + MKL$(0)
      PRINT z$ + z$ + z$;
      _FONT font
      LOCATE cy, 1: PRINT
    END IF
  END IF
LOOP

See Also

• _KEYDOWN, _CINP
• _MAPUNICODE, _MAPUNICODE (function)
• INKEY$, ASCII (code table),
• Unicode, Code Pages (by region)
• INP(&H), Scancodes
• ON KEY(n), KEY(n), KEY n
• Windows Libraries