Send Message: KeyDown, KeyUp to an Application?

Been searching for awhile on how to do this...

Question:

How do you make Visual Basic (2010) Send Message: KeyDown, KeyUp to an Application?

Note: SendKeys.Send("{Down}") etc. won't work.

Example Script: (This Works, But Only Does Key Press Events)

Code:

---

    Private Sub Timer2_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer2.Tick
        Try
            AppActivate(1612) ' App ID
            SendKeys.Send("{" & C1.Text & "}") ' Keys To Send
        Catch ' Error Handling
            MsgBox(ErrorToString) ' Error Message If Any
        End Try
    End Sub

---

Any Help Would Be Greatly Appreciated, Thanks :)

SendKeys.Send(Keys.Down)

You can use the window handle of the control (not the one of the application, nor the process handle). Some controls also have an ID that does not change between restarts so it is possible to use that instead whenever possible.

The constants of the different keys are in winuser.h

vb.net Code:

Private Declare Auto Function SendMessageKeyUpDown Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessage" _
    (ByVal hwnd As IntPtr, ByVal wMsg As Integer, _
    ByVal wParam As Integer, ByVal lParam As IntPtr) As IntPtr
 
 
    Const WM_KEYDOWN As Integer = &H100
    Const WM_KEYUP As Integer = &H101
 
 
    'this will send a down arrow
    Const VK_DOWN As Integer = &H28
 
 
        'for first time experiments try to get the handle manually, using C++ or some clone thereof
        Dim ControlWindowHandle As IntPtr = CType(TheHandleAsInteger, IntPtr)
 
        'The actual messages
        SendMessageKeyUpDown(ControlWindowHandle, WM_KEYDOWN, VK_DOWN, IntPtr.Zero)
        SendMessageKeyUpDown(ControlWindowHandle, WM_KEYUP, VK_DOWN, IntPtr.Zero)

Thanks Half, Looks Like What I'm Looking For. :) +rep

Dunfiddin: SendKeys.Send(Keys.Down) sends the number 40 :X

Windows Handle Isnt To Hard In VB:

Code:

---

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

Public Class Form1

    <DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
    Private Shared Function FindWindow(ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As IntPtr
    End Function

    <DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError:=True, CharSet:=CharSet.Auto)> _
    Private Shared Function FindWindowEx(ByVal parentHandle As IntPtr, ByVal childAfter As IntPtr, ByVal lclassName As String, ByVal windowTitle As String) As IntPtr
    End Function

    Dim topWindow As IntPtr = FindWindow("classname", "windowcaption")
    Dim childWindow As IntPtr = FindWindowEx(topWindow, New IntPtr(0), "classname", "windowcaption")

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Quote:

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SendKeys.Send(Keys.Down) sends the number 40 :X

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Yes it does. Forgot the conversion. It's been one of those days!