Simulating keyboard

[Nove]

What do I best use to simulate keypresses to a window? Right now I'm using sendmessage and findwindowex to send keys to a certain class in a window, but the only thing I can get to work is WM_CHAR. If I want to simulate things like arrow presses, do I have to use keydown and keyup or syskey in succession? Thanks.

[bushmobile]

use keydown, keyup with the virtual keycode:

Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" ( _
                ByVal hwnd As Long, _
                ByVal wMsg As Long, _
                ByVal wParam As Long, _
                lParam As Any) As Long
 
Private Const WM_KEYDOWN = &H100
Private Const WM_KEYUP = &H101
 
Private Const VK_LEFT = &H25
Private Const VK_UP = &H26
Private Const VK_RIGHT = &H27
Private Const VK_DOWN = &H28
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    ' Assuming lhWnd is the handle of the edit box or whatever
    SendMessage lhWnd, WM_KEYDOWN, VK_LEFT, 1&
    SendMessage lhWnd, WM_KEYUP, VK_LEFT, 1&
End Sub

There's also a keyb_event API, but you can only direct key presses to the app currently in focus

[manavo11]

Also the SendInput API might be an other alternative. Never tried it much though...

[Brant]

Sometimes it is necessary to use Postmessage instead of Sendmessage, as well. Specifically with Vb.net. Don't ask me why.