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delphiwinapidelphi-xekeystroke

Send Ctrl+Key to a 3rd Party Application

Im using a 3rd Party Application that exports a file. The application uses a hot key (Ctrl + E) as a shortcut for this function.

How can I send this key combination from my Delphi XE application to the 3rd Party one?

Solution

  • Here is an example which shows how to send Ctrl+E to the foreground application using SendInput:

    var
  Inputs: array [0..3] of TInput;
begin
  // press
  Inputs[0].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[0].ki.wVk := VK_CONTROL;
  Inputs[0].ki.dwFlags := 0;

  Inputs[1].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[1].ki.wVk := Ord('E');
  Inputs[1].ki.dwFlags := 0;

  // release
  Inputs[2].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[2].ki.wVk := Ord('E');
  Inputs[2].ki.dwFlags := KEYEVENTF_KEYUP;

  Inputs[3].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[3].ki.wVk := VK_CONTROL;
  Inputs[3].ki.dwFlags := KEYEVENTF_KEYUP;

  SendInput(Length(Inputs), Inputs[0], SizeOf(TInput));
end;

    I also use a slightly modified version of SendKeys.pas from Steve Seymour. It had some problems with different keyboard layouts and is from 1999. Couldn't find it anywhere in the net.