ConsoleSpecialKey Enum

Reference

Definition

Namespace:: System

Assembly:: System.Console.dll

Assembly:: mscorlib.dll

Assembly:: netstandard.dll

Important

Some information relates to prerelease product that may be substantially modified before it’s released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

Specifies combinations of modifier and console keys that can interrupt the current process.

public enum class ConsoleSpecialKey

public enum ConsoleSpecialKey

[System.Serializable]
public enum ConsoleSpecialKey

type ConsoleSpecialKey =

[<System.Serializable>]
type ConsoleSpecialKey =

Public Enum ConsoleSpecialKey

Inheritance: Object

ValueType

Enum
ConsoleSpecialKey

Attributes: SerializableAttribute

Fields

Name	Value	Description
ControlC	0	The Control modifier key plus the C console key.
ControlBreak	1	The Control modifier key plus the BREAK console key.

Examples

The following code example displays the ConsoleSpecialKey value that invokes the associated event handler.

using namespace System;

void OnCancelKeyPressed(Object^ sender, 
    ConsoleCancelEventArgs^ args)
{
    Console::WriteLine("{0}The read operation has been interrupted.",
        Environment::NewLine);

    Console::WriteLine("  Key pressed: {0}", args->SpecialKey);

    Console::WriteLine("  Cancel property: {0}", args->Cancel);

    // Set the Cancel property to true to prevent the process from 
    // terminating.
    Console::WriteLine("Setting the Cancel property to true...");
    args->Cancel = true;

    // Announce the new value of the Cancel property.
    Console::WriteLine("  Cancel property: {0}", args->Cancel);
    Console::WriteLine("The read operation will resume...{0}",
        Environment::NewLine);
}

int main()
{       
    // Clear the screen.
    Console::Clear();

    // Establish an event handler to process key press events.
    Console::CancelKeyPress += 
        gcnew ConsoleCancelEventHandler(OnCancelKeyPressed);

    while (true)
    {
        // Prompt the user.
        Console::Write("Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or ");
        Console::WriteLine("CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:");

        // Start a console read operation. Do not display the input.
        ConsoleKeyInfo^ keyInfo = Console::ReadKey(true);

        // Announce the name of the key that was pressed .
        Console::WriteLine("  Key pressed: {0}{1}", keyInfo->Key, 
            Environment::NewLine);

        // Exit if the user pressed the 'X' key.
        if (keyInfo->Key == ConsoleKey::X)
        {
            break;
        }
    }
}
// The example displays output similar to the following:
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//    Key pressed: J
//    
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//    Key pressed: Enter
//    
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//    
//    The read operation has been interrupted.
//    Key pressed: ControlC
//    Cancel property: False
//    Setting the Cancel property to true...
//    Cancel property: True
//    The read operation will resume...
//    
//    Key pressed: Q
//    
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//    Key pressed: X

using System;

class Sample
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        ConsoleKeyInfo cki;

        Console.Clear();

        // Establish an event handler to process key press events.
        Console.CancelKeyPress += new ConsoleCancelEventHandler(myHandler);
        while (true)
        {
            Console.Write("Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or ");
            Console.WriteLine("CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:");

            // Start a console read operation. Do not display the input.
            cki = Console.ReadKey(true);

            // Announce the name of the key that was pressed .
            Console.WriteLine($"  Key pressed: {cki.Key}\n");

            // Exit if the user pressed the 'X' key.
            if (cki.Key == ConsoleKey.X) break;
        }
    }

    protected static void myHandler(object sender, ConsoleCancelEventArgs args)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("\nThe read operation has been interrupted.");

        Console.WriteLine($"  Key pressed: {args.SpecialKey}");

        Console.WriteLine($"  Cancel property: {args.Cancel}");

        // Set the Cancel property to true to prevent the process from terminating.
        Console.WriteLine("Setting the Cancel property to true...");
        args.Cancel = true;

        // Announce the new value of the Cancel property.
        Console.WriteLine($"  Cancel property: {args.Cancel}");
        Console.WriteLine("The read operation will resume...\n");
    }
}
// The example displays output similar to the following:
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//      Key pressed: J
//
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//      Key pressed: Enter
//
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//
//    The read operation has been interrupted.
//      Key pressed: ControlC
//      Cancel property: False
//    Setting the Cancel property to true...
//      Cancel property: True
//    The read operation will resume...
//
//      Key pressed: Q
//
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//      Key pressed: X

open System

let myHandler sender (args: ConsoleCancelEventArgs) =
    printfn "\nThe read operation has been interrupted."

    printfn $"  Key pressed: {args.SpecialKey}"

    printfn $"  Cancel property: {args.Cancel}"

    // Set the Cancel property to true to prevent the process from terminating.
    printfn "Setting the Cancel property to true..."
    args.Cancel <- true

    // Announce the new value of the Cancel property.
    printfn $"  Cancel property: {args.Cancel}"
    printfn "The read operation will resume...\n"

// Establish an event handler to process key press events.
Console.CancelKeyPress.AddHandler(ConsoleCancelEventHandler myHandler)

let mutable quit = false
while not quit do
    printf "Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or "
    printfn "CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:"

    // Start a console read operation. Do not display the input.
    let cki = Console.ReadKey true

    // Announce the name of the key that was pressed .
    printfn $"  Key pressed: {cki.Key}\n"

    // Exit if the user pressed the 'X' key.
    if cki.Key = ConsoleKey.X then
        quit <- true

// The example displays output similar to the following:
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//      Key pressed: J
//
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//      Key pressed: Enter
//
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//
//    The read operation has been interrupted.
//      Key pressed: ControlC
//      Cancel property: False
//    Setting the Cancel property to true...
//      Cancel property: True
//    The read operation will resume...
//
//      Key pressed: Q
//
//    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
//      Key pressed: X

Class Sample
    Public Shared Sub Main() 
        Dim cki As ConsoleKeyInfo
        
        Console.Clear()
        
        ' Establish an event handler to process key press events.
        AddHandler Console.CancelKeyPress, AddressOf myHandler

        While True
            Console.Write("Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or ")
            Console.WriteLine("CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:")
            
            ' Start a console read operation. Do not display the input.
            cki = Console.ReadKey(True)
            
            ' Announce the name of the key that was pressed .
            Console.WriteLine($"  Key pressed: {cki.Key}{vbCrLf}")
            
            ' Exit if the user pressed the 'X' key.
            If cki.Key = ConsoleKey.X Then Exit While
        End While
    End Sub

    Protected Shared Sub myHandler(ByVal sender As Object, _
                                   ByVal args As ConsoleCancelEventArgs) 
        Console.WriteLine($"{vbCrLf}The read operation has been interrupted.")
        
        Console.WriteLine($"  Key pressed: {args.SpecialKey}")
        
        Console.WriteLine($"  Cancel property: {args.Cancel}")
        
        ' Set the Cancel property to true to prevent the process from terminating.
        Console.WriteLine("Setting the Cancel property to true...")
        args.Cancel = True
        
        ' Announce the new value of the Cancel property.
        Console.WriteLine($"  Cancel property: {args.Cancel}")
        Console.WriteLine($"The read operation will resume...{vbCrLf}")
    End Sub
End Class
' The example diplays output similar to the following:
'    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
'     Key pressed: J
'    
'    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
'     Key pressed: Enter
'    
'    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
'    
'    The read operation has been interrupted.
'     Key pressed: ControlC
'     Cancel property: False
'    Setting the Cancel property to true...
'     Cancel property: True
'    The read operation will resume...
'    
'     Key pressed: Q
'    
'    Press any key, or 'X' to quit, or CTRL+C to interrupt the read operation:
'     Key pressed: X

Remarks

The ConsoleCancelEventArgs.SpecialKey property returns the ConsoleSpecialKey enumeration type.

Simultaneously pressing certain key combinations signals the operating system to interrupt the currently running process. The two valid key combinations are ConsoleModifiers.Control plus BREAK (CTRL+BREAK) and ConsoleModifiers.Control plus ConsoleKey.C (CTRL+C).

Applies to

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