Message Map for Navigation Controls

Navigation controls communicate with the Windows CE operating system by sending messages. An OEM provides the driver that links each control with WM_KEYUP and WM_KEYDOWN messages individually or in a series. Each message has a virtual key message in its wParam parameter. The driver starts when the user presses a navigation control. The driver then sends the window messages to the device shell, which in turn shell passes the messages to the current application.

Direction keys each send a pair of WM_KEYDOWN and WM_KEYUP messages when held down. The driver continues sending these pairs for each auto-repeat, until the user releases the key. The Action key sends a pair of WM_KEYDOWN messages with VK_23 first followed by VK_RETURN when pressed, and a pair of WM_KEYUP message with VK_RETURN first followed by VK_23 when released.

The messages for each operation on a control are sent in the order listed in table.

Note   This example may not be consistent with the driver installed on your target device.

Operation on control Messages wParam
Press Action key WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYDOWN

VK_F23

VK_RETURN

Release Action key WM_KEYUP

WM_KEYUP

VK_RETURN

VK_F23

Press Up control WM_KEYDOWN VK_UP
Hold down Up control WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYUP

VK_PRIOR

VK_PRIOR

Release Up control WM_KEYUP VK_UP
Press Down control WM_KEYDOWN VK_DOWN
Hold down Down control WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYUP

VK_NEXT

VK_NEXT

Release Down control WM_KEYUP VK_DOWN
Press App 1 WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYDOWN

VK_LWIN

0xC1

Release App 1 WM_KEYUP

WM_KEYUP

VK_LWIN

0xC1

Press App 2 WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYDOWN

VK_LWIN

0xC2

Release App 2 WM_KEYUP

WM_KEYUP

VK_LWIN

0xC2

Press App 3 WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYDOWN

VK_LWIN

0xC3

Release App 3 WM_KEYUP

WM_KEYUP

VK_LWIN

0xC3

Press App 4 WM_KEYDOWN

WM_KEYDOWN

VK_LWIN

0xC4

Release App 4 WM_KEYUP

WM_KEYUP

VK_LWIN

0xC4

See Also

Navigation Keys

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