Keyboard and Mouse Input

Overview of the Keyboard and Mouse Input technology.

The Keyboard and Mouse Input technology is not associated with any headers.

For programming guidance for this technology, see:

• Keyboard and Mouse Input

Enumerations

TOOLTIP_DISMISS_FLAGS The TOOLTIP_DISMISS_FLAGS enumeration defines constants that indicate whether a window is registered or unregistered to receive tooltip dismiss notifications.

Functions

_TrackMouseEvent Posts messages when the mouse pointer leaves a window or hovers over a window for a specified amount of time. This function calls TrackMouseEvent if it exists, otherwise it emulates it.
ActivateKeyboardLayout Sets the input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout handle) for the calling thread or the current process. The input locale identifier specifies a locale as well as the physical layout of the keyboard.
BlockInput Blocks keyboard and mouse input events from reaching applications.
DefRawInputProc Verifies that the size of the RAWINPUTHEADER structure is correct.
DragDetect Captures the mouse and tracks its movement until the user releases the left button, presses the ESC key, or moves the mouse outside the drag rectangle around the specified point.
EnableWindow Enables or disables mouse and keyboard input to the specified window or control. When input is disabled, the window does not receive input such as mouse clicks and key presses. When input is enabled, the window receives all input.
GET_APPCOMMAND_LPARAM Retrieves the application command from the specified LPARAM value.
GET_DEVICE_LPARAM Retrieves the input device type from the specified LPARAM value.
GET_FLAGS_LPARAM Retrieves the state of certain virtual keys from the specified LPARAM value. (GET_FLAGS_LPARAM)
GET_KEYSTATE_LPARAM Retrieves the state of certain virtual keys from the specified LPARAM value. (GET_KEYSTATE_LPARAM)
GET_KEYSTATE_WPARAM Retrieves the state of certain virtual keys from the specified WPARAM value.
GET_NCHITTEST_WPARAM Retrieves the hit-test value from the specified WPARAM value.
GET_RAWINPUT_CODE_WPARAM Retrieves the input code from wParam in WM_INPUT.
GET_WHEEL_DELTA_WPARAM Retrieves the wheel-delta value from the specified WPARAM value.
GET_XBUTTON_WPARAM Retrieves the state of certain buttons from the specified WPARAM value.
GetActiveWindow Retrieves the window handle to the active window attached to the calling thread's message queue.
GetAsyncKeyState Determines whether a key is up or down at the time the function is called, and whether the key was pressed after a previous call to GetAsyncKeyState.
GetCapture Retrieves a handle to the window (if any) that has captured the mouse. Only one window at a time can capture the mouse; this window receives mouse input whether or not the cursor is within its borders.
GetDoubleClickTime Retrieves the current double-click time for the mouse.
GetFocus Retrieves the handle to the window that has the keyboard focus, if the window is attached to the calling thread's message queue.
GetKBCodePage Retrieves the current code page.
GetKeyboardLayout Retrieves the active input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout).
GetKeyboardLayoutList Retrieves the input locale identifiers (formerly called keyboard layout handles) corresponding to the current set of input locales in the system. The function copies the identifiers to the specified buffer.
GetKeyboardLayoutNameA Retrieves the name of the active input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) for the calling thread. (ANSI)
GetKeyboardLayoutNameW Retrieves the name of the active input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) for the calling thread. (Unicode)
GetKeyboardState Copies the status of the 256 virtual keys to the specified buffer.
GetKeyboardType Retrieves information about the current keyboard.
GetKeyNameTextA Retrieves a string that represents the name of a key. (ANSI)
GetKeyNameTextW Retrieves a string that represents the name of a key. (Unicode)
GetKeyState Retrieves the status of the specified virtual key. The status specifies whether the key is up, down, or toggled (on, off�alternating each time the key is pressed).
GetLastInputInfo Retrieves the time of the last input event.
GetMouseMovePointsEx Retrieves a history of up to 64 previous coordinates of the mouse or pen.
GetRawInputBuffer Performs a buffered read of the raw input data.
GetRawInputData Retrieves the raw input from the specified device.
GetRawInputDeviceInfoA Retrieves information about the raw input device. (ANSI)
GetRawInputDeviceInfoW Retrieves information about the raw input device. (Unicode)
GetRawInputDeviceList Enumerates the raw input devices attached to the system.
GetRegisteredRawInputDevices Retrieves the information about the raw input devices for the current application.
IsWindowEnabled Determines whether the specified window is enabled for mouse and keyboard input.
keybd_event Synthesizes a keystroke.
LoadKeyboardLayoutA Loads a new input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) into the system. (ANSI)
LoadKeyboardLayoutW Loads a new input locale identifier (formerly called the keyboard layout) into the system. (Unicode)
MapVirtualKeyA Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code into a virtual-key code. (ANSI)
MapVirtualKeyExA Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code into a virtual-key code. The function translates the codes using the input language and an input locale identifier. (ANSI)
MapVirtualKeyExW Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code into a virtual-key code. The function translates the codes using the input language and an input locale identifier. (Unicode)
MapVirtualKeyW Translates (maps) a virtual-key code into a scan code or character value, or translates a scan code into a virtual-key code. (Unicode)
mouse_event The mouse_event function synthesizes mouse motion and button clicks.
NEXTRAWINPUTBLOCK Retrieves the location of the next structure in an array of RAWINPUT structures.
OemKeyScan Maps OEMASCII codes 0 through 0x0FF into the OEM scan codes and shift states. The function provides information that allows a program to send OEM text to another program by simulating keyboard input.
RegisterForTooltipDismissNotification Lets apps or UI frameworks register and unregister windows to receive notification to dismiss their tooltip windows.
RegisterHotKey Defines a system-wide hot key.
RegisterRawInputDevices Registers the devices that supply the raw input data.
ReleaseCapture Releases the mouse capture from a window in the current thread and restores normal mouse input processing.
SendInput Synthesizes keystrokes, mouse motions, and button clicks.
SetActiveWindow Activates a window. The window must be attached to the calling thread's message queue.
SetCapture Sets the mouse capture to the specified window belonging to the current thread.
SetDoubleClickTime Sets the double-click time for the mouse.
SetFocus Sets the keyboard focus to the specified window. The window must be attached to the calling thread's message queue.
SetKeyboardState Copies an array of keyboard key states into the calling thread's keyboard input-state table. This is the same table accessed by the GetKeyboardState and GetKeyState functions. Changes made to this table do not affect keyboard input to any other thread.
SwapMouseButton Reverses or restores the meaning of the left and right mouse buttons.
ToAscii Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding character or characters.
ToAsciiEx Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding character or characters. The function translates the code using the input language and physical keyboard layout identified by the input locale identifier.
ToUnicode Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding Unicode character or characters. (ToUnicode)
ToUnicodeEx Translates the specified virtual-key code and keyboard state to the corresponding Unicode character or characters. (ToUnicodeEx)
TrackMouseEvent Posts messages when the mouse pointer leaves a window or hovers over a window for a specified amount of time.
UnloadKeyboardLayout Unloads an input locale identifier (formerly called a keyboard layout).
UnregisterHotKey Frees a hot key previously registered by the calling thread.
VkKeyScanA Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state for the current keyboard. (ANSI)
VkKeyScanExA Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state. The function translates the character using the input language and physical keyboard layout identified by the input locale identifier. (ANSI)
VkKeyScanExW Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state. The function translates the character using the input language and physical keyboard layout identified by the input locale identifier. (Unicode)
VkKeyScanW Translates a character to the corresponding virtual-key code and shift state for the current keyboard. (Unicode)

Structures

HARDWAREINPUT Contains information about a simulated message generated by an input device other than a keyboard or mouse.
INPUT Used by SendInput to store information for synthesizing input events such as keystrokes, mouse movement, and mouse clicks.
KEYBDINPUT Contains information about a simulated keyboard event.
LASTINPUTINFO Contains the time of the last input.
MOUSEINPUT Contains information about a simulated mouse event.
MOUSEMOVEPOINT Contains information about the mouse's location in screen coordinates.
RAWHID Describes the format of the raw input from a Human Interface Device (HID).
RAWINPUT Contains the raw input from a device.
RAWINPUTDEVICE Defines information for the raw input devices.
RAWINPUTDEVICELIST Contains information about a raw input device.
RAWINPUTHEADER Contains the header information that is part of the raw input data.
RAWKEYBOARD Contains information about the state of the keyboard.
RAWMOUSE Contains information about the state of the mouse.
RID_DEVICE_INFO Defines the raw input data coming from any device.
RID_DEVICE_INFO_HID Defines the raw input data coming from the specified Human Interface Device (HID).
RID_DEVICE_INFO_KEYBOARD Defines the raw input data coming from the specified keyboard.
RID_DEVICE_INFO_MOUSE Defines the raw input data coming from the specified mouse.
TRACKMOUSEEVENT Used by the TrackMouseEvent function to track when the mouse pointer leaves a window or hovers over a window for a specified amount of time.