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WM_KEYDOWN message

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Posted to the window with the keyboard focus when a nonsystem key is pressed. A nonsystem key is a key that is pressed when the ALT key is not pressed.

C++ 
#define WM_KEYDOWN                      0x0100

Parameters

wParam

The virtual-key code of the nonsystem key. See Virtual-Key Codes.

lParam

The repeat count, scan code, extended-key flag, context code, previous key-state flag, and transition-state flag, as shown following.

Bits Meaning
0-15 The repeat count for the current message. The value is the number of times the keystroke is autorepeated as a result of the user holding down the key. If the keystroke is held long enough, multiple messages are sent. However, the repeat count is not cumulative.
16-23 The scan code. The value depends on the OEM.
24 Indicates whether the key is an extended key, such as the right-hand ALT and CTRL keys that appear on an enhanced 101- or 102-key keyboard. The value is 1 if it is an extended key; otherwise, it is 0.
25-28 Reserved; do not use.
29 The context code. The value is always 0 for a WM_KEYDOWN message.
30 The previous key state. The value is 1 if the key is down before the message is sent, or it is zero if the key is up.
31 The transition state. The value is always 0 for a WM_KEYDOWN message.

For more detail, see Keystroke Message Flags.

Return value

An application should return zero if it processes this message.

Example

C++ 
LRESULT CALLBACK HostWndProc(HWND hWnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
{
    switch (message) 
    {
    case WM_KEYDOWN:
        if (wParam == VK_ESCAPE)
        {
            if (isFullScreen) 
            {
                GoPartialScreen();
            }
        }
        break;

    // ...
    default:
        return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
    }
    return 0;  
}

Example from Windows Classic Samples on GitHub.

Remarks

If the F10 key is pressed, the DefWindowProc function sets an internal flag. When DefWindowProc receives the WM_KEYUP message, the function checks whether the internal flag is set and, if so, sends a WM_SYSCOMMAND message to the top-level window. The WM_SYSCOMMAND parameter of the message is set to SC_KEYMENU.

Because of the autorepeat feature, more than one WM_KEYDOWN message may be posted before a WM_KEYUP message is posted. The previous key state (bit 30) can be used to determine whether the WM_KEYDOWN message indicates the first down transition or a repeated down transition.

For enhanced 101- and 102-key keyboards, extended keys are the right ALT and CTRL keys on the main section of the keyboard; the INS, DEL, HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, and arrow keys in the clusters to the left of the numeric keypad; and the divide (/) and ENTER keys in the numeric keypad. Other keyboards may support the extended-key bit in the lParam parameter.

Applications must pass wParam to TranslateMessage without altering it at all.

Requirements

Requirement Value
Minimum supported client
 Windows 2000 Professional [desktop apps only]
Minimum supported server
 Windows 2000 Server [desktop apps only]
Header
Winuser.h (include Windows.h)

See also