onkeydown event
Fires when the user presses a key.
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Syntax
| HTML Attribute | <element onkeydown = "handler(event)"> |
| Event Property | object.onkeydown = handler; |
| attachEvent Method | object.attachEvent("onkeydown", handler) |
| addEventListener Method | object.addEventListener("keydown", handler, useCapture) |
Event information
| Synchronous | No |
| Bubbles | Yes |
| Cancelable | Yes |
Event handler parameters
- pEvtObj [in]
Type: IHTMLEventObj
Standards information
- HTML 4.01 Specification, Section 18.2.3
Remarks
You can cancel all keys that fire the HTMLControlElementEvents::onkeydown event in HTML Applications, including most accelerator keys, such as ALT+F4.
As of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, the event also fires for the following keys:
- Editing: BACKSPACE
- Navigation: PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN
- System: SHIFT+TAB
As of Internet Explorer 5, this event can be canceled for the following keys and key combinations by specifying event.returnValue=false:
- Editing: BACKSPACE, DELETE
- Letters: A - Z (uppercase and lowercase)
- Navigation: PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, END, HOME, LEFT ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW
- Numerals: 0 - 9
- Symbols: ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ - + = < [ ] { } , . / ? \ | ' ` " ~
- System: SPACEBAR, ESC, TAB, SHIFT+TAB
As of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, the HTMLControlElementEvents::onkeydown event fires for the following keys:
- Editing: DELETE, INSERT
- Function: F1 - F12
- Letters: A - Z (uppercase and lowercase)
- Navigation: HOME, END, LEFT ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW
- Numerals: 0 - 9
- Symbols: ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ - + = < [ ] { } , . / ? \ | ' ` " ~
- System: ESC, SPACEBAR, SHIFT, TAB
In Internet Explorer 4.0, you cannot cancel the HTMLControlElementEvents::onkeydown event, but you can use the HTMLControlElementEvents::onkeypress event to cancel keyboard events.
Returns a number specifying the IHTMLEventObj::keyCode of the key that was pressed.
To invoke this event, do one of the following:
- Press any keyboard key.