SendKeys Method

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Sends one or more keystrokes to the active window (as if typed on the keyboard).
Arguments
object
WshShell object.
string
String value indicating the keystroke(s) you want to send.
Remarks
Use the SendKeys method to send keystrokes to applications that have no automation interface. Most keyboard characters
are represented by a single keystroke. Some keyboard characters are made up of combinations of keystrokes
(CTRL+SHIFT+HOME, for example). To send a single keyboard character, send the character itself as the string argument. For
example, to send the letter x, send the string argument "x".
Note:
To send a space, send the string " ".
You can use SendKeys to send more than one keystroke at a time. To do this, create a compound string argument that
represents a sequence of keystrokes by appending each keystroke in the sequence to the one before it. For example, to
send the keystrokes a, b, and c, you would send the string argument "abc". The SendKeys method uses some characters as
modifiers of characters (instead of using their face-values). This set of special characters consists of parentheses, brackets,
braces, and the:
plus sign "+",
caret "^",
percent sign "%",
and tilde "~"
Send these characters by enclosing them within braces "{}". For example, to send the plus sign, send the string argument
"{+}". Brackets "[ ]" have no special meaning when used with SendKeys, but you must enclose them within braces to
accommodate applications that do give them a special meaning (for dynamic data exchange (DDE) for example).
To send bracket characters, send the string argument "{[}" for the left bracket and "{]}" for the right one.
obj ect . SendKeys( st r i ng)
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To send brace characters, send the string argument "{{}" for the left brace and "{}}" for the right one.
Some keystrokes do not generate characters (such as ENTER and TAB). Some keystrokes represent actions (such as
BACKSPACE and BREAK). To send these kinds of keystrokes, send the arguments shown in the following table:
Key Argument
BACKSPACE {BACKSPACE}, {BS}, or {BKSP}
BREAK {BREAK}
CAPS LOCK {CAPSLOCK}
DEL or DELETE {DELETE}or {DEL}
DOWN ARROW {DOWN}
END {END}
ENTER {ENTER}or ~
ESC {ESC}
HELP {HELP}
HOME {HOME}
INS or INSERT {INSERT}or {INS}
LEFT ARROW {LEFT}
NUM LOCK {NUMLOCK}
PAGE DOWN {PGDN}
PAGE UP {PGUP}
PRINT SCREEN {PRTSC}
RIGHT ARROW {RIGHT}
SCROLL LOCK {SCROLLLOCK}
TAB {TAB}
UP ARROW {UP}
F1 {F1}
F2 {F2}
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F3 {F3}
F4 {F4}
F5 {F5}
F6 {F6}
F7 {F7}
F8 {F8}
F9 {F9}
F10 {F10}
F11 {F11}
F12 {F12}
F13 {F13}
F14 {F14}
F15 {F15}
F16 {F16}
To send keyboard characters that are comprised of a regular keystroke in combination with a SHIFT, CTRL, or ALT, create a
compound string argument that represents the keystroke combination. You do this by preceding the regular keystroke with
one or more of the following special characters:
Key Special Character
SHIFT +
CTRL ^
ALT %
Note:
When used this way, these special characters are not enclosed within a set of braces.
To specify that a combination of SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT should be held down while several other keys are pressed, create a
compound string argument with the modified keystrokes enclosed in parentheses. For example, to send the keystroke
combination that specifies that the SHIFT key is held down while:
e and c are pressed, send the string argument "+(ec)".
e is pressed, followed by a lone c (with no SHIFT), send the string argument "+ec".
You can use the SendKeys method to send a pattern of keystrokes that consists of a single keystroke pressed several times
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in a row. To do this, create a compound string argument that specifies the keystroke you want to repeat, followed by the
number of times you want it repeated. You do this using a compound string argument of the form {keystroke number}. For
example, to send the letter "x" ten times, you would send the string argument "{x 10}". Be sure to include a space between
keystroke and number.
Note:
The only keystroke pattern you can send is the kind that is comprised of a single keystroke pressed several times. For
example, you can send "x" ten times, but you cannot do the same for "Ctrl+x".
Note:
You cannot send the PRINT SCREEN key {PRTSC}to an application.
Example
Description
The following example demonstrates the use of a single .wsf file for two jobs in different script languages (VBScript and
JScript). Each job runs the Windows calculator and sends it keystrokes to execute a simple calculation.
<package>
<j ob i d="vbs">
<scr i pt l anguage="VBScr i pt ">
set WshShel l = WScr i pt . Cr eat eObj ect ( "WScri pt . Shel l ")
WshShel l . Run "cal c"
WScr i pt . Sl eep 100
WshShel l . AppAct i vat e "Cal cul at or "
WScr i pt . Sl eep 100
WshShel l . SendKeys "1{+}"
WScr i pt . Sl eep 500
WshShel l . SendKeys "2"
WScr i pt . Sl eep 500
WshShel l . SendKeys "~"
WScr i pt . Sl eep 500
WshShel l . SendKeys "*3"
WScr i pt . Sl eep 500
WshShel l . SendKeys "~"
WScr i pt . Sl eep 2500
</ scr i pt >
</ j ob>
<j ob i d="j s">
<scr i pt l anguage="J Scr i pt ">
var WshShel l = WScr i pt . Cr eat eObj ect ( "WScri pt . Shel l ") ;
WshShel l . Run( "cal c") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 100) ;
WshShel l . AppAct i vat e( "Cal cul at or ") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 100) ;
WshShel l . SendKeys ( "1{+}") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 500) ;
WshShel l . SendKeys( "2") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 500) ;
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Community Additions
Applies To:
WshShell Object
See Also
Reference
Run Method (Windows Script Host)
2014 Microsoft
WshShel l . SendKeys( "~") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 500) ;
WshShel l . SendKeys( "*3") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 500) ;
WshShel l . SendKeys( "~") ;
WScr i pt . Sl eep( 2500) ;
</ scr i pt >
</ j ob>
</ package>
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