# Virtual Key Symbolic Names

> [HTML Version](virtualkeysymbolicnames.htm)

The Virtual Key Symbolic Names provide a convenient notation for specifying certain control characters to be transmitted into the input buffer in response to a click event on the control; See the CONTROL class _cmd_ parameter, the XTREE _XTR.kbdstr_, the XTEXT _TXC.kbdstr_, etc.) The names all start with VK\_ followed by the name of the key as it relates to the keyboard. The names in the table below can also be altered to indicate the SHIFT or CONTROL version by inserting a “^” and/or lower case “s” after the underscore. For example, “VK\_^UP refers to the keystroke Control-Up Arrow, “VK\_sDOWN” refers to Shift-Down Arrow, and “VK\_^sF2” refers to Control-Shift-F2. 

Note that the Virtual Key Symbolic Names can optionally be enclosed in percentage signs ("%"), e.g. "%VK\_RIGHT%", which act only as syntax delimiters. Such delimiters would be unnecessary and superfluous in most cases, except in the case where multiple Virtual Key Symbolic Names are being combined. For example, to encode the sequence TAB followed by ENTER, you would need to use the format "%VK\_TAB%%VK\_ENTER%", since "VK\_TABVK\_ENTER" would not be properly recognized.

| **Virtual Key** | **Meaning** |
|------|------|
| VK\_BACK | Backspace |
| VK\_DECIMAL | Decimal point on numeric keypad |
| VK\_DELETE | Delete key |
| VK\_DOWN | Down arrow |
| VK\_DIV | Forward slash ( "/" ) on the numeric keypad |
| VK\_END | End key |
| VK\_ENTER | Enter key (same as VK\_RETURN) |
| VK\_ESCAPE | Escape key |
| VK\_HOME | Home key |
| VK\_INSERT | Insert key |
| VK\_LEFT | Left arrow |
| VK\_MINUS or VK\_SUB | Minus key on the numeric keypad |
| VK\_NEXT | Next Page or Page Down Key |
| VK\_PLUS or VK\_ADD | Plus key on the numeric keypad |
| VK\_PRIOR | Prev Page or Page Up Key |
| VK\_RETURN | Return key (same as VK\_ENTER) |
| VK\_RIGHT | Right arrow |
| VK\_TAB | Tab key |
| VK\_UP | Up arrow |
| VK\_F1 thru VK\_F12 | F1 thru F12 keys |
| VK\_x\{r,d\}F### | Extended virtual function key codes. See next topic. |
| ^x | Control x where "x" is any character A-Z or \[, /, \], ^, \_) |




**Subtopics**

- [VK\_x\{r,d\}F###](vk_x{rd}f.htm.md)