SendKeys Statement

Sends one or more keystrokes to the active window as if typed at the keyboard.

Syntax

SendKeys string [, wait]

Parts

• string: Required. String expression specifying the keystrokes to send.
• wait: Optional. Boolean value specifying the wait mode. If True, Visual Basic waits for the keystrokes to be processed before returning control to the calling procedure. If False (default), control returns immediately after the keys are sent.

Remarks

• Active Window: SendKeys sends keystrokes to the currently active window. Your application must activate the target window before using SendKeys.
• Keystroke Representation: Each key is represented by one or more characters. To specify a single keyboard character, use the character itself (e.g., "A" sends the letter A).
• Multiple Characters: To send a string of characters, concatenate them (e.g., "Hello" sends H, e, l, l, o in sequence).
• Special Keys: Some keys have special representations enclosed in braces (e.g., {ENTER}, {TAB}, {ESC}).
• Wait Parameter: Setting wait to True ensures that keystrokes are processed before your code continues. This is useful when you need to wait for an application to respond.
• Focus Issues: If the target application doesn't have focus when SendKeys executes, the keystrokes may be sent to the wrong application.
• AppActivate: Use AppActivate to activate the target window before calling SendKeys.

Special Key Codes

Modifier Keys

To specify modifier keys with regular keys, enclose the regular keys in parentheses: - "+{F1}" sends SHIFT+F1 - "^(ec)" sends CTRL+E followed by CTRL+C - "%(FA)" sends ALT+F followed by ALT+A

Repeating Keys

To repeat a key, use the format {key number}: - "{RIGHT 10}" sends RIGHT arrow 10 times - "{TAB 5}" sends TAB 5 times

Examples

Send Simple Text

SendKeys "Hello World"

Send Text with Enter Key

SendKeys "Username{TAB}Password{ENTER}"

Activate Window and Send Keys

AppActivate "Notepad"
SendKeys "Hello from VB6{ENTER}", True

Send Alt+F4 to Close Window

SendKeys "%{F4}"  ' ALT+F4

Send Ctrl+C to Copy

SendKeys "^c"  ' CTRL+C

Send Multiple Keys with Wait

SendKeys "{DOWN}{DOWN}{ENTER}", True

Fill Form Fields

AppActivate "Data Entry Form"
SendKeys "John Doe{TAB}123 Main St{TAB}555-1234{ENTER}", True

Send Function Keys

SendKeys "{F1}"    ' Help key
SendKeys "{F5}"    ' Refresh
SendKeys "+{F10}"  ' SHIFT+F10 (context menu)

Repeat Keys

SendKeys "{RIGHT 5}"    ' Move right 5 times
SendKeys "{DOWN 10}"    ' Move down 10 times
SendKeys "{BACKSPACE 3}" ' Delete 3 characters

Send Key Combinations

SendKeys "^a"       ' CTRL+A (Select All)
SendKeys "^c"       ' CTRL+C (Copy)
SendKeys "^v"       ' CTRL+V (Paste)
SendKeys "^s"       ' CTRL+S (Save)

Navigate Menus

AppActivate "Microsoft Word"
SendKeys "%f", True  ' ALT+F (File menu)
SendKeys "s", True   ' S (Save)

Send Special Characters

SendKeys "Test {+} Addition"  ' Sends: Test + Addition
SendKeys "Test {^} Power"     ' Sends: Test ^ Power
SendKeys "Test {% } Percent"  ' Sends: Test % Percent

Important Notes

• Timing: SendKeys is not always reliable for complex automation. Consider using API calls or UI automation libraries for critical tasks.
• Focus Management: Always ensure the target window has focus before sending keys.
• Wait Parameter: Use True for the wait parameter when you need synchronous operation.
• Case Sensitivity: To send uppercase letters, use the SHIFT modifier: "+abc" sends uppercase ABC.
• Reserved Characters: To send +, ^, %, ~, or {}, enclose them in braces: {+}, {^}, {%}, {~}, {{}, {}}.
• Limitations: SendKeys doesn't work with applications that directly process keyboard input at a low level.
• Error Handling: If the target application is busy or unresponsive, SendKeys may fail silently or send keys to the wrong window.

Common Errors

• Error 5: Invalid procedure call - occurs if string contains invalid key codes
• Keys sent to wrong application if focus isn't properly managed
• Timing issues when wait is False and subsequent code depends on keystrokes being processed

Best Practices

• Always use AppActivate before SendKeys to ensure the correct window receives the keystrokes
• Use the wait parameter (True) when the next operation depends on the keystrokes being processed
• Add delays (DoEvents or Sleep) between SendKeys calls for complex sequences
• Test thoroughly as SendKeys behavior can vary across different applications and Windows versions
• Consider alternatives like Windows API or UI Automation for production applications

See Also

• AppActivate statement (activate an application window)
• DoEvents function (yield execution to allow events to be processed)
• Shell function (run executable programs)

References

• SendKeys Statement - Microsoft Docs