XL97: Application.SendKeys Does Not Wait for Key Processing (160219)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0c
This article was previously published under Q160219

SYMPTOMS

When you use the SendKeys method to send keystrokes to the active application, and you specify True for the Wait argument so that the keystrokes are processed before control is returned to the macro, the macro continues without waiting for the keystrokes to be processed.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you use the Sendkeys method for the Microsoft Excel Application object instead of the Visual Basic for Applications Sendkeys statement.

RESOLUTION

If you require that the keystrokes be processed before control is returned to your macro, use the Visual Basic for Application SendKeys statement.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

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http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

When you set the Wait argument to True using either of these functions, you expect Microsoft Excel to wait for the keys to be processed before returning control to the macro.

When the following Visual Basic for Applications SendKeys statement is executed, the {Enter} keystroke command is processed before the next line in the macro is executed: 
   SendKeys String:="{Enter}", Wait:=True
However, when the Sendkeys method of the Application object is executed, the {Enter} keystroke command is NOT processed before the next line in the macro is executed: 
   Application.SendKeys Keys:="{Enter}", Wait:=True
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/11/2006
Keywords:kbdtacode kbProgramming KB160219
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