Programming Assistive Aids for Keyboard and Mouse Functions with SerialKeys (260727)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0

This article was previously published under Q260727

SUMMARY

This article describes the keys and mouse actions available through SerialKeys for programing an assistive aid. SerialKeys enables you to control the computer by using an alternate input device.

For additional information about setting up SerialKeys or programming an assistive aid, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260517 How to Set Up and Use SerialKeys in Windows

MORE INFORMATION

Before you program all of the keys and mouse actions into the aid, you should decide how to lay out the selections on the aid. Look at the number of different keys you might want to have (see the following table). You may want mouse movements also. If the aid stores vocabulary in levels, decide whether you want keyboard and mouse actions on separate levels in the aid. If the aid uses combinations of symbols to store vocabulary, decide which combinations you want to use for keyboard and mouse functions.

The following table lists character sequences you send from the aid to simulate the individual keyboard keys. In some cases, there are several character sequences that all simulate the same key. In this table, the term "p/r" indicates a key being pressed and immediately released. "Toggled" indicates that a key such as CAPS LOCK will be turned on if currently off, or turned off if currently on. "Pressed down" indicates that the key will be pressed and remain held down during the next key simulated.

Key name Command code Send from aid Action(s)
ALT alt [esc],hold,alt. alternate (ALT) key pressed down
BACKSPACE backspace
bksp
[esc]backspace.
[esc]bksp.
BACKSPACE key p/r
CAPS LOCK capslk
capslock
[esc]capslk.
[esc]capslock.
CAPS LOCK key toggled
COMMA comma [esc]comma. COMMA key p/r
CTRL control
ctrl
[esc],hold,control.
[esc],hold,ctrl.
CTRL key pressed down
DEL del [esc]del. numeric pad DEL key p/r, "." or "del"
DELETE delete [esc]delete. DELETE key p/r
DIVIDE divide [esc]divide. DIVIDE key p/r, "/"
DOWN ARROW down [esc]down. DOWN ARROW key p/r
END end [esc]end. END key p/r
ENTER enter [esc]enter. ENTER or RETURN key p/r
ESC esc
escape
[esc]esc.
[esc]escape.
ESCAPE key p/r
F1 f1 [esc]f1. function 1 key p/r
F2 f2 [esc]f2. function 2 key p/r
F3 f3 [esc]f3. function 3 key p/r
F4 f4 [esc]f4. function 4 key p/r
F5 f5 [esc]f5. function 5 key p/r
F6 f6 [esc]f6. function 6 key p/r
F7 f7 [esc]f7. function 7 key p/r
F8 f8 [esc]f8. function 8 key p/r
F9 f9 [esc]f9. function 9 key p/r
F10 f10 [esc]f10. function 10 key p/r
F11 f11 [esc]f11. function 11 key p/r
F12 f12 [esc]f12. function 12 key p/r
HOME home [esc]home. HOME key p/r
INS ins [esc]ins. numeric pad INS key p/r, "0" or "ins"
INSERT insert [esc]insert. INSERT key toggled
numeric pad STAR kp*
kpstar
kptimes
[esc]kp*.
[esc]kpstar.
[esc]kptimes.
numeric pad STAR key p/r, "*"
numeric pad PLUS kp+
kpplus
[esc]kp+.
[esc]kpplus.
numeric pad PLUS key p/r, "+"
numeric pad MINUS kp-
kpminus
[esc]kp-.
[esc]kpminus.
numeric pad MINUS key p/r, "-"
numeric pad DIVIDE kp/
kpdivide
kpslash
[esc]kp/.
[esc]kpdivide.
[esc]kpslash.
numeric pad DIVIDE key p/r, "/"
numeric pad 0 kp0
kpins
kpinsert
[esc]kp0.
[esc]kpins.
[esc]kpinsert.
numeric pad 0 key p/r, "0" or "INS"
numeric pad 1 kp1
kpend
[esc]kp1.
[esc]kpend.
numeric pad 1 key p/r, "1" or "END"
numeric pad 2 kp2
kpdown
[esc]kp2.
[esc]kpdown.
numeric pad 2 key p/r, "2" or "DOWN ARROW"
numeric pad 3 kp3
kppagedown
kppgdn
[esc]kp3.
[esc]kppagedown.
[esc]kppgdn.
numeric pad 3 key p/r, "3" or "PGDN"
numeric pad 4 kp4
kpleft
[esc]kp4.
[esc]kpleft.
numeric pad 4 key p/r, "4" or "LEFT ARROW"
numeric pad 5 kpmidl
kp5
[esc]kpmidl.
[esc]kp5.
numeric pad 5 key p/r, "5"
numeric pad 6 kp6 kpright [esc]kp6.
[esc]kpright.
numeric pad 6 key p/r, "6" or "RIGHT ARROW"
numeric pad 7 kp7
kphome
[esc]kp7.
[esc]kphome.
numeric pad 7 key p/r, "7" or "HOME"
numeric pad 8 kp8
kpup
[esc]kp8.
[esc]kpup.
numeric pad 8 key p/r, "8" or "UP ARROW"
numeric pad 9 kp9
kppageup
kppgup
[esc]kp9.
[esc]kppageup.
[esc]kppgup.
numeric pad 9 key p/r, "9" or "PGUP"
numeric pad . kpdel
kpdelete
kpdp
[esc]kpdel.
[esc]kpdelete.
[esc]kpdp.
numeric pad . key p/r, "." or "DELETE"
numeric pad enter kpenter [esc]kpenter. numeric pad ENTER key p/r
left ALT key lalt
leftalt
[esc],hold,lalt.
[esc],hold,leftalt.
left alternate key pressed down
left CTRL key lcontrol
lctrl
leftcontrol
leftctrl
[esc],hold,lcontrol.
[esc],hold,lctrl.
[esc],hold,leftcontrol.
[esc],hold,leftctrl.
left control key pressed down
LEFT ARROW key left [esc]left. LEFT ARROW key p/r
left SHIFT key leftshift
lshift
[esc],hold,leftshift.
[esc],hold,lshift.
left SHIFT key pressed down
* key multiply [esc]multiply. STAR key p/r, "*"
NUM LOCK key numlk
NUM LOCK
[esc]numlk.
[esc]numlock.
NUM LOCK key toggled
PAGE DOWN key PAGE DOWN
PGDN
[esc]pagedown.
[esc]pgdn.
PAGE DOWN key p/r
PAGE UP key PAGE UP
PGUP
[esc]pageup.
[esc]pgup.
PAGE UP key p/r
PERIOD key PERIOD [esc]period. PERIOD key p/r, "."
right ALT key ralt
rightalt
[esc],hold,ralt.
[esc],hold,rightalt.
right alternate key pressed down
right CTRL key rcontrol
rctrl
rightcontrol
rightctrl
[esc],hold,rcontrol.
[esc],hold,rctrl.
[esc],hold,rightcontrol.
[esc],hold,rightctrl.
right control key pressed down
return or ENTER key ret
return
[esc]ret.
[esc]return.
return or ENTER key p/r
RIGHT ARROW key right [esc]right. RIGHT ARROW key p/r
right SHIFT key right SHIFT
rshift
[esc],hold,rightshift.
[esc],hold,rshift.
right SHIFT key pressed down
SCROLL LOCK key scroll
scrolllock
[esc]scroll.
[esc]scrolllock.
SCROLL LOCK key toggled
SHIFT key shift [esc],hold,shift. SHIFT key pressed down
SPACEBAR key space [esc]space. SPACEBAR key p/r
TAB key tab [esc]tab. TAB key p/r
TILDE key tilde [esc]tilde. TILDE key p/r, "`"
UP ARROW key up [esc]up. UP ARROW key p/r


This information is excerpted from the Customizing Windows for Individuals with Disabilities series of documents. For additional information on customizing different versions of Windows for people with disabilities, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

165486 Customizing Windows for Individuals with Disabilities


Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:12/20/2004
Keywords:kbenable kbEnableMove kbinfo KB260727