Standard Keyboard Interface - Win32 Programmer's Reference

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Standard Keyboard Interface

Windows is designed to work with or without a mouse or other pointing device. Because Windows provides a standard keyboard interface, the user can use the keyboard to select menu items. This keyboard interface does not need special code. An application receives a command message whether the user selects a menu item through the keyboard or by using a mouse. The standard keyboard interface processes the following keystrokes.

Keystroke	Action
Alphabetic character	Selects the first menu item with the specified character as its access key. If the selected item invokes a menu, the menu is displayed and the first item is highlighted. Otherwise, the menu item is chosen.
ALT	Toggles in and out of menu bar mode.
ALT+SPACEBAR	Displays the window menu.
ENTER	Activates a menu and selects the first menu item if an item has a menu associated with it. Otherwise, this keystroke chooses the item as if the user released the mouse button while the item was selected.
ESC	Exits menu mode.
LEFT ARROW	Cycles to the previous top-level menu item. Top-level menu items include menu names and the window menu. If the selected item is in a menu, the previous column in the menu is selected or the previous top-level menu item is selected.
RIGHT ARROW	Works like the LEFT ARROW key, except in the opposite direction. In menus, this keystroke moves forward one column; when the currently selected item is in the far-right column, the next menu is selected.
UP or DOWN ARROWS	Activates a menu when pressed in a menu name. When pressed in a menu, the UP ARROW keystroke selects the previous item; the DOWN ARROW keystroke selects the next item.

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