INDEPENDENT SENDKEYS for Microsoft VBA

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This utility is a tiny Microsoft® Windows® application of only one file, the SendKeys.exe, that can be executed with arguments in the command line to send keystrokes to other application window running on the Windows in an independent way (simulating multithreading in the calling code) with options to control the start, the throughout and the end of the sending.

It’s interesting to be called from codes of any only one thread language like the Microsoft Visual Basic® for Application (VBA) in Microsof Office where built-in Sendkeys statement can’t offer an adequate control to be called from determined positions of a procedure. It’s also interesting to be called from the dialog box of Windows Run command, from Windows Shortcuts, and from scripts that haven’t SendKeys statement like command lines in Windows console (CMD batch file, DOS BAT).

Following items in this page:

Features

Download

Complete Syntax of the String to Send

Extra VBA Additional Key Codes

Features:

- Can be defined a wait in seconds before to start the keystroke sending

- Can be defined a wait in seconds to give up, if the target windows aren't found

- The target window can be the active windows or one with defined title

- The syntax of the string to be sent is the same of the VBA Sendkeys statement with some additional key codes not existent in VBA for:

1 - Print Screen keys

2 - Pauses between sent keys

3 - Keypad keys

4 - Logoff, restart or shutdown the system

5 - Send API virtual keys by their decimal codes

- Runs in silence and, optionally, until without fail alert

- Can register the execution end saving a log file (Sendkeys.log) in the disk that can be used for synchronization

- Can be realized simultaneous instances and keys can be sent to more of one window simultaneously

- Running SendKeys.exe without arguments, it shows a dialog with a quick help, a command to test and other command for more detail help

Syntax:

Path\SendKeys.exe Arg1 Arg2 Arg3 Arg4 [Arg5]
Arguments are separated by spaces and Arg5 is optional.

Arg1 - Wait in seconds or fractions before starting to send keys (This waiting count only starts when the target window is found and activated)

Arg2 - Wait in seconds to give up, if the target window isn't found

Arg3 - String of target window title (See Note1 and 2)

Arg4 - String with keys to be sent (See Note1 and 3 )

Arg5 - Optional: 1 - Run in silence without fail alert; 2 - Save a log file (Sendkeys.log) on the disk to mark the execution end and which can be used to synchronize thus: the calling code first deletes this log file, sends the keys, and pauses in a check loop until it is created again to then continue.

Note1: Quotation marks are necessary, if there is space in the string.

Note2: In place of the window title you can use too the number returned by Shell function. Empty title (Quotation marks without text) sends keys to the active window.

Note3: To send special keys, see VBA help for the Sendkeys statement.  See Complete Syntax of the String to Send.

Examples:

1 - In VBA, you use the Shell function as in the below test code:

Sub Test()
    Dim Ret
    Shell "Notepad.exe", vbNormalFocus
    Ret = Shell("Path\SendKeys.exe 1 10 ""Untitled - Notepad"" ""Hello!~{PAUSE}After of 1s.~{PAUSE 2}After of 3s.~""", vbNormalFocus)
End Sub

2 - In the Windows console, in Windows shortcuts, in DOS BAT, or in the dialog box of Windows Run command, it can be something like:

SendKeys.exe 1 10 "Untitled - Notepad" "Hello!~{PAUSE}After of 1s.~{PAUSE 2}After of 3s.~"

Complete Syntax of the String to Send:

Each key is represented by one or more characters. To specify a single keyboard character, use the character itself. For example, to represent the letter A, use "A" for string. To represent more than one character, append each additional character to the one preceding it. To represent the letters A, B, and C, use "ABC" for string.

The plus sign (+), caret (^), percent sign (%), tilde (~), and parentheses ( ) have special meanings to SendKeys. To specify one of these characters, enclose it within braces ({}). For example, to specify the plus sign, use {+}. Brackets ([ ]) have no special meaning to SendKeys, but you must enclose them in braces. In other applications, brackets do have a special meaning that may be significant when dynamic data exchange (DDE) occurs. To specify brace characters, use {{} and {}}.

To specify characters that aren't displayed when you press a key, such as ENTER or TAB, and keys that represent actions rather than characters, use the codes shown below:

To specify keys combined with any combination of the SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys, precede the key code with one or more of the following codes:

To specify that any combination of SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT should be held down while several other keys are pressed, enclose the code for those keys in parentheses. For example, to specify to hold down SHIFT while E and C are pressed, use "+(EC)". To specify to hold down SHIFT while E is pressed, followed by C without SHIFT, use "+EC".

To specify repeating keys, use the form {key number}. You must put a space between key and number. For example, {LEFT 42} means press the LEFT ARROW key 42 times; {h 10} means press H 10 times.

Notes:
1 - You can't use SendKeys to send keystrokes to an application that is not designed to run in Microsoft Windows.
2 - These standard VBA codes do not distinguish the SHIFT, CTRL and ALT control keys on the right side of the keyboard from the respective keys on the left side. However there are settings that these keys have custom functionality when, for example, using virtual machines, but Extra VBA Additional Key Codes described below allow to distinguish, see example 2 for the codes {VK nn} and {VK_nn}

Download:

Tested with Microsoft Office for Windows, versions 97 (See Note), 2000, 2002(XP), 2003, 2007, 2010 (32 and 64-bit), 2013 (32 and 64-bit), 2016 (32 and 64-bit), and 2019 (32 and 64-bit) in MSI-based and Click-To-Run installations of Office 365™ cloud-based services.

Download the English version here    You also can download from this mirror site    Last update: 12/23/2023 - 39.5kb     Freeware based in this License Agreement

Extra VBA Additional Key Codes:

These key codes, although they don’t exist in VBA, are also supported here:

With these codes {VK nn} and {VK_nn}, you can send any key or key combinations. Pressing a control button sending its {VK_nn} code, it will be pressed until its {VK nn} normal code is sent. For example:

1 - If you want to send the shortcut key composed by ‘Windows Button’ and the letter ‘R’, first send the ‘Windows Button’ key only downing, then the ‘R’ key, and finally the ‘Windows Button’ key normally to release it, like this: {VK_91}{VK 82}{VK 91}

2 - If you want to send the shortcut key composed of ALT on the left side of the keyboard and the letter ‘S’, first send that ALT key only downing, then the ‘S’ key, and finally the ALT key normally to release it, like this: {VK_164}{VK 83}{VK 164}

The table below was assembled from this vitual-key codes list in MSDN. It lists each of 254 possible decimal numbers for virtual keys with the corresponding physical keys already assigned by Microsoft.

Dec	Key	Code	Symbolic API Const	Hex
1	Left mouse button	{VK 1}	VK_LBUTTON	0x01
2	Right mouse button	{VK 2}	VK_RBUTTON	0x02
3	Control-break processing	{VK 3}	VK_CANCEL	0x03
4	Middle mouse button (three-button mouse)	{VK 4}	VK_MBUTTON	0x04
5	Windows 2000/XP: X1 mouse button	{VK 5}	VK_XBUTTON1	0x05
6	Windows 2000/XP: X2 mouse button	{VK 6}	VK_XBUTTON2	0x06
7	Undefined	{VK 7}		0x07
8	BACKSPACE key	{VK 8}	VK_BACK	0x08
9	TAB key	{VK 9}	VK_TAB	0x09
10	Reserved	{VK 10}		0x0A
11	Reserved	{VK 11}		0x0B
12	CLEAR key	{VK 12}	VK_CLEAR	0x0C
13	ENTER key	{VK 13}	VK_RETURN	0x0D
14	Undefined	{VK 14}		0x0E
15	Undefined	{VK 15}		0x0F
16	SHIFT key	{VK 16}	VK_SHIFT	0x10
17	CTRL key	{VK 17}	VK_CONTROL	0x11
18	ALT key	{VK 18}	VK_MENU	0x12
19	PAUSE key	{VK 19}	VK_PAUSE	0x13
20	CAPS LOCK key	{VK 20}	VK_CAPITAL	0x14
21	Input Method Editor (IME) Kana mode, Hanguel, or Hangul mode	{VK 21}	VK_KANA, VK_HANGUEL, VK_HANGUL	0x15
22	Undefined	{VK 22}		0x16
23	IME Junja mode	{VK 23}	VK_JUNJA	0x17
24	IME final mode	{VK 24}	VK_FINAL	0x18
25	IME Hanja mode, IME Kanji mode	{VK 25}	VK_HANJA, VK_KANJI	0x19
26	Undefined	{VK 26}		0x1A
27	ESC key	{VK 27}	VK_ESCAPE	0x1B
28	IME convert	{VK 28}	VK_CONVERT	0x1C
29	IME nonconvert	{VK 29}	VK_NONCONVERT	0x1D
30	IME accept	{VK 30}	VK_ACCEPT	0x1E
31	IME mode change request	{VK 31}	VK_MODECHANGE	0x1F
32	SPACEBAR	{VK 32}	VK_SPACE	0x20
33	PAGE UP key	{VK 33}	VK_PRIOR	0x21
34	PAGE DOWN key	{VK 34}	VK_NEXT	0x22
35	END key	{VK 35}	VK_END	0x23
36	HOME key	{VK 36}	VK_HOME	0x24
37	LEFT ARROW key	{VK 37}	VK_LEFT	0x25
38	UP ARROW key	{VK 38}	VK_UP	0x26
39	RIGHT ARROW key	{VK 39}	VK_RIGHT	0x27
40	DOWN ARROW key	{VK 40}	VK_DOWN	0x28
41	SELECT key	{VK 41}	VK_SELECT	0x29
42	PRINT key	{VK 42}	VK_PRINT	0x2A
43	EXECUTE key	{VK 43}	VK_EXECUTE	0x2B
44	PRINT SCREEN key	{VK 44}	VK_SNAPSHOT	0x2C
45	INS key	{VK 45}	VK_INSERT	0x2D
46	DEL key	{VK 46}	VK_DELETE	0x2E
47	HELP key	{VK 47}	VK_HELP	0x2F
48	0 key	{VK 48}		0x30
49	1 key	{VK 49}		0x31
50	2 key	{VK 50}		0x32
51	3 key	{VK 51}		0x33
52	4 key	{VK 52}		0x34
53	5 key	{VK 53}		0x35
54	6 key	{VK 54}		0x36
55	7 key	{VK 55}		0x37
56	8 key	{VK 56}		0x38
57	9 key	{VK 57}		0x39
58	Undefined	{VK 58}		0x3A
59	Undefined	{VK 59}		0x3B
60	Undefined	{VK 60}		0x3C
61	Undefined	{VK 61}		0x3D
62	Undefined	{VK 62}		0x3E
63	Undefined	{VK 63}		0x3F
64	Undefined	{VK 64}		0x40
65	A key	{VK 65}		0x41
66	B key	{VK 66}		0x42
67	C key	{VK 67}		0x43
68	D key	{VK 68}		0x44
69	E key	{VK 69}		0x45
70	F key	{VK 70}		0x46
71	G key	{VK 71}		0x47
72	H key	{VK 72}		0x48
73	I key	{VK 73}		0x49
74	J key	{VK 74}		0x4A
75	K key	{VK 75}		0x4B
76	L key	{VK 76}		0x4C
77	M key	{VK 77}		0x4D
78	N key	{VK 78}		0x4E
79	O key	{VK 79}		0x4F
80	P key	{VK 80}		0x50
81	Q key	{VK 81}		0x51
82	R key	{VK 82}		0x52
83	S key	{VK 83}		0x53
84	T key	{VK 84}		0x54
85	U key	{VK 85}		0x55
86	V key	{VK 86}		0x56
87	W key	{VK 87}		0x57
88	X key	{VK 88}		0x58
89	Y key	{VK 89}		0x59
90	Z key	{VK 90}		0x5A
91	Left Windows key (Microsoft Natural keyboard)	{VK 91}	VK_LWIN	0x5B
92	Right Windows key (Natural keyboard)	{VK 92}	VK_RWIN	0x5C
93	Applications key (Natural keyboard)	{VK 93}	VK_APPS	0x5D
94	Reserved	{VK 94}		0x5E
95	Computer Sleep key	{VK 95}	VK_SLEEP	0x5F
96	Numeric keypad 0 key	{VK 96}	VK_NUMPAD0	0x60
97	Numeric keypad 1 key	{VK 97}	VK_NUMPAD1	0x61
98	Numeric keypad 2 key	{VK 98}	VK_NUMPAD2	0x62
99	Numeric keypad 3 key	{VK 99}	VK_NUMPAD3	0x63
100	Numeric keypad 4 key	{VK 100}	VK_NUMPAD4	0x64
101	Numeric keypad 5 key	{VK 101}	VK_NUMPAD5	0x65
102	Numeric keypad 6 key	{VK 102}	VK_NUMPAD6	0x66
103	Numeric keypad 7 key	{VK 103}	VK_NUMPAD7	0x67
104	Numeric keypad 8 key	{VK 104}	VK_NUMPAD8	0x68
105	Numeric keypad 9 key	{VK 105}	VK_NUMPAD9	0x69
106	Multiply key	{VK 106}	VK_MULTIPLY	0x6A
107	Add key	{VK 107}	VK_ADD	0x6B
108	Separator key	{VK 108}	VK_SEPARATOR	0x6C
109	Subtract key	{VK 109}	VK_SUBTRACT	0x6D
110	Decimal key	{VK 110}	VK_DECIMAL	0x6E
111	Divide key	{VK 111}	VK_DIVIDE	0x6F
112	F1 key	{VK 112}	VK_F1	0x70
113	F2 key	{VK 113}	VK_F2	0x71
114	F3 key	{VK 114}	VK_F3	0x72
115	F4 key	{VK 115}	VK_F4	0x73
116	F5 key	{VK 116}	VK_F5	0x74
117	F6 key	{VK 117}	VK_F6	0x75
118	F7 key	{VK 118}	VK_F7	0x76
119	F8 key	{VK 119}	VK_F8	0x77
120	F9 key	{VK 120}	VK_F9	0x78
121	F10 key	{VK 121}	VK_F10	0x79
122	F11 key	{VK 122}	VK_F11	0x7A
123	F12 key	{VK 123}	VK_F12	0x7B
124	F13 key	{VK 124}	VK_F13	0x7C
125	F14 key	{VK 125}	VK_F14	0x7D
126	F15 key	{VK 126}	VK_F15	0x7E
127	F16 key	{VK 127}	VK_F16	0x7F
128	F17 key	{VK 128}	VK_F17	0x80
129	F18 key	{VK 129}	VK_F18	0x81
130	F19 key	{VK 130}	VK_F19	0x82
131	F20 key	{VK 131}	VK_F20	0x83
132	F21 key	{VK 132}	VK_F21	0x84
133	F22 key	{VK 133}	VK_F22	0x85
134	F23 key	{VK 134}	VK_F23	0x86
135	F24 key	{VK 135}	VK_F24	0x87
136	Unassigned	{VK 136}		0x88
137	Unassigned	{VK 137}		0x89
138	Unassigned	{VK 138}		0x8A
139	Unassigned	{VK 139}		0x8B
140	Unassigned	{VK 140}		0x8C
141	Unassigned	{VK 141}		0x8D
142	Unassigned	{VK 142}		0x8E
143	Unassigned	{VK 143}		0x8F
144	NUM LOCK key	{VK 144}	VK_NUMLOCK	0x90
145	SCROLL LOCK key	{VK 145}	VK_SCROLL	0x91
146	OEM specific	{VK 146}		0x92
147	OEM specific	{VK 147}		0x93
148	OEM specific	{VK 148}		0x94
149	OEM specific	{VK 149}		0x95
150	OEM specific	{VK 150}		0x96
151	Unassigned	{VK 151}		0x97
152	Unassigned	{VK 152}		0x98
153	Unassigned	{VK 153}		0x99
154	Unassigned	{VK 154}		0x9A
155	Unassigned	{VK 155}		0x9B
156	Unassigned	{VK 156}		0x9C
157	Unassigned	{VK 157}		0x9D
158	Unassigned	{VK 158}		0x9E
159	Unassigned	{VK 159}		0x9F
160	Left SHIFT key	{VK 160}	VK_LSHIFT	0xA0
161	Right SHIFT key	{VK 161}	VK_RSHIFT	0xA1
162	Left CONTROL key	{VK 162}	VK_LCONTROL	0xA2
163	Right CONTROL key	{VK 163}	VK_RCONTROL	0xA3
164	Left MENU key	{VK 164}	VK_LMENU	0xA4
165	Right MENU key	{VK 165}	VK_RMENU	0xA5
166	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Back key	{VK 166}	VK_BROWSER_BACK	0xA6
167	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Forward key	{VK 167}	VK_BROWSER_FORWARD	0xA7
168	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Refresh key	{VK 168}	VK_BROWSER_REFRESH	0xA8
169	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Stop key	{VK 169}	VK_BROWSER_STOP	0xA9
170	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Search key	{VK 170}	VK_BROWSER_SEARCH	0xAA
171	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Favorites key	{VK 171}	VK_BROWSER_FAVORITES	0xAB
172	Windows 2000/XP: Browser Start and Home key	{VK 172}	VK_BROWSER_HOME	0xAC
173	Windows 2000/XP: Volume Mute key	{VK 173}	VK_VOLUME_MUTE	0xAD
174	Windows 2000/XP: Volume Down key	{VK 174}	VK_VOLUME_DOWN	0xAE
175	Windows 2000/XP: Volume Up key	{VK 175}	VK_VOLUME_UP	0xAF
176	Windows 2000/XP: Next Track key	{VK 176}	VK_MEDIA_NEXT_TRACK	0xB0
177	Windows 2000/XP: Previous Track key	{VK 177}	VK_MEDIA_PREV_TRACK	0xB1
178	Windows 2000/XP: Stop Media key	{VK 178}	VK_MEDIA_STOP	0xB2
179	Windows 2000/XP: Play/Pause Media key	{VK 179}	VK_MEDIA_PLAY_PAUSE	0xB3
180	Windows 2000/XP: Start Mail key	{VK 180}	VK_LAUNCH_MAIL	0xB4
181	Windows 2000/XP: Select Media key	{VK 181}	VK_LAUNCH_MEDIA_SELECT	0xB5
182	Windows 2000/XP: Start Application 1 key	{VK 182}	VK_LAUNCH_APP1	0xB6
183	Windows 2000/XP: Start Application 2 key	{VK 183}	VK_LAUNCH_APP2	0xB7
184	Reserved	{VK 184}		0xB8
185	Reserved	{VK 185}		0xB9
186	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the ';:' key	{VK 186}	VK_OEM_1	0xBA
187	Windows 2000/XP: For any country/region, the '+' key	{VK 187}	VK_OEM_PLUS	0xBB
188	Windows 2000/XP: For any country/region, the ',' key	{VK 188}	VK_OEM_COMMA	0xBC
189	Windows 2000/XP: For any country/region, the '-' key	{VK 189}	VK_OEM_MINUS	0xBD
190	Windows 2000/XP: For any country/region, the '.' key	{VK 190}	VK_OEM_PERIOD	0xBE
191	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the '/?' key	{VK 191}	VK_OEM_2	0xBF
192	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the '`~' key	{VK 192}	VK_OEM_3	0xC0
193	Reserved	{VK 193}		0xC1
194	Reserved	{VK 194}		0xC2
195	Reserved	{VK 195}		0xC3
196	Reserved	{VK 196}		0xC4
197	Reserved	{VK 197}		0xC5
198	Reserved	{VK 198}		0xC6
199	Reserved	{VK 199}		0xC7
200	Unassigned	{VK 200}		0xC8
201	Unassigned	{VK 201}		0xC9
202	Unassigned	{VK 202}		0xCA
203	Unassigned	{VK 203}		0xCB
204	Unassigned	{VK 204}		0xCC
205	Unassigned	{VK 205}		0xCD
206	Unassigned	{VK 206}		0xCE
207	Unassigned	{VK 207}		0xCF
208	Unassigned	{VK 208}		0xD0
209	Unassigned	{VK 209}		0xD1
210	Unassigned	{VK 210}		0xD2
211	Unassigned	{VK 211}		0xD3
212	Unassigned	{VK 212}		0xD4
213	Unassigned	{VK 213}		0xD5
214	Unassigned	{VK 214}		0xD6
215	Unassigned	{VK 215}		0xD7
216	Unassigned	{VK 216}		0xD8
217	Unassigned	{VK 217}		0xD9
218	Unassigned	{VK 218}		0xDA
219	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the '[{' key	{VK 219}	VK_OEM_4	0xDB
220	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the '\|' key	{VK 220}	VK_OEM_5	0xDC
221	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the ']}' key	{VK 221}	VK_OEM_6	0xDD
222	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard. Windows 2000/XP: For the US standard keyboard, the 'single-quote/double-quote' key	{VK 222}	VK_OEM_7	0xDE
223	Used for miscellaneous characters; it can vary by keyboard.	{VK 223}	VK_OEM_8	0xDF
224	Reserved	{VK 224}		0xE0
225	OEM specific	{VK 225}		0xE1
226	Windows 2000/XP: Either the angle bracket key or the backslash key on the RT 102-key keyboard	{VK 226}	VK_OEM_102	0xE2
227	OEM specific	{VK 227}		0xE3
228	OEM specific	{VK 228}		0xE4
229	Windows 95/98/Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000/XP: IME PROCESS key	{VK 229}	VK_PROCESSKEY	0xE5
230	OEM specific	{VK 230}		0xE6
231	Windows 2000/XP: Used to pass Unicode characters as if they were keystrokes. The VK_PACKET key is the low word of a 32-bit Virtual Key value used for non-keyboard input methods. For more information, see Remark in KEYBDINPUT, SendInput, WM_KEYDOWN, and WM_KEYUP	{VK 231}	VK_PACKET	0xE7
232	Unassigned	{VK 232}		0xE8
233	OEM specific	{VK 233}		0xE9
234	OEM specific	{VK 234}		0xEA
235	OEM specific	{VK 235}		0xEB
236	OEM specific	{VK 236}		0xEC
237	OEM specific	{VK 237}		0xED
238	OEM specific	{VK 238}		0xEE
239	OEM specific	{VK 239}		0xEF
240	OEM specific	{VK 240}		0xF0
241	OEM specific	{VK 241}		0xF1
242	OEM specific	{VK 242}		0xF2
243	OEM specific	{VK 243}		0xF3
244	OEM specific	{VK 244}		0xF4
245	OEM specific	{VK 245}		0xF5
246	Attn key	{VK 246}	VK_ATTN	0xF6
247	CrSel key	{VK 247}	VK_CRSEL	0xF7
248	ExSel key	{VK 248}	VK_EXSEL	0xF8
249	Erase EOF key	{VK 249}	VK_EREOF	0xF9
250	Play key	{VK 250}	VK_PLAY	0xFA
251	Zoom key	{VK 251}	VK_ZOOM	0xFB
252	Reserved	{VK 252}	VK_NONAME	0xFC
253	PA1 key	{VK 253}	VK_PA1	0xFD
254	Clear key	{VK 254}	VK_OEM_CLEAR	0xFE

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