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:
Key - Code
BACKSPACE - {BACKSPACE}, {BS}, or {BKSP}
BREAK - {BREAK}
CAPS LOCK - {CAPSLOCK}
DEL or DELETE - {DELETE} or {DEL}
DOWN ARROW - {DOWN}
END - {END}
ENTER - {ENTER} or ~
ESC - {ESC}
HELP - {HELP}
HOME - {HOME}
INS or INSERT - {INSERT} or {INS}
LEFT ARROW - {LEFT}
NUM LOCK - {NUMLOCK}
PAGE DOWN - {PGDN}
PAGE UP - {PGUP}
PRINT SCREEN - {PRTSC}
RIGHT ARROW - {RIGHT}
SCROLL LOCK - {SCROLLLOCK}
TAB - {TAB}
UP ARROW - {UP}
F1 - {F1}
F2 - {F2}
F3 - {F3}
F4 - {F4}
F5 - {F5}
F6 - {F6}
F7 - {F7}
F8 - {F8}
F9 - {F9}
F10 - {F10}
F11 - {F11}
F12 - {F12}
F13 - {F13}
F14 - {F14}
F15 - {F15}
F16 - {F16}
Key Code
SHIFT +
CTRL ^
ALT %
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.
Note You can't use SendKeys to send keystrokes to an application that is not designed to run in Microsoft Windows. Sendkeys also can't send the PRINT SCREEN key {PRTSC} to any application.