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 WM_SYSKEYUP

The WM_SYSKEYUP message is posted to the window with the keyboard focus when the user releases a key that was pressed while the ALT key was held down. It also occurs when no window currently has the keyboard focus; in this case, the WM_SYSKEYUP message is sent to the active window. The window that receives the message can distinguish between these two contexts by checking the context code in the lParam parameter.

A window receives this message through its WindowProc function.

    LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProc(
      HWND hwnd,       // handle to window
      UINT uMsg,       // WM_SYSKEYUP
      WPARAM wParam,   // virtual-key code
      LPARAM lParam    // key data
    );

Parameters

• wParam Specifies the virtual-key code of the key being released.
• lParam Specifies the repeat count, scan code, extended-key flag, context code, previous key-state flag, and transition-state flag, as shown in the following table. Value Description 0–15 Specifies the repeat count for the current message. The value is the number of times the keystroke is autorepeated as a result of the user holding down the key. The repeat count is always one for a WM_SYSKEYUP message. 16–23 Specifies the scan code. The value depends on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). 24 Specifies whether the key is an extended key, such as the right-hand ALT and CTRL keys that appear on an enhanced 101- or 102-key keyboard. The value is 1 if it is an extended key; otherwise, it is zero. 25–28 Reserved; do not use. 29 Specifies the context code. The value is 1 if the ALT key is down while the key is released; it is zero if the WM_SYSKEYDOWN message is posted to the active window because no window has the keyboard focus. 30 Specifies the previous key state. The value is always 1 for a WM_SYSKEYUP message. 31 Specifies the transition state. The value is always 1 for a WM_SYSKEYUP message.

Return Values

An application should return zero if it processes this message.

Remarks

The DefWindowProc function sends a WM_SYSCOMMAND message to the top-level window if the F10 key or the ALT key was released. The wParam parameter of the message is set to SC_KEYMENU.

When the context code is zero, the message can be passed to the TranslateAccelerator function, which will handle it as though it were a normal key message instead of a character-key message. This allows accelerator keys to be used with the active window even if the active window does not have the keyboard focus.

For enhanced 101- and 102-key keyboards, extended keys are the right ALT and CTRL keys on the main section of the keyboard; the INS, DEL, HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, and arrow keys in the clusters to the left of the numeric keypad; and the divide (/) and ENTER keys in the numeric keypad. Other keyboards may support the extended-key bit in the lParam parameter.

For non-U.S. enhanced 102-key keyboards, the right ALT key is handled as a CTRL+ALT key. The following table shows the sequence of messages that result when the user presses and releases this key.

Message Virtual-key code WM_KEYDOWN VK_CONTROL WM_KEYDOWN VK_MENU WM_KEYUP VK_CONTROL WM_SYSKEYUP VK_MENU

Requirements

  Windows NT/2000 or later: Requires Windows NT 3.1 or later.
  Windows 95/98/Me: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Header: Declared in Winuser.h; include Windows.h.

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Notebook exported on Monday, 7 July 2008, 18:56:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time