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Keyboard Modifiers and Special Keys

Keyboard modifiers and special keys

Description

The Keyboard.write() and Keyboard.press() and Keyboard.release() commands don’t work with every possible ASCII character, only those that correspond to a key on the keyboard. For example, backspace works, but many of the other non-printable characters produce unpredictable results. For capital letters (and other keys), what’s sent is shift plus the character (i.e. the equivalent of pressing both of those keys on the keyboard).

For more on ASCII values and the characters or functions they represent, see asciitable.com

Keyboard modifiers

A modifier key is a special key on a computer keyboard that modifies the normal action of another key when the two are pressed in combination.

For multiple key presses use Keyboard.press()

The definitions of the modifier keys are listed below:

Key	Hexadecimal value	Decimal value
KEY_LEFT_CTRL	0x80	128
KEY_LEFT_SHIFT	0x81	129
KEY_LEFT_ALT	0x82	130
KEY_LEFT_GUI	0x83	131
KEY_RIGHT_CTRL	0x84	132
KEY_RIGHT_SHIFT	0x85	133
KEY_RIGHT_ALT	0x86	134
KEY_RIGHT_GUI	0x87	135

Special keys

These are four keys within the alphanumeric cluster of a keyboard (Tab, Caps Lock, Backspace and Return) as well as all keys from outside that cluster (Escape, function keys, Home, End, arrow keys…).

The following special keys have been defined:

Key	Hexadecimal value	Decimal value
KEY_UP_ARROW	0xDA	218
KEY_DOWN_ARROW	0xD9	217
KEY_LEFT_ARROW	0xD8	216
KEY_RIGHT_ARROW	0xD7	215
KEY_BACKSPACE	0xB2	178
KEY_TAB	0xB3	179
KEY_RETURN	0xB0	176
KEY_ESC	0xB1	177
KEY_INSERT	0xD1	209
KEY_DELETE	0xD4	212
KEY_PAGE_UP	0xD3	211
KEY_PAGE_DOWN	0xD6	214
KEY_HOME	0xD2	210
KEY_END	0xD5	213
KEY_CAPS_LOCK	0xC1	193
KEY_F1	0xC2	194
KEY_F2	0xC3	195
KEY_F3	0xC4	196
KEY_F4	0xC5	197
KEY_F5	0xC6	198
KEY_F6	0xC7	199
KEY_F7	0xC8	200
KEY_F8	0xC9	201
KEY_F9	0xCA	202
KEY_F10	0xCB	203
KEY_F11	0xCC	204
KEY_F12	0xCD	205
KEY_F13	0xF0	240
KEY_F14	0xF1	241
KEY_F15	0xF2	242
KEY_F16	0xF3	243
KEY_F17	0xF4	244
KEY_F18	0xF5	245
KEY_F19	0xF6	246
KEY_F20	0xF7	247
KEY_F21	0xF8	248
KEY_F22	0xF9	249
KEY_F23	0xFA	250
KEY_F24	0xFB	251