Programming Assistive Aids for Keyboard and Mouse Functions with SerialKeys

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This article was previously published under Q260727

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SUMMARY

This article describes the keys and mouse actions available through SerialKeys for programing an assistive aid. SerialKeys enables you to control the computer by using an alternate input device.

For additional information about setting up SerialKeys or programming an assistive aid, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260517 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/260517/EN-US/ ) How to Set Up and Use SerialKeys in Windows

MORE INFORMATION

Before you program all of the keys and mouse actions into the aid, you should decide how to lay out the selections on the aid. Look at the number of different keys you might want to have (see the following table). You may want mouse movements also. If the aid stores vocabulary in levels, decide whether you want keyboard and mouse actions on separate levels in the aid. If the aid uses combinations of symbols to store vocabulary, decide which combinations you want to use for keyboard and mouse functions.

The following table lists character sequences you send from the aid to simulate the individual keyboard keys. In some cases, there are several character sequences that all simulate the same key. In this table, the term "p/r" indicates a key being pressed and immediately released. "Toggled" indicates that a key such as CAPS LOCK will be turned on if currently off, or turned off if currently on. "Pressed down" indicates that the key will be pressed and remain held down during the next key simulated.

Collapse this tableExpand this table

Key name	Command code	Send from aid	Action(s)
ALT	alt	[esc],hold,alt.	alternate (ALT) key pressed down
BACKSPACE	backspace bksp	[esc]backspace. [esc]bksp.	BACKSPACE key p/r
CAPS LOCK	capslk capslock	[esc]capslk. [esc]capslock.	CAPS LOCK key toggled
COMMA	comma	[esc]comma.	COMMA key p/r
CTRL	control ctrl	[esc],hold,control. [esc],hold,ctrl.	CTRL key pressed down
DEL	del	[esc]del.	numeric pad DEL key p/r, "." or "del"
DELETE	delete	[esc]delete.	DELETE key p/r
DIVIDE	divide	[esc]divide.	DIVIDE key p/r, "/"
DOWN ARROW	down	[esc]down.	DOWN ARROW key p/r
END	end	[esc]end.	END key p/r
ENTER	enter	[esc]enter.	ENTER or RETURN key p/r
ESC	esc escape	[esc]esc. [esc]escape.	ESCAPE key p/r
F1	f1	[esc]f1.	function 1 key p/r
F2	f2	[esc]f2.	function 2 key p/r
F3	f3	[esc]f3.	function 3 key p/r
F4	f4	[esc]f4.	function 4 key p/r
F5	f5	[esc]f5.	function 5 key p/r
F6	f6	[esc]f6.	function 6 key p/r
F7	f7	[esc]f7.	function 7 key p/r
F8	f8	[esc]f8.	function 8 key p/r
F9	f9	[esc]f9.	function 9 key p/r
F10	f10	[esc]f10.	function 10 key p/r
F11	f11	[esc]f11.	function 11 key p/r
F12	f12	[esc]f12.	function 12 key p/r
HOME	home	[esc]home.	HOME key p/r
INS	ins	[esc]ins.	numeric pad INS key p/r, "0" or "ins"
INSERT	insert	[esc]insert.	INSERT key toggled
numeric pad STAR	kp* kpstar kptimes	[esc]kp*. [esc]kpstar. [esc]kptimes.	numeric pad STAR key p/r, "*"
numeric pad PLUS	kp+ kpplus	[esc]kp+. [esc]kpplus.	numeric pad PLUS key p/r, "+"
numeric pad MINUS	kp- kpminus	[esc]kp-. [esc]kpminus.	numeric pad MINUS key p/r, "-"
numeric pad DIVIDE	kp/ kpdivide kpslash	[esc]kp/. [esc]kpdivide. [esc]kpslash.	numeric pad DIVIDE key p/r, "/"
numeric pad 0	kp0 kpins kpinsert	[esc]kp0. [esc]kpins. [esc]kpinsert.	numeric pad 0 key p/r, "0" or "INS"
numeric pad 1	kp1 kpend	[esc]kp1. [esc]kpend.	numeric pad 1 key p/r, "1" or "END"
numeric pad 2	kp2 kpdown	[esc]kp2. [esc]kpdown.	numeric pad 2 key p/r, "2" or "DOWN ARROW"
numeric pad 3	kp3 kppagedown kppgdn	[esc]kp3. [esc]kppagedown. [esc]kppgdn.	numeric pad 3 key p/r, "3" or "PGDN"
numeric pad 4	kp4 kpleft	[esc]kp4. [esc]kpleft.	numeric pad 4 key p/r, "4" or "LEFT ARROW"
numeric pad 5	kpmidl kp5	[esc]kpmidl. [esc]kp5.	numeric pad 5 key p/r, "5"
numeric pad 6	kp6 kpright	[esc]kp6. [esc]kpright.	numeric pad 6 key p/r, "6" or "RIGHT ARROW"
numeric pad 7	kp7 kphome	[esc]kp7. [esc]kphome.	numeric pad 7 key p/r, "7" or "HOME"
numeric pad 8	kp8 kpup	[esc]kp8. [esc]kpup.	numeric pad 8 key p/r, "8" or "UP ARROW"
numeric pad 9	kp9 kppageup kppgup	[esc]kp9. [esc]kppageup. [esc]kppgup.	numeric pad 9 key p/r, "9" or "PGUP"
numeric pad .	kpdel kpdelete kpdp	[esc]kpdel. [esc]kpdelete. [esc]kpdp.	numeric pad . key p/r, "." or "DELETE"
numeric pad enter	kpenter	[esc]kpenter.	numeric pad ENTER key p/r
left ALT key	lalt leftalt	[esc],hold,lalt. [esc],hold,leftalt.	left alternate key pressed down
left CTRL key	lcontrol lctrl leftcontrol leftctrl	[esc],hold,lcontrol. [esc],hold,lctrl. [esc],hold,leftcontrol. [esc],hold,leftctrl.	left control key pressed down
LEFT ARROW key	left	[esc]left.	LEFT ARROW key p/r
left SHIFT key	leftshift lshift	[esc],hold,leftshift. [esc],hold,lshift.	left SHIFT key pressed down
* key	multiply	[esc]multiply.	STAR key p/r, "*"
NUM LOCK key	numlk NUM LOCK	[esc]numlk. [esc]numlock.	NUM LOCK key toggled
PAGE DOWN key	PAGE DOWN PGDN	[esc]pagedown. [esc]pgdn.	PAGE DOWN key p/r
PAGE UP key	PAGE UP PGUP	[esc]pageup. [esc]pgup.	PAGE UP key p/r
PERIOD key	PERIOD	[esc]period.	PERIOD key p/r, "."
right ALT key	ralt rightalt	[esc],hold,ralt. [esc],hold,rightalt.	right alternate key pressed down
right CTRL key	rcontrol rctrl rightcontrol rightctrl	[esc],hold,rcontrol. [esc],hold,rctrl. [esc],hold,rightcontrol. [esc],hold,rightctrl.	right control key pressed down
return or ENTER key	ret return	[esc]ret. [esc]return.	return or ENTER key p/r
RIGHT ARROW key	right	[esc]right.	RIGHT ARROW key p/r
right SHIFT key	right SHIFT rshift	[esc],hold,rightshift. [esc],hold,rshift.	right SHIFT key pressed down
SCROLL LOCK key	scroll scrolllock	[esc]scroll. [esc]scrolllock.	SCROLL LOCK key toggled
SHIFT key	shift	[esc],hold,shift.	SHIFT key pressed down
SPACEBAR key	space	[esc]space.	SPACEBAR key p/r
TAB key	tab	[esc]tab.	TAB key p/r
TILDE key	tilde	[esc]tilde.	TILDE key p/r, "`"
UP ARROW key	up	[esc]up.	UP ARROW key p/r

This information is excerpted from the Customizing Windows for Individuals with Disabilities series of documents. For additional information on customizing different versions of Windows for people with disabilities, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

165486 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/165486/EN-US/ ) Customizing Windows for Individuals with Disabilities