Keyboard Messages

B_KEY_DOWN, B_KEY_UP, B_UNMAPPED_KEY_DOWN, B_UNMAPPED_KEY_UP

Source:	The system.
Target:	The focus view’s BWindow.
Hook:	BView::KeyDown() (B_KEY_DOWN) BView::KeyUp() (B_KEY_UP) (The …UNMAPPED… messages don’t map to hook functions.)

B_KEY_DOWN is sent when the user presses (or holds down) a key that’s mapped to a character; B_KEY_UP is sent when the user releases the key. B_UNMAPPED_KEY_DOWN and B_UNMAPPED_KEY_UP are sent if the key isn’t mapped to a character. This doesn’t include modifier keys, which are reported in the B_MODIFIERS_CHANGED message.

Field	Type code	Description
when	B_INT64_TYPE	Event time, in microseconds since 01/01/70
key	B_INT32_TYPE	The code for the physical key that was pressed. See “More On Keyboard Mapping” for a discussion of the keymap.
be:key_repeat	B_INT32_TYPE	The “iteration number” of this key down. When the user holds the key down, successive messages are sent with increasing key repeat values. This field isn’t present in the initial event; the first repeat message (i.e., the second key down message) has a key repeat value of 1. (B_KEY_DOWN only)
modifiers	B_INT32_TYPE	The modifier keys that were in effect at the time of the event. See “Modifier Keys” for a list of values.
states	B_UINT8_TYPE	The state of all keys at the time of the event. See “Key States.”
byte[3]	B_INT8_TYPE	The UTF-8 data that’s generated. (B_KEY_DOWN and B_KEY_UP only)
bytes	B_STRING_TYPE	The string that’s generated. (The string usually contains a single character.) (B_KEY_DOWN and B_KEY_UP only)
raw_char	B_INT32_TYPE	Modifier-independent ASCII code for the character. (B_KEY_DOWN and B_KEY_UP only)