Representing Keys and Shortcuts

Go Up to Using the RTL in Multi-Device Applications

This page explains the different ways that you may use to represent keys or shortcuts (combinations of keys).

Representing Keys

To represent a single key, you may use either a code or a string. The following tables show a complete list of codes and strings that you may use to represent each key.

The following tables do not show a string representation for some keys because the UI framework is not responsible for the string representation of those keys. Instead, the operating system where your application is running provides the string representation of those keys. The following tables do not show those string representations provided by the operating system because they may vary; for example, Windows provides locale-specific key names.

Representing Letter Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	String
`A`	`vkA`	A
`B`	`vkB`	B
`C`	`vkC`	C
`D`	`vkD`	D
`E`	`vkE`	E
`F`	`vkF`	F
`G`	`vkG`	G
`H`	`vkH`	H
`I`	`vkI`	I
`J`	`vkJ`	J
`K`	`vkK`	K
`L`	`vkL`	L
`M`	`vkM`	M
`N`	`vkN`	N
`O`	`vkO`	O
`P`	`vkP`	P
`Q`	`vkQ`	Q
`R`	`vkR`	R
`S`	`vkS`	S
`T`	`vkT`	T
`U`	`vkU`	U
`V`	`vkV`	V
`W`	`vkW`	W
`X`	`vkX`	X
`Y`	`vkY`	Y
`Z`	`vkZ`	Z

Representing Digit Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	String
`0`	`vk0`	0
`1`	`vk1`	1
`2`	`vk2`	2
`3`	`vk3`	3
`4`	`vk4`	4
`5`	`vk5`	5
`6`	`vk6`	6
`7`	`vk7`	7
`8`	`vk8`	8
`9`	`vk9`	9

Representing Symbol Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	String
Backslash	`vkBackslash`	\
Bracket (Opening)	`vkLeftBracket`	[
Bracket (Closing)	`vkRightBracket`	]
Comma	`vkComma`	,
Equal sign	`vkEqual`	=
Minus sign	`vkMinus`	-
Period	`vkPeriod`	.
Quote	`vkQuote`	'
Semicolon	`vkSemicolon`	;
Slash	`vkSlash`	/
Tilde	`vkTilde`	~

Representing Editing Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	Constant (FMX.Consts, Vcl.Consts)	String
`BACKSPACE`	`vkBack`	`SmkcBkSp`	BkSp
`DELETE`	`vkDelete`	`SmkcDel`	Del
`ENTER` `RETURN`	`vkReturn`	`SmkcEnter`	Enter
`INSERT`	`vkInsert`	`SmkcIns`	Ins
`SPACE BAR`	`vkSpace`	`SmkcSpace`	Space
`TAB`	`vkTab`	`SmkcTab`	Tab

Representing Navigation Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	Constant (FMX.Consts, Vcl.Consts)	String
`ESC` (Escape)	`vkEscape`	`SmkcEsc`	Esc
`PGUP` (Page up)	`vkPrior`	`SmkcPgUp`	PgUp
`PGDN` (Page down)	`vkNext`	`SmkcPgDn`	PgDn
`END`	`vkEnd`	`SmkcEnd`	End
`HOME`	`vkHome`	`SmkcHome`	Home
`←` (Left arrow)	`vkLeft`	`SmkcLeft`	Left
`↑` (Up arrow)	`vkUp`	`SmkcUp`	Up
`→` (Right arrow)	`vkRight`	`SmkcRight`	Right
`↓` (Down arrow)	`vkDown`	`SmkcDown`	Down

Representing Modifier Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	System.Classes Constant	Constant (FMX.Consts, Vcl.Consts)	String
`ALT`	`scAlt`	`SmkcAlt`	`Alt+`
`CMD`	`scCommand`	`SmkcCmd`	`Cmd+`
`CTRL` (Control)	`scCtrl`	`SmkcCtrl`	`Ctrl+`
`CTRL` (Control)	`scCtrl`		`^`
`SHIFT`	`scShift`	`SmkcShift`	`Shift+`

Most computers running Windows do not have a CMD key, just as most computers running macOS do not have a CTRL key. Mind this when you configure the shortcuts of your application. You may need to define your shortcuts at run time and use conditional compilation to set the right shortcut for each platform. For example:

Delphi:

{$IF defined(MSWINDOWS)}
    MenuItem1.ShortCut := TextToShortCut('Ctrl+N');
{$ELSEIF defined(MACOS) and not defined(IOS)}
    MenuItem1.ShortCut := TextToShortCut('Cmd+N');
{$ENDIF}

C++:

#if defined(_WIN32)
    MenuItem1->ShortCut = TextToShortCut("Ctrl+N");
#elif defined(__APPLE__) && (defined(__i386__) or defined(__x86_64__))
    MenuItem1->ShortCut = TextToShortCut("Cmd+N");
#endif

You may also represent modifier keys as regular keys using the following constants and strings:

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	Constant (FMX.Consts)	String
`ALT`	`vkMenu`		Alt
`ALT` (Left)	`vkLMenu`	`SmkcLMenu`	Left Alt
`ALT` (Right)	`vkRMenu`	`SmkcRMenu`	Right Alt
`CTRL` (Control)	`vkControl`		Ctrl
`CTRL` (Left Control)	`vkLControl`	`SmkcLControl`	Left Ctrl
`CTRL` (Right Control)	`vkRControl`	`SmkcRControl`	Right Ctrl
`SHIFT`	`vkShift`		Shift
`SHIFT` (Left)	`vkLShift`	`SmkcLShift`	Left Shift
`SHIFT` (Right)	`vkRShift`	`SmkcRShift`	Right Shift
`WINDOWS` (Left)	`vkLWin`	`SmkcLWin`	Left Win
`WINDOWS` (Right)	`vkRWin`	`SmkcRWin`	Right Win

Representing Function Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	String
`F1`	`vkF1`	F1
`F2`	`vkF2`	F2
`F3`	`vkF3`	F3
`F4`	`vkF4`	F4
`F5`	`vkF5`	F5
`F6`	`vkF6`	F6
`F7`	`vkF7`	F7
`F8`	`vkF8`	F8
`F9`	`vkF9`	F9
`F10`	`vkF10`	F10
`F11`	`vkF11`	F11
`F12`	`vkF12`	F12
`F13`	`vkF13`	F13
`F14`	`vkF14`	F14
`F15`	`vkF15`	F15
`F16`	`vkF16`	F16
`F17`	`vkF17`	F17
`F18`	`vkF18`	F18
`F19`	`vkF19`	F19
`F20`	`vkF20`	F20
`F21`	`vkF21`	F21
`F22`	`vkF22`	F22
`F23`	`vkF23`	F23
`F24`	`vkF24`	F24

Representing Lock Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	Constant (FMX.Consts)	String
`CAPS LOCK`	`vkCapital`	`SmkcCapital`	Caps Lock
`NUM LOCK`	`vkNumLock`	`SmkcNumLock`	Num Lock
`SCROLL LOCK`	`vkScroll`	`SmkcScroll`	Scroll Lock

Representing Numeric Pad Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	String
`0`	`vkNumpad0`	Num 0
`1`	`vkNumpad1`	Num 1
`2`	`vkNumpad2`	Num 2
`3`	`vkNumpad3`	Num 3
`4`	`vkNumpad4`	Num 4
`5`	`vkNumpad5`	Num 5
`6`	`vkNumpad6`	Num 6
`7`	`vkNumpad7`	Num 7
`8`	`vkNumpad8`	Num 8
`9`	`vkNumpad9`	Num 9
	`vkMultiply`	Num *
`+`	`vkAdd`	Num +
`,`	`vkSeparator`	Num ,
`-`	`vkSubtract`	Num -
`.`	`vkDecimal`	Num .
`/`	`vkDivide`	Num /

Representing Multimedia Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	Constant (FMX.Consts)	String
Browser: Back	`vkBrowserBack`	`SmkcBrowserBack`	BrowserBack
Browser: Forward	`vkBrowserForward`
Browser: Refresh	`vkBrowserRefresh`
Browser: Stop	`vkBrowserStop`
Browser: Search	`vkBrowserSearch`
Browser: Favorites	`vkBrowserFavorites`
Browser: Home	`vkBrowserHome`
Camera	`vkCamera`	`SmkcCamera`	Camera
Launch: Email	`vkLaunchMail`
Launch: Media Select	`vkLaunchMediaSelect`
Launch: App 1	`vkLaunchApp1`
Launch: App 2	`vkLaunchApp2`
Media: Next track	`vkMediaNextTrack`
Media: Previous track	`vkMediaPrevTrack`
Media: Stop	`vkMediaStop`
Media: Play/Pause	`vkMediaPlayPause`
Volume: Mute	`vkVolumeMute`
Volume: Down	`vkVolumeDown`
Volume: Up	`vkVolumeUp`

Representing Buttons

Button	Code Representation
Button	Constant (System.UITypes)
Left mouse button	`vkLButton`
Right mouse button	`vkRButton`
Middle mouse button	`vkMButton`
X1 mouse button	`vkXButton1`
X2 mouse button	`vkXButton2`

Representing Language Input Keys

Key	Code Representation
IME Kana mode	`vkKana`
IME Hangul mode	`vkHangul`
IME Junja mode	`vkJunja`
IME final mode	`vkFinal`
IME Hanja mode	`vkHanja`
IME Kanji mode	`vkKanji`
IME convert	`vkConvert`
IME nonconvert	`vkNonConvert`
IME accept	`vkAccept`
IME mode change request	`vkModeChange`
IME process	`vkProcessKey`

Representing Other Keys

Key	Code Representation	String Representation
Key	Constant (System.UITypes)	Constant (FMX.Consts)	String
`ATTN`	`vkAttn`
`BACK`	`vkHardwareBack`	`SmkcHardwareBack`	HardwareBack
`BREAK`	`vkCancel`	`SmkcCancel`	Break
`CLEAR`	`vkClear`	`SmkcClear`	Clear
`CRSEL`	`vkCrsel`
`ERASE EOF`	`vkErEof`
`EXECUTE`	`vkExecute`
`EXSEL`	`vkExsel`
`HELP`	`vkHelp`
Line feed	`vkLineFeed`
`MENU`	`vkApps`	`SmkcApps`	Application
OEM 102 Either the angle bracket key or the backslash key on the RT 102-key keyboard.	`vkOem102`	`SmkcOem102`	OEM \
OEM-specific Clear key	`vkOemClear`
OEM-specific Ico 00	`vkIco00`
OEM-specific Ico Clear	`vkIcoClear`
OEM-specific Ico Help	`vkIcoHelp`
`PA1`	`vkPA1`
Packet Used to pass Unicode characters as if they were keystrokes.	`vkPacket`
Paragraph	`vkPara`	`SmkcPara`	Paragraph
`PAUSE`	`vkPause`	`SmkcPause`	Pause
`PLAY`	`vkPlay`
`PRINT`	`vkPrint`
`PRINT SCREEN`	`vkSnapshot`
Reserved	`vkNoname`
`SELECT`	`vkSelect`
`SLEEP`	`vkSleep`
`ZOOM`	`vkZoom`
No key	`vkNone`

Representing Shortcuts

The following sections explain how to represent a shortcut as either an instance of TShortCut or a string.

Representing Shortcuts as Instances of TShortCut

To define a shortcut as an instance of System.Classes.TShortCut, join the code of a regular key and the codes of modifier keys using the OR bitwise operator. For example:

Delphi:

Shortcut := vkZ or scShift or scCtrl;

C++:

Shortcut = vkZ | scShift | scCtrl;

Representing Shortcuts Using Strings

To define a shortcut using a string, you can simply concatenate the keys, and place the main key at the end. These are some examples of strings that represent shortcuts:

^P (CTRL + P)
Shift+Ctrl+Z (SHIFT + CTRL + Z)

Specifying Accelerator Keys

On Windows platforms, the Accelerator keys enable the user to access controls using only the keyboard input. For example, by pressing Alt+<accelerator_letter> key combination. An accelerator key is shown as an underlined letter in the Caption or Text property of your control. To specify an accelerator key in your code, precede an <accelerator_letter> with an ampersand & character in the caption or text property of your control. The letter after the ampersand appears underlined in the caption/text on the control. For example, to set the S character as an accelerator key for a Save button, type &Save in the text property. On some controls specified <accelerator_letter>s appear underlined only when the ALT key is pressed.

Note: This feature only works on Windows platforms. When run on other platforms, the ampersand is stripped from the text.

Since an ampersand & character in a caption/text property is handled as an instruction to underline the next letter, therefore, a single ampersand character is not shown in the caption/text of a corresponding control. To show a single ampersand & character in a caption/text specify two ampersand && characters.

Switching Between Code and String Representation

Given an instance of System.Classes.TShortCut that represents either a key or a shortcut, you may use the following methods to obtain the string representation of that key or shortcut:

Conversely, given the string representation of a key or shortcut, you may use the following methods to obtain an instance of TShortCut that represents that key or shortcut:

Using these functions you can easily set the shortcut of a menu item or some other control at run time using the string representation of the shortcut instead of its code representation, which makes your code more readable:

Delphi:

MenuItem1.ShortCut := TextToShortCut('Cmd+N');

C++:

MenuItem1->ShortCut = TextToShortCut("Cmd+N");

Representing Keys and Shortcuts

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