Small Basic: Key Input
This article is about accepting keyboard input in Microsoft Small Basic.
GraphicsWindow
In the graphics window, there are three methods to accept input.
- Text box controls
- Text input event
- Key up and down events
Text Box Controls
Each Controls.AddTextBox() and Controls.AddMultiLineTextBox() adds a text input box to the graphics window. In a text input box, you can input from keyboard and by Controls.GetTextBoxText(), can obtain the input value. You can set event handler with Controls.TextTyped event.
TextInput Event
The TextInput event is fired when a key is typed and you can subscribe to that with a handler. You can also obtain text using the GraphicsWindow.LastText property.
KeyDown and KeyUp Events
You can set key down (up) event handlers by subscribing to GraphicsWindow.KeyDown and GraphicsWindow.KeyUp events.
Sample code follows:
GraphicsWindow.DrawText(10, 10, "Hit any key to dump.")
GraphicsWindow.KeyDown = OnKeyDown
Sub OnKeyDown
TextWindow.WriteLine(GraphicsWindow.LastKey)
EndSub
Following table shows values of GraphicsWindow.LastKey .
| Key top E | Key top J | LastKey | Comments |
| A-Z | A-Z | A-Z | |
| / | \ | AbntC1 | Brazil key, IME=ENG |
| + | + | Add | numeric keypad |
 |
|
Apps | |
| ← | Back Space | Back | |
| Break | Break | Cancel | Ctrl+Pause |
| Caps Lock | Caps Lock | Capital | |
| 5 | 5 | Clear | !NumLock |
| . | . | Decimal | NumLock |
| Delete | Delete | Delete | |
| / | / | Divide | numeric keypad |
| ↓ | ↓ | Down | |
| End | End | End | |
| Esc | Esc | Escape | |
| F1-F9 | F1-F9 | F1-F9 | |
| F11-F12 | F11-F12 | F11-F12 | |
| 0-9 | 0-9 | D0-D9 | |
| Home | Home | Home | |
| N/A | 無変換 | ImeNonConvert | non convert |
| Insert | Insert | Insert | |
| ← | ← | Left | |
| Ctrl | Ctrl | LeftCtrl | left control |
| ⇧ | ⇧Shift | LeftShift | |
| N/A |  |
LWin | display |
 |
|
LWin | left Window |
| * | * | Multiply | numeric keypad |
| Page Down | PgDn | Next | |
| Num Lock | Num Lk | NumLock | |
| 0-9 | 0-9 | NumPad0-NumPad9 | NumLock |
| ; | + | Oem1 | IME=ENG |
| ' | : | Oem1 | IME=J |
| ` | 半角/全角 | Oem3 | IME=ENG |
| [ | @ | Oem3 | IME=J |
| \ | ] | Oem5 | IME=ENG |
| N/A | ¥ | Oem5 | IME=J |
| ] | [ | Oem6 | IME=ENG |
| \ | ] | Oem6 | IME=J |
| / | \ | OemBackslash | IME=J |
| , | , | OemComma | |
| - | - | OemMinus | |
| [ | @ | OemOpenBrackets | IME=ENG |
| ] | [ | OemOpenBrackets | IME=J |
| . | . | OemPeriod | |
| = | ^ | OemPlus | IME=ENG |
| ; | + | OemPlus | IME=J |
| / | / | OemQuestion | |
| ' | : | OemQuotes | IME=ENG |
| = | ^ | OemQuotes | IME=J |
| Page Up | PgUp | PageUp | |
| Pause | Pause | Pause | |
| Enter | Enter | Return | |
| → | → | Right | |
| Ctrl | Ctrl | RightCtrl | right control |
| ⇧ | ⇧Shift | RightShift | |
|
|
RWin | right Windows |
| - | - | Subtract | numeric keypad |
| Scroll Lock | Scr Lk | Scroll | scroll lock |
| (Space) | (Space) | Space | |
| Alt | Alt | System | |
| F10 | F10 | System | |
| Tab | Tab | Tab | |
| ↑ | ↑ | Up | |
 ▼ |
▼ |
VolumeDown | |
| ╳ |
╳ |
VolumeMute | |
| ▲ |
▲ |
VolumeUp | |
| Print Scrn | Prt Sc | N/A | print screen |
| N/A | ¥ | N/A | IME=ENG |
| ` | 半角/全角 | N/A | IME=J |
| N/A | ひらがな | N/A | hiragana |
| N/A | 変換 | N/A | convert |
Input Focus
Input focus is the location (control) where the user is currently directing input. Input focus can be changed with [Tab] key or mouse click and is displayed as light blue. You can check which control has the input focus with following sample program.
Note that if the input focus is on a text input box, the TextInput event will not fire. If the input focus is not on any text input box, TextInput event fires.
Sample Program
- Key Input Test (GRM149) - shows events GraphicsWindow.KeyUp, GraphicsWindow.KeyDown, GraphicsWindow.TextInput, and Controls.TextTyped.
Known Issues
When the published program is run in a browser (in remote), following issues will be occurred.
- Input focuses for GraphicsWindow.KeyDown and GraphicsWindow.KeyUp event handlers can be lost when there is a text box control in local but the input focus can be rounded among controls including key event handlers by pushing tab key in remote.
- GraphicsWindow.LastKey becomes "LeftShift" or "RightShift" for [Shift] key in local but "Shift" in remote.
- GraphicsWindow.LastText returns as same key name as GraphicsWindow.LastKey in remote.
TextWindow
For the text window, TextWindow.Read() and TextWindow.ReadNum() are used to input from keyboard.
Read and ReadNum Operations
TextWindow.Read() inputs text and TextWindow.ReadNum() inputs number from keyboard.
ReadKey Operation is Obsolete
TextWindow.ReadKey() operation is old operation. But it can work because of backward compatibility.
See Also
Other Resources
- Keys Enumeration (.NET Framework 4.5)