Send Ctrl+Key to a 3rd Party Application

Question

Im using a 3rd Party Application that exports a file. The application uses a hot key (Ctrl + E) as a shortcut for this function.

How can I send this key combination from my Delphi XE application to the 3rd Party one?

Answer 1

Here is an example which shows how to send Ctrl+E to the foreground application using SendInput:

var
  Inputs: array [0..3] of TInput;
begin
  // press
  Inputs[0].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[0].ki.wVk := VK_CONTROL;
  Inputs[0].ki.dwFlags := 0;

  Inputs[1].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[1].ki.wVk := Ord('E');
  Inputs[1].ki.dwFlags := 0;

  // release
  Inputs[2].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[2].ki.wVk := Ord('E');
  Inputs[2].ki.dwFlags := KEYEVENTF_KEYUP;

  Inputs[3].Itype := INPUT_KEYBOARD;
  Inputs[3].ki.wVk := VK_CONTROL;
  Inputs[3].ki.dwFlags := KEYEVENTF_KEYUP;

  SendInput(Length(Inputs), Inputs[0], SizeOf(TInput));
end;

I also use a slightly modified version of SendKeys.pas from Steve Seymour. It had some problems with different keyboard layouts and is from 1999. Couldn't find it anywhere in the net.

Answer 2

See question: Send keys to a twebbrowser? There is an answer there (Matt Handel) that links to an article with an example of using the SendKeys unit, and obtaining the handle of the target window.