char-to-key-name

Arguments: char &key return-comtab-event

This function takes a lisp character object as an argument and returns the name of the key that is pressed in order to type that character. This name may be a lisp character object such as #\A or one of the vk-... constants such as vk-period. A second returned value is an integer which is a logior'ed value indicating which shift keys are used with the returned key in order to type the character; the logior'ed values are the values of the symbols shift-key, control-key, and alt-key (whichever of those keys are down).

Examples:

> (char-to-key-name #\*)
#\8
4         (4 is the value of shift-key)
> (char-to-key-name #\>)
vk-period
4

If the keyword argument return-comtab-event is true, then instead of the two returned values detailed above a single value is returned. This value is an event-synonym specifier list in the format that is passed to set-event-function or the :event-synonym initarg of a menu-item.

Examples:

> (char-to-key-name #\* :return-comtab-event t)
(shift-key #\8)
> (char-to-key-name #\> :return-comtab-event t)
(shift-key vk-period)

The association of shifted special characters with unshifted characters is more or less standard on all United States keyboards but can be different (from the US standard) on non-US keyboards. This function may be needed for applications that must work on such non-US-standard keyboards.

Copyright (c) 1998-2001, Franz Inc. Berkeley, CA., USA. All rights reserved.
Documentation for Allegro CL version 6.1 update # 1. This page was not revised.
Created 2001.12.15.