KBDEMULATE() Inserts characters into the BIOS keyboard buffer to emulate keyboard input ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Syntax KBDEMULATE(<cListKeyValue>) --> nValue Argument <cListKeyValue> Designates a keyboard input sequence to emulate. Use a maximum of 15 characters. Returns KBDEMULATE() returns the number of key codes it could not place in the BIOS buffer. Description KBDEMULATE() emulates keyboard input at a very low level. This function uses the BIOS input buffer to emulate input. This emulated input can then be used by another program. For example, you might stuff the next DOS command prior to the end of the application. Keyboard input for programs that use RUN() to be called is also feasible. The buffer capacity is a maximum of 15 characters. Some of the key codes may vary from keyboard to keyboard, but they still correspond to the values returned by SCANKEY(). Construct the codes as follows: CHR(ASCII code) + CHR(Scan code) As a rule, a scan code that is transmitted this way cannot be acknowledged by Clipper or any subsequent program. For example, a DOS command can be passed as a string with spaces at each even position. This emulation of a scan code with a value of 32, would only cause problems when a subsequent program also checks the scan code (see Examples on the next page). Notes . You can find the symbolic constants for key codes in the include file CTSCAN.CH. . Problems may arise if you have incompatible hardware/BIOS, or programs that extend the keyboard buffer. . Even though these emulated inputs occur at a low level, the code translations defined with SETKXLAT() still function. Examples . These two programs always call each other reciprocally. Before returning to DOS, each program wedges the keys necessary to execute the other program in the BIOS buffer: Program 1 (PROG1.EXE) CLEAR @ 10, 10 SAY "Here is program 1 !" INKEY(5) // Wait a while... KBDEMULATE("P R O G 2 " + CHR(13)) // Start PROG2 in DOS RETURN Program 2 (PROG2.EXE) CLEAR @ 10, 10 SAY "Here is program 2 !" INKEY(5) // Wait a while... KBDEMULATE("P R O G 1 " + CHR(13)) // Start PROG1 in DOS RETURN . This program returns to DOS and then re-calls itself. In this case, the desired extra byte is created with the EXPAND() function. The last token in the full path is the EXE name which includes the file extension. The first token is the file name: xeName := TOKEN(EXENAME(), ":\") ExeName := TOKEN(ExeName, ".", 1) KBDEMULATE(EXPAND(ExeName + CHR(13))) // Expansion with blanks QUIT . The correct way to implement EXPAND(): * WRONG! No blank before CHR(13) KBDEMULATE(EXPAND("TEST") + CHR(13)) * RIGHT! Blank before CHR(13) KBDEMULATE(EXPAND("TEST" + CHR(13)))
See Also: NUMLOW() NUMHIGH() SETKXLAT() KEYSEND()