/// <summary>
/// Calls the Win32 SendInput method with a stream of KeyDown and KeyUp messages in order to simulate uninterrupted text entry via the keyboard.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="text">The text to be simulated.</param>
public static void SimulateTextEntry(string text)
{
if (text.Length > UInt32.MaxValue / 2) throw new ArgumentException(string.Format("The text parameter is too long. It must be less than {0} characters.", UInt32.MaxValue / 2), "text");
var chars = UTF8Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(text);
var len = chars.Length;
INPUT[] inputList = new INPUT[len * 2];
for (int x = 0; x < len; x++)
{
UInt16 scanCode = chars[x];
var down = new INPUT();
down.Type = (UInt32)InputType.KEYBOARD;
down.Data.Keyboard = new KEYBDINPUT();
down.Data.Keyboard.Vk = 0;
down.Data.Keyboard.Scan = scanCode;
down.Data.Keyboard.Flags = (UInt32)KeyboardFlag.UNICODE;
down.Data.Keyboard.Time = 0;
down.Data.Keyboard.ExtraInfo = IntPtr.Zero;
var up = new INPUT();
up.Type = (UInt32)InputType.KEYBOARD;
up.Data.Keyboard = new KEYBDINPUT();
up.Data.Keyboard.Vk = 0;
up.Data.Keyboard.Scan = scanCode;
up.Data.Keyboard.Flags = (UInt32)(KeyboardFlag.KEYUP | KeyboardFlag.UNICODE);
up.Data.Keyboard.Time = 0;
up.Data.Keyboard.ExtraInfo = IntPtr.Zero;
// Handle extended keys:
// If the scan code is preceded by a prefix byte that has the value 0xE0 (224),
// we need to include the KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY flag in the Flags property.
if ((scanCode & 0xFF00) == 0xE000)
{
down.Data.Keyboard.Flags |= (UInt32)KeyboardFlag.EXTENDEDKEY;
up.Data.Keyboard.Flags |= (UInt32)KeyboardFlag.EXTENDEDKEY;
}
inputList[2*x] = down;
inputList[2*x + 1] = up;
}
var numberOfSuccessfulSimulatedInputs = SendInput((UInt32)len*2, inputList, Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(INPUT)));
}
static extern UInt32 SendInput(UInt32 numberOfInputs, INPUT[] inputs, Int32 sizeOfInputStructure);
/// <summary>
/// Calls the Win32 SendInput method to simulate a Key UP.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="keyCode">The VirtualKeyCode to lift up</param>
public static void SimulateKeyUp(VirtualKeyCode keyCode)
{
var up = new INPUT();
up.Type = (UInt32)InputType.KEYBOARD;
up.Data.Keyboard = new KEYBDINPUT();
up.Data.Keyboard.Vk = (UInt16)keyCode;
up.Data.Keyboard.Scan = 0;
up.Data.Keyboard.Flags = (UInt32)KeyboardFlag.KEYUP;
up.Data.Keyboard.Time = 0;
up.Data.Keyboard.ExtraInfo = IntPtr.Zero;
INPUT[] inputList = new INPUT[1];
inputList[0] = up;
var numberOfSuccessfulSimulatedInputs = SendInput(1, inputList, Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(INPUT)));
if (numberOfSuccessfulSimulatedInputs == 0) throw new Exception(string.Format("The key up simulation for {0} was not successful.", keyCode));
}