WinRT equivalent for MapVirtualKey

Question

Is there an equivalent of MapVirtualKey in WinRT API? I want to convert a virtual key coming in through KeyDown into the equivalent character.

Answer 1

There isn't a direct equivalent. What exactly are you trying to do? MapVirtualKey has several different uses some of which may be achievable in other ways.

--Rob

Answer 2

I'll describe my use case in the old windows API:

1. using a Finnish keyboard layout, I type ä (it is on the key where a US keyboard has a ')
2. I receive a window message WM_KEYDOWN with uParam 222
3. I pass 222 to MapVirtualKey: UINT character = ::MapVirtualKeyW(222, MAPVK_VK_TO_CHAR);

Result: character == 228 (a.k.a. ä)

If I was using a keyboard with US layout, calling MapVirtualKeyW with 222 would result in character==39 (a.k.a. ')

Thanks,

Jani

Answer 3

An answer to Jani's question would be incredibly useful. MapVirtualKey is needed to translate KeyDown event arguments to characters, which currently is a must in Windows RT, because the CharacterReceived event doesn't exist anywhere except on the CoreWindow, and it is called *after* the KeyDown event in the TextBox that will actually process the key.

See also: 
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winappswithnativecode/thread/f073fa70-1009-4b17-bd92-f6fc7d6f09b1
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9636168/how-can-i-translate-what-we-get-in-the-keydown-event-to-a-unicode-character
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9431865/are-there-any-good-resources-on-keyboard-event-handling-in-windows-runtime