how to calculate lParam for SendMessage?

[JustinEzequiel]

Greetings helpful people,

We use a console (DOS) program that we can only access via Remote Desktop.

Since we already have (database) the data to input into the said remote console program, I was asked if I could automate the data entry.
(database is appended to daily)

I can get at the 'IHWindowClass' child window of the 'TSSHELLWND' parent window via FindWindow/FindWindowEx.

But PostMessage(cw, WM_CHAR, 65, 0), which works for local windows, is ignored by the IHWindowClass window.
What I found that works is

SendMessage(cw, WM_KEYDOWN, 0x00000041, 0x001E0001)
SendMessage(cw, WM_CHAR, 0x00000061, 0x001E0001)
SendMessage(cw, WM_KEYUP, 0x00000041, 0xC01E0001)

This works if I want to send the letter 'a'

My question is, how do I calculate lParam for any other character I wish to enter?

Currently, I'll be spying on messages and putting these into a lookup table.

Is there a simpler method?

WM_KEYDOWN nVirtKey:'A' cRepeat:1 ScanCode:1E fExtended:0 fAltDown:0 fRepeat:0 fUp:0 [wParam:00000041 lParam:001E0001]
WM_CHAR chCharCode:'0061' (97) cRepeat:1 ScanCode:1E fExtended:0 fAltDown:0 fRepeat:0 fUp:0 [wParam:00000061 lParam:001E0001]
WM_KEYUP nVirtKey:'A' cRepeat:1 ScanCode:1E fExtended:0 fAltDown:0 fRepeat:1 fUp:1 [wParam:00000041 lParam:C01E0001]

WM_KEYDOWN nVirtKey:'B' cRepeat:1 ScanCode:30 fExtended:0 fAltDown:0 fRepeat:0 fUp:0 [wParam:00000042 lParam:00300001]
WM_CHAR chCharCode:'0062' (98) cRepeat:1 ScanCode:30 fExtended:0 fAltDown:0 fRepeat:0 fUp:0 [wParam:00000062 lParam:00300001]
WM_KEYUP nVirtKey:'B' cRepeat:1 ScanCode:30 fExtended:0 fAltDown:0 fRepeat:1 fUp:1 [wParam:00000042 lParam:C0300001]

 

[strongm]

You might like to consider SendInput, which will correctly generate all the necessary keyboard messages for you.

MapVirtualKey (

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms646306(VS.85).aspx)

or OEMKeyScan may also be of use if you are interested in scan codes.

 

[JustinEzequiel]

Thanks strongm

Looks like I'll have to use SendInput or keyb_event instead as I cannot get uppercase characters (among others) to work for the Remote Desktop application.
(works just fine when to a local app though)

 

[strongm]

You might also want to look at the Microsoft Terminal Services Control library (although the SendKeys method buried in that basically requires a parameter that is the same as WM_KEYDOWN's lParam, so you'd be back to figurin g out how to construct that (hint: I often use UDTs and LSet for this sort of thing ...)

 

[JustinEzequiel]

Thanks strongm,

This is the first time I've heard of
"Microsoft Terminal Services Control library"
so I'll surely give it a look.