You create an accelerator-table resource by using the ACCELERATORS statement in your application's resource-definition file. You must assign a name or resource identifier to the accelerator table, preferably unlike that of any other resource. The system uses this identifier to load the resource at run time.
Each accelerator you define requires a separate entry in the accelerator table. In each entry, you define the keystroke (either an ASCII character code or virtual-key code) that generates the accelerator and the accelerator's identifier. You must also specify whether the keystroke must be used in some combination with the alt, shift, or ctrl keys. For more information about virtual keys, see Keyboard Input.
An ASCII keystroke is specified either by enclosing the ASCII character in double quotation marks or by using the integer value of the character in combination with the ASCII flag. The following examples show how to define ASCII accelerators.
"A", ID_ACCEL1 ; SHIFT+A
65, ID_ACCEL2, ASCII ; SHIFT+A
A virtual-key code keystroke is specified differently depending on whether the keystroke is an alphanumeric key or a non-alphanumeric key. For an alphanumeric key, the key's letter or number, enclosed in double quotation marks, is combined with the VIRTKEY flag. For a non-alphanumeric key, the virtual-key code for the specific key is combined with the VIRTKEY flag. The following examples show how to define virtual-key code accelerators.
"a", ID_ACCEL3, VIRTKEY ; A (caps-lock on) or a
VK_INSERT, ID_ACCEL4, VIRTKEY ; INSERT key
The following example shows an accelerator-table resource that defines accelerators for file operations. The name of the resource is FileAccel.
FileAccel ACCELERATORS
BEGIN
VK_F12, IDM_OPEN, CONTROL, VIRTKEY ; CTRL+F12
VK_F4, IDM_CLOSE, ALT, VIRTKEY ; ALT+F4
VK_F12, IDM_SAVE, SHIFT, VIRTKEY ; SHIFT+F12
VK_F12, IDM_SAVEAS, VIRTKEY ; F12
END
If you want the user to press the alt, shift, or ctrl keys in some combination with the accelerator keystroke, specify the ALT, SHIFT, and CONTROL flags in the accelerator's definition. Following are some examples.
"B", ID_ACCEL5, ALT ; ALT_SHIFT+B
"I", ID_ACCEL6, CONTROL, VIRTKEY ; CTRL+I
VK_F5, ID_ACCEL7, CONTROL, ALT, VIRTKEY ; CTRL+ALT+F5
By default, when an accelerator key corresponds to a menu item, the system highlights the menu item. You can use the NOINVERT flag to prevent highlighting for an individual accelerator. The following example shows how to use the NOINVERT flag.
VK_DELETE, ID_ACCEL8, VIRTKEY, SHIFT, NOINVERT ; SHIFT+DELETE
To define accelerators that correspond to menu items in your application, include the accelerators in the text of the menu items. The following example shows how to include accelerators in menu-item text in a resource-definition file.
FilePopup MENU
BEGIN
POPUP "&File"
BEGIN
MENUITEM "&New..", IDM_NEW
MENUITEM "&Open\tCtrl+F12", IDM_OPEN
MENUITEM "&Close\tAlt+F4" IDM_CLOSE
MENUITEM "&Save\tShift+F12", IDM_SAVE
MENUITEM "Save &As...\tF12", IDM_SAVEAS
END
END