User Guide

Key.getAscii() 353
Key.getAscii()
Availability
Flash Player 5.
Usage
Key.getAscii() : Number
Parameters
None.
Returns
A number; an integer that represents the ASCII value of the last key pressed.
Description
Method; returns the ASCII code of the last key pressed or released. The ASCII values returned are
English keyboard values. For example, if you press Shift+2,
Key.getAscii() returns @ on a
Japanese keyboard, which is the same as it does on an English keyboard.
Example
The following example calls the getAscii() method any time a key is pressed. The example
creates a listener object named
keyListener and defines a function that responds to the
onKeyDown event by calling Key.getAscii(). For more information, see “Using event listeners”
in Using ActionScript in Flash. The
keyListener object is then registered to the Key object, which
broadcasts the
onKeyDown message whenever a key is pressed while the SWF file plays.
var keyListener:Object = new Object();
keyListener.onKeyDown = function() {
trace("The ASCII code for the last key typed is: "+Key.getAscii());
};
Key.addListener(keyListener);
When using this example, make sure that you select Control > Disable Keyboard Shortcuts in the
test environment.
The following example adds a call to
Key.getAscii() to show how the two methods differ. The
main difference is that
Key.getAscii() differentiates between uppercase and lowercase letters,
and
Key.getCode() does not.
var keyListener:Object = new Object();
keyListener.onKeyDown = function() {
trace("For the last key typed:");
trace("\tThe Key code is: "+Key.getCode());
trace("\tThe ASCII value is: "+Key.getAscii());
trace("");
};
Key.addListener(keyListener);
When using this example, make sure that you select Control > Disable Keyboard Shortcuts in the
test environment.