How do I simulate a Tab key press when Return is pressed in a WPF application?

Question

In a WPF application, i have a window that has a lot of fields. When the user uses the TAB key after filling each field, windows understands that it moves on to the next. This is pretty know behavior.

Now what I want to to, is make it simulate the TAB key, when in fact the RETURN gets hit. So in my WPF xaml I added imply KeyDown="userPressEnter"

And in the code behind it:

private void userPressEnter(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
{
  if (e.Key == Key.Return)
  {
    e.Key = Key.Tab // THIS IS NOT WORKING
  }
}

Now, obviously this is not working. But what I don't know is, how DO I make this work?

---

EDIT 1 ==> FOUND A SOLUTION

I found something that helped me out =)

private void userPressEnter(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
{
 if (e.Key == Key.Return)
 {
   TraversalRequest request = new TraversalRequest(FocusNavigationDirection.Next);
   MoveFocus(request);
 }
}

This way the Focus moves on the the next it can find :)

Solution 1

You can look at a post here: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/wpf/thread/c85892ca-08e3-40ca-ae9f-23396df6f3bd

Here's an example:

private void textBox1_PreviewKeyDown(object sender, KeyEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.Key == Key.Enter)
            {
                TraversalRequest request = new TraversalRequest(FocusNavigationDirection.Next);
                request.Wrapped = true;
                ((TextBox)sender).MoveFocus(request);
            }
        }

Solution 2

    protected override bool ProcessDialogKey(Keys keyData)
    {
        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(keyData.ToString());

        switch (keyData)
        {
            case Keys.Enter:
                SendKeys.Send("{TAB}");
                break;
        }
        base.ProcessDialogKey(keyData);
        return false;
    }

Solution 3

I think you should use that to simulate TAB :

SendKeys.Send("{TAB}");

Instead of

e.Key = Key.Tab

Sources : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.windows.forms.sendkeys.send.aspx

Solution 4

How about make SendKeys Class Working like Winforms.SendKeys

https://michlg.wordpress.com/2013/02/05/wpf-send-keys/

public static class SendKeys
{
    public static void Send(Key key)
    {
        if (Keyboard.PrimaryDevice != null) {
            if (Keyboard.PrimaryDevice.ActiveSource != null) {
                var e1 = new KeyEventArgs(Keyboard.PrimaryDevice, Keyboard.PrimaryDevice.ActiveSource, 0, key) { RoutedEvent = Keyboard.KeyDownEvent };
                InputManager.Current.ProcessInput(e1);
            }
        }
    }
}

Solution 5

SendKeys.Send or SendKeys.SendWait will not work in a WPF application, so to answer the original question

if (e.Key == Key.Return)
{    
    KeyEventArgs tabPressEventArgs = new KeyEventArgs(Keyboard.PrimaryDevice, Keyboard.PrimaryDevice.ActiveSource, 0, Key.Tab) { RoutedEvent = Keyboard.KeyDownEvent };
    InputManager.Current.ProcessInput(tabPressEventArgs); 
}

View more solutions

Comments

[Tudor]

I know this method works for winforms apps, but does it also work for WPF?

[Kevin]

You're right it doesn't... I've found this instead but i'm sure there is a better solution inputsimulator.codeplex.com

[Dante1986]

hehe i just found that one too :) although i had to make it a bit different to get it to work ;)

[Mafii]

This is a winforms solution. SendKeys is in the System.Windows.Forms dll and not in the System.Windows dll

[LuckyLikey]

this is a WinForms Solution

[MikeLimaSierra]

This should be the accepted answer, as none of the other answers actually trigger another tab press event.