Tkinter 8.5 reference: a GUI for Python

54.5. Key names

The detail part of an event pattern for a KeyPress or KeyRelease event specifies which key you're binding. (See the Any modifier, above, if you want to get all keypresses or key releases).

The table below shows several different ways to name keys. See Section 54.6, “Writing your handler: The Event class”, below, for more information on Event objects, whose attributes will describe keys in these same ways.

The .keysym column shows the “key symbol”, a string name for the key. This corresponds to the .keysym attribute of the Event object.
The .keycode column is the “key code.” This identifies which key was pressed, but the code does not reflect the state of various modifiers like the shift and control keys and the NumLock key. So, for example, both a and A have the same key code.
The .keysym_num column shows a numeric code equivalent to the key symbol. Unlike .keycode, these codes are different for different modifiers. For example, the digit 2 on the numeric keypad (key symbol KP_2) and the down arrow on the numeric keypad (key symbol KP_Down) have the same key code (88), but different .keysym_num values (65433 and 65458, respectively).
The “Key” column shows the text you will usually find on the physical key, such as tab.

There are many more key names for international character sets. This table shows only the “Latin-1” set for the usual USA-type 101-key keyboard. For the currently supported set, see the manual page for Tk keysym values.

`.keysym`	`.keycode`	`.keysym_num`	Key
`Alt_L`	`64`	`65513`	The left-hand alt key
`Alt_R`	`113`	`65514`	The right-hand alt key
`BackSpace`	`22`	`65288`	backspace
`Cancel`	`110`	`65387`	break
`Caps_Lock`	`66`	`65549`	CapsLock
`Control_L`	`37`	`65507`	The left-hand control key
`Control_R`	`109`	`65508`	The right-hand control key
`Delete`	`107`	`65535`	Delete
`Down`	`104`	`65364`	↓
`End`	`103`	`65367`	end
`Escape`	`9`	`65307`	esc
`Execute`	`111`	`65378`	SysReq
`F1`	`67`	`65470`	Function key F1
`F2`	`68`	`65471`	Function key F2
`F_i`	`66+i`	`65469+i`	Function key F_i
`F12`	`96`	`65481`	Function key F12
`Home`	`97`	`65360`	home
`Insert`	`106`	`65379`	insert
`Left`	`100`	`65361`	←
`Linefeed`	`54`	`106`	Linefeed (control-J)
`KP_0`	`90`	`65438`	0 on the keypad
`KP_1`	`87`	`65436`	1 on the keypad
`KP_2`	`88`	`65433`	2 on the keypad
`KP_3`	`89`	`65435`	3 on the keypad
`KP_4`	`83`	`65430`	4 on the keypad
`KP_5`	`84`	`65437`	5 on the keypad
`KP_6`	`85`	`65432`	6 on the keypad
`KP_7`	`79`	`65429`	7 on the keypad
`KP_8`	`80`	`65431`	8 on the keypad
`KP_9`	`81`	`65434`	9 on the keypad
`KP_Add`	`86`	`65451`	+ on the keypad
`KP_Begin`	`84`	`65437`	The center key (same key as 5) on the keypad
`KP_Decimal`	`91`	`65439`	Decimal (`.`) on the keypad
`KP_Delete`	`91`	`65439`	delete on the keypad
`KP_Divide`	`112`	`65455`	`/` on the keypad
`KP_Down`	`88`	`65433`	↓ on the keypad
`KP_End`	`87`	`65436`	end on the keypad
`KP_Enter`	`108`	`65421`	enter on the keypad
`KP_Home`	`79`	`65429`	home on the keypad
`KP_Insert`	`90`	`65438`	insert on the keypad
`KP_Left`	`83`	`65430`	← on the keypad
`KP_Multiply`	`63`	`65450`	× on the keypad
`KP_Next`	`89`	`65435`	PageDown on the keypad
`KP_Prior`	`81`	`65434`	PageUp on the keypad
`KP_Right`	`85`	`65432`	→ on the keypad
`KP_Subtract`	`82`	`65453`	`-` on the keypad
`KP_Up`	`80`	`65431`	↑ on the keypad
`Next`	`105`	`65366`	PageDown
`Num_Lock`	`77`	`65407`	NumLock
`Pause`	`110`	`65299`	pause
`Print`	`111`	`65377`	PrintScrn
`Prior`	`99`	`65365`	PageUp
`Return`	`36`	`65293`	The enter key (control-M). The name `Enter` refers to a mouse-related event, not a keypress; see Section 54, “Events”
`Right`	`102`	`65363`	→
`Scroll_Lock`	`78`	`65300`	ScrollLock
`Shift_L`	`50`	`65505`	The left-hand shift key
`Shift_R`	`62`	`65506`	The right-hand shift key
`Tab`	`23`	`65289`	The tab key
`Up`	`98`	`65362`	↑

Next: 54.6. Writing your handler: The Event class

Contents: Tkinter 8.5 reference: a GUI for Python

Previous: 54.4. Event modifiers

John W. Shipman

Comments welcome: tcc-doc@nmt.edu

Last updated: 2013-12-31 17:59

Original URL: http://www.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/tkinter/web/key-names.html