.net - I always get a '255' value as keycode of these characters. How to retrieve the right keycode? -

i don't understand next issue.

i'm using function vkkeyscanex retrieve virtual-keycode of character, low-order byte of value returns function retrieve keycode.

all works expected these characters same keycode 255

áéíóú ÁÉÍÓÚ àèìòù ÀÈÌÒÙ äëïÖÜ ÄËÏÖÜ

both low-order byte , high-order byte returns me vkkeyscanex function 255 chars.

i don't know 255, 'cause print character this:

msgbox(convert.tochar(255)) 

i don't know if error or proper value, anyways i've tried specify keyboard layout (which 10) using getkeyboardlayout function still same 255 value.

someone explain me if value right , means 255 keycode?, if not, how transform chars in right keycode?

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this code i'm testing:

imports system.runtime.interopservices  public class form1      private sub test() handles mybase.shown          dim sb new system.text.stringbuilder          dim characters char() =             "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ñÑçÇ áéíóú ÁÉÍÓÚ àèìòù ÀÈÌÒÙ äëïÖÜ ÄËÏÖÜ º\'¡`+´-.,ª!·$%&/()=?¿".tochararray          each c char in characters             sb.appendformat("character: {0}", cstr(c))             sb.appendline()             sb.appendformat("keycode  : {0}", cstr(getkeycode(c, getkeyboardlayout(intptr.zero))))             messagebox.show(sb.tostring)             sb.clear()         next c      end sub      <dllimport("user32.dll", charset:=charset.unicode)>     private shared function vkkeyscanex(                             byval c char,                             optional byval keyboardlayout intptr = nothing     ) short     end function      <dllimport("user32.dll", entrypoint:="getkeyboardlayout", charset:=charset.unicode)>     private shared function apigetkeyboardlayout(                             optional byval idthread intptr = nothing     ) uinteger     end function      ''' <summary>     ''' translates character corresponding keycode.      ''' </summary>     public shared function getkeycode(byval c char,                                       optional byval keyboardlayout intptr = nothing) short         return bitconverter.getbytes(vkkeyscanex(c)).first     end function      ''' <summary>     ''' retrieves active input locale identifier (formerly called keyboard layout).     ''' </summary>     public shared function getkeyboardlayout(optional byval idthread intptr = nothing) short         return bitconverter.getbytes(apigetkeyboardlayout(idthread)).first     end function  end class 

msdn says:

if function finds no key translates passed character code, both low-order , high-order bytes contain –1.

which you're getting, interpreted unsigned byte. guess keyboard (or layout you're specifying) not have keys characters.