Question

Using Application.OnKey <key>, <procedure>, I can cause Excel to run <procedure> whenever <key> is pressed.

What I’d like is for it to do whatever pressing <key> would have done by default, and then run <procedure>. In other words, I don’t want to use OnKey to override what a key does, I want to use it to add to what a key does.

Background Info:

I’m using a barcode scanner that acts just like a keyboard when it scans something, typing in the characters of the barcode, followed by a carriage return (char 13). This carriage return does trigger Excel’s OnKey "~" event.

Right now, I can scan a barcode, and it puts the barcode’s value in the cell, then moves down to the next cell. This is a good start. What I want to do is have Excel run some code along with this, so that it puts the value in the cell, moves down a cell, then runs a procedure.

Answer 1

Why not just “rethrow” the carriage return using SendKeys, and let Excel deal with it as it sees fit? Admittedly, this is a kludge, but perhaps no more so than the rest of your code as you describe it! It would be the simplest and most readable solution — if it works.

Sub PlainOldCarriageReturn()

    Application.EnableEvents = False ' So it won't trigger OnKey.
    Application.SendKeys "~", True ' Send a carriage return.
    DoEvents ' Process the carriage return.
    Application.EnableEvents = True ' Back to normal

End Sub

Just put PlainOldCarriageReturn at the beginning of the procedure called by OnKey.

My cursory testing indicates that this does works, but you’ll want to test it yourself.