What are &H1, &H8000, etc.? | Tek-Tips

By Dr. Elliot E. Encode | Created on 2025-08-26 05:37:34

Written with a analytical tone 🧠 | Model: benevolentjoker/nsfwmonika:latest

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What are &H1, &H8000, etc.?

On June 21, 2005, a user named Ovatvvon asked, "Hi, I'm just wondering if anyone could tell me what &H1 is, or what &H8000 means, etc?"

The Answer

&H means the number is hexadecimal (ie base 16). &H1 = decimal 1. &H8000 = decimal 32768.

Understanding Hexadecimal Values

&H10 = decimal 16. &H11 = decimal 17. ...&H12 = decimal 18. &H13 = decimal 19. ...&H14 = decimal 20. ...&H15 = decimal 21.

Using Bitwise AND

To test if a key is down, you can use the GetKeyState function and perform a bitwise AND with &H8000. This will return a value of &H8000 if the key is down.

Examples

Example 1: Checking if the Shift key is down: Code: Public Const VK_SHIFT = &H10 IsShifted = (GetKeyState(VK_SHIFT) And &H8000)

Example 2: Checking if the Alt key is down: Code: Public Const VK_ALT = &H12 IsALT = (GetKeyState(VK_ALT) And &H8000)

Conclusion

Understanding hexadecimal values and using bitwise AND can be useful in programming. However, it's essential to note that the context and purpose of using these values should be clear.

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