Translate Javascript keyCode into charCode for non-U.S. keyboard layout (i.e. azerty)

Question

Quick background:

• when a key is pressed in a browser, three events are generated: keyDown, keyPress and keyUp

Answer 1

This is an absolute minefield and I would urge you not to attempt this if you can possibly avoid it. Not only is there a long and tangled history of browser manufacturers not agreeing on key event behaviour, there is also the fact that they still don't agree and are still regularly changing the key behaviour of their browsers.

The following is the best I can offer and the definitive resource on browser key events: http://unixpapa.com/js/key.html

If you have to do this, I think you're going to end up with loads of key code mapping tables that will go out of date very quickly. Good luck.