---
name: "actionKeys"
type: command
status: ok
groups: ["Interaction"]
arma3_since: "0.50"
locality: {"argument": null, "effect": null, "server_exec": false}
source: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/actionKeys
revid: 330779
updated: 2022-11-01T16:06:07Z
---

# actionKeys

*Command · Interaction · Arma 3 v0.50 · introduced in Operation Flashpoint: Elite v1.00*

## Description

Returns [Array](../topics/Array.md) containing [dikCodes](../topics/DIK_KeyCodes.md) of keys, buttons and combos assigned to the given user action. Action names could be found in config class ControllerSchemes or user action names or user profile, for example:

```cpp
keyWatch[] = { 24 };
```

To retrieve the value, use the property name without 'key':

```sqf
actionKeys "Watch"; // 24
```

In addition, some of the actions are also listed in here: [inputAction/actions](../topics/inputAction~2Factions.md)

## Syntax

### Syntax 1

```sqf
actionKeys userAction
```

**Parameters:**

- `userAction`: [String](../topics/String.md)

**Returns:** [Array](../topics/Array.md) of [Numbers](../topics/Number.md)

### Syntax 2

*since Arma3 2.08*

```sqf
actionKeys [userAction]
```

**Parameters:**

- `userAction`: [String](../topics/String.md)

**Returns:** [Array](../topics/Array.md) of [Strings](../topics/String.md)

## Examples

### Example 1

```sqf
_arrayOfNumbers = actionKeys "ReloadMagazine";
```

### Example 2

From Arma 3 v2.08:

```sqf
_arrayOfStrings = actionKeys ["ReloadMagazine"];
```

## See also

[actionKeysNames](../commands/actionKeysNames.md) · [actionKeysNamesArray](../commands/actionKeysNamesArray.md) · [actionKeysImages](../commands/actionKeysImages.md) · [actionName](../commands/actionName.md) · [inputAction](../commands/inputAction.md) · [addUserActionEventHandler](../commands/addUserActionEventHandler.md)

## Community notes

**AgentRev** — 2016-05-11

If an action key is configured with a modifier (e.g. "Right Ctrl + M" for "MiniMapToggle"), the DIK code returned by this command has a weird value, equivalent to the following:

Left Ctrl + Key = 486539264 + DIK
Left Shift + Key = 704643072 + DIK
Left Alt + Key = 939524096 + DIK
Right Ctrl + Key = -1660944384 + DIK
Right Shift + Key = 905969664 + DIK
Right Alt + Key = -1207959552 + DIK</sqf>

This increases the difficulty of accurately comparing key codes to actionKeys in [UI event handlers](../topics/User_Interface_Event_Handlers.md). Those strange numbers are probably due to bit flags being added to the DIK value by the game engine for easier storage in the [ArmaProfile](../topics/Profile.md).\
In case of mouse buttons, actionKeys will also return values that are different from those in "MouseButton" UI events:

LMB: MouseButton 0 = actionKeys 65536
RMB: MouseButton 1 = actionKeys 65665 (65536 + 1 + 128)
MMB: MouseButton 2 = actionKeys 65538 (65536 + 2)
4MB: MouseButton 3 = actionKeys 65539 (65536 + 3)
5MB: MouseButton 4 = actionKeys 65540 (65536 + 4)

The values above are valid for a right-handed mouse configuration, and may or may not differ for a left-handed config.
\
*Note edited by R3vo (talk) 13:04, 19 March 2021 (CET)*

---

**Commy2** — 2016-08-06

**The values described by AgentRev cannot be compared reliably.** All numbers in SQF are floats and those are only precise up to 7 digits.

```sqf
486539264 + 19 == 486539264 + 20 // returns true
```

The DIK codes for `LCtrl + R` and `LCtrl + T` are indistinguishable.
\
*Note edited by R3vo (talk) 13:04, 19 March 2021 (CET)*

<sub>Source: [BI Community Wiki — actionKeys](https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/actionKeys) (revision 330779).</sub>