# Keyboard

Keyboard API is useful for directly accessing keystrokes. If you want players to rebind your input use [Actions](/unity-for-airship/user-input/actions.md).

## Listening for Key Presses

Use the `OnKeyDown` and `OnKeyUp` methods to listen for key events.

```typescript
Keyboard.OnKeyDown(Key.E, (event) => {
    print("E key down");
});

Keyboard.OnKeyUp(Key.E, (event) => {
    print("E key up");
});

// Optional signal priority:
Keyboard.OnKeyDown(Key.E, (event) => {
    print("E key down, before the other one!");
}, SignalPriority.HIGH);
```

### Disconnecting Listener

Keyboard listeners return a cleanup function. When you no longer need to listen to the key you can call the cleanup function to disconnect your callback.

```typescript
// Listen for one press of "E" -- then disconnect
const disconnectKeyDownE = Keyboard.OnKeyDown(Key.E, (event) => {
    print("E key down");
    // Disconnect this listener
    disconnectKeyDownE();
});
```

## Polling for Keys Down

To check if an individual key is down, call the `IsKeyDown` method. There are also two combination methods, `IsEitherKeyDown` and `AreBothKeysDown`.

```typescript
// Check if single key is down:
if (Keyboard.IsKeyDown(Key.E)) print("E is down");

// Check if at least one of the two keys are down:
if (Keyboard.IsEitherKeyDown(Key.W, Key.UpArrow)) print("Up");

// Check if both keys are down:
if (Keyboard.AreBothKeysDown(Key.S, Key.LeftShift)) print("Save");
```

## Sinking Key Events

It is possible to sink key input events, preventing the event from continuing on to other listeners.

To sink an event, use the `SetCancelled` event method. In cases where event sinking is occurring, it is best to also include the desired `SignalPriority`.

```typescript
Keyboard.OnKeyDown(Key.E, (event) => {
    event.SetCancelled(true);
}, SignalPriority.HIGHEST);
```


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.airship.gg/unity-for-airship/user-input/keyboard.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.