The client area of a date and time picker (DTP) control displays date and time information and acts as the interface through which users modify the information. Additionally, the control will display a check box when the DTS_SHOWNONE style is in use.
Each field in the control displays a portion of the date and time information that the control stores internally. The user can click a field to set keyboard focus and then provide keyboard input to change the information represented by that field. The DTP control automatically updates internal information based on the user's input. The control recognizes the following as valid input.
| Input Category | Description |
| Arrow Keys | The control accepts arrow keys to navigate the fields in the control and change values. The user can press the LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW keys to move through the control. If the user attempts to move past the last field in a given direction, the keyboard focus "wraps around" to the field on the opposite side of the control. The UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys change values in the current field incrementally. |
| End and Home | The control accepts the VK_END and VK_HOME virtual keys to change the value within the current field to its upper and lower limits, respectively. |
| Function Keys | The F2 key activates edit mode. The F4 key causes the control to display a drop-down month calendar control (pressing ALT+DOWN ARROW does this as well). |
| Numbers | The control accepts numeric input in two-character segments. If the value entered by the user is invalid (like setting the month to 14), the control rejects it and resets the display to the previous value. |
| Plus and Minus | The control accepts the VK_ADD and VK_SUBTRACT virtual keys from the numeric keypad to increment and decrement the value in the current field. |
DTP controls that do not use the DTS_UPDOWN style display an arrow button. If the user clicks this button, a month calendar control drops down. The user can select a specific date by clicking an area of the calendar.