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Hi,
I'm trying to add support for the Samsung Blackjack device's keyboard. It seems to have a special keyboard layout where each digit is shared between two buttons, for example, 'E' and 'R' are both used for '1'.
I didn't find any method of telling the OS to change between digit mode and character mode, but I might have just missed it.
I noticed that IME generates the same WM_KEYDOWN (VK_1) message for these two buttons ('E' & 'R').
Any idea how to create a generic solution for this kind of devices? I wouldn't want to query the OEM string and do it hardcoded.
Thanks!
Nergall
I'm an amatuer web designer, and so therefor I write HTML and other languages on my MDA. for anyone who has looked at HTML before, you will know that the language uses < and > a fair amount. guess which characters the MDA keyboard doesn't have...
what I'm looking for is an app that will program fn+g and fn+h (or any other keys, doesn't matter) to < and >. it might have been done before, might not be possible... but if anyone has a bit o' spare time and feels like having a go, I'd be very grateful
thanks in advance
Hi there,
The solution for your problem is quite easy: look for the file "sym", in windows folder, opened it with a text editor, and you'll see a list of characters. The first in each line is the key name, and the default character for that key.
After that one, you can enter any character. When you're typing, you can scroll for the characters of each line using "sym" key.
One detail: as you want to add symbols that don't exist in the keyboard, you need to copy the "sym" file to the PC, edit it there, and then copy it back to the PPC.
thanks! i'd forgotten all about the Sym key...
I edited sym.txt with Total Commander's text editor, and it didn't work... when I was copying back from sd card to Windows/ I noticed my file was 248bytes, and the original was 418bytes or something like that...
I did, however, use the PDA in question to do this... I think i'll now follow your advice and edit on my laptop
alright. so i have noticed that there are many different keyboard styles, features, and fuctionalities.
but there is one huge thing missing. and it took me until right now to figure out what it was.
we are missing personalization and versatility.
i am on a mission to create the best onscreen keyboard that xda has ever seen.
obviously i cannot do this alone.
i am great at graphics and anamations but programming isnt exactly my strong point. so ifanyone and i mean anyone is intrested in this project, definitly post here..and also a pm. to me would be greatly appreciated.
i have high hopes for this project and i hope everyone else does too.
you can also post here if there are options/features that you look for in an on screen keyboard.
or you can just wish us luck!
thanks everyone =)
What I would like to see:
A combination between the finger-usable PCM Keyboard,
and the gestures of the WM5-keyboard
Something like TouchPal from CooTek but taking up a little less screen realestate would be amazing.Wish i could help with the coding, but I've only taken one class of c++ and I know I wouldn't be any help. Good luck with this project, sounds really cool.
I think a 1/2 screen finger-friendly qwerty is ideal. One that has basic punctuation keys (Period, comma, exclamation, question) on the primary input screen.
Unfortunately, I don't have skills/time to work on initial development, but very willing to test as I am in search of the best on screen keyboard and I can provide experienced and thorough feedback.
PPC6800- Titan
WM6 2.17.651
Radio 1.47.01
I suggest the main keyboard window to be one or two lines with option and buttons which show the main keyboard layouts with tap and hold to navigate to the desired letter. So the layout window that can be semi transparent to allow see what you write not need to be all the time on screen and covers a big part of her. Hope you understand what I mean cause my english are not so good.
brilliant idea
text assigneable keys, as in assigning '[email protected]' so it can be called at any time, and other assignable texts. I like the touchpal keyboard, but it does take up too much space and there is a lot going on. Resco just updated their's and I am not sure I like the new one, it is very much like the pocketcm keyboard, so why pay $19 for resco's??? I can't program, but will help in usability testing, so count me in if you think I can help the project. Good luck.
It's clear that there will be as many different visions of a "perfect keyboard" as there are people posting here. What is worst, there'll be many conflicting ones: "can the keys be bigger?", "the keys should be smaller", "i need one more page with numbers only", "who the hell needs a page with numbers only, it's a waste of memory", etc...
So i'd say that what a program with such ambitions would need the most is full customizability. Here's a roundup of features i'd like to see:
-key layout customizable trough an xml file.
-multiple pages switched by button actions (tap, hold, gesture) so we can have one default page, one with numbers, one with national symbols, etc.
-gestures, but not only right/left/up/down, like in default keyboard, but also diagonal, and ability to use a key from a different page upon a gesture, eg. when you press a letter and drag in bottom right direction, you'll get a lowercase national (like accented one) character, if you drag in top-right direction, you'll get an uppercase one.
-dynamic key binding: you copy a text to the clipboard, and with a certain key combination (set in the config file) you can bind it to some unoccupied space left for that purpose (you could use it for single letters/symbols, e-mail addresses, or even a bit longer texts - say up to 256 characters).
-did i mention customizability?
I guess that these features would be a good starting point and more functions could be added on the way.
So in short, my vision of the perfect keyboard would be actually just a framework, a tool, enabling the users to experiment with different layouts and functions and create their own perfect keyboard. And the XML config file plus additional graphics would be the keyboard itself. It would be for text input what BatteryStatus is for Today screen plugins.
Example config could look a bit like this:
Code:
<Keyboard name="example">
<Page name="Default" background="image.png" height="200">
<Row>
<Key name="A" image="key_normal.png" image_pressed="key_pressed.png" caption="A">
<Press action="typeText" argument="a"
<DragR action="specialKey" argument="Space" />
<DragBR action="overrideCaption" argument="ą" action="typeText" argument="ą" />
(...)
</Key>
(...)
</Row>
(...)
</Page>
(...)
</Keyboard>
Available key gestures could be tap, hold, double tap, drag - sideways, up and down, diagonally. Actions could be something like type text, override caption (replaces default key caption until the key released, so that you can see what you're typing), permanently change page to a defined one, change page to a different one for one keypress (like the shift does i the default keyboard), cycle pages, etc. Each key could trigger multiple actions - so it could type some text, and then change page to a different one (example - you have a page with large assignable buttons, so you can bing something like an e-mail address there. When you press that key and the address is typed, the keyboard will return to its default page).
Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. Good luck with the project, whatever direction it goes in.
One problem that I have with most keyboard skins is that it becomes too tall and I find myself typing blindly because the keyboard covers the area that I am typing. SPB Fullscreen keyboard gets around but is buggy and not a "true" SIP keyboard (if you have used this you will know what I mean. The only way around this is to create a not so tall skin. Default WM6 kb is not so tall but is not finger friendly.
Thus I have modified a skin for PocketCM that I thought I would share. The original skin is based on a skin called 2manyiClone, which I believe is from 2manyphones, so many thanks goes to him.
The main features are:
1. Only 3 rows high, but the buttons are still finger friendly (most skins are 4 rows).
2. Most letters, symbols and numbers needed can be accessed through the main layout screen(I hate switching layout screen for one symbol or number and having to change back).
3. What is sacrificed to make this happen: space, return, and backspace are only 1 box wide. No shift button.
4. In place of shift, all capital letters can be accessed by holding down a letter until the "symbol pad" for that letter pops up revealing its capital letter. If you really need the shift key (ie capitalizing whole words) you can find it in the "symbol pad" of the space key (hold space key down).
5. All digits can be accessed on the main page by holding down the letters of the top row (qwertyuiop) for 0-9 revealing its symbol pad. All of the letters in the top row have the corresponding digits in their top right corner to show its digit function.
6. Symbols and punctuations can be accessed either through the default symbol pad of the .!123 key (hold it down) or the "m" key (which has a (') character to designate it is also a symbol key.
7. .com can be accessed through the "c" symbol pad and www. can be accessed through the "w" symbol pad (hold down the respective letter).
If someone finds a use for this, then great. If not, then sorry to waste your time.
Just download and unzip into your PocketCM keyboard folder. It should have two files miniPhone.layout and miniPhone.skin. Under PocketCm options, it is important to select both the miniPhone layout and the miniPhone skin for it to work right.
I am also taking suggestions for improvement. If it suits me I will make the change and post revisions. If it doesn't suit my purpose, then i will just show you how to change it yourself.
Here is also an alternate layout by jomo25:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2105928&postcount=14
Here are my screenshots:
Nice job
This is a nice adaptation of my iClone keyboard. The small numbers on the top row of keys is a nice idea. I'm sure some people will like this smaller footprint. You may want to take a look at the layout file in my "Best of" version (link in my signture). Considering the numbers can be accessed from "qwerty...." keys, I think you could add more symbols or shortcuts to the .!# key. Also the symbol pad goes to 4 lines. You may want to try having two 3 line symbol pads to keep the same foot print, but still allow for access to many symbols.
It is nice to see people taking my (and others) ideas and coming up with their own style.
Keep it up!
works great on my HTC Touch, thanks!
Nice screenshoot...I'll try...Thanks....
Spanish layout
Hi,
How can I add accented vowels support?
I mean á, é, ...
Thanks
longj49 said:
works great on my HTC Touch, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait...it's not suppose to look like that. It's suppose to have only 3 rows not 4. Are you sure you selected miniPhone under skin and layout? I think you forgot to select miniPhone layout.
2manyphones said:
This is a nice adaptation of my iClone keyboard. The small numbers on the top row of keys is a nice idea. I'm sure some people will like this smaller footprint. You may want to take a look at the layout file in my "Best of" version (link in my signture). Considering the numbers can be accessed from "qwerty...." keys, I think you could add more symbols or shortcuts to the .!# key. Also the symbol pad goes to 4 lines. You may want to try having two 3 line symbol pads to keep the same foot print, but still allow for access to many symbols.
It is nice to see people taking my (and others) ideas and coming up with their own style.
Keep it up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i see my thanks needs to go to you for the skin. It is the most "authenetic" *phone skin out there.
Funny that I never looked at that thread before when I came up with my ideas, especially having caps for each letter symbol pad. I am quite surprise more layouts don't have this. i guess great minds think alike..lol. I got the idead for that from using default wm6 kb with gestures in which if you upward gesture any letter you get its cap.
Again, thanks a bunch.
Aslo, perhaps you can link this thread to your original thread?
I am considering adding punctuations and symbols onto the qwertyuiop keys, with each letter getting a symbol on the upper left hand corner to go with the digits on the right hand corner. The problem with this design is that things may start to look cluttered.
What do you guys think?
screenshots added to first post!
very nice work! works great on my cruise but there's a small bug. sometimes when i press space, it would go to the symbols pad itself. weird but it's not a big deal. also, all the buttons seem overlapped on landscape mode. visible especially on the top row and the space, return, symbols and backspace buttons. thanks for the great skin!
raggastani said:
very nice work! works great on my cruise but there's a small bug. sometimes when i press space, it would go to the symbols pad itself. weird but it's not a big deal. also, all the buttons seem overlapped on landscape mode. visible especially on the top row and the space, return, symbols and backspace buttons. thanks for the great skin!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but I designed this for use on Portrait only, never really use Landscape myself.
On the spacebar bug, which symbols pad are you referring too? Spacebar has its own "symbols pad" which include the Shift key, period and comma, as well as the space bar.
SuperFly, this is awesome...You inspired me to use this one which takes up much less space...I've modded yours to this:
Code:
keyboard_layout_1=qwertyuiop\nasdfghjkl\N\n\Mzxc vbnm\2
keyboard_layout_2=QWERTYUIOP\nASDFGHJKL\N\n\MZXC VBNM\1
keyboard_layout_3=&@[1\]$*789+?\n.':/!456-\B\n\M[1http://www.]()0123=\N
symbol_pad=\M,0123456789
symbol_pad=z,-Z?!_&@$"'
symbol_pad=w,W2[3http://www.][2.com][2.net]
symbol_pad= ,[2LoginID2][3LoginID1][2Password1][3Password2]
symbol_pad=),[2;)][2:)][2:p][2:D][2:*]
symbol_pad=(,[2:S][2:(][2:|][2:o][2:/]
symbol_pad=/,[1\]
symbol_pad=-,_
symbol_pad=:,;
symbol_pad=http://www.,[2.com][2.net][3https://www.]
symbol_pad=a,A
symbol_pad=b,B
symbol_pad=c,C
symbol_pad=d,D
symbol_pad=e,E3
symbol_pad=f,F
symbol_pad=g,G
symbol_pad=h,H
symbol_pad=i,8I
symbol_pad=j,J
symbol_pad=k,K
symbol_pad=l,L
symbol_pad=m,\E\T\H\F\DM
symbol_pad=n,N
symbol_pad=o,9O
symbol_pad=p,0P
symbol_pad=q,Q1
symbol_pad=r,R4
symbol_pad=s,S
symbol_pad=t,5T
symbol_pad=u,7U
symbol_pad=v,V
symbol_pad=x,X
symbol_pad=y,6Y
This way it's always 3 rows, and has access to lots of symbols, smileys, and ID/PWs as I like to set mine up...Hope this is useful to some others!
Great idea, SFSC!
jomo25,
glad I inspired you. maybe you can post a zip of your layout so we can try it out without going through a text editor.
superflysocal said:
jomo25,
glad I inspired you. maybe you can post a zip of your layout so we can try it out without going through a text editor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Attached. The skin file is unchanged. The layout file is as in last post.
If you want to customize it of course, you should use a text editor to use your IDs and/or PWs...
Thanks!
Additional shots
Anyone working on a portrait VGA version of this?
A friend did this app that lets the ipaq 600 hardware keyboard type in any language without canceling the original keyboard functionality
This app can also be set to work on any other wm device that has hardware keyboard
It is like "AE-keyboard mapper" but on this app you can set more then one font per key
This functionality is very handy when you use numeric hardware keyboard like on the ipaq 600 asus p750 htc dual touch etc
It can be used when the number of fonts you use in your language is larger then on the device you have
It can also be used on a full hardware keyboard to have more then one language without the need of switching between keyboards layouts (you can even set a key for saved words like "hi" "thanks"..)
It is originally for Hebrew users (by default and fonts ) but the developer did it in a way that anyone can use/customize it by editing the app xml file in the software dir
You can set it to any character you use/want (any font/language)
For now the capability of the app is to set up to 3 letters and num for any key (total of 4 option per key -you will see it more clearly on the xml)
Instructions
BACKUP YOUR DEVICE BEFORE YOU INSTALL THE APP
ANY USE OF THIS APP IS AT YOUR OWN RISK
First you need to have support of your language or add fonts to windows/font dir in the device
only then you can use the software!
Then install the app to the device main memory
Ones the app set to on it will work in the background
For the ipaq 600 you have 3 ver of the app
1 switching between keyboards layout by passing the camera (orig- EN custom - HE)
2 switching between keyboards layout by passing the voice commend button (orig- EN custom - HE)
http://rapidshare.com/files/125258935/HebKeys_tog198.CAB.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/125142324/HebKeys_button.CAB.html
You can set it to toggle using any key you like by editing the XML
line " <HWcode>199</HWcode>"
selecting a button for toggling will disable its functionality when the app is in the background
to disable this option enter a nun used code like "9999" instead of the "199" option
to exit the app you can SR or press the app icon called "heb keys" then chose exit
customizing/ remapping
sync your device
then copy the xml file from your device to your desktop
the xml file can be found in: my device/program file/ HebKeys
KEEP A COPY OF THE ORIG XML FOR BACKUP
on your desktop right click the file and select : "open with" /"notpad"
now you will see all the layout like this "pack" of commend lines
<HWcode>50</HWcode> // the device code of the key being mapped (50= digit 2 on the ipaq 600 keyboard)
<state1>2</state1> // the first font (this case num )
<state2>ד</state2> // the second font (letter in Hebrew that can be set to yours)
<state3>ה</state3> // the third font (letter in Hebrew that can be set to yours)
<state4>ו</state4> // the fourth font (letter in Hebrew that can be set to yours)
You can also add more "packs" of definitions depending on the number of keys you have on your device
Reading the key code
To know the code for each pack/key you need this app
The key reading app can not work with the keyboard app at the same time
Therefore you first need to exit the keyboard support then start reading and editing the XML file
The reading app called "ranisoft kbtest"
Can be downloaded here
http://rapidshare.com/files/125091730/KeyMap_13.zip.html
After the completion of the XML customizing copy the new file to your device at the same location by replacing the orig
On the ipaq 600 all function keys like camera etc will pop the code for a second then return to code num 91
Camera = 199
voice commend=198
VIB = 200
Ok- to fast but I think 194
Then you have this
1=49
2=50
3=51
4=52
5=53
6=54
7=55
8=56
9=57
* =119
0=48
#=120
I did not set dig 1 for letters to get the key 1 signs like : " ;/…
Also not the # key that stands for space (7 is also free but can be used ..)
Function buttons re not recommended for letters
To run the apps on WM5 device you need to install CF2
Known issue/bugs
There is a delay that mast be maintained to type sequenced letters per key like AA or AB
For now you can tap on "space" (#) and go back the next VER will let you set your typing rate within the XML file
Also if you use your smart dial switch to EN or maintain the needed delay between digits
this app is freeware ,if you have any questions/notes pleas add it here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=403736
if you find this app helpful don’t forget to also say the "tanks " for this guy
he didn’t need this app (has a full support for his device/keyboard) but my naggings and the developer good will produced this grate app that free WM users from language typing limitation for benefit of all users/LNG and for all devices
you can help other users by sharing/uploading your language XML file at the XDA thread
enjoy
Here is he latest VER of the app
http://rapidshare.com/files/125678513/HebKeys_b_198_v15.CAB.html
In this VER the "voice commend " is set to switch between English & your language
The thing with this VER is that you can set in the XML file your typing rate
By default it is 3000 ,I have set it to 2000 and it works like orig
enjoy
for those who don’t like to switch between there language and tx9 and prefer to switch between there language and English (abc) you can disable the priority of the tx9 by installing this cab
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2082504&postcount=8
Hi,
it sounds good, but I've a question.
EREZYAD said:
...
It can be used when the number of fonts you use in your language is larger then on the device you have...
...
For now the capability of the app is to set up to 3 letters and num for any key (total of 4 option per key -you will see it more clearly on the xml)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Hungarian/German etc. we use the same characters than in english and some more.
Can I set more options?
like this:
<HWcode>50</HWcode>
<state1>a</state1>
<state2>b</state2>
<state3>c</state3>
<state4>á</state4>
<state5>ä</state5>
<state6>ß</state6>
<state7>2</state7>
on this settings only the 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 are programed
you can also add "1" ,"#","*" so you will get 9 more characters
you can also use one of the "skin" without the numbers so on one "skin" you get ENG with num and the other one only your lang this way you can have up to 48 characters for one "skin"
good luck
btw - you can also map the camera for 4 more characters
& don't forget that you can exit the app at any time so you will get the orig keys
i have set this app on my start menu by going start/settings/today/item for quick operation (enter/exit the app)