ARM Club 3/TheARMClub_PDCD3.iso/programs/misc/keyfix/ReadMe

Text File | 1998-12-17 | 11.3 KB | 257 lines

                                KeyFix v1.05
                                ------------

Introduction
------------
Users of older Acorn computers (BBC B, Master, etc.) will be familiar with a
keyboard Shift Lock key as well as Caps Lock; this key is not available on
the Archimedes and later ranges of Acorn computers. A Shift Lock key
provides access to upper case characters, as Caps Lock, and those normally
obtained by holding down Shift. Its operation is identical to Caps Lock -
i.e., once toggled on, remains active until toggled off. KeyFix provides
this missing Shift Lock and, in addition, a Ctrl Lock and Alt Lock.

Although it only performs a seemingly minor function, KeyFix can be big help
to some users with special needs. Many people can only use the keyboard with
one hand or, indeed, with a mouth-stick or other such adaptation. Holding
down one key whilst pressing another can prove awkward, if not impossible.
Likewise, using the mouse and keyboard together - e.g., Shift drag.

KeyFix can 'hold down' the shifting keys (Shift/Ctrl/Alt) for keyboard and
mouse operations. The various options are described in detail below.

Whilst KeyFix cannot claim to enable anyone to use the computer's keyboard,
it can go a long way to making it easier for some.

From version 1.03, KeyFix has a keyboard mouse emulator controlled using the
keypad keys. Everything you can do with the real mouse can be done with the
emulated mouse.

Getting started
---------------
KeyFix is run in the usual way, by double-clicking on the !KeyFix icon in
the directory viewer. It will install an icon on the right of the iconbar.
Once installed, KeyFix is ready to use, according to the settings in its
configuration file.

The iconbar menu
----------------
Pressing the middle or Menu button over the iconbar icon will display the
iconbar menu. The items on this behave as follows:

'Info' leads to an 'About this program' info box. This will show which
version of KeyFix you have.

'Config...' opens the KeyFix configuration dialogue box. It can also be
opened by clicking on the iconbar icon with Adjust.

'Quit' removes the KeyFix program from memory.

Configuring KeyFix
------------------
The first two options in the configuration dialogue, 'Use shifts for mouse
actions' and 'Use shifts for keyboard actions' determine whether or not the
shifting keys will be 'held down' for mouse or keyboard operations. They can
be selected individually, together or not at all. If, for example, you just
want KeyFix to act on keystrokes, then select 'Use shifts for keyboard
actions' but leave 'Use shifts for mouse actions' unselected.

For keyboard use, the type of shift applied can be 'Locking' or 'Resetting'.
If 'Locking' is selected the shift is toggled on and off in the same manner
as Caps Lock. If 'Resetting' is selected the shift is also released after
the next keypress, excluding Shift, Ctrl and Alt. A 'Resetting' shift is,
for example, particularly useful when entering a large amount of text as it
saves toggling Shift off after an initial capital letter, thereby saving
many keypresses.

The next group of icons determine the use of 'Hot keys'. These are the keys
KeyFix assigns to perform the shift functions. There is another way to use
KeyFix, see below.

The first nine icons select which of the Shift/Ctrl/Alt keys will be
assigned as the hot keys. The choices are 'Either', 'Left' or 'Right' for
each shift.

'Either' assigns both Shift/Ctrl/Alt keys.
'Left' assigns the left Shift/Ctrl/Alt key.
'Right' assigns the right Shift/Ctrl/Alt key.

Note that you can, if you wish, choose not to use a particular lock. For
example, if you wanted Shift Lock and Ctrl Lock but not Alt Lock, deselect
the Alt hot key by clicking on it with Adjust.

'Audio feedback' if on sounds a beep each time a hot key is pressed. The
tone of the beep varies depending on whether the shift is being turned on or
off.

The 'Mouse emulator' group of icons can be configured as follows:

'Pointer speed' controls the speed the pointer moves across the screen in OS
units per second when the emulator is in continuous mode. This is the
default mode.

'Pointer nudge' controls how far the pointer moves in OS units when the
emulator is in step mode.

'On/off key' defines a key to use for turning the emulator on or off. There
is a syntax for defining key presses. The keys are all given names F1 to F12
for the function keys or the letter on the key for the other keys. This name
can be prefixed with C_ for the key plus Ctrl, S_ for the key and Shift or
CS_ for the key and Ctrl plus Shift. Some other names are Tab, Escape,
Insert, Delete, Copy, CUp, CDown, CLeft, CRight, Space and Return. It is up
to the user to find key presses that are compatible with their other
applications.

KeyFix also has the ability to define the on/off key by its low-level key
number in the form Xnn where nn is a hex number - e.g., X0E would be the
Scroll Lock key. However, you cannot use the Xnn form in conjunction with
C_, S_, or CS_. This may not seem very useful, but if you have a Risc PC and
have replaced the original keyboard with one that has the 3 extra 'Windows'
keys, you can dedicate one of these to the hot key.

In order for RISC OS to be aware of the extra keys we need to patch the
PS2Driver module. One such patch, WinKbdPat, already exists and is included
in the KeyFix distribution by kind permission of its author, Robin Watts.
See WinKbdPat's !Help file for details of its use.

The 'Windows' keys map as: Windows key left - X68, Windows key right - X69
and Application key - X6A.

Note that you can choose not to use an on/off key by leaving a blank entry.

'Button click type' controls whether the emulator produces 'Short' or 'Long'
clicks. Long clicks are akin to the usual use of the mouse; clicks are held
as long as the emulated button is pressed. For most users this is likely to
be the preferred mode. Short clicks are brief and cannot be held. This mode
is useful if you are imprecise with your button clicks. A side effect of
setting the button click type to short is that you will no longer be able to
perform drags using the real mouse buttons while the emulator is active.

The final row of four buttons act on your choices when clicked on with
Select or Adjust.

'Default' will restore KeyFix to the settings in its configuration file.

'Save' will apply the current settings and save them in the file
!KeyFix.Resources.Config for use as the program's defaults.

'Cancel' will ignore any changes made and close the dialogue box. While the
configuration dialogue box has input focus, pressing Escape has the same
effect.

'Set' will apply the current settings. While the configuration dialogue box
has input focus, pressing Return in the last writable icon has the same
effect.

Using KeyFix
------------
If you have not used Keyfix before, you should first configure it for your
preferred default settings. Choose 'Config...' from the KeyFix menu or click
Adjust on the iconbar icon and set the appropriate options. Finally, click
on 'Save'.

There are two ways to use KeyFix, from the KeyFix window or with hot keys.
Clicking on the iconbar icon with Select will open the KeyFix window. This
will provide a simulation of the lock keys which can be toggled on or off by
clicking on them with the mouse. The simulated keys, like real ones, will
jog down and an indicator will 'illuminate' when on. The iconbar icon will
also reflect the status of the various locks by turning an indicator on or
off above each of the letters, S, C or A - representing Shift, Ctrl and Alt.
Likewise, when using hot keys, the status of the locks is shown on the icon
bar icon and in the KeyFix window, if open.

The locks can be used individually or together. So, for example, to press
Shift+Ctrl+F1 to cause Edit to expand tabs:

1. Ensure 'Use shifts for keyboard actions' and 'Hot keys' are selected (it
   doesn't matter if the key shift type is 'Locking' or 'Resetting'),
2. give Edit the caret and press the Shift Lock and Ctrl Lock hot keys
   (it doesn't matter in which order),
4. Press F1,
5. if necessary, release the locks by pressing the hot keys again.

The KeyFix window could have been used instead of hot keys, but is probably
more convenient when using the mouse. For example, to open an application
directory, first click on the Shift button, then double-click on an
application icon in a directory viewer. The application directory will have
been opened without using the keyboard.

The position of the KeyFix window opens at on screen is also saved in the
configuration file.

The mouse emulator
------------------
As the emulated mouse works transparently alongside the real mouse, it can
be used as well as or instead of it. In the following descriptions,
therefore, where I refer to button clicks, they could equally be performed
using the emulated or real mouse.

The keypad plays the role of mouse emulator as follows:

Num Lock, / and * act as Select, Menu and Adjust.

0 makes the next click a double-click. To, for example, run an application,
press keypad 0, position the pointer over the application's icon in the
directory viewer and click on it with Select. This key also has audio
feedback (dependant on the 'Audio feedback' setting in the 'Hot keys'
section).

Enter starts a drag for the next button click. To, for example, drag an
application to the Pinboard, press keypad Enter, position the pointer over
the application's icon in the directory viewer and click on it with Select,
the drag will begin and the application's icon will be 'picked up'. Position
the application where you want it and either click again with Select or
press keypad Enter. This key also has audio feedback (dependant on the
'Audio feedback' setting in the 'Hot keys' section).

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 control pointer direction SW, S, SE, W, E, NW, N
and NE. The pointer will move according the which mode it is in.

5 places the pointer at screen centre.

. toggles between continuous and stepped mode - i.e., the pointer moves as
long as a direction key is held down, or in discrete steps. Continuous
pointer movement is the default. Stepped mode is useful for accurate
positioning of the pointer. Note that auto-repeat is active in this mode.
This key also has audio feedback (dependant on the 'Audio feedback' setting
in the 'Hot keys' section).

+ and - adjust pointer speed/step. In continuous mode each press of + or -
will increase or decrease the pointer speed by 50 OS units per second. In
stepped mode each press of + or - will increase or decrease the pointer step
by 2 OS units.

When the mouse emulator is active the KeyFix window expands to show some
additional icons. From left to right these represent: double-click pending,
pointer movement mode and drag pending. Not only do these icons reflect the
state of the emulator, they can also be clicked on and used like their
keypad equivalents.

Distribution
------------
KeyFix may be freely distributed. We encourage you to pass it on to anyone
who may find it useful. We discourage you from making any charge for this
service.

Comments, suggestions, bugs
---------------------------
To:

#330, Fargo (John Ferguson)
#134, David Pilling

at Arcade BBS Fido Node 2:254/27.0,

or Internet

 [e-mail]
[e-mail]

Author! Author!
---------------
KeyFix was designed and documented by John Ferguson, and coded
by David Pilling.

WinKbdPat is copyright Robin Watts ([e-mail]) and is available
from ftp://ftp.comlab.ox.ac.uk/tmp/Robin.Watts/