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KEYMAP.DOC
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1991-10-12
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KEYMAP.SYS v0.0 - A Keyboard Key Mapper
KEYMAP.SYS allows you to change the layout of your keyboard. Your changes
may be as simple as the swapping of the Ctrl and Caps Lock keys, or you can
set up a completely new layout (like the Dvorak layout). You may create up
to ten layouts, and switch among them at will.
As provided, the software defines two layouts. The default is the Sholes
layout, also known as the QWERTY layout. This is a standard layout, with
no keys moved. The second provided layout is the Dvorak layout.
SHOLES DVORAK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 = [
Q W E R T Y U I O P [ ] ' , . P Y F G C R L / ]
A S D F G H J K L ; ' A O E U I D H T N S -
Z X C V B N M , . / ; Q J K X B M W V Z
To switch between layouts, hold down the Control, Alt, and Left Shift keys,
then press a function key. F1 selects the default layout (Sholes). As
provided, F2 selects the Dvorak layout. You can install up to ten different
layouts, enabled by F1 through F10.
To install a new layout, you will need a text editor and an assembler. The
software is written for use with Borland's Turbo Assembler. To assemble it
with a different assembler, you will probably have to edit the source code.
The first step in creating a new layout is to write the keyboard definition
file. Two sample files are provided, SHOLES.KBD and DVORAK.KBD. To make
minor changes to the keyboard layout, use one of these files as a starting
point. To swap two keys, simply find the two lines containing those keys,
and swap them. The file defines a mapping between the physical scan codes
produced by the keyboard, and virtual scan codes. For each physical scan
code (that is, for each line in the file), you provide the scan code for
the key you want your programs to see. For instance, the Dvorak layout
replaces the Q key with the Apostrophe. So, on the line in DVORAK.KBD
which represents the physical Q key's scan code, the scan code for the
Apostrophe key is provided.
After you create the definition files for all the layouts you would like
to use, you have to edit KEYMAP.ASM to insert your layouts into the program.
At the label "maptab", place up to ten include directives to add the layouts
you want. Each layout will be assigned, in order, to the function keys
F1 through F10. The first layout will be the default, enabled at startup.
Once that is done, you can assemble and link the program. A Makefile has
been provided, which you can use directly if you have MAKE. Otherwise you
can read it to see what options I use when assembling.
This software works by hooking INT 15h, function 4Fh. This function is
provided to allow keys to be remapped, but may not be present on machines
with very old BIOS ROMs. Some software packages (notably games) take over
the keyboard interrupt, disabling KEYMAP.SYS. While using such software,
the keyboard will return to its standard layout.
Syntax:
DEVICE=[d:][path]KEYMAP.SYS
d: specifies the drive where KEYMAP.SYS is to be found.
path specifies the directory where KEYMAP.SYS is to be found.
Examples:
DEVICE=C:\SYS\KEYMAP.SYS
Load KEYMAP.SYS from the SYS directory on drive C.