Topic $TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep

We have two new locations for Keyman technical support:

The Tavultesoft Forums are now read only.


# $TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep   2016-03-17 10:56:39.990
br Julian Griffin OSL
I am lost.

   This Rule
:
$TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep

   Works correctly in the TIKE Test Keyboard. It ignores all cursor keys and beeps to show an error.
   And also works when installed and used in Word 2007. It ignores all cursor keys and beeps to show an error.

   But, and this is a odd bit, all the cursor keys stop functioning at all, not just in a specific Context. Which makes no sense. And no beep is emitted. But only when installed and used in an application does it not work. However, I still functions correctly in TIKE Test Keybvoard.

   If I remove the line the cursor keys function again. But of course the cursor keys work within a Menu, which I don't want.

   I have put the entire keyboard definition here https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=1F64F0F2FE6747F1&resid=1F64F0F2FE6747F1%2149130&authkey=AIsmbAplnBrVUXM

Regards
Julian Griffin.
# RE: $TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep   2016-03-18 07:48:30.477
Marc Durdin
Tavultesoft Staff
This is due to a limitation or bug in Keyman 9. There are some difficulties with how to handle non-character keys with the Text Services Framework and I have not yet come to a comfortable conclusion as to the best way to resolve this.

I am looking at some options, but I don't really have a complete solution right now. It relates to the previous discussion we had and my notes at http://www.tavultesoft.com/forums/topic.php?ForumTopicID=439&ForumPostID=1518#ForumPost_1518
# RE: $TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep   2016-03-18 11:16:16.563
br Julian Griffin OSL
Thank you for your quite response. I thought it might be something like that.

   I am simply trying to make the menu more robust. And as we have discussed before, in a WIMP system this is hard to achieve from the keyboard alone.

   I feel the 'Input Method Extensions' or 'Input Method Composition (IMC) window' may offer an answer, but these are outside my area of competence. But I would be interested in a discussion with anybody who would like to develop something like these with me.

   So for now, I'll put a note in the documentation requesting the user be gentle when selecting from an option from a menu. I have been able to make the Grapheme input Mode (GiM) reasonably robust, but care still needs to be taken. But GiM will only be used for the creation of TPA Constructions for a dictionary for TPA; where words are listed by how they are said, rather how they are spelt.

God Bless.
Julian

PS Do you have a road map for expected further releases of Keyman 9 beta or otherwise?
# RE: $TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep   2016-03-18 14:56:17.357
br Julian Griffin OSL
   Just for information's sake, these virtual keys work correctly:
:
[K_oE2] [K_ESC] [K_TAB] [K_BKSP] [K_ENTER] [K_NPENTER]

   These virtual keys stop functioning in any application if they are used in a keyboard definition:
:
[K_DEL] [K_UP] [K_END] [K_LEFT] [K_DOWN] [K_HOME] [K_PGUP] [K_PGDN] [K_RIGHT]

   They stop functioning at all, regardless of the context in the keyboard definition.

   I hope this helps you create a solution to this.

Regards
Julian Griffin.
# RE: $TPAcursor + Any(CursorKeys) > $TPAcursor Beep   2016-03-18 15:00:58.213
Marc Durdin
Tavultesoft Staff
Yes, for now those extra keys will not function correctly with Keyman 9. I expect they would function with Keyman 8, because it doesn't link into the Text Services Framework in the same way, but that's not a great solution.

This is on my roadmap to resolve but I have to find time to dig into it. Timeline-wise, I should have some more detail in the next few weeks, I hope.