we need inbuild keymap switcher as commoditie

[kas1e]

Some of our languages have different type of input (like Cyrillic for Russian, Serbian, Poland and if i remember right Greek and some others too ? and i am sure not only those ones), so in most of cases we want to have system in one language but have ability to type in different (our) languages. For that we need inbuild keymap switcher which should do:

1. be commodity and placed on top bar of WB, with very simple and small trignale where only 3 letters in upper case can be placed. For example it can be ENG by default, and when anyone press some magic combo on keyboard , it switch to RUS (and so you can type in Russian), or to GRK (for greek), or to PLD (for poland) and so on.

2. it should have preferences (one more tab in prefs:input) where we can choice:
1. where to place on top bar that small triangle
2. by what keyboard combo switching will happens
3. entries to choice between what kind of keymaps we will switch (and maybe also ability to assign to any key or key-combo setting of necessary language. i.e. not like switch between by the same combo, but also by pressing on different combo).

3. dbl-clicking on that triangle at top of wb should open prefs:input on that tab with options related to switcher code.

Something like this. So by default its all will be like it now, but when user will want, he will go to prefs:input, go to "switcher" tab, press "enable switcher", and at this point when he save it , switcher commodity will runs on every start, user will see on top bar that indicator, and will switch between input languages he choice.

Maybe its all should starts by default in OS (just maybe), and when user install os, that indicator and keymaps switcher code should be already on top bar of WB (at least that how it done on all other oses) and preferences of it should be choicen on process of installation of OS with question like "want to have ability to type in different languages ?".

I.e. that area is need it discussion to make everything right , brain-storm less and easy to use.

[Rigo]

This is probably more appropriate in the "Feature Request" forum. It's not really a translator question.

Simon

[kas1e]

@Rigo
If you can, move it plz, for sure will be good if anything will come up from it.

[Rigo]

Moved as requested.

[trixie]

@kas1e

Just tell me how to access the system's keymap list and how to put stuff in the WB title bar, and I'll write you the commodity over the next weekend - my gf is going to a friend's wedding

[kas1e]

@Trixie
Ok, cool

Just tell me how to access the system's keymap list

All i know, is that all system keymaps placed in the Sys:Devs/KeyMaps/ , and currently i switch it by some sucking way via Fkey + script on it which use CURRENTKEYMAPENV to set need it keymap, like this:

Code: Select all

FailAt 21
if $CURRENTKEYMAP eq "ru"
INPUT SYS:Prefs/Presets/Input/English.prefs USE
setenv CURRENTKEYMAP en
else
INPUT SYS:Prefs/Presets/Input/Russian.prefs USE
setenv CURRENTKEYMAP ru
endif

It works, but a bit sucky of course (because all other oses have keymaps switchers inbuild).

and how to put stuff in the WB title bar

The best example sources by AlexC is here: http://os4depot.net/share/utility/workb ... iclock.lha

Here is clock placed on top of WB, just there is some fixed X value is used, but in switcher will be cool to set X value to whatever value we want (so can place in any place of wb top bar), and support there not just values, but something like "-10 from right" "+20 from left" , etc, so in any resolution user can calculate their own place.

That all of course only begin, all will need tests and retests. Old os3 based switcher called AmiRus was like this in terms of options: http://kas1e.mikendezign.com/aos4/trans ... xample.jpg

On morphos switcher called "Keymap Switcher Keymap.sbar 20.5" and it develops from 2009 till 2012 by Tokai, so dunno if it "weekend" job Feature list looks like this:

Code: Select all

* A configurable keymap selection
* Beautiful hand-pixeled images in two sizes
* Hotkey for opening the quick selection menu
* Hotkey for cycling between activated keymaps
* Quick launching of Keystroke (character overview and selection)
* Fully localized.

Image here: http://tokai.binaryriot.org/public/scre ... map_01.png

(see at right / top side how it looks like). For us for beginning will be enough to have just ENG/RUS/etc stuff, later we can improve it if you will in interest to works on it more. Plus for us all the keymaps already done, just need to make good-looking and easy to use switcher, so all users will have no worry about when they want to type in their language.

Also for morphos back in times some Russians made a 3d party switcher called Elf. Check it too to see how it looks like and what it offer (it is in russian, but translate.google.com, etc), but in brief features was:

Code: Select all

Ability to switch keymaps in the shell.
Different keymaps for each screen
Few ways of indication (including of calling another programms)
Easy configurability
Arexx support
Can works as commodity the same as just as binary from the shell or so
GUI for settings.
Fully system C-based code.

I even do not know what the best way should be in end of all : commodity , or one more tab in prefs:input . With prefs:input it can be mess, with commodity it can be no mess, can be expand as we wish, but then it will be mess from another side : one prefs for locale, one prefs for input, one commodity for input again to swith between keymaps, can be messy for newbes.

[Amigo1]

I think at the end it should be in in Prefs/Input.. maybe for AmigaOS4.3? And in the meantime as a Commodity since the dev team has no resources for that?
Would it be possible to develop the commodity keeping in mind to final scope and re-use the code? But then it could maybe be a mess for trixie if he will then have to give away his code with the licensing/legal behind it by doing so..

[trixie]

@kas1e

currently i switch it by some sucking way via Fkey + script on it which use CURRENTKEYMAPENV to set need it keymap, like this:

This is, unfortunately, not a way for me to go. You're using a custom environmental variable to remember keymap selection from a custom set of presets you've saved yourself in SYS:Prefs/Presets/Input/. This is fine for your personal use but the keymap switcher commodity must work universally for all users. Therefore, unless someone tells me what the Input prefs editor actually does to select the system keymap, I can't implement the switcher. (Reading the DEVS:Keymaps/ files is an easy part.)

As for the Input preferences: I think the Input editor should feature a list of Preferred Keymaps (just like the Locale editor has Preferred Languages) - the keymap switcher commodity could then just read the list of preferred keymaps from the input prefs, and then let you cycle through them upon pressing a hotkey.

[kas1e]

@Trixie

what the Input prefs editor actually does to select the system keymap

I will ask in os4 lists and on forums, and will repost answer about here. But in meantime you can start to design the whole base of it (how it will looks like, how options will looks like, how it will looks like visually and co). Maybe better will continue in mails ? So we can design it visually well, think about all features, etc , etc.

As for the Input preferences: I think the Input editor should feature a list of Preferred Keymaps (just like the Locale editor has Preferred Languages) - the keymap switcher commodity could then just read the list of preferred keymaps from the input prefs, and then let you cycle through them upon pressing a hotkey.

Through switcher itself should have a bit of options to use: so it should be or one more tab for them in input prefs, or somehow else (like dbl-click on indicator at top of wb which will spawn a gui with settings).

[trixie]

@kas1e
What options would you want there to be? The commodity should just cycle-switch between a set of keymaps and display the currently selected one in the screen bar, that's all.