Pocket Tcl & xvkbd

I thought I'd copy this back onto handhelds.org for everyone to read.

Norman Walsh wrote:
>
> | > In terms of xvkbd support, it would also be nice if there was some sort
> | > of global option to squish the apps just a little further so that xvkbd
> | > was always visible.
> |
> | I have a (very) prototype tcl keyboard (ptkbd) with which I am planning
> | to replace xvkbd. There is a "Toggle Keyboard" menu entry in PT/Edit
> | Settings menu. Unfortunately, this also seems to be broken at the
> | moment. I need to look at that too!
>
> It would be nice if all the apps had that toggle.

I only put it there as a quick hack. The problem goes a little deeper,
in that the application should not really care about the input method.
The keyboard toggle should be controlled by the window manager (fairly
easy to toggle the kbd with a script, and hence icewm taskbar button, or
window manager menu entry) But that means that an application starting
up has to know that the kbd is there. How to do that? Not sure.
Environment variables? Maybe. Perhaps looking forward to supporting
xrandr, there should be a <ConfigureNotify> event or something so that
apps know how much screen real-estate is available.

> | A while ago, I was trying to figure out this issue
> | - In portrait mode, it's nice to shrink the windowed apps so the kbd
> | (xvkbd or whatever) doesn't overlay the app
>
> Right. I almost always run portrait for more-or-less this reason.
>
> | - this doesn't really work in landscape - what's better: a different
> | keyboard layout (horizontal,wide,thin or vertical up the side of the
> | screen), or kbd overlaying windowed app, or what? Suggestions?
>
> In landscape, I think I could live with the keyboard overlaying the
> app.

I agree - I think a kbd with overrideredirect set (no wm borders) but
_moveable_ (and with an exit button - or some other easy means to switch
it off) I quite like icewm with a taskbar and kbd toggle button.

> | - new windows need to know if the kbd is shown and what the 'useable'
> | window size is
>
> I think if the "display keyboard" toggle is on, assume it's there,
> otherwise assume it isn't.

-- 
Mark G. Saye
markgsaye@yahoo.com