[iPAQ] Re: [Handhelds] Keyboard?

At 8:49 PM -0700 9/21/00, ipaq-request@handhelds.org wrote:
>Message: 14
>Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 17:28:30 -0700
>From: Wayland Bruns <wayland@companionlink.com>
>To: George France <france@crl.dec.com>
>CC: handhelds@handhelds.org, ipaq@handhelds.org
>Subject: [iPAQ] Re: [Handhelds] Keyboard? (was: Re: scribble update )
>
>> > Is anybody currently working on an on screen keyboard?
>> > Pen/Stroke input is fine, but I like a pen-tap keyboard.
>> > I can tap as fast as I can write
>> > and my hand doesn't cramp when tapping.
>
>We recently released an onscreen keyboard as Bin and GPL source code at
>http://linux.companionlink.com.
>
>Unfortunately, the buttons are so small, my accuracy is better with GridWrite
>handwriting than with the keyboard.
>
>Wayland Bruns, CEO/CTO
CompanionLink Software, Inc.

Just to clarify what Wayland is referring to... CompanionLink
developed a virtual on-screen X keyboard that uses ASCII config files
to specify the keys and associated KeySyms that are generated. The
package comes with a "Standard" keyboard, a Dvorak layout, a Numeric
keypad, and a Phone Keypad layout. You can create your own keyboards
by copying one of the config files to a new name, editing it, and
invoking cpkbd with the new keyboard's name. You can have multiple
instances of cpkbd running if you need multiple specialized keyboards
on screen at one time. See the screen dumps at the link Wayland gave
above.

The program uses the XTest extension to send KeyCode events to the
window that has input focus, just as xscribble does. Thus, it is
assumed to be run under a window manager that either directly
respects client window requests for no input focus, or allows the
user to specify specific windows that should never receive focus.

cpkbd parses its config file on startup, and queries the Xserver for
the KeyCodes that are required for each KeySym and modifier. It
automatically adds to the server's key table the KeySyms in the
config file that are not currently defined in the server. The only
KeySym that must be assigned before running the program is
Mode_switch (instructions on how to do this are included in the
associated man page). It uses the fltk toolkit for the buttons. We've
tested it under X on LinuxCE on Casio PDAs, and on the iPAQ.

Also, a handwriting program called GridWrite is available. It also
uses a ASCII-based config file and a slightly modified version of the
libstroke library. It comes with an on-line help display application,
which displays the required stroke for any character via an animated
cursor. Both gridwrite and the helper program use the config file
information, so users can add additional strokes or redefine existing
ones, and both programs will automatically use the new definitions.
That includes the help application displaying your new strokes.
gridwrite also will configure the server as required, so that it is
not necessary to preconfigure the server's key map (except for the
Mode_switch code mentioned above). More information and screen dumps
for GridWrite are also at the web site.

Both gridwrite and the keyboard support upper case, lower case,
numbers, symbols, control characters, and ISO8859-1 accented
characters. The keyboard also supports Meta and Alt modifier keys.

The total installation for ARM, including the libraries, header
files, man pages, config files, support utility "xsingleinstance",
and executables for both the keyboard and handwriting input
applications, is about 615K (41K of which is man pages and headers
that don't need to be installed on the iPAQ):

     18 Sep 13 11:10 ./lib/libstroke.so -> libstroke.so.0.0.4
     18 Sep 13 11:10 ./lib/libstroke.so.0 -> libstroke.so.0.0.4
  21695 Sep 13 11:10 ./lib/libstroke.so.0.0.4
   1845 Sep 13 11:10 ./usr/local/include/stroke.h
   2218 Sep 13 11:12 ./usr/local/include/libvirtkeys.h
   9938 Sep 13 11:12 ./usr/local/lib/libvirtkeys.so
   8164 Sep 13 11:18 ./usr/X11/bin/xsingleinstance
   3173 Sep 13 11:18 ./usr/X11/man/man1/xsingleinstance.1
  24264 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/X11/bin/cpkbd
  17347 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/X11/man/man1/cpkbd.1
   3111 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/local/lib/keyboards/Dvorak.kbd
   2960 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/local/lib/keyboards/Expanded.kbd
   1024 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/local/lib/keyboards/Numeric.kbd
    755 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/local/lib/keyboards/Phone.kbd
   2832 Sep 14 16:52 ./usr/local/lib/keyboards/Standard.kbd
  24288 Sep 13 11:15 ./usr/X11/bin/gridwrite
  30988 Sep 13 11:15 ./usr/X11/bin/gridwritehelp
  16178 Sep 13 11:15 ./usr/X11/man/man1/gridwrite.1
  10458 Sep 13 11:15 ./usr/local/lib/gridwrite.conf
     12 Sep 13 15:55 ./lib/libfltk.so -> libfltk.so.1
433454 Sep 13 15:55 ./lib/libfltk.so.1

The MIPSEL executables are larger.

Go to <http://linux.companionlink.com>, scroll down to the GPL Tools
section, and you will find links to individual pages with screen
dumps for each of the programs, as well as a link to the downloads
page for sources and precompiled objects for the libraries and
applications. There's also a small window manager based on lwm, and a
configurable status/control bar program. The downloads page also
gives information on building the code and installation information.

                                        - Fred

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
             Read about my TransAmerica Bike Ride and Storm Chases at:
                       http://www.users.cts.com/crash/m/mfm
                Coming soon: My 2001 Landscape Photography Calendar
   "Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance" - Lee Ann Womack
_____________________________________________________________________________