Function Key labels on Windows
brian_matthewsbrian matthews
brian_matthews_bmw@hotmail.com
Thu, 28 Apr 2005 19:47:17 +0000
Peter,
this is the technical stuff, the good stuff, please keep it coming, and
thank you :)
P.S. not that the usual stuff is'nt helpful, and it's not even that I know
how to apply Peter's good stuff, it's really that it's great stuff to lever
the so called knowledgable into applying themeselves a tad, given that they
think that I know the good stuff that they are assuming I don't know ... etc
... ad infinitum .. and so on ... etcetera ... etcetera... :)
regards Bri,
>From: "Peter Bateman" <pfbcs@hotmail.com>
>To: powerh-l@lists.sowder.com
>Subject: RE: Function Key labels on Windows
>Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 22:25:55 -0300
>
>Don:
>
> I agree it is a shame that Cognos did not put Function key labels in
>QUICK NT.
>
> I was lucky in that in my case in that I had standard data context
>labels.
>
> It meant that each designer ## procedure
>
> starts off with DO INTERNAL DATA_LABELS
> as well as the APPEND and ENTRY procedures.
>
> At the end of each of the above DO INTERNAL ACTION_LABELS
>
>Both of this procedures displayed value in fields at the bottom of the
>screen.
>
> I considered trying to trap the keyboard entries. It used to be fairly
> simple in old 16 DOS but microsoft has made it more complicated. ( but
>not impossible )
> You might be able to trap the control characters in QUICK
>
>Define T1 integer size 1 = 1
>
>Define T26 integer size 1 = 26
>
>Define CNTRL_A character size 1 = characters ( T1)
>
>Define CNTRL_Z character size 1 = characters ( T26 )
>
>Procedure input fff
>begin
> if CNTRL_Z = FIELDTEXT[1:1]
> THEN INFO "CONTROL Z entered"
>end
>
>I would avoid using control characters because a lot them are used for line
>editing.
>
> Interestingly, Microsoft gets in before QUICK if you are using
> International English or one of the national keyboard maps.
> Microsoft translates your keystokes ( usually a dead key for the accent
>and a vowel )
> into a single character.
>
> But the other ways of creating non-English characters are
>not available to the QUICK user because the translation of multiple
>characters to one
>is done in the input buffer. But QUICK has already read the first character
>before the translation
>occurs.
>.
>Regards,
>Peter
>
>>Moving right ahead with our migration from the HP3000 to Windows, we are
>>now coming to grips with the fact that the Windows Console does not
>>support function key labels. Really a shame as this greatly reduces the
>>practical use of function keys. We did some fairly tricky things,
>>especially in DATA context, that we cannot re-produce. We did use several
>>levels of function keys in our largest (read that "most important")
>>screens.
>>
>>We have designed a new means to navigate through our application using
>>more menus, more Designer Procedures, more input from the Action box, more
>>use of Info messages, and "fixed" function keys F1 - F12. We have all 12
>>working without relying on Shift or Alt or Ctl by modifying the TIC file.
>>
>>Works OK, though it took "more" of practically everything, but still not
>>as smooth (easy, intuitive, slick, better - fill in your favorite ) as
>>using function keys and labels. Oh well.
>>
>>That said, has anyone else dealt with this issue? Does anyone have any
>>ideas? The latest New Features manual mentions connecting to the Windows
>>Console via a terminal emulator - has anyone ever done this? How? Not
>>sure we would go this route, but we are curious.
>>
>>Has anyone ever "trapped" a key being pressed, like <F1>, or Ctl W? So we
>>could do something like : IF FIELDTEXT = <F1> (Ctl W, whatever) THEN RUN
>>SOME DESIGNER OR INTERNAL PROCEDURE ... If we could get this to work we
>>could get a little of our "smooth" back.
>>
>>Too bad you can't run Designer procedures in DATA context.
>>
>> All ideas are welcome. Anyone who wants to talk about it feel free to
>>give me a call - (972) 442-9718. If you are going through the same
>>migration I can tell you what NOT to do.
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>>Don Baird
>>EnCore Systems
>>
>
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