NightKeys V1.0
Copyright (UK) T.A.Ross 1998

Introduction

NightKeys is a small application providing a simple on screen
keyboard for the Psion Series 5.  I originally wrote it to allow
alarm settings to be changed when the screen can be seen but the
keyboard can't.  Unfortunately, as a result of what I think is a
problem with the Time application, key presses dispatched by
NightKeys cause the Time application to terminate with an EPOC
error [at least on my ROM 1.0 (113) machine] - the other
applications seem fine.  Anyway I thought I would publish it, so
here it is.

As I mentioned before NightKeys is a very simple application.  In
some respects it is also incomplete.  For example, for simplicity
and to make the code as small as possible, there is no error
trapping.  So instead of failing gracefully by saying something
like "Sorry out of memory" the application will terminate with an
appropriate OPL error message.  This shouldn't cause problems as
there isn't a great deal of state information saved from one run
to the next.


Freeware

As NightKeys is such a simple application and is my first
published program I am issuing it as FREEWARE. The software is
unsupported and is for use at the user's risk - there are no
warranties whatsoever.  I have, however, included the following
email address so that comments can be sent to me concerning the
application:

        NightKeys@TAR.prestel.co.uk

Having written and published this program my interests will
probably move elsewhere so I cannot say whether or not any
comments received will be acted on. But there is no harm in
trying.  Short messages will be best as they will most likely be
read using my Psion.


Distribution

This application should be considered freely distributable as
long as it remains in its zipped form (named NKeys10.zip)
containing the following files:

        NightKeys.aif
        NightKeys.app
        ReadMe.txt
        SYSRAM1.ZIP


Installation

There are two application files distributed:

        NightKeys.aif
        NightKeys.app

Both of these files should be placed in the
c:/system/apps/NightKeys folder.  In addition to its own files
the application has a dependency on the SYSRAM1.OPX file.  I class
the facilities provided by this OPX as necessary system facilities
and therefore it doesn't really belong with the application code.
For those who have not installed it already I have included a zip
file downloaded from the 3-Lib web site.  Steve Litchfield has
produced this archive with all the information needed to install
and use the OPX (Thanks, Steve!).


Using NightKeys

The only interaction with NightKeys is through the pointer
interface.  With the pointer you can:

Tap on a displayed key to send that keypress to the application
that was foreground before NightKeys came to the foreground.

Tap on the name "NightKeys" to access the "About" and "Exit"
options.

Tap on "(C)" [for (C)hange] to toggle the keyboard map through
lower case, upper case and function keys.  Control keys are not
supported.

Tap on "(R)" [for (R)esize] to toggle between the normal and small
footprint options.

Press - Hold - Drag any key position to move NightKeys within the
limits of the screen.

Note that between sessions NightKeys stores the size and position
of its own footprint on the screen in its ".ini" file.  The current
keyboard map is not stored.

I hope that someone out there will find this application useful.
Maybe someone will be able to tell me how to make it work with the
Time application!  I eagerly await your email.

T.A.Ross
(May 1998)