KbdMap v. 1.21F KbdEdit v. 1.20F June, 20, 1996 Keyboard Layout Driver and Editor Copyright (C) Saliy Konstantin, 1995-96 Introduction ------------ Psion Series 3/3a uses code page 850 which contains almost all Latin based European letters, but on the original English or US versions to enter a symbol with code>128 the user has to press more than one key. This makes fast typing in French, German etc almost impossible. Of course, there are local versions of Psion for most European languages, but some people prefer to buy English one (the rumour is that they are cheaper). Even if you have a Psion with support for your language you may wish to re-define keyboard: to simplify typing the "pipe" '|' character, to provide a numeric keypad for intensive number work, or even to simulate a damaged button on the application bar. With this package you can redefine any of the 42 light grey keys in normal state or in any valid combination with Shift, Psion or Control modifiers and can have two layouts, e.g. standard and for quick text typing. Once the driver is installed, layouts can be switched by pressing both Shift keys simultaneously. The layout editor allows you to edit keyboard maps, save them into files for future use or to change layouts currently in use by the driver. For non-English users with English Psions there is an ability to load a country information file (usually ROM::SYS$CTRY.CFO) from another Psion. If you load e.g. French .CFO file on the English Psion you'll have keyboard layout exactly as on the French Psion, all system messages in French and default language will be French too. It means that any multilingual application (e.g. Psion Money) will use French in this case. This ability is also suitable for software developers -- to be sure that a program will work properly on any Psion. Basic features: - driver uses <8Kb of memory; - it is fast - it substitutes O/S keyboard maps and only waits for hot keys (2 Shifts); - it is compatible with all applications because it doesn't simulates key presses; - keyboard editor is very easy to use - just run it and see! Driver Installation ------------------- There are a number of files in the package: KBDMAP.APP driver front end KBDMAP\KBDMAP.BIN layout switcher for Series 3a or KBDMAP\KBDMAP.BI3 layout switcher for Series 3 KBDMAP\KBDMAP.LDD driver itself KBDEDIT.APP layout editor KBDMAP.TXT this file You have to copy them (manually - sorry!) into any (\APP is recommended to simplify installation) directory of any disk. Series 3a users don't need KBDMAP.BI3 while Series 3 users don't need KBDMAP.BIN. WARNING: the first 3 files must be in the same directory of the same disk! Then use Apps/Install from System screen to install two applications - KbdMap and KbdEdit. Select KbdMap and press Enter. You will be asked whether you want to install driver - press Enter to answer Yes. Answer No (Esc) to the question about custom .CFO file (see section below if you need this feature). Driver will be loaded into memory. To remove driver from memory, select KbdMap application and press Enter. You will be asked whether you want to remove driver - press Enter again to answer Yes. Driver will be unloaded from memory. To check whether driver was loaded or not just try to press left and right Shift keys simultaneously. If beeps are allowed (Control/Sound from System screen) you'll hear beeps as a signal that layouts are switched. If you later create layout files with KbdEdit their names will appear under the KbdMap icon. Select one of them to load the driver and use the selected layout. Once the driver is loaded into memory you don't need to keep first the first 3 files on your Psion unless you want to unload it. For version 1.0 users --------------------- Before installing the new version you should uninstall driver from previous version and delete old files to avoid potential mixing of files from previous and new versions. Your old keyboard layouts are fully compatible with the new version. Please note that some files have now been moved into the \KBDMAP subdirectory. Series 3 users -------------- KbdEdit.APP is fully compatible with Psion Series 3. The keyboard driver is also written to be compatible with Series 3 and has been tested. KBDMAP.BIN file (layout switcher) was designed for Series 3a and Workabout only. You need KBDMAP.BI3 (do not rename it!) but it has O/S version dependent code (detection of 2 Shifts) and was tested only on v. 1.75F, 1.77F, 1.80F, 1.91F. The driver may work correctly even if you have another version - I check against ROM context, not O/S version. Try to run KBDMAP.APP. You will see an incompatibility message if KBDMAP.BI3 couldn't be run on your computer - try to contact me in this case. If your Series 3 version not listed above but you find that it is fully compatible please, let me know your version. Workabout users --------------- This version is fully compatible with Workabout. To switch layouts you should press Control and Psion keys because Workabout has no second Shift. Workabout has built-in ability to switch between two layouts (standard and special). When KbdMap starts, it inherits current layout or totally replaces it with new one. If you then switch to alternate layout using Shell or command processor menu, KbdMap will be temporarily disabled; to enable it again just switch layouts using KbdMap hot keys (Control+Psion). To avoid potential problems it is better not to use KbdMap and Workabout switchers at the same time. Keyboard layout editor will show you S3/S3a QWERTY keyboard. Workabout has no Diamond key so you must use the menu to select a map for editing. Workabout has additional keyboard map -- for Psion+Shift combination. KbdEdit doesn't support it. Psion emulators --------------- Keyboard driver is incompatible with emulators -- the emulator will crash if you try to run it. You can run keyboard layout editor under emulator and then use these layouts on your Psion. Custom .CFO file ---------------- There are a number of .CFO file format versions. For instance, Psion S3/S3a and Workabout use different formats. This version supports only .CFO files from S3a ROM. Each .CFO file has 3 parts: country/language info, keyboard map, system messages. Before your .CFO file loads you will be asked which parts you want to use. Do not try to load the keyboard map from .CFO file on the S3 or Workabout! Even Control+Psion+Del will not work on the Workabout in this case. The keyboard map from .CFO file will be the primary map and your standard map will become secondary. If you need KbdMap only to load .CFO file and do not want to use the secondary keyboard layout you may prevent the switcher from loading and save 1Kb of memory. If you rename your .CFO file to KBDMAP.CFO and put it into \APP\KBDMAP directory it will be loaded automatically without prompt. On the S3a the whole file will be loaded, on the S3 and Workabout only country info and messages. I have .CFO files for English (US), English (UK), French, German, Swedish, Hungarian, Italian, Spain, Dutch, Belgian and Danish languages. Just ask if you need one of them Layout editor (KbdEdit) ----------------------- The very first time you run the driver both layouts are the same as standard. You need to create and edit new layouts with KbdEdit. The layout editor is a standalone application and doesn't require any other files from package; some functions, however, will be disabled if the driver was not loaded into memory. It requires 40Kb of RAM available to run (in first 512K, of course, for 1Mb and 2Mb users). By default, keyboard layout files are kept in \KBD\ directory and have the extension .KBD. The keyboard layout editor window is a picture of your Psion keyboard. Use arrow keys to select a key for editing (it is drawn in pressed state). On the Space key you can see both decimal and hexadecimal values of the current key. Control, Psion and left Shift states show you current map and right Shift state shows current layout. To change a value either enter a Control+3 digit combination (see User Guide) or just press a key combination. To enter Psion+key combination code you have to disable Hot keys handling first. To enter special codes (Unused key, Contrast+/-, Application bar keys) use Edit/Special key menu item. You can edit 10 maps: normal, Shift, Control, Control+Shift and Psion for both primary and secondary layouts. To select map press Diamond key (not available for Workabout) or chose from Edit/Choose map menu. There are two special "flags" that may be assigned to any key (but usually from the numeric row on the Control map): "dead" key - this key itself will not produce a value but modifies meaning of the next key(s) press (e.g. for Control+3digits code or for accented keys). This "flag" is marked as lock sign. special Shift/Caps mode - usually Caps converts a value from the current map to upper/lower case (it depends on Shift state). For keys that are marked with arrow down an alternate map is used (normal when Shift is pressed and Shift when not). This flag is used e.g. for French AZERTY keyboard with reversed numeric row. Remember that you always edit only a file, not current layout. To use a layout you must explicitly pass it to the driver. Don't worry if you make mistakes which cause your keyboard to hang. The driver will never change values for Esc, Enter, Menu, Tab, Space, cursor arrows and application bar -- it's enough just to install a driver's icon and run it to unload it from memory and thus restore original keyboard maps. Menu commands: -------------- Please remember that you can use hot keys (i. e. Psion+key combination) instead of menu only if hot keys are enabled. File/Open Psion+O - opens a layout file to edit. File/Save Psion+S - saves current file. File/Save As Psion+A - saves current layout to another file. Edit/Choose map Psion+M - choose map/layout to edit. Edit/Special key Psion+P - insert special key code (Unused key, OFF, Contrast +/-, A1-A8 for application keys). Edit/Hot keys off(on) Psion+H - switches between two choices: either ability to enter Psion+key codes or to use hot keys instead of menu browsing. Edit/Toggle SHIFT Psion+T - toggle flag (shown as arrow down) for special Shift/Caps mode. Edit/Toggle LOCK Psion+K - toggle "dead" key flag (shown as lock symbol). Special/Get from driver Psion+G - load layout currently used by driver. Special/Send to driver Psion+D - makes the driver use the layout in the editor immediately. Special/Help Psion+B or Help - About dialog. Special/Legend Psion+L or Help - shows editor's legend. Special/Exit Psion+X - exit from editor, changes will be lost. Diamond/Setup Diamond list - select layout parts which can be selected by Diamond key. Unlike other document-related Psion applications KbdEdit will not save files automatically: to save your layout you have to use one of the File/Save, File/Save As, Special/Send to driver menu options explicitly. Making an Application bar ------------------------- To make a fully functional application bar from a set of other keys you should assign the same value to a given key on the all maps of the selected layout. Workabout doesn't recognise application keys. Shareware Registration ---------------------- I'd like to make this program shareware. My experience shows that it is almost impossible to send me money directly. So it can be registered either via CompuServe direct online registrations, or via collectors. If you find the price too expensive (e.g. you are a student) but still need this program and want to have support and receive all future versions just mail me. Anyway this version is neither encoded nor crippled. So, why be a registered user in this case? For a number of reasons: - to encourage me to support this product and write other programs - you will receive all new versions (bug fixes, additional features if any) directly from me by e-mail - money is still valid in our world and I need it at least to register shareware I need. Please, send me e-mails about registration to with the subject line "KbdMap registration" so that my mailer can put them to separate folder. CompuServe online registration (preffered) ------------------------------------------ GO SWREG. KbdMap registration ID is 11980. If you are not a CIS member, you can ask a friend to register KbdMap for you. The registration fee is $25. Registration via collectors --------------------------- Send a cheque or cash to a country, suitable for you. Please, make your cheque payable to the collector, not to me! Because people tend to change their addresses, it is better to ask me if address is still valid. France ------ Registration fee is 100 French francs. Send cheque or cash to Philippe Lebreton 63b, Chemin de Cormeilles F-78400 CHATOU France e-mail: lebreton.p@cgi.fr United Kingdom -------------- Registration fee is 15 UK pounds. Send cheque or cash to Felix Grant 14 Severn Avenue Weston-s-Mare BS23 4DQ, United Kingdom e-mail: felixg@cix.compulink.co.uk Germany ------- Registration fee is 40 DM. Send cheque or cash to PSIOlogic Michael Baas Taunusstrasse 4 D 63589 Linsengericht Germany e-mail:106044.2274@compuserve.com Support and future versions --------------------------- This program was tested as a part of Russian driver for more than six months. The version with support for all maps was also tested. Major bugs were fixed. Of course, every program has at least 2 bugs (programmer's axiom). If you find any -- please, e-mail me regardless of whether you are a registered user or not. If it will is a real bug you will receive an updated version (maybe with new features and new bugs). If you have any suggestions, please feel free to send them to me. If you decide that some features would be useful, and others feel the same way, I'll try to implement them. If your language is not supported by Psion ------------------------------------------ If your language - has no more than 128 letters and - they are not in cp850 and - you read and write from left to right it is possible to create a package like the Russian driver for your language. Because this is a big job it will be done only if several users are interested; it is better to contact your local official Psion distributors to tell them about me. If you already have fonts for your language we can arrange this question. Use of KbdMap with your own fonts to type Russian characters is prohibited. See How to reach me and call me to give more info on how to buy full Russian package. Special note: according to our agreement I must mention that Polhit Ltd. has exclusive rights to distribute the driver, based on KbdMap, for Polish language. How to reach me --------------- E-mail Internet: or CompuServe:106062,302. Please use the subject line "KbdMap registration" if you want to be registered user or use the word "KbdMap" in your subject in all other cases. Visit my home page . Latest versions of my programs are always there. History ------- Version 1.00F - first public release. Support only for 2 maps. Doesn't work correctly on multilingual Psions (Swedish, Spain etc. versions). Version 1.10F - support for all maps, custom .CFO files. Was never released. Version 1.20F - Workabout support was added. Should work on the multilingual Psions too. Version 1.21F - Minor bug fixed in the loader.