[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

Title:	DECWINDOWS 26-JAN-89 to 29-NOV-90
Notice:	See 1639.0 for VMS V5.3 kit; 2043.0 for 5.4 IFT kit
Moderator:	STAR::VATNE

Created:	Mon Oct 30 1989
Last Modified:	Mon Dec 31 1990
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3726
Total number of notes:	19516

1412.0. "<SHIFT> key" by MINDER::ADRIAN () Mon Sep 11 1989 13:47

    This may seem like a bit of a silly question but is it possible
    under DECWINDOWS to detect if the <SHIFT> key is currently being
    held down. I would imagine that regardless of the configuration
    (ie DECwindows/VWS/workstation/dumb terminal) it is not possible
    due to the fact that pressing <SHIFT> is strictly a keyboard local
    affair. The only other way that it may be possible is that if there 
    is some escape sequence which could be sent to the terminal to force 
    the terminal to reply with some sort of bit mapping indicating which 
    keys are currently being held down.
    
    Any help appreciated.
    
    A.S.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1412.1	It can be done	SX4GTO::ROSE		`Mon Sep 11 1989 14:33`	2
	Have you looked at XQueryKeymap()?
1412.2		MU::PORTER	why?	`Mon Sep 11 1989 16:11`	17
	The question suggests a confusion about keyboards. The keyboard itself sends codes which tells whatever-it's-connected-to about key up/down motions. In this respect, "shift" is just another key. Whether your program can find this out, though, is another matter. If your program thinks it's talking to a terminal (whether or not it's a real terminal like a VT220 or a synthetic terminal like a DECterm), then no it can't -- because "shift" is local to the terminal. If your program is dealing with the keyboard through some other mechanism, then it may have a better chance. For example, if it's using Xlib or Xtoolkit routines, then it can find out about all key movements.
1412.3		DECWIN::FISHER	Burns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO3-4/W23	`Mon Sep 11 1989 18:44`	6
	Be careful about shift lock in making general statemens like .2. Shift lock is a special case. I'm not sure you can find out about that one. You can find out about shift, though. Burns
1412.4		DECWIN::FISHER	Burns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO3-4/W23	`Mon Sep 11 1989 18:45`	5
	In fact, you can probably even find out if the left or right shift key is down! Burns
1412.5		KONING::KONING	NI1D @FN42eq	`Mon Sep 11 1989 19:47`	9
	Nope, they are the same keycode in the LK201. The shift-lock key is a completely separate key with its own keycode, so at that level Dave's comment is valid. In other words, so long as X or Xt don't hide things, you can tell a shift from a shiftlock. (Come to think of it, it isn't a shiftlock usually, it's capslock.) paul
1412.6	Shift lock is special cased in the low level s/w last I knew	DECWIN::FISHER	Burns Fisher 381-1466, ZKO3-4/W23	`Tue Sep 12 1989 11:12`	9
	Well, I was not sure about the left and right on a 201. X has separate keysyms for them. However, while shiftlock is separate on the kb, I believe that the driver or the server mashes it around and simulates holding the shift key down. This is because the X folks, until recently, had not figured out how to get this to work right. Burns
1412.7		STAR::MCLEMAN	Jeff McLeman, VMS Development	`Tue Sep 12 1989 12:46`	2
	You cannot differentiate between left and right shifts on the LK201.
1412.8	There is another...	IO::MCCARTNEY	James T. McCartney III - DTN 381-2244 ZK02-2/N24	`Sun Sep 17 1989 07:24`	7
	However, do not assume that you won't ever be able to detect both left and right shifts. The successor to the LK201 does allow both left and right shift (and alts) to be detected. James