Control of keyboard

[Craig Sanders]

I want to use single keys on the keyboard (probably the "z" to "?" row) to tally data points in various categories: "z", for example, might increase the numerical value of fieldone by 1, "x" might increase the value of fieldtwo, and so forth. Pressing the key has to do the whole job--pressing "return", for example, would make the process too inefficient. Is it possible for me to seize control of the keyboard in this way?

Thanks.

[BobWeaver]

Rather than use applescript or any other script that executes whenever you type a single key, why not just go into a global text field (called keyboardInput) and start hitting keys. When you are done, you can run a filemaker script Does the tallying like this:

code:

---

# CharCount is a global number field

Set Field [CharCount, Calculation:1]

Loop

Exit Loop If [CharCount>Length(keyboardInput)]

If [Middle(KeyboardInput,CharCount,1)="z"

#tally the z field

End If

If [Middle(KeyboardInput,CharCount,1)="x"

#tally the x field

End If

If [Middle(KeyboardInput,CharCount,1)="c"

#tally the c field

End If

If [Middle(KeyboardInput,CharCount,1)="v"

#tally the v field

End If

# and so on for each possible key

#Go to the next character

Set Field [CharCount, Calculation: CharCount+1]

End Loop

---

[Craig Sanders]

Thanks for the suggestion--it's just what I needed.