Repeating fields to build onscreen keyboard

[imoree]

Hello ;

i am wanting a Tutorial or advice on building a keyboard using repeating fields.

can someone point me in right direction?

thanks

-

[jbante]

I never thought of doing that, but it seems like a clever idea. Is this for some kind of touchscreen kiosk?

First, I think you should read about Bruce Robertson's virtual list technique. (Just Google it and you should find a couple of examples.) You'd want a repeating field with as many repetitions as there are characters in the alphabet you want your keyboard to type; say, 37 for A-Z, 0-9, and space, for example. When you navigate to a layout using the keyboard, you'd set a global variable ($$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET) with a string of all the characters you want on the keys, in order. For example:

Set Variable [$$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET; Value:"1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm " // keys in row order of qwerty keyboard]

Use a calculated repeating field defined something like this:

Middle ( $$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET ; Get ( CalculationRepetitionNumber ) ; 1 )

This field serves as both the labels for the keys and the values typed by the keys. Arrange several keyboard-lookalike copies of this field on your layout, and set each copy to use a different repetition of the repeating field via the Data tab of the Inspector Palette. Also set each "key" of the keyboard to be non-enterable, just to be safe, even though they'll all be defined as buttons later. Define a script that uses the "Insert Calculated Text" script step to insert the script parameter at the current cursor position in whatever the active field is. Make each keyboard key a button that calls this script, passing that repetition's value as the parameter.

If you also want to have a "Shift" key, that button can swap out the $$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET for another set of values, "!@#$%^&*()QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM ", for example.

[imoree]

Yes it is for a kiosk type aspect to my solution for touchscreen ability.

Talk about an example. Thanks JBAnte. Will do. Saw an example over @ Filemakermagazine.com as well. Little different than what you suggested, but i am sure with all of this, i can figure it out.

-i

[imoree]

Define a script that uses the "Insert Calculated Text" script step to insert the script parameter at the current cursor position in whatever the active field is. Make each keyboard key a button that calls this script, passing that repetition's value as the parameter.

The only thing i see is" Insert Text; or Insert Calculated Result. HOwever,

I also dont know how to get current cursor position or is that a custom function?

-i

[imoree]

[b]InsertCalcText Copy[/b]

[b]Go to Field [/b][ sd_Dec2011::text ]

[b]Insert Calculated Result [/b][ sd_Dec2011::text[Get ( CalculationRepetitionNumber )]; Get(ScriptParameter) ] [ Select ]

Only issue now is making sure not to overwrite what was already written.

[comment]

See also:

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/58194-can-you-script-a-10-key-pad/

[comment]

And, of course:

http://fmforums.com/forum/topic/52413-using-a-keypad-graphic-to-enter-numbers-in-kiosk-mode/page__view__findpost__p__246087

[imoree]

Works like a charm. Thanks Comment & Jeremy!!! Appreciate that.

Only thing i changed was instead of using onLoad Script to load the keyboard's keys, i did the following:

Let ( [

    row1 = "1234567890";

    row2 = "qwertyuiop";

    row3 = "asdfghjkl";

    row4 = "zxvbnm";

    alpha = row2 & row3 & row4

] ;



    Middle ( row1 & alpha ; Get( CalculationRepetitionNumber) ; 1 ) //this i dont completely understand, but that requires studying the middle function i am sure.



)

[imoree]

I never thought of doing that, but it seems like a clever idea. Is this for some kind of touchscreen kiosk?

First, I think you should read about Bruce Robertson's virtual list technique. (Just Google it and you should find a couple of examples.) You'd want a repeating field with as many repetitions as there are characters in the alphabet you want your keyboard to type; say, 37 for A-Z, 0-9, and space, for example. When you navigate to a layout using the keyboard, you'd set a global variable ($$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET) with a string of all the characters you want on the keys, in order. For example:

Set Variable [$$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET; Value:"1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm " // keys in row order of qwerty keyboard]

Use a calculated repeating field defined something like this:

Middle ( $$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET ; Get ( CalculationRepetitionNumber ) ; 1 )

This field serves as both the labels for the keys and the values typed by the keys. Arrange several keyboard-lookalike copies of this field on your layout, and set each copy to use a different repetition of the repeating field via the Data tab of the Inspector Palette. Also set each "key" of the keyboard to be non-enterable, just to be safe, even though they'll all be defined as buttons later. Define a script that uses the "Insert Calculated Text" script step to insert the script parameter at the current cursor position in whatever the active field is. Make each keyboard key a button that calls this script, passing that repetition's value as the parameter.

If you also want to have a "Shift" key, that button can swap out the $$KEYBOARD.ALPHABET for another set of values, "!@#$%^&*()QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM ", for example.

You now Jeremy, i am just getting back to this as using shift has become an issue. You were right from the beginning.

You da man!!

thanks for that.