Edit: Ctrl button in keyboard? - Touch Diamond2, Pure Themes and Apps

Hi,
i got the idea to develop a new keyboard, i just really don't know how. So i was wondering if anyone has the knowledge to create it.
My idea is to use the standard htc keyboard, and remove the bottem row ( the arrows, cause i don't really use them often) to have more room for the other keys. This way we can have square keys instead of rectangles.
The main problem for me is that the standard keys are to narrow in width, so its hard to press them with my fingers (thumb) .
i have added an image to show what i mean.
Anyone whats to help me or explain to me how to develop this?
Kees

Oh dear sweet baby Jesus...
What *is* that?! That's the bastard child of Qwerty and the annoying alphabetically arranged keyboard from satnav units!
My friend, absolutely no insult intended, but that is well and truly the worst keyboard layout I've seen. The key size is determined by the fact that most of the English speaking world have a keyboard layout with the top row of letter being QWERTYUIOP. Messing with that will irritate *everybody* who uses it.
Have you tried turning your device on its side when typing? The keys get much larger...
EDIT: Piccy piccy http://htc-phones.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/htc-touch-diamond2-keyboard-software.gif

haha, ok , thanks for your reply. I must say, i see your point.. Q-P in first row etc is the standard and everyone is used to that.. So not insulted in any way.
didn't thought of that.
im not used to typing in landscape mode, but i'll guess i give it a try. Still i think the buttons are just TO SMALL to type with your fingers without making a fault now and then. Guess i'll just switch to a bigger screen phone in the future, cause i just don't like texting with my stylus.
Thanks again for your reply.

Have you turned on XT9? I make mistakes on the very odd occasion with small words, but any more than 4 letters and it seems to pick (or at least display) the correct word most of the time, even with typing errors.
I'm almost as fast as I was on Nokia keypads now (after around a month and a half with the phone), and I was damn fast on those keypads...

DeathJester said:
Have you turned on XT9? I make mistakes on the very odd occasion with small words, but any more than 4 letters and it seems to pick (or at least display) the correct word most of the time, even with typing errors.
I'm almost as fast as I was on Nokia keypads now (after around a month and a half with the phone), and I was damn fast on those keypads...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thnx for the tip. I switched to spb keyboard 4.0 , fullscreen mode is perfect for me!

I have another suggestion for those wishing (and able) to work on HTC keyboard: Without changing any layout or adding keys, there are quite a few blank, unused keys in the 2nd numeric keyboard, and those blank keys are screaming for a use...a clever Ctrl for example, to allow cut and paste from the HTC keyboard without having to start another keyboard...;-)
Those key are not recording presses, so it can prove difficult to implement, but still, the global layout and all other key actions would not have to be changed, and the layout for the 2nd numeric keyboard is exactly the same as the 1rst one, with all key assigned and recording presses, so I assume it still can be quite simple to add hooks for special action and some pixmap for the missing keys

i'd love to see a ctrl button as well! the press and hold ctrl function is to long-winded..

i'd love to see a ctrl button as well! the press and hold copy-paste function is to long-winded..

If somebody could mod the HTC keyboard to have a ctrl key that would be wonderful !

Another suggestion . Personaly i use "Topaz Keyboard Controler" http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=555821
And i have mapped "Windows" key to "CTRL + C" on long press, "Back" key to "CTRL + V" on long press and again "Back" key to "CTRL + A" on double press (click).
I have mapped all the key of the topaz
Here is a list au key mapped (from top/left of topaz to bottom/right):
LP : Long Press :: DP :: Double Press
Vol Up : LP : Rotate Screen
Vol Down : LP : Camera (this one remenber me my old good Kaiser)
Pick Up : LP : Launch "Second Today"
Windows : LP : Copy to clipboard
Windows : DP : Turn TF3D on/off (morscript) (usefull when trying some tweak...)
Back : LP : Paste from clipboard
Back : DP : Select All
End Key : LP : Launch S2U2
End Key : DP : Switch Wifi on/off
Home this help

ernest33 said:
Another suggestion . Personaly i use "Topaz Keyboard Controler" http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=555821
And i have mapped "Windows" key to "CTRL + C" on long press, "Back" key to "CTRL + V" on long press and again "Back" key to "CTRL + A" on double press (click).
I have mapped all the key of the topaz
Here is a list au key mapped (from top/left of topaz to bottom/right):
LP : Long Press :: DP :: Double Press
Vol Up : LP : Rotate Screen
Vol Down : LP : Camera (this one remenber me my old good Kaiser)
Pick Up : LP : Launch "Second Today"
Windows : LP : Copy to clipboard
Windows : DP : Turn TF3D on/off (morscript) (usefull when trying some tweak...)
Back : LP : Paste from clipboard
Back : DP : Select All
End Key : LP : Launch S2U2
End Key : DP : Switch Wifi on/off
Home this help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very very very usefull tip! Will take a look at this tomorrow. thanks

ernest33 said:
Another suggestion . Personaly i use "Topaz Keyboard Controler" http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=555821
And i have mapped "Windows" key to "CTRL + C" on long press, "Back" key to "CTRL + V" on long press and again "Back" key to "CTRL + A" on double press (click).
I have mapped all the key of the topaz
Here is a list au key mapped (from top/left of topaz to bottom/right):
LP : Long Press :: DP :: Double Press
Vol Up : LP : Rotate Screen
Vol Down : LP : Camera (this one remenber me my old good Kaiser)
Pick Up : LP : Launch "Second Today"
Windows : LP : Copy to clipboard
Windows : DP : Turn TF3D on/off (morscript) (usefull when trying some tweak...)
Back : LP : Paste from clipboard
Back : DP : Select All
End Key : LP : Launch S2U2
End Key : DP : Switch Wifi on/off
Home this help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did u use the ctrl key when its not on the keyboard :S? Do u have a different keyboard installed on? This seems like a really good idea, should be useful

I would also love to have the "ctrl" key back.
Anyway, its getting harder and harder to "cut&paste" as we progress from wm6.0 to 6.1 to 6.5. Even highlighting texts becomes difficult. Its like taking steps backward and having to scarifice just to be finger friendly.
I love the Full QWERTY from HTC but it lacks the ctrl key. And yet they remove the MS Keyboard on the WM6.5. Seems more like a slap in the face for using WM.
This is the reply you will get if you are kind enough to remind them of the missing keyboard. And note the part about RAM sizes....
"Thank you for contacting HTC.
With regards to your query, we are quite sorry that wm 6.5 has taken away the MS keyboard and Block recogniser due to the RAM size consideration. Also, all HTC models does not come with 'Ctrl'function.
Sorry for the inconvinience caused.
Best regards.
HTC
Hotline: 1800 238 7788
Service Hours : 8 am - 8 pm, Monday - Saturday (except Public Holidays)".
I rest my case.

Try out FingerKeyboard 2.1, you can easily customize it to make your own layouts as well as integrate cut/copy/paste functions.
If you want an already-made solution with big landscape keys as well as cut/copy/paste functionality, try my BIGkeys layout. Link is in my signature.

Thanks Losdrivare. Will try that.
Seems like HTC is becoming like MS on not listening to their customers....

Here some more KeyBoard alternatives;
http://sourceforge.net/projects/eurokbd/
EuroKeyboard
http://www.teksoftco.com/
FingerTouch
http://twolf.sytes.net/
2 Keyboards here (first goto 'Mobile Icon') K-Tap v1.1 and FlashKeys v1.2b
http://www.pdamill.com/prod_tk.shtml
PDAmill TopKey v.2.5
Find it under the 'By Catagory' - FREE - find topkey
http://www.pocketcm.com/
PocketCM Keyboard v.0.23 BETA
Though... I too am a big fan of FingerKeyboard2
Have fun
Look below what I found the other day (only the skin).. I wanna have it!! ;

bilal671 said:
How did u use the ctrl key when its not on the keyboard :S? Do u have a different keyboard installed on? This seems like a really good idea, should be useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need a CTRL key with this method when (exemple) you long press one of the mapped "hard key" "Topaz Keyboard Controler" send the CTRL and C. Then you can continue with the default keyboard
And you know what since the last version of "TKC" you can use TRIPLE press (if mr Tarkim add the QUAD press i will remap all the keyboard with the hardware key...just kidding ).
You should give it a try. If needed i can upload my config for "TKC"

Senax said:
Here some more KeyBoard alternatives;
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you forgot VGAKey http://vgakey.net/ a great shareware(ONLY 2.99$), and believe me if you want a complete software keyboard this have all (Function Key, ...) I use it on Kaiser/ and my old Acer n311
Take a look below
Edit : I forgot to say VGAKey work very well on our Topaz.

Senax said:
Here some more KeyBoard alternatives;
http://sourceforge.net/projects/eurokbd/
EuroKeyboard
http://www.teksoftco.com/
FingerTouch
http://twolf.sytes.net/
2 Keyboards here (first goto 'Mobile Icon') K-Tap v1.1 and FlashKeys v1.2b
http://www.pdamill.com/prod_tk.shtml
PDAmill TopKey v.2.5
Find it under the 'By Catagory' - FREE - find topkey
http://www.pocketcm.com/
PocketCM Keyboard v.0.23 BETA
Though... I too am a big fan of FingerKeyboard2
Have fun
Look below what I found the other day (only the skin).. I wanna have it!! ;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks man, a lot of them which i didn't know yet. Let's test..

Related

HD2 Keyboard National layout LT (Lithuanian). Cursor keys swaped,vibro reduced

National Lithuanian for standart HD2 keyboard (Ezinput) Full QWERTY Layout.
Cursor keys swaped (up, right etc..)
Cursor keys moved to left side of the keyboard
Vibro reduced to 1
National keys added (long press).
TAB key instead of XT9
Click volume reduced
No more need for FingerKeyboard or other if you do not demand much from the keyboard
Unistallable, so you can easily revert to original.
Haven't tested without policy disabled (unasigned apps). Perhaps you need to set this option with BsB Tweaks to install the cab.
v2.3 Landscape cursor keys on left side.
v3.1 Landscape cursor keys location something like on fingerkeyboard
Tool that helps to modify keyboard - XmlGui: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=551813
If you like may work you can buy me some beer
Donate if you like my work.
.
Not that I would need it, cause I only use english keyboard for everything more or less, but good job anyway!
essensial said:
Not that I would need it, cause I only use english keyboard for everything more or less, but good job anyway!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a problem to make better english version!!! If someone needs it is possible Just ask.
What I did - everything exept "national keys" are useful for everyone- lowered vibro, lowered sound, space moved to right, cursor key placed in first row. It is more comfortable for me.
I do not understand what the guys who made keyb were thinking about - in original layout space not reachable with right thumb, vibro too strong sound to loud - in 10 mins that things become anoying
And whats funny if i rotate screen 270 degrees - keyboard rotates also - but the keys that pop on press a not rotated, I mean they stay as on 90 degrees rotation layout ha ha ha
Why I'm telling that- on HD2 default layout would be more comfortable using 270 but not 90 as is .... Strange why cursor keys are on right side because that position is more comfortable to be on left..on 90 Try...
Is there anybody who can help/give me information about that damn HTC keyboard. I have some ideas but still didn't find out how to do (eg. how to make space of bigger width - where is the png that is used for space button ?)
Thanks in advance.
linuxis,
it's nice to see your work.
I'd like to know how did you make it, because I'd like to make something similar but I'd like to experiment a little ... and probably make a full Bulgarian layout.
What's required to accomplish this?
Updated to version 2.3 - cursor keys moved to left
I would be cool if you could make a keyboard with easy access to "æ, ø, å" for us danish users... I would seriously call you my god if you could pull that off
linuxis said:
Updated to version 2.3 - cursor keys moved to left
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nors ir nenaudoju LT kalbos, bet dekui anyway
Puiku. Bandysiu naudoti.
Thanks Linuxis ! Good job.
pankov said:
linuxis,
it's nice to see your work.
I'd like to know how did you make it, because I'd like to make something similar but I'd like to experiment a little ... and probably make a full Bulgarian layout.
What's required to accomplish this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have a tool look inside the cab. Basically these files are modified.
0C09.xml
0D09.xml
1C00.xml
LQ_Bg.png
LQ_Bg_Inv.png
PQ_Bg.png
PQ_Bg_Inv.png
LQSym_Bg.png
LQSym_Bg_Inv.png
All layout is in xml files, they inside has links to the images.
By the images you can say what layout they represend.
LQ - Landscape
PQ - portrait
LQSym - numeric keyboard layout
xxx.xml xxx - code of the language you modify.
xml structure is very simple, just layout tag/ page tag (several pages eg in numeric layout)/ key tags with coordinates. You can find key by key ID, and change the key or the values on long key press.
I think that is enough to start.
pspbirte said:
I would be cool if you could make a keyboard with easy access to "æ, ø, å" for us danish users... I would seriously call you my god if you could pull that off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just need to know what symbols shoud be placed where and what layout is the best for the danish symbols because I do not know danish . I mean - first row-long press (like lithuanian layout) or "æ" on "a" longpress ? And the symbols also needed.
linuxis said:
I just need to know what symbols shoud be placed where and what layout is the best for the danish symbols because I do not know danish . I mean - first row-long press (like lithuanian layout) or "æ" on "a" longpress ? And the symbols also needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on your information in this tread, I did make a Norwegian/Danish layout. Thank you very much to pull me in the rigth direction.
It's available here:
http://www.diskusjon.no/index.php?showtopic=1163736&st=2780&p=15366818&#entry15366818
Has anyone made a Swedish keyboard?
i'd like a german layout with the € symbol at the e key, the arrows in landscape on the other side, disabled xt9 key and the rest standard would it be possible?
or could you share the base files so i can mod them myself ?
nice i managed to do the mods for myself, at least the mods with changing the keys!
but as i saw the layout editing isn't that hard either, just redo all coords and the png file
nice linuxis for your inspiration!
but i asked myself, if it is possible to do smiles on a long press function, as i understood the xml code, it's not that easy cause a normal <char> tag prints all the keys while a <LP_char> tag gives the option to choose ...
Thanks mate for a long awaited LT keyboard.
endursa said:
nice i managed to do the mods for myself, at least the mods with changing the keys!
but as i saw the layout editing isn't that hard either, just redo all coords and the png file
nice linuxis for your inspiration!
but i asked myself, if it is possible to do smiles on a long press function, as i understood the xml code, it's not that easy cause a normal <char> tag prints all the keys while a <LP_char> tag gives the option to choose ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One more tip for modders - check this tool XmlGui: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=551813
It also helps for changing keyboard layout
One more tip:
index.xml in this file you can change vibro stregth and file to play (tick.wav)
Ačiū, linuxis, labai laukiau.
Thanks for a long awaited LT keyboard
Can somebody please upload 0C09.xml and 0D09.xml from a standard US keyboard, please? The files are located in the Windows directory.
Thanks... /TubGirl

How to get CTRL+C and CTRL+V keyborad function in HD2

Hi All,
In my old XDA the keyboard had a CTRL key which was so easy to cut and paste but the HD2 keyboard is very cumbersome when copying and pasting.
Anyone has suggestion for an alternative keyboard app?
Cheers.
Wolfy
Just press and hold your finger on the text and you will get a pulldownmenu with the commands "copy" and "paste". This is the only way, i know.
Thanx mate..... but I know this function but sometimes it's so hard to highlight the text and then try and copy/cut as soon as I put my finger again on the same place the highlighted text get cleared as the system kind of recognises as I dont want the selection ......sometimes it does work I have to admit but most of the time it doesnt and i just like using teh CTRL function as its kind of neat (thats my understanding) ..... anyone has any alternatives????
wolfyx said:
Thanx mate..... but I know this function but sometimes it's so hard to highlight the text and then try and copy/cut as soon as I put my finger again on the same place the highlighted text get cleared as the system kind of recognises as I dont want the selection ......sometimes it does work I have to admit but most of the time it doesnt and i just like using teh CTRL function as its kind of neat (thats my understanding) ..... anyone has any alternatives????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use FingerKeyboard for this. You can select text by pressing the 'shift' key and then select the text with the arrow buttons. When you have the right selection, you can copy this by pressing 'shift' and then X. To paste press 'shift' and then V. Even shift-Z and shift-X works, exactly the way it does on a normal keyboard. I use it very much.
wolfyx said:
Hi All,
In my old XDA the keyboard had a CTRL key which was so easy to cut and paste but the HD2 keyboard is very cumbersome when copying and pasting.
Anyone has suggestion for an alternative keyboard app?
Cheers.
Wolfy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use tweak no. 40 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=583638
which facilitates copy and paste text.
lucbosch said:
You can use FingerKeyboard for this. You can select text by pressing the 'shift' key and then select the text with the arrow buttons. When you have the right selection, you can copy this by pressing 'shift' and then X. To paste press 'shift' and then V. Even shift-Z and shift-X works, exactly the way it does on a normal keyboard. I use it very much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, and how can i then replace the selected text with a capital "V" (when shift-v is the shortcut for paste, which is ctrl-v on a pc) ?
hebbe said:
ok, and how can i then replace the selected text with a capital "V" (when shift-v is the shortcut for paste, which is ctrl-v on a pc) ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, I was wrong. You have to press shift and hold (!) the Z, X, C or V button. When you press shift you also see the caption of buttons change. Above the Z you can see 'undo', above the X 'cut' and so on...
Swype has a dedicated copy and one for paste in the symbols/edit section
Thanx for the feedback ....i'm going to try these but i just wish i could have that ctrl button.........hehehe
try swype is much better than the default kb
These are basics features of TouchPal :
Copy, paste, text selection, selec all, home, end, page up & down, etc...
wolfyx said:
Hi All,
In my old XDA the keyboard had a CTRL key which was so easy to cut and paste but the HD2 keyboard is very cumbersome when copying and pasting.
Anyone has suggestion for an alternative keyboard app?
Cheers.
Wolfy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try VNKeyb v2.2.0 of hanoiwap here:
This one works perfectly. Thanks.

Ctrl key ?

In my previous HTC, Touch Pro2, there is a Ctrl key, but on HTC 7 PRO I cannot see it. If there is a way to map such Ctrl key? I need to use it
1.) why do you need the key?
2.) there is actually no ctrl-key and you won't be able to map it do any other.
keymap could be modified on rhodium
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=538228
Suppose something similar could be digged. have no wp7 at the moment though.
hope to read of android working and smoothly on 7pro :=) unless a cool qwerty is released for android, maybe 4.3"
exilkubaner said:
1.) why do you need the key?
2.) there is actually no ctrl-key and you won't be able to map it do any other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi all,
I had the same thought.
The benefit of the Control key (for my usage):
- press CONTROL + BACKSAPCE to delete a whole word at a time (rather than single letters
- using the arrow buttons + CONTORL makes copying text much easier, that way you don't have to get onto the touch screen (useful on long emails etc)
- much easier to copy & paste just using the keyboard, like on your normal keyboard
It would be great to have the Control button or have the same function somehow else.
BGM said:
Hi all,
I had the same thought.
The benefit of the Control key (for my usage):
- press CONTROL + BACKSAPCE to delete a whole word at a time (rather than single letters
- using the arrow buttons + CONTORL makes copying text much easier, that way you don't have to get onto the touch screen (useful on long emails etc)
- much easier to copy & paste just using the keyboard, like on your normal keyboard
It would be great to have the Control button or have the same function somehow else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use to do the same thing. Feel lost without it. I know it can still be done by dragging your finger. Though to me... its not with the same ease. I dont know how they could possibly think an emoticon button is more crucial :S Its a business phone ffs!

[Q] Easy keyboard app for text messaging?

Dear All,
While texting..
Long pressing the keys of the virtual keyboard
and sliding them to choose a letter
while looking at the huge letter pop-up
that displays the currently touched letter above a user's finger
has proven the easiest way for me to type text messages.
(a user's finger always hides the letter that is touched)
I'm looking for a keyboard app
that has the option to disable alternative characters
when long pressing a virtual keyboard's key
so that long pressing a key like "a"
will not pop up a bar of "a"s
with weird accents on top:
"à á â ã ä å æ"
(Android 2.2 default virtual keyboard)
That will make typing with the virtual keyboard so much easier
without worrying that touching a virtual key too long
will pop up the bar with the weird: "à á â ã ä å æ"
And besides, who is using those characters in English anyway?
That bar is just plain useless for English.
So.. anyone knows any keyboard app
that has the option to disable
the alternative characters bar?
Thanks in advance for any info,
ff
You could try Go Keyboard.
You can't disable it completly, but it is possible to alter the delay of the long press (max. 1 sec).
It's very customizable, and got loads of themes. You should try it.
Go Keyboard is amazing!
Thanks!
The delay does the job nicely!
(If only they could make the delay up to 2 seconds
that would be even more amazing :^) but that's OK.. )
Kontsnor said:
You could try Go Keyboard.
You can't disable it completly, but it is possible to alter the delay of the long press (max. 1 sec).
It's very customizable, and got loads of themes. You should try it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried Dextr for an easy, fast and cool app for a keyboard on smartphone? I love to recommend it to you and try it as well.
Feedback would be well appreciated when try the app:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gkxim.android.dexter&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5na3hpbS5hbmRyb2lkLmRleHRlciJd :good:
Installed now,
Will let you know after evaluation..
Thanks!
creativemind101 said:
Have you tried Dextr for an easy, fast and cool app for a keyboard on smartphone? I love to recommend it to you and try it as well.
Feedback would be well appreciated when try the app:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gkxim.android.dexter&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5na3hpbS5hbmRyb2lkLmRleHRlciJd :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Review of Dextr
Review of Dextr
Dextr is indeed very easy.
The fact that the layout is in alphabetical order
helps you in typing really really fast.
The circular keys make it very natural to tap them
so that's another clever feature of Dextr
although i would prefer to have the option of making them bigger.
As i prefer writing messages in all capital letters
because it's easier for me to write them
and for people to read them..
finding how to [Cap Lock] the keys was
a matter of luck for me as i've found it accidentally.
You have to double tap fast, the key with the big capital [A].
That being said i will have to go back in using [Go Keyboard]
as Dextr has a few shortcomings that make it difficult for me
to write messages. But i'll have to stress that it's a matter
of personal taste.. Other Android users will not care and
make Dextr their default keyboard.
1-PopUp Letter height
When taping a key, a big Letter Pops Up showing what you are taping.
Because the PopUp is too close to your thumb
you thumb hides the PopUp letter rendering it useless.
In [Go Keyboard] you can adjust the PopUp height of a key to higher
so you can easily view the PopUp without it being hidden by your thumb.
In Dextr you cannot do that afaik.
2-The [Enter] key does not function.
Probably because Dextr is still in Beta.
Dextr has a column of orange keys that when long pressed
special characters popup.
I wish that Dextr will offer the option to disable
those special characters some day
as i find them completely useless and frustrating in that
when you long press the orange keys and the useless
special characters popup, you have to hit the back button
and tap the same letter again.
Dextr has the option to delay the popup of special characters
but the delay is too short. The same with [Go Keyboard] btw.
At the support of Dextr:
http://textwithdextr.com/index.php/en/forum/index
Attempting to create an account fails..
http://textwithdextr.com/index.php/en/component/user/register
Regards,
ff
creativemind101 said:
Have you tried Dextr for an easy, fast and cool app for a keyboard on smartphone? I love to recommend it to you and try it as well.
Feedback would be well appreciated when try the app:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gkxim.android.dexter&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5na3hpbS5hbmRyb2lkLmRleHRlciJd :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flit Keyboard ! !
Cell phones because of their small size they have 2 grand limitations
when it comes to entering text with their virtual on screen keyboards:
1-qwerty characters on virtual buttons are way too small to view easily
so most likely in most cases you are wasting your time and your patience
looking around to find what you want to tap.
2-qwerty character virtual buttons are way too small to tap
so most likely in most cases you tap the wrong buttons.
But my quest for the
easiest Android keyboard app for text messaging..
(specially if your phone's screen is small)
..is finally over ! !
Flit Keyboard makes entering text so much easier ! !
Search for: [Flit Keyboard] in Google Play.
Just Eight ( 8 ) >> HUGE << Buttons Keyboard.
A gift from God for guys with BIG fingers!!
So easy to enter text with just 1 thumb.
Also, by easily sliding you can type:
>> All << Alphabet characters, numbers and symbols,
(though some symbols still need shift)
all in the same screen!
All you have to do is:
Tap one of the 8 buttons and slide to specific character.
When you release the button that specific character is typed.
Just tap slide and release! That's all there is to it.. so easy!
It's so easy that in fact with a little bit of practice you may enter text
without looking at your cell phone!
While you are pressing a button a BIG pop up opens up
with 9 characters to slide to, making it easier to see
more characters than an Android qwerty keyboard can display.
Important: No more unwanted weird characters typed
if you long-press a button too much..
No more accidentally typing the wrong character!
You can see the character you want to type
by long-pressing as much as you like
to make sure it's the correct character you want to type
before releasing the button and the character is typed.
Cursor controls!
By sliding the space bar (left, up, right) and one of the buttons (down)
you can easily move the cursor any where you want in a body text!
All other keyboard apps that have cursor controls they take
a chunk of the screen making you wanting to disable their cursor functionality
to save screen space.
I firmly believe that Flit Keyboard must become
THE Number One Android Keyboard
out of any other qwerty Android keyboards out there.
video review:
Search youtube for:
[Flit Keyboard]
P.S.
To make characters bigger than the default Flit Keyboard
go to Flit settings and disable: [Show hint line]
ff
Try Swiftkey 3. I been using it for over a year now.
Its clean, easy and efficient.
- Option to activate/ deactivate foreign characters.
- Option to change Long press time from 100-1600ms
- Option to increase or decrease key height. Love this option. I have fat thumbs.
I have the paid version but you can try the free one and see how it works for you.
---------------------------------------------------
- MyTouch 4G using PARANOIDANDROID jellybean

LG Optimus F3Q (D520) and remapping its hardware keyboard

The LG Optimus F3Q (D520) is a phone with "Five-Line Slide-Out QWERTY Keyboard with PC-Like Shortcuts" (LG website). Missing from the keyboard however, is the "Ctrl" key. This brief guide shall attempt to show how an arbitrary key may be remapped for it.
Root the phone. Saferoot by k1mu works for this phone, although I found that the phone did appear to hang should one try to reboot or power off using the hardware power button after rooting. Removing and replacing the battery boots up the phone without issue should that happen. Software-based rebooting works fine.
Install your favourite file explorer for root users. ES File Explorer File Manager worked well for me.
On the phone, navigate to the "/system/usr/keylayout" directory.
Make a copy of the "f3q-keypad.kl" file and put it somewhere safe in case you need to revert to it.
Edit the "f3q-keypad.kl" file using a text editor.
Look for the line "key 100 ALT_RIGHT WAKE_DROPPED". This corresponds to the fn key on the right side of the keyboard.
Replace "ALT_RIGHT" with "CTRL_RIGHT".
Exit the file and save. View it again to verify that your changes have been saved.
Reboot.
Try it out. Ctrl-C should work in a terminal emulator.
To have even greater control over the remapping, you would also need to edit the "f3q-keypad.kcm" file in the "/system/usr/keychars" directory.
Note! If you are using connectbot, please obtain at least version 1.8.1 from connectbot at GitHub. Version 1.7.1 of connectbot in the Google Play store did not recognise the Ctrl command when I tried. Thus, it may be possible that some other programs may also not recognise the Ctrl command.
Disclaimer: I mucked around a lot by trial and error as version 1.7.1 of connectbot was tripping me up, so I had changed a lot more things than what I had listed in the steps above. However, looking back at it, I doubt that any other changes I had made were truly necessary.
Helpful stuff:
appelflap has a button remapper app, which I installed, but didn't appear to be able to do what I wanted. However, the KeynrTracker.apk he linked is very helpful should you very quickly want to know which key corresponds to what.
References:
Key Layout Files
Key Character Maps Files
List of Unicode characters
Other thoughts:
I found Link2SD and Foldermount [ROOT] to be indispensible for this phone.
Thanks! I just might try replacing that pesky write and share app key with CTRL...
It would satisfy a request of mine for my F3Q ROM.
EDIT: Downloaded the app. Because pressing the key pushes the app to the background, it won't capture.
Last line of the file though says "WRITE_SHARE". Think I got somewhere.
Sure did, "WRITE_SHARE" now replaced with "CTRL_LEFT", and is working like a charm!
Glad this helped somebody !
joel.maxuel said:
Thanks! I just might try replacing that pesky write and share app key with CTRL...
It would satisfy a request of mine for my F3Q ROM.
EDIT: Downloaded the app. Because pressing the key pushes the app to the background, it won't capture.
Last line of the file though says "WRITE_SHARE". Think I got somewhere.
Sure did, "WRITE_SHARE" now replaced with "CTRL_LEFT", and is working like a charm!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keth Tenderfoot said:
Glad this helped somebody !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how to deal with sticky keys?
Polish keyboard mapping on F3Q
Hi, I'm sharing my .kcm and .kl files of the F3Q used with the Polish characters mapped to the respective keys.
(Note to the German users of F3Q: you might edit my f3q-keypad.kcm file ,and map your äöüß characters to the aous keys, if you feel like having your language version of the mapping.)
Keyboard allocation modifications:
SEARCH key mapped to TAB
WRITE_SHARE key mapped to CTRL_LEFT
ALT_RIGHT key mapped to CTRL_RIGHT
PL layout: [ęąółżźćń] mapped on ctrl+[eaolzxcn]
PL layout: [„] mapped on ctrl+[k]
PL layout: [”] mapped on ctrl+[,]
The files have to replace /system/usr/keychars/f3q-keypad.kcm and /system/usr/keylayout/f3q-keypad.kl respectively to be active.
Hallo Pruszków,
Thanx for your polish Keymaps, great work!!!
At the moment I try to modfy them to German. It works fine so far, but now my question is, how can I use the right "fn" key (which is the new ctrl/alt key) without pressing at the same moment as the vowel/consonant, which I want to modify? With the left "fn" key I can first press the button, then release it and it holds its function.
Do you know what I mean?
Would be fantastic, if there is a solution too!
Best regards & dziękuję,
sÖren
fn/alt or ctrl?
Hi Sören,
Thanks for sharing your feedback. I'm glad my stuff could be of some help to you!
spacemoere said:
how can I use the right "fn" key (which is the new ctrl/alt key) without pressing at the same moment as the vowel/consonant, which I want to modify? With the left "fn" key I can first press the button, then release it and it holds its function.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the "fn" labeled key was originally associated with the "alt" behavior. The "alt" keeps its mode when you press and release it. But I mapped the right "fn" to the "ctrl" bahavior, and... "ctrl" works just when you press and hold it. So, what to do in your case?
You might get back to the original "fn' mapping (in the .kl file) and keep the right "fn" as "alt", and then define äöüß (in the .kcm file) in combination with "alt" instead of "ctrl".
But...
there is a challenge with the special characters already mapped to the keys. E.g. let's take the key "u". Originally "alt" and "u" prints "+". When you'd map "alt" and "u" as "ü" then you'd loose any possibility to get "+". I have no good idea how to resolve that well. Maybe you'd map "+" to: "ctrl" and "u"? Then you'd use "ctrl" only from the key 59 (CTRL_LEFT), as the key 100 you'd map back to ALT_RIGHT.
The bottom line is: you'd need to choose between "alt" and "ctrl" stuff when deciding your settings.
In my case I took "ctrl" for my Polish mapping, as I'm used to press and hold the "fn" to print the Polish characters. If you're used to press and release, to print a German character, you might consider using "alt" instead.
I hope this helps.
Tschüs,
Bernard
Remapping IME
Thank you for the post Keth, very easy explained.
I am wondering about modifying not the standard character map, but the LG Keyboard IME.
I could not find any alternative input method with a good support for physical keyboard and good dictionaries, so I thought it may be better to modify the included input method than using a different one, correct me if I am wrong.
So I extracted the LGEIMEbin.apk from the system/apps directory, and opened it on the computer to figure out how to modify it.
Keyboard layout are saved in XML, so I supposed it should be easy to modify with a text editor like Notepad++, and just say for every key or combination of keys what kind of character do I want.
Well, I was wrong, as the xml do not contain any clear structure that is in any way possible to understand as it was for f3q-keypad.kcm and f3q-keypad.kl.
I tried to open all kind of xml files included in the LGEIMEbin.apk, and all of them presented non recognised characters, as you can see in the picture that can be found at this address:
img4web.com/i/D3RC42.png
Has anybody any hint of why notepad++ does not recognise those characters and how could I correctly visualise them?

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