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[IDEA] Keyboard switcher

It would be great to have a possibility to choose one keyboard for portrait mode (for example: swype) and the other for landscape one (for example: htc_ime).
Swype is great in portrait mode, but it sucks in landscape one (too large distances between the letters, swyping is slower than two hands typing, and a 'normal' typing using swype keyboard's layout is not so comfortable).
What do you think? Is it possible? The time to switch between keyboards wouldn't be too large? Memory utilization would be small enough?

Not sure if it is possible but I personally would also like the option to set the default keyboard per applications.

Why stop there? Would be great if there was a way to swipe through different keyboards in any app. Then you could just pick the best one for your current application. Of course the above feature would be great to have included with this.
Maybe some dev will pick up on this. Agree that it would be nice to have.

AverageCanadian said:
Not sure if it is possible but I personally would also like the option to set the default keyboard per applications.
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+1. i would love to use the Graffiti keyboard for some of my medical applications as the swype keyboard is useless when it comes to hunt & peck typing of words that aren't in its dictionary.

pavulon said:
It would be great to have a possibility to choose one keyboard for portrait mode (for example: swype) and the other for landscape one (for example: htc_ime).
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+1!! great idea dude!!

how bout swype on the stock 2.2 keyboard mixed with htc_ime compact qwerty ???? FLAWLESS . "BEST" Keyboard EVER !
but swype + stock 2.2 keyboard,, would be a great thing !
Google get ON THAT ! pls

agreed a mod would finaly help bring the greatness of swype in portrait and HTC_IME in landscape would be amazing...
only issues i see coming from this is how will the OS juggle the two keyboards ?
this makes me jealous of people that have a keyboard android phone.. they can use swype and the default keyboard and not worry about the landscape swype.

It's been asked/suggested many times but it's simply not possible.
In Android, you cannot change input method (keyboard) without user interaction for security reasons. Think about it this way; would you want a malicious app that mimics the exact look/functionality of your keyboard, except that it logs/steals your every keystroke and is automatically enabled as the input method without you knowing it?
The security is in place to prevent that exact type of situation.
Minor correction/clarification. A third party app cannot switch input method automatically. Which means, creating an app to let you customize what keyboard to use in what orientation/app/etc simply cannot happen. A keyboard can, however, programmatically switch itself to another keyboard on a given event. The only way this could ever happen would be for both keyboards you wanted to use to have this functionality built into it (ie, htc_ime keyboard knows to switch to swype when going from landscape to portrait and swype switches back to htc_ime in the opposite). Given that these are both closed source keyboards (granted, htc_ime mod rocks) this will likely never happen unless the developers themselves were to do it (especially since we can't post swype apk's anywhere).
From: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/view/inputmethod/InputMethodManager.html
A client application can ask that the system let the user pick a new IME, but can not programmatically switch to one itself. This avoids malicious applications from switching the user to their own IME, which remains running when the user navigates away to another application. An IME, on the other hand, is allowed to programmatically switch the system to another IME, since it already has full control of user input.
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Is it impossible even on a rooted phone?

pavulon said:
Is it impossible even on a rooted phone?
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Unless you are running a custom Rom that specifically removes or bypasses that type of security (which would be foolish IMO) then the exact same restrictions from my previous post apply. It would take some serious core changes for this to ever be possible.

I know it isn't exactly what people are requesting, but what about a shortcut it widget that brings up the manual keyboard selection dialog? You could then map that to the long press search action our something similar. Maybe have it stay resident in the notification area so you can change keyboards on the fly without having to be in a text dialog. My main use to switch is when I am in a terminal window, which requires me to close out and bring up the search dialog, long press, change input methods, go back to the terminal... Pain in the ass, since Swype can't delete in a Connectbot shell one typo means going through that process to switch to Better Keyboard so I can complete my task.

daveid said:
I know it isn't exactly what people are requesting, but what about a shortcut it widget that brings up the manual keyboard selection dialog? You could then map that to the long press search action our something similar. Maybe have it stay resident in the notification area so you can change keyboards on the fly without having to be in a text dialog. My main use to switch is when I am in a terminal window, which requires me to close out and bring up the search dialog, long press, change input methods, go back to the terminal... Pain in the ass, since Swype can't delete in a Connectbot shell one typo means going through that process to switch to Better Keyboard so I can complete my task.
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This is possible. A third party app can trigger the choose IME dialog to pop up. I'll try to throw something together this afternoon. You could then use an app like bartender, quickdesk, etc to setup easy access to it.

[Q] Keyboard layout

Hello! Colemak typist here.
Can you change the layout of the keyboard? I don't mind about the physical layout, just the software mapping. I have no idea how he keyboard is handled so could someone kindly work out if this is possible? And if Colemak is available?
Thanks!

Nobody with a keyboard who can quickly check this out for me?

If you don't get a reply shout me tonight and ill give it a go.

hmmmm. cant see anything that allows keyboard remapping in the settings.... which is a shame as my @ and " are not as per the layout ... which is odd .....

Could always try button remapper beta off the market. I don't know if it will work on the dock keyboard but I could remap some of the keys using a usb keyboard on my viewsonic g tab. Something to try at least.

kiz said:
Hello! Colemak typist here.
Can you change the layout of the keyboard? I don't mind about the physical layout, just the software mapping. I have no idea how he keyboard is handled so could someone kindly work out if this is possible? And if Colemak is available?
Thanks!
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Click to collapse
One way to do it is go to this website to get a general idea about remapping. Then download the KeyTest.apk from the author.
When you start the app you can see which scancodes are created. Now go to /system/usr/keylayout (most likely requires root) and change the keyboard layout that is associated with your keyboard. If you don't know, download aLogCat from the market. When you connect a keyboard it will show up in the log. For special characters and shortcuts modify the appropriate keychar table in /system/usr/keychars.
Hope that helps. It worked on my XOOM for a generic BT keyboard that had lots of Apple keys.

Wonderful. Thankyou all for your helpful posts! Very glad to know there is a way to do this, even if it is not an official option.
Thanks again.

wilbur-force said:
hmmmm. cant see anything that allows keyboard remapping in the settings.... which is a shame as my @ and " are not as per the layout ... which is odd .....
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You need to change the software keyboard to the ASUS one in order to get correct layout on dock keyboard.

As a follow up post - I got a transformer with dock. Downgraded to 8.2.3.9, rooted and found the keyboard layout in /usr/xt9/keylayout/qwerty-en_GB.kl. I edited by hand (thankfully it's a lovely human readable text file) and now am enjoying colemak! Woot!
I might write a little how-to so that anyone can do it quickly and easily.

dock keyboard and non-OEM tab keyboard challenge

I use the Float n Split keyboard on my Inifinty and of course when the tab is docked, it wants me to change the keyboard to the stock ASUS keyboard. While a minor chore, it is a chore nonetheless. I have tried to use Tasker to automate the change to settings but i am cannot create a action that works. In fact, I'm not sure where to begin with Tasker.
Has anyone figure how to automate this task with Tasker or any other utility?
cheers,
mordo

Have you tried not changing back to the ASUS keyboard and ignoring the message? I use Thumb Keyboard, and when I docked the first time with it it asked me the same thing, to change to the ASUS stock keyboard. I ignored it and the dock keyboard still works flawlessly.

Look in the prime form for a similar question, there was an App to automatically switch keyboards. Alternatively if you are into the whole tasker thing, this is a simple script that could be written to switch between keyboards when docked and undocked...

Yes, I've ignored the alert that the keyboards don't match. In some apps, the soft keyboard appears while typing on the dock keyboard. This is a problem as it obscures what I'm typing.
I imagine it is a simple script but I'm at a loss to know how to create it. I hoped that someone had such script, I could learn quickly rather than running through tutorials in Tasker.
cheers,
mordo
EDIT: Thanks, I found the thread in the Prime forum. Tasker requires a paid plugin. This explains why I couldn't find the solution in Tasker. Also, the other app referenced was "Keyboard Manager:.
drherron said:
Look in the prime form for a similar question, there was an App to automatically switch keyboards. Alternatively if you are into the whole tasker thing, this is a simple script that could be written to switch between keyboards when docked and undocked...
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[Q] Handwriting recognition question

Hello
A couple of questions about how handwriting recognition works for the 10.1:
i) Is it available for all apps, i.e. handwriting recognition can be selected for any app which has keyboard input?
ii) Assuming your handwriting isn't a scrawl, how good is the recognition, (e.g. how does it compare to Windows 7/8 tablets)?
Thanks for any feedback

nomadic11 said:
Hello
A couple of questions about how handwriting recognition works for the 10.1:
i) Is it available for all apps, i.e. handwriitng recognition can be selected for any app which has keyboard input?
ii) Assuming your handwriting isn't a scrawl, how good is the recogition, (e.g. how does it compare to Windows 7/8 tablets)?
Thanks for any feedback
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Yes it can be enabled in any app that support kekeyboard input, and comparing it to other w8/7 tablets i havent tried them but handwriting recognition works perfect, fast and never faild to recognize my writing also i have a bad hand writing
Sent from my GT-N8000 using XDA Premium HD app

I can be pretty slack with my handwriting and it works pretty good with a 95% accuracy rate. The 5% it doesn't, I'd have trouble reading if I hadn't wrote it then and there...

This doesn't really help the OP, but I thought I might as well stick my question under the same header.
In the keyboard setting is a tick box for "change to handwriting recognition when Spen is detected" and I'm wondering how it's implemented as I have not noticed anything happening. I always have to change the keyboard manually. Wether I remove the pen or use my spare one. Thanks.

schnurrbidurr said:
This doesn't really help the OP, but I thought I might as well stick my question under the same header.
In the keyboard setting is a tick box for "change to handwriting recognition when Spen is detected" and I'm wondering how it's implemented as I have not noticed anything happening. I always have to change the keyboard manually. Wether I remove the pen or use my spare one. Thanks.
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I've tried and it somewhat works... but with varying results.
It surely doesn't work instantly (as one would expect). That is, if you have your keyboard out and you pull out the pen the keyboard doesn't change automatically and instantly from "typing mode" to "handwriting mode".
In a simple text editor (as Jota text editor) it works this way: if you have the pen out and you tap on the note as to insert new text, the type of keyboard is hw recognition. Then you put the pen in its slot (the keyboard stays out and doesn't change), close the keyboard (the keyboard disappears) re-tap on the note to write something else and the keyboard popping out is now the classical typing keyboard. The reverse also works.
In some other apps this behavior is not replicable. Maybe because these other apps "remember" (in the cache?) the last type of keyboard used and this overwrites Samsung "pen-detection" function.
Anyway there's a wonderful (and genial) app that automatically and instantly changes the keyboard (i.e. from the samsung stock one to another choosen one, i.e. some keyboard more advanced for traditional typing) with the pen's pulled out or in. It's called SPenBoard Switcher. The link is here.
(Unfortunately it's necessary to have a rooted device to install it...)

Thanks for your explanation. I didn't expect it to work instantly, I just never noticed it doing anything at all. But then again, I rarely use the attached pen, but one of those bigger ones. I will definitely give the suggested app a go.

[Q] Keyboard shortcuts

Hi all,
just received the keyboard today as an accessory.
I am wondering a little about some keys I'd like to find and seem unable to.
To quickly move from one homescreen to another I can swipe the screen, it there any other key combination which does the same ? Mousekey plus mouse-swipe does not feel the same.
Also a button to swap the notification would have been somethin I'd expect, I do not find it.
Is there maybe a pdf-file around somewhere which includes such information.
Thanks in advance,
Ruud
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD

Ruud Westerhout said:
Hi all,
just received the keyboard today as an accessory.
I am wondering a little about some keys I'd like to find and seem unable to.
To quickly move from one homescreen to another I can swipe the screen, it there any other key combination which does the same ? Mousekey plus mouse-swipe does not feel the same.
Also a button to swap the notification would have been somethin I'd expect, I do not find it.
Is there maybe a pdf-file around somewhere which includes such information.
Thanks in advance,
Ruud
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at these. I just put them in one place for you.
1. If you download Any Cut for Android and install it, then run it, then create a short cut for the activity "Quick Launch" (there may be two entries, if it doesn't work with the first one, try the second one), then using this "Quick Launch" short cut, you can define any program to be run using the hotkeys Search+(a-z,0-9), ie. Search+Z could be used to run Marvin.
2. Keyboards
See my initial thoughts on keyboards on the bottom of this post.
In case of problems with diacritics when docked, be sure to use KLSwitcher for setting your locale.
You can also try External Keyboard Helper Pro for custom layouts.
• TouchPal Free but skins cost. A favorite KB. You may have to switch back to default KB when docking.
• SwiftKey Tablet ($3.99) This KB has a large following. It’s proven to be a wonderful tablet specific keyboard that permits to do standard layout or even “thumb” style with a gap in middle. Very customizable. There is a free trial available.
• Hacker's Keyboard is a popular one for anyone that finds themselves commonly fighting to type syntax.
• Lots Of Other Tablet Keyboards To Try!
3. Links
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1824178
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1435242

Ruud Westerhout said:
To quickly move from one homescreen to another I can swipe the screen, it there any other key combination which does the same ?
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There are "page up" and "page down" functions on the keyboard (Fn+up, Fn+down) that work, at least in the stock launcher.

You do 2 finger swipes on the keypad when it is set to gesture mode from settings to replicate screen swipes

Wow guys, what a little sleep can do.
Answers from You three is really highly appreciated. Will take me until the evening to try them out, thanks a lot !!
Ruud
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD