Re: Mac Keyboard

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <42u80d$rns@elna.ethz.ch>,
GUDAT,HENRIK MICHAEL <GUDATH@EZINFO.VMSMAIL.ETHZ.CH> wrote:
> In <42u13v$ua@crl14.crl.com> ssinkey@crl.com writes:
>
> > 1.  [Question about the Caps Lock light]

On the ROM 1, the Caps Lock light is not supported automatically.
There are a few programs that can generate the light.  I wrote one,
but I never distributed it because I wasn't happy with the amount of
overhead it involved.  In general, the program has to poll the Caps
Lock key and if it has changed state, send a message to the keyboard
to turn the light on or off.

On the ROM 3, the ADB microcontroller will automatically update
the Caps Lock light, without any overhead on the part of the IIgs.

There are some keyboards that implement the Caps Lock light
internally, probably ignoring the message from the computer.

> > 2.  How can I make use of or program the function keys?
> 
> There's a shareware program called "Hot Keys", from Bill Tudor. You
> can assign various Finder functions to the function keys (such as
> opening the Desk Accs folder etc.). It's a great addition!
> 
> I think there is/was also a macro package from Roger Wagner
> Publishing. Maybe someone can provide more details on that one.

That would be MacroMate.  It is not quite along the same lines.
MacroMate is a CDA, and works in any program.  It can intercept
combinations of the Apple and/or Options keys in conjunction with any
key on the keyboard (including the function keys), and produce an
arbitrary sequence of keystrokes.

It doesn't work with unmodified keys (including function keys) - you
must press Apple and/or Option.


There is no general way to "program" the function keys on the IIgs
(well, one - see below).

Programs like HotKeys work in limited situations, e.g. with desktop
programs, or possibly other programs that read the keyboard through
the Event Manager.

The one exception would be to write a program along the same lines as
Easy Access on the ROM 1: all keypresses are intercepted using
interrupts, pre-processed, and fed back to the keyboard microcontroller
where they appear as normal in the keyboard input registers ($C000 and
$C025).

The catch: this would have the same dangers as Easy Access, namely
that a program which waits for a keypress in a loop with interrupts
locked out will cause the computer to hang completely, and require a
power-down or hardware reset (Ctrl-anything-Reset wouldn't work).

(This only applies to Easy Access on the ROM 1: on the ROM 3, it is
implemented by the ADB microcontroller, so there is no danger of
lockup.)
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand