OpenMoko keyboard usability issues

[jluebbe@…]

These are some issues that prevent proper usage.

• Replace the mode keys 'A' and 'a' with (sticky) Shift and CapsLock? key.
• The number mode should be 3x4 (like the numpad on a pc keyboard).
• Add cursor keys where possible and reposition the backspace (del) key.

[songcw@…]

Thanks for your useful suggestion, I will discuss those with our graphics
designers. If you have any other useful issues, please tell us.

[alphaone@…]

The default keyboard should also have the most common punctuation, etc. keys.
I think keys like @,.+-!? should be included in the standard layout if there is
still room.
Where possible, please try to use default locations (like on qwerty keyboard).

[stefan@…]

We should also evaluate if it fits our needs to use the standard matchbox
keyborard and just add special theming for it.

[laforge@…]

stefan, does this evaluation fit in your or daniels' schedule? It's quite
embarrassing that we still have this unusable keyboard right now.

[alphaone@…]

I'm looking into it now.

[flerchjj@…]

What method is currently used to make the keyboard? If it's a compiled X or GTK
program this will not work well for graphic designers (I know my wife is one),
unless it loads a humanly readable file to determine the layout.

If you go with Matchbox, layouts are made with simple XML. XML is structured &
well understood by designers (or they have tools that do). A number of layouts
can be defined ( though currently only 1 is supported ) each with any number of
rows of keys, defining the keyboard from top to bottom.

If you go this route let me know. I'd be willing to create some of the layouts I
made for the wishlist (after I get matchbox-keyboard installed or script
something to test it in a browser).

[alphaone@…]

openmoko-keyboard actually is a fork of matchbox-keyboard and there is no real
reason why we're maintaining a fork of our own. I'm working on pushing the
additions we made upstream so we can use matchbox-keyboard with a different layout.

[flerchjj@…]

css theme formatting for xml key layout

[flerchjj@…]

partially modified keyboard.xml for css theming concept

[willie_chen@…]

Is it resolved?

[thseiler@…]

adds simple color theme to svn matchobox-keyboard

[flerchjj@…]

I just started working on a gtk based alternative to the current virtual
keyboard that I plan to call "gtKeypad". I thought this might add to visual
consistency across the entire desktop theme.

The xml file format for keypad layout is very similar to what already exists.
I'll post the code in its current state on OpenMokoProjects? soon after I get
approval for the project. It is very much a work in progress at this point &
I've only been working on it on my computer desktop. I don't plan on trying it
in qemu for the moko until all the required functionality and formating is complete.

[thseiler@…]

same as previous 04-popup.patch but also fixes the keyboards statemachine

[thseiler@…]

change keyboard.xml files to take advantage of color and thumbmode

[kenrestivo]

I am now using the ASU Qtopia keyboard with the Full-QWERTY option, and it solves all my problems and is very usable. I'd suggest just using ASU as a solution.

[john_lee]

we got illume and qtopia keyboards now so I will leave this as 'community'