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Inside Macintosh: Text /


Appendix C - Keyboard Resources

This appendix describes the Macintosh keyboard resources. The keyboard resources make text input possible; they provide a hardware interface to different types of keyboards and a software interface to different script systems. Some of the keyboard resources belong to an individual script system and are independent of any particular keyboard; others belong to a type of keyboard and are independent of any script system.

By installing the appropriate keyboard resources, you can perform text input in any script system, from any Macintosh-supported keyboard. By modifying the keyboard resources, you can localize or customize text input by changing keyboard layouts, remapping key combinations, creating keyboard icons, modifying the keyboard-layout display in the Key Caps desk accessory, and changing the way the user switches among keyboard layouts and keyboard scripts.

Most text-processing applications have no need for direct access to keyboard resources. You may need to read this appendix, however, if you are

Before reading this appendix, read the chapter "Introduction to Text on the Macintosh" in this book. The keyboard resources are used by the Script Manager, described in this book, and by the Event Manager and Menu Manager, described in Inside Macintosh: Macintosh Toolbox Essentials. Resources in general are described in the Resource Manager chapter of Inside Macintosh: More Macintosh Toolbox. Additional information on keyboards themselves can be found in Inside Macintosh: Devices and in Guide to the Macintosh Family Hardware.

This appendix starts with a brief discussion of keyboards. It then lists the keyboard resources, shows how they may differ in different versions of localized software, and presents the concept of key translation. It then discusses each keyboard resource in detail.

Note
All keyboard information that relates to virtual key codes and their relation to raw key codes is discussed under "Key-Map Resource (Type 'KMAP')" beginning on page C-11, even if it is not specifically related to the key-map resource.

Appendix Contents
About Keyboards
About the Keyboard Resources
What the Keyboard Resources Are
Key Translation
Using the Keyboard Resources
Key-Map Resource (Type 'KMAP')
Apple Extended Keyboard
Reassigning Right-Hand Key Codes
Other Hardware Dependencies
Virtual Key Codes for Non-ADB Keyboards
Key-Remap Resource (Type 'itlk')
Keyboard-Layout Resource (Type 'KCHR')
Resource Format
The KeyTranslate Function and the Keyboard-Layout Resource
Special Uses for the KeyTranslate Function
Installing a Custom Keyboard-Layout Resource
Using KeyTranslate for Command-Key Equivalents
Keyboard Icon Family (Types 'kcs#', 'kcs4', 'kcs8')
Keyboard-Swap Resource (Type 'KSWP')
Key-Caps Resource (Type 'KCAP')
Resource Format
Key Caps Desk Accessory
Summary of the Keyboard Resources
Assembly-Language Summary
Global Variables

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© Apple Computer, Inc.
6 JUL 1996