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'Miscellaeneous' keys in TextType


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The drop-down for Miscellaneous offers many keys. The Help just lists them, so I guess their meaning is meant to be obvious. But some puzzle me. Are those I've indicated below found only on specialist (gaming?) keyboards, so I can ignore them?

 

Left Window

Right Window

Application

Matt

Rel

Erase OF

Zoom

PA1

 

Conversely, I have some keys that aren't listed. In particular I'm curious to know if the following 3 can be used somehow by ME Pro:

 

'Alt Gr' (on right of Space bar)

'FN' (orange lettering, on the right of the 'Alt Gr' key) Used in conjunction with 4 orange 'multimedia' alternatives for F1-F4)

'Context' (on the right of the 'FN' key)

 

BTW, what behaviour should I expect from using a TextType command with a key I don't have? Totally ignored? A quick test with 'Left Window' appears to show that something happens, but I'm not sure what!

 

--

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

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The drop-down for Miscellaneous offers many keys. The Help just lists them, so I guess their meaning is meant to be obvious. But some puzzle me. Are those I've indicated below found only on specialist (gaming?) keyboards, so I can ignore them?

 

Left Window

Right Window

Application

Matt

Rel

Erase OF

Zoom

PA1

 

Conversely, I have some keys that aren't listed. In particular I'm curious to know if the following 3 can be used somehow by ME Pro:

 

'Alt Gr' (on right of Space bar)

'FN' (orange lettering, on the right of the 'Alt Gr' key) Used in conjunction with 4 orange 'multimedia' alternatives for F1-F4)

'Context' (on the right of the 'FN' key)

 

The "Left Window" and "Right Window" keys appear on most full sized keyboard. Sometimes, one or both is absent on laptop keyboards. The key is sometimes referred to the "Windows Logo key." There are usually two on full-sized keyboards, usually both are on the bottom row, i.e., the same as the spacebar. Pressing one of these keys is equivalent to clicking on Start. You can also use the key as a modifier (like Shift or Ctrl) -- hold it down while pressing another key. For example:

 

Window + R = Run

Window + D = Minimize all windows and put focus on desktop

 

"Application" is available on most (but not all) keyboards, usually on the bottom row. The image on the key looks a little like a sheet of paper. It is the equivalent of right clicking, assuming an object has keyboard focus. If you "click" once on a desktop icon, pressing the Application key is the same as right clicking it. It's also equivalent, in most cases, to pressing Shift + F10. Not all applications support the Application key.,

 

"Context" may be the same as "Application" because right clicking can bring up the "context menu."

 

I don't know what Rel, Erase OF, Zoom, or PA1 do. There are other keys in the list. Some are obvious; but some may cause your keyboard to stop responding, so be careful when experimenting!

 

I imagine users in Europe would like a way to simulate "Alt Gr," but I don't know how to do that. In Canada and the USA, keyboards do not have this key, although I believe the French Canadian keyboard differentiates the left and the right "Alt" to provide a means to insert accented characters.

 

"FN" is more hardware than software related. It's a proprietary key, usually appearing only on laptop and other small keyboards. It provides a means to access keys that have been left out to save space. I know of no way to simulate it with Macro Express, although there are sometimes workarounds. For example, on keyboards with embedded number pads, you may have to press FN + / to produce Numpad +. But Macro Express provides a means to simulate all of the Numpad keys using the "Miscellaneous" list in the "Text Type" dialog.

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The "Left Window" and "Right Window" keys appear on most full sized keyboard. Sometimes, one or both is absent on laptop keyboards. The key is sometimes referred to the "Windows Logo key." There are usually two on full-sized keyboards, usually both are on the bottom row, i.e., the same as the spacebar. Pressing one of these keys is equivalent to clicking on Start. You can also use the key as a modifier (like Shift or Ctrl) -- hold it down while pressing another key. For example:

 

Window + R = Run

Window + D = Minimize all windows and put focus on desktop

 

"Application" is available on most (but not all) keyboards, usually on the bottom row. The image on the key looks a little like a sheet of paper. It is the equivalent of right clicking, assuming an object has keyboard focus. If you "click" once on a desktop icon, pressing the Application key is the same as right clicking it. It's also equivalent, in most cases, to pressing Shift + F10. Not all applications support the Application key.,

 

"Context" may be the same as "Application" because right clicking can bring up the "context menu."

 

I don't know what Rel, Erase OF, Zoom, or PA1 do. There are other keys in the list. Some are obvious; but some may cause your keyboard to stop responding, so be careful when experimenting!

 

I imagine users in Europe would like a way to simulate "Alt Gr," but I don't know how to do that. In Canada and the USA, keyboards do not have this key, although I believe the French Canadian keyboard differentiates the left and the right "Alt" to provide a means to insert accented characters.

 

"FN" is more hardware than software related. It's a proprietary key, usually appearing only on laptop and other small keyboards. It provides a means to access keys that have been left out to save space. I know of no way to simulate it with Macro Express, although there are sometimes workarounds. For example, on keyboards with embedded number pads, you may have to press FN + / to produce Numpad +. But Macro Express provides a means to simulate all of the Numpad keys using the "Miscellaneous" list in the "Text Type" dialog.

 

Thanks Alan, very helpful.

 

I just have the single standard Win key (which I use a lot for hotkey shortcuts). I'd have expected Left Window to give the same result as Win, but apparently not. And BTW I find that I have to use Win Down and Win Up with a short delay to bring up the Start menu.

 

My Context key is as you describe for the Application key.

 

--

Terry, East Grinstead, UK

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