I ALWAYS hit the caPSLOCK key when I hit the a key. It would be nice if caPSLOCK only locked if the shift key waS pressed. This is the waY typewriter keyboaRDS worked – We aLL know whaT a typewriter is don’t we – In order to place the typewriter into all caps mode one would have to press the shift key and then the caps lock to lock in the shift. There were no mistaKEN PRESSES OF THE CAPS LOCK BY HITTING IT WHEN THE A KEY WAS PRESSED AS THE SHIFT NEEDED TO PE PRESSED TO LOCK THE CAPS.
It would be GREAT if we could set an option to require [shift] [capslock] to place the computer in all capital mode.
this post is a few months old but I want to respond to thank you for pointing out that the capslock key is one of the most annoying things known to man.
Question from someone who used (mechanical and electric) typewriters for many years (yeah, I’m that old ): you want an additional option to be able use two keys for something that can be done with one, because you sometimes accidentally press the wrong key?
AN OPTION??? HAIKU WOULD BE LOVED BY MILLIONS IF CAPSLOCK WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED!!! IT’S NOT ONLY ANNOYING WHEN IT IS TOUCHED ACCIDENTALLY!!! EVERYONE HATES ALL THOSE NEWBIES WHO TYPE ENTIRE PARAGRAPHS WITH THE CAPSLOCK ON!!! IT LOOKS LIKE SHOUTING, HARD TO READ AND POOR NETIQUETTE!!!
<cite=“test”>Mac OS X users have it much easier. Open System Preferences and click on the Keyboard & Mouse icon. Under the Keyboard tab, click on the Modifier Keys button. In the dropdown list next to Caps Lock, choose No Action or set the key to one of the other options.
We can simply implement in Haiku something like this
Question from someone who used (mechanical and electric) typewriters for many years (yeah, I'm that old :) ): you want an additional option to be able use two keys for something that can be done with one, because you sometimes accidentally press the wrong key?
ABSOLUTELY
All the typewriters I ever used, both mechanical and electric, required one to press the left shift then the caps lock key to lock in the caps mode. If you learned to type on a typewriter, this should not be difficult to get back in the habit of doing. The trouble comes with single press capslock as this is the scourge of the computer revolution. It would be better to not have a capslock than have a one press capslock key.
All the typewriters I ever used, both mechanical and electric, required one to press the left shift then the caps lock key to lock in the caps mode. If you learned to type on a typewriter, this should not be difficult to get back in the habit of doing. The trouble comes with single press capslock as this is the scourge of the computer revolution. It would be better to not have a capslock than have a one press capslock key. [/quote]
The scourge of the computer evolution? LOL! Man, you really make me laugh. This vilification of the single press caps lock key and keyboard manufacturers is totally blown out of proportion. You sure have an uphill battle on this one, as I don’t think people will want to go back to the typewriter ages because a few people make enough noise. Or do you also want to start a movement to make the Enter key double-press, so that you don’t end your paragraphs abruptly in the wrong place?
I got used to actively using the caps lock key since some months, even though I remember the times when I wanted it to be a no-op key as well
Anyway, I think an option to disable the key would be nice. However, one could easily write an input_server add-on that could actually implement any of the earlier suggestions on how to handle that key.
Anyway, I think an option to disable the key would be nice. However, one could easily write an input_server add-on that could actually implement any of the earlier suggestions on how to handle that key.
If I could wrap my brain around c or c++ I would write one.
That would be giving in to option creep, and not in line with Haiku’s philosophy of sane defaults rather than maximum configurability. Please, don’t turn Haiku into another KDE, where a gazillion options are added just because a few ask for them.
The input_server addon would not necessarily translate to option creep as you call it.
The add-on architecture in Haiku (and BeOS) was very much designed for adding new functionality, or altering existing functionality in this way. It was part of the design from the beginning. Much like the Firefox Extensions design.
So, I say as long as someone can go out and build one, that’s their business. It could even exist in the Haiku repo as a 3rd party, or sample code for an input_server addon
Personally, this capslock thing isn’t a big deal to me - I hate the key also, I rarely use it, and I see a lot of keyboards where it has been physically removed with force. So I know this is a common problem.
I don’t see how turning a quite annoying key off at the software level equates us to KDE. Feature creep, however, is a valid concern.
With my mouse, I can configure the different buttons to do “non-sane default” actions. With a game controller, I can set which buttons do what. Why can’t the same principle be applied to keyboards? (Hint: It already is, in the form of keymaps.)
How many people actually use the Caps Lock key? I’m guessing there are less of those guys than there are of us who wish we could turn it off.
Whether this belongs in post-R1 or not is the question. (Personally, I’d like to see the devs focused on getting R1 finished.)
As you can see from the above quotes, pleople here are talking about adding an option, and that is what I am referring to.
Of course, if a third party creates an add-on that those who are bothered by the evil-doing caps lock key can use, that’s fine. But if we are to follow the Haiku way of doing things, then let a third party do this, and don’t add it as an option to Haiku.
@Jonathon Freeman
In the context of trying to stay with the Haiku philosophy of sane defaults rather than maximum configurability, adding an option like this takes us in the direction of KDE (where maximum configurability seems to be the priority), and can open the door for more requests for options which are of very doubtful use and for only very few people.
Ah, yes - unfortunate also that there are several suggestions in this entire thread.
The option to disable/remap the key is something that should be natively supported in any OS, IMO. as pointed out, that is what keymaps do. Also as pointed out - that’s what you can do with your extra mouse buttons. I’ll take it one step further - what the hell do people do with all those extra “media keys” on their keyboard? They should have a way to map those to something - some action, etc.
So, in short - my opinion is that having the ability to remap keys and mouse buttons (and other input devices) to … something - should be native (as it’s already required to get full usage from today’s available hardware).
The option to require extra effort to press the capslock - should be a 3rd party thing.
There, my .02 on a topic I really don’t care a lot about
As for the maximum configurability, comparisons to KDE… I don’t see this as one of those. If it’s about what the user sees on the screen, make it a commandline tool or a config file setting, then nobody will have to look at it, and won’t know it exists unless they research it.
Ah, yes - unfortunate also that there are several suggestions in this entire thread.
snip…[/quote]
I am specifically referring to adding an option to disable the caps lock key, which is what this thread started (and is supposed to be) about. If you want to go on a tangent and start discussing keymaps (we are already supported in Haiku) or support for mouse options, that’s fine, but it is a different topic.
Ok, but let’s be clear - adding an option does not necessarily equate to having a gigantic GUI full of options (as you seem to indicate with your comparison to KDE).
The option doesn’t have to manifest itself in any way visually to the user… it could be hidden away somewhere that only true power users know how to locate.
The difference is that the many KDE configs don’t really contribute to productivity. Everytime someone types capslock by mistake and has to stop in his tracks to correct represents a loss of productivity.
[quote=“Urias McCullough”]Ok, but let’s be clear - adding an option does not necessarily equate to having a gigantic GUI full of options (as you seem to indicate with your comparison to KDE).
The option doesn’t have to manifest itself in any way visually to the user… it could be hidden away somewhere that only true power users know how to locate.[/quote]
I don’t deny that there can be options that can be enabled/disabled through the command line or configuration files. But since Haiku is meant to be a GUI centric OS, you would expect that when talking about options in the broad sense of the word, one is referring to options that are exposed to the user through the GUI. Come to think of it, this makes sense, as we have always made a conscious effort to differentiate ourselves from Linux, where users to have to mess around with the Terminal and/or the command line to get some stuff working.
That being said, I do not expect nor do I suggest that adding one option would translate into a gigantic GUI of options. What I am trying to say is that, if we start giving in to adding features/options of questionable value to make a marginal group of people happy, then we set a precedent and open the door for option creep and bloated GUIs, none of which are in line with the philosophy of simplicity that Haiku advocates.
The KDE people would most likely disagree with you, and I am sure they have their reasons.
It is highly questionable that adding this option will improve your productivity by a measure that has any significance in the bigger picture of using a computer. I am a lousy typist who has been tapping on keyboards for thirty years, and I hardly remember pressing the caps lock key by mistake. I acknowledge that it could happen, but only very seldom. If somebody presses the caps lock key accidentally so many times to the extent of loosing productivity, then that person has some sort of motor impairment or is just a lousy typist.
