Jump to content
IGNORED

Available Shift/Control/<key> combinations?


Recommended Posts

I've a pre-release version of my modified Atari OS, I've included Wozmon as it was ported here:  https://forums.atariage.com/topic/352757-atari-wozmon-for-abbuc-software-contest-2023/

 

Currently, I've been using Shift/Control/W to enter Wozmon.  @kenames99 has been using the OS and discovered that Shift/Control/W also conflicts with the write file command in Action.  Are there any good key combinations still available?  i.e.  Shift/Control/Esc ?

 

Thanks!

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, matosimi said:

Not sure what you mean by 'available', however generally there are like 10 keys that are inaccessible together with control+shift key combination.

See the bottom section of the following table:

https://www.atariarchives.org/c3ba/page004.php

 

I guess what I really mean is what isn't used by some other software? 

i.e.  Is control/shift/esc used by anything?    etc.

 

(I use that very table for hardware key codes.)

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)

The default OS doesn't use any such combinations.

Avoid Shift-Ctrl-A as it generates code $FF which is the default no key condition.

 

Conflict - you're dealing with a case of these combinations only being used by addon software or system mods.

Where do you see your own usage case in the overall totem pole situation?

I guess if it's application software then you're down the order a bit from something like an OS or driver.

But you're talking about an OS and monitor so you're just about top of the tree here.  Still it would be nice to be able to have no conflicts.

 

I guess you know of the invalid combinations that just don't do anything?  They coincide with the keys that appear on the same rows as Shift and Ctrl.

That being Help, BVCXZ and JKL;+*

 

I'd also tend to give Shift-Ctrl-ESC a miss - it's fine on normal hardware but not on Windows based emulation.

 

Edited by Rybags
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Rybags said:

The default OS doesn't use any such combinations.

Avoid Shift-Ctrl-A as it generates code $FF which is the default no key condition.

 

Conflict - you're dealing with a case of these combinations only being used by addon software or system mods.

Where do you see your own usage case in the overall totem pole situation?

I guess if it's application software then you're down the order a bit from something like an OS or driver.

But you're talking about an OS and monitor so you're just about top of the tree here.  Still it would be nice to be able to have no conflicts.

 

I guess you know of the invalid combinations that just don't do anything?  They coincide with the keys that appear on the same rows as Shift and Ctrl.

That being Help, BVCXZ and JKL;+*

 

The usage case is that Wozmon is installed in the OS and I would like to avoid conflicts with other software.  (i.e.  shift/control/w conflicting with Action)  I am aware of invalid combinations that don't do anything.

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't think of a lot of software that uses such combinations.

I do remember the word from Atari when XL came out was that software using the Help key would allow alternate key combinations to allow legacy compatibility, though can't particularly name any titles that even used Help (maybe AtariWriter?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)

"XLFriend" from Quick Assembler uses Shift+Control+1, 2, 3 and 4.

"E", a simple text editor published in Tajemnice Atari 4/91, uses Shift+Control+Esc, < and >.

 

The OS allows to change key definitions via KEYDEF and FKDEF. I guess you could extend this to support Shift+Control combinations too, to allow the user to adjust them to their liking.

 

Also remember that you can use console keys and Break in combination with other keys.

Edited by Kr0tki
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, reifsnyderb said:

Currently, I've been using Shift/Control/W to enter Wozmon.

That's the default shortcut for setting the screen width in my word processor, The Last Word. Since applications are free to use the available SHIFT+CTRL+key combos, expect conflicts. One workaround (as already suggested above) can be to use one of the console keys as a modifier (say, SELECT+SHIFT+CTRL+key), but bascially, if your OS can use it, so can something else.

Edited by flashjazzcat
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a thought, instead of CTRL/SHFT/KEY combinations, why not use multiple keystrokes (not using the normal key repeat) in

quick succession i.e. ESC+ESC I doubt very much that anything uses that sort of trigger :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, TGB1718 said:

Just a thought, instead of CTRL/SHFT/KEY combinations, why not use multiple keystrokes (not using the normal key repeat) in

quick succession i.e. ESC+ESC I doubt very much that anything uses that sort of trigger :)

It's a good idea - some kind of escape sequence. In retrospect, I would do something like that in the text editor, since I've grown to dislike keyboards overloaded with functionality (it's too easy to accidentally press something and silently activate some mode or change a setting without realising it).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not really valid at the OS level though.  If it was an end user application then it would be.

Maybe Option+Select+ key would be a better choice.  Console key + Shift or Ctrl and another key would be tricky for some combinations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, reifsnyderb said:

Currently, I've been using Shift/Control/W to enter Wozmon.  @kenames99 has been using the OS and discovered that Shift/Control/W also conflicts with the write file command in Action.  Are there any good key combinations still available?  i.e.  Shift/Control/Esc ?

Available for what? Some programs use these keys, or at least those of the Ctrl+Shift combinations that work - some do not due to limitations of the hardware. Personally, I have seen Ctrl+Shift+Esc in use by DDT if I recall correctly, and my disk monitor ("Holmes") uses Ctrl+Shift W/S/E/D to move the cursor and Ctrl+Shift+Return to finish editing.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, thorfdbg said:

Available for what? Some programs use these keys, or at least those of the Ctrl+Shift combinations that work - some do not due to limitations of the hardware. Personally, I have seen Ctrl+Shift+Esc in use by DDT if I recall correctly, and my disk monitor ("Holmes") uses Ctrl+Shift W/S/E/D to move the cursor and Ctrl+Shift+Return to finish editing.

 

Available.....as in a good choice to use because it isn't used by anything else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also CMC is using several of these key combinations: 

... But why don't you then assign like whole line of keyboard keys and use whatever works?

 

I'm pretty sure there will be barely noone else doing what you are, so I would not take care about SW I don't use.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about storing the keycode in the $2xx-$3xx database area? Then you can have a sensible default and still allow somebody to change it in the rare case of overlapping usage.

 

Assuming, of course, there's still a spare reserved byte in there somewhere you can use.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, matosimi said:

Also CMC is using several of these key combinations: 

... But why don't you then assign like whole line of keyboard keys and use whatever works?

 

I'm pretty sure there will be barely noone else doing what you are, so I would not take care about SW I don't use.

 

 

If I can use a combination that no other software uses, that's a win.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Teapot said:

How about storing the keycode in the $2xx-$3xx database area? Then you can have a sensible default and still allow somebody to change it in the rare case of overlapping usage.

 

Assuming, of course, there's still a spare reserved byte in there somewhere you can use.

 

While possible, it would be somewhat pointless as one of the conflicts is with the Action! cartridge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, CharlieChaplin said:

Textpro 5.x says: None. They are all in use.

I don't recall TextPro using any SHIFT+CTRL combinations at all, since everything had to be accessible from the macro processor and there was no mechanism there to represent such key codes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah yes, I mis-remembered !

Looked at the Textpro 4.x and 5.x diskettes again and its Select+Control+key (not Shift+Control+key, like I thought).

 

But I think there was an A8 texteditor / word-processor that had Shift+Control+key combinations...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, CharlieChaplin said:

But I think there was an A8 texteditor / word-processor that had Shift+Control+key combinations...

Yes - aside from my own - I think there were several (Paperclip, First XLEnt, Superscript, perhaps).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...