
  Keyboard input

  When programming functions with the Macro Recorder or assigning key 
  bindings to text macros, it can be very useful to know the exact 
  procedure used to evaluate key presses within Calamus. After all there 
  are THREE levels on which key presses can trigger certain actions:

   The top priority is ALWAYS given to macros recorded with the Macro 
    Recorder, as these are intercepted directly below the user interface. 
    In place of the key presses the recorded events will be reported 
    directly to Calamus by the interface.

   Second come the text macros. As a rule these are only paid regard to 
    by those modules that can do something with them (e.g. Text module 
    and Eddie). The text macro key bindings may overlap with those from 
    the Macro recorder. This is because the text macro is always 
    activated in TWO stages: The macro prefix (set in "Activate Text 
    Macro" entry of the "Special Key Bindings" dialog called by the 
    "Key Bindings Editor" function of the Text module) as well as the 
    actual macro key binding (Text module "Define Macro" dialog or the 
    similar "Define New Text Macro" in Eddie).

   Finally there are the "Special Key Bindings" that can also be  
    set in the Text module, which come lowest in the hierarchy.
  
  Only when a keypress has run through all three steps and could not be 
  utilized as yet will it be used for text input or similar purposes.



  With the text macro prefix you can incidentally "sneak" key 
  combinations past the recorder mechanism: You simply input the prefix 
  and after that the desired key combination. For example:

  Control + M           (Presetting for macro prefix)
    and after that
  Alternate + Q         (normally "Exit Calamus")

  What happens? The alert box "You wish to leave Calamus?" does NOT 
  appear, because the control interface was induced by the prefix 
  (Control + M) to ignore the following key combination (here 
  Alternate + Q).



  Display of key combinations
  ---------------------------
  For the display of key combinations (for the text markers) Eddie uses a 
  similar method to Calamus. The display is textual, consisting of a 
  maximum 4 characters long abbreviation describing the actual key, as 
  well as prefixed ID letters for the additionally pressed "special" keys 
  (see table). The exact format looks like this:

  ACS #Key

  "Key": Here there is either the characters belonging to this key
  (e.g. "A", "5", "?" etc.) or the ID of one of the "special" keys.

  "A", "C" and "S" appear only if the modifier keys "Alternate",
  "Control" and "Shift" have to be pressed as well. In place of "S" there 
  can also be "L" or "R". In such cases the matching left or right Shift 
  key has to be pressed. "S" means that either of the Shift keys can be 
  used.

  Finally the indicator "#" specifies that the key to be pressed is on 
  the numeric pad at far right of the keyboard.

  Examples:

       x          The key "X"
       F4         Function key 4
   C   F4         Function key 4 together with Control
       3          The key "3"
      #3          The key "3" on the numeric pad
       Help       The Help key
  A    Ret        Alternate together with the Return key
  A L  Q          Alternate as well as the left Shift key together with "Q"
  A S  Q          Alternate as well as either Shift key together with "Q"


  If during the definition of key combinations (in one of the 
  corresponding dialogs in Eddie or also Calamus) you want to set "any  
  Shift key", then you have to press BOTH Shift keys.

  For the special keys english language abbreviations were selected:

  Abbreviation    Meaning
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Up              Cursor up
  Down            Cursor down
  Rght            Cursor right
  Left            Cursor left
  PgUp          * Browse one page back
  PgDn          * Browse one page forwards
  Home            ClrHome; jump to start
  End           * Jump to end
  Back            Backspace; delete previous character
  Del             Delete; delete next character
  Ins             Insert
  Ret             Return; input key on the main keyboard
  Entr            Enter; input key on the number pad
  Tab             Tabulator
  Esc             Escape
  Help            Help key
  Undo            Undo key
  Spce            Space
  F1...F10        Function key
  F11,F12,F14   * Function key
  M1...192      + Macro key on graphics tablet

  * Only under MagiCMac on an Apple Macintosh.
  + Only with certain graphics tablets/drivers.



  Calamus is a registered trademark of the company MGI.

