This page describes event translation resources and
how they can modify the keymappings for your application programs.
Event Translation Modifications
Event translation changes are local, rather than global, key
modifications. They apply to one client or one window only. For
instance, an email window might have F1 function as a "Send", while
your word processor might have F1 function as "Save".
These
definitions are all defined as resources of the client application
itself. They are entered in the client's resource file ./app-defaults,
or in your resource file .Xdefaults. It doesn't matter where the
resource is defined (except for its global or single-user
applicability), but you must be sure the resource is always read when
the client starts. Click here for more general information about X Resources.
An event translation table is handled as if
it were a single resource; the "override" indicates that only the
following definitions override the default definitions. A sample
translation table for Xterm might be:
XTerm*VT100.Translations: #override\
<Key>F1: string
("lpr -Pps") string (0x0d)\n\
<Key>F2: string ("xwd | xpr -device ps | lpr") string (0x0d)\n\
<Key>F3: string ("ls -C") string (0x0d)\n\
<Key>F4: string ("Mary Smith, Comptroller, XYZ Corporation")
Note these syntax requirements:
The resource needs
the "#override\" entry to show they are new translations for these keys
and override current definitions.
Strings are enclosed in parentheses; strings with spaces or
special characters also need double quotation marks as delimiters.
Commands that require a carriage return for execution have the
hex value for CR (0x0d) entered as a string at the end of the entry.
The table must be a single entry, so the \n\ must appear at
the end of each line except the last.
This table is a single resource in your .Xresources file.
This example shows a number of applications for event
translations. Note that the resource specification is for "Xterm*VT100"
so it applies to all xterm clients that are started, but would not apply
to other applications. The example shows some useful definitions, such
as F1 doing a printer command, and F3 doing a list command. F4 prints a
simple string for a frequently used phrase. F2 shows a more complicated
command for a screen dump to a postscript printer. Test the commands
before you use them.
Modifying HDSterm
Keymappings
HDSterm event translations are handled by the
ViewStation with some special considerations (Motif key bindings).
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