Keyboard shortcuts invalidated when keyboard layout changed with MSKLC
In Windows 10, I use Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator to change my keyboard layout, so half of my keys change place.
But now, all the keyboard shortcuts in my software will not work. For example, now in the location where the P key was, there is O. In Eclipse, when I press Ctrl+O to open a method, Eclipse thinks that I am pressing Ctrl+P so it prompts me the print dialog.
In MS site I read this:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/gg153546(v=vs.85).aspx
Also, avoid using WM_CHAR to implement keyboard shortcuts. Instead, use WM_KEYDOWN messages; or even better, use an accelerator table. Accelerator tables are described in the next topic, Accelerator Tables.
So, when I change the keyboard layout, I change the char of every key, but I didn't change the virtual-key code, so this is messed up. The same applies to IME(input methods), like Microsoft Pinyin. Now, with new keyboard layout, I cannot go to next page with , and previous page with ..
Now it becomes understandable, while staying being unreasonable.
I think there must be a solution, because I think I face the same problem which any user wanting to use Dvorak or AZERTY or any other keyboard layout.
How can we solve this?
I have found another very related question here:
How can I restore Ctrl+<key> functionality in Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator?
, which has a perfect answer. I will try to expand it with details and put it here as a copy.
The answer mentions changing the VK code of every key by editing the .klc file directly in a text editor, which I haven't think about, amazing design. It also contains a link to a blog showing how to do it:
www.sensefulsolutions.com/2010/08/how-to-fix-keyboard-shortcuts-in-klc-eg.html
So let's say it like this:
The shortcuts in every application in Windows are bind not directly to the character output of each key. They are bind to the Virtual Key code of every key. The scan code of keys are hardware specific. The driver converts these code into virtual key code, and then the OS receive VK code to do tasks.
When we edit a keyboard layout in MSKLC, the VK code are not changed by default. But you can open the .klc file to edit it.
A typical .klc file will be like this:
KBD WT_VK_CN "WindThunder VK code changed - Simplified Chinese"
COPYRIGHT "(c) 2017 WindThunder Studio"
COMPANY "WindThunder Studio"
LOCALENAME "zh-CN"
LOCALEID "00000804"
VERSION 1.0
SHIFTSTATE
0 //Column 4
1 //Column 5 : Shft
2 //Column 6 : Ctrl
6 //Column 7 : Ctrl Alt
7 //Column 8 : Shft Ctrl Alt
LAYOUT ;an extra '@' at the end is a dead key
//SC VK_ Cap 0 1 2 6 7
//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
02 1 1 007b 1 -1 -1 -1 // LEFT CURLY BRACKET, DIGIT ONE, <none>, <none>, <none>
03 2 1 005b 2 -1 00b7 -1 // LEFT SQUARE BRACKET, DIGIT TWO, <none>, MIDDLE DOT, <none>
04 3 1 0028 3 -1 20ac -1 // LEFT PARENTHESIS, DIGIT THREE, <none>, EURO SIGN, <none>
05 4 1 003c 4 -1 -1 -1 // LESS-THAN SIGN, DIGIT FOUR, <none>, <none>, <none>
06 5 1 002f 5 -1 -1 -1 // SOLIDUS, DIGIT FIVE, <none>, <none>, <none>
07 OEM_7 0 0027 0022 -1 00a8@ -1 // APOSTROPHE, QUOTATION MARK, <none>, DIAERESIS, <none>
08 6 1 005c 6 -1 00ac -1 // REVERSE SOLIDUS, DIGIT SIX, <none>, NOT SIGN, <none>
09 7 1 003e 7 -1 -1 -1 // GREATER-THAN SIGN, DIGIT SEVEN, <none>, <none>, <none>
0a 8 1 0029 8 -1 -1 -1 // RIGHT PARENTHESIS, DIGIT EIGHT, <none>, <none>, <none>
0b 9 1 005d 9 -1 -1 -1 // RIGHT SQUARE BRACKET, DIGIT NINE, <none>, <none>, <none>
0c 0 1 007d 0 -1 00a1 -1 // RIGHT CURLY BRACKET, DIGIT ZERO, <none>, INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK, <none>
0d OEM_PLUS 0 003d 002b -1 00bf -1 // EQUALS SIGN, PLUS SIGN, <none>, INVERTED QUESTION MARK, <none>
10 Q 1 q Q -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER Q, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Q, <none>, <none>, <none>
11 W 1 w W -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER W, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER W, <none>, <none>, <none>
12 E 1 e E -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER E, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E, <none>, <none>, <none>
13 R 1 r R -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER R, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER R, <none>, <none>, <none>
14 T 1 t T -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER T, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER T, <none>, <none>, <none>
15 OEM_6 0 0060 005e -1 00b4@ -1 // GRAVE ACCENT, CIRCUMFLEX ACCENT, <none>, ACUTE ACCENT, <none>
16 Y 1 y Y -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER Y, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Y, <none>, <none>, <none>
17 U 1 u U -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER U, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER U, <none>, <none>, <none>
18 I 1 i I -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER I, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I, <none>, <none>, <none>
19 O 1 o O -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER O, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O, <none>, <none>, <none>
1a P 1 p P -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER P, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER P, <none>, <none>, <none>
1b OEM_MINUS 0 0025 0040 -1 -1 -1 // PERCENT SIGN, COMMERCIAL AT, <none>, <none>, <none>
1e A 1 a A -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER A, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A, <none>, <none>, <none>
1f S 1 s S -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER S, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER S, <none>, <none>, <none>
20 D 1 d D -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER D, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER D, <none>, <none>, <none>
21 F 1 f F -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER F, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER F, <none>, <none>, <none>
22 G 1 g G -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER G, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER G, <none>, <none>, <none>
23 OEM_4 0 002d 005f -1 -1 -1 // HYPHEN-MINUS, LOW LINE, <none>, <none>, <none>
24 H 1 h H -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER H, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER H, <none>, <none>, <none>
25 J 1 j J -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER J, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER J, <none>, <none>, <none>
26 K 1 k K -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER K, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER K, <none>, <none>, <none>
27 L 1 l L -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER L, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER L, <none>, <none>, <none>
28 OEM_1 4 003b 003a -1 00f1 00d1 // SEMICOLON, COLON, <none>, LATIN SMALL LETTER N WITH TILDE, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N WITH TILDE
29 OEM_2 0 003f 0021 -1 00ba 00aa // QUESTION MARK, EXCLAMATION MARK, <none>, MASCULINE ORDINAL INDICATOR, FEMININE ORDINAL INDICATOR
2b OEM_5 4 007c 0024 -1 00e7 00c7 // VERTICAL LINE, DOLLAR SIGN, <none>, LATIN SMALL LETTER C WITH CEDILLA, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C WITH CEDILLA
2c Z 1 z Z -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER Z, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER Z, <none>, <none>, <none>
2d X 1 x X -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER X, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER X, <none>, <none>, <none>
2e C 1 c C -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER C, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C, <none>, <none>, <none>
2f V 1 v V -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER V, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER V, <none>, <none>, <none>
30 B 1 b B -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER B, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER B, <none>, <none>, <none>
31 OEM_3 0 007e 0026 -1 -1 -1 // TILDE, AMPERSAND, <none>, <none>, <none>
32 N 1 n N -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER N, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER N, <none>, <none>, <none>
33 M 1 m M -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER M, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER M, <none>, <none>, <none>
34 OEM_COMMA 0 002c 0023 -1 -1 -1 // COMMA, NUMBER SIGN, <none>, <none>, <none>
35 OEM_PERIOD 0 002e 002a -1 -1 -1 // FULL STOP, ASTERISK, <none>, <none>, <none>
39 SPACE 0 0020 0020 -1 -1 -1 // SPACE, SPACE, <none>, <none>, <none>
53 DECIMAL 0 002e 002e -1 -1 -1 // FULL STOP, FULL STOP, , ,
DEADKEY 00a8
0061 00e4 // a -> ä
0065 00eb // e -> ë
0069 00ef // i -> ï
006f 00f6 // o -> ö
0075 00fc // u -> ü
0041 00c4 // A -> Ä
0045 00cb // E -> Ë
0049 00cf // I -> Ï
004f 00d6 // O -> Ö
0055 00dc // U -> Ü
0079 00ff // y -> ÿ
0020 00a8 // -> ¨
DEADKEY 00b4
0061 00e1 // a -> á
0065 00e9 // e -> é
0069 00ed // i -> í
006f 00f3 // o -> ó
0075 00fa // u -> ú
0079 00fd // y -> ý
0041 00c1 // A -> Á
0045 00c9 // E -> É
0049 00cd // I -> Í
004f 00d3 // O -> Ó
0055 00da // U -> Ú
0059 00dd // Y -> Ý
0020 00b4 // -> ´
KEYNAME
01 Esc
0e Backspace
0f Tab
1c Enter
1d Ctrl
2a Shift
36 "Right Shift"
37 "Num *"
38 Alt
39 Space
3a "Caps Lock"
3b F1
3c F2
3d F3
3e F4
3f F5
40 F6
41 F7
42 F8
43 F9
44 F10
45 Pause
46 "Scroll Lock"
47 "Num 7"
48 "Num 8"
49 "Num 9"
4a "Num -"
4b "Num 4"
4c "Num 5"
4d "Num 6"
4e "Num +"
4f "Num 1"
50 "Num 2"
51 "Num 3"
52 "Num 0"
53 "Num Del"
54 "Sys Req"
57 F11
58 F12
7c F13
7d F14
7e F15
7f F16
80 F17
81 F18
82 F19
83 F20
84 F21
85 F22
86 F23
87 F24
KEYNAME_EXT
1c "Num Enter"
1d "Right Ctrl"
35 "Num /"
37 "Prnt Scrn"
38 "Right Alt"
45 "Num Lock"
46 Break
47 Home
48 Up
49 "Page Up"
4b Left
4d Right
4f End
50 Down
51 "Page Down"
52 Insert
53 Delete
54 <00>
56 Help
5b "Left Windows"
5c "Right Windows"
5d Application
KEYNAME_DEAD
00a8 "DIAERESIS"
00b4 "ACUTE ACCENT"
DESCRIPTIONS
0409 WindThunder VK code changed - Simplified Chinese
LANGUAGENAMES
0409 Chinese (People's Republic of China)
ENDKBD
See below the line containing layout. You say a table with lines of mapping of keys and their VK code and the chars output we get when pressing them. The thing we would like to do is to change the second column, VK_, to adapt it to the characters, or change them as you wish. The validation error, if any, will be shown later so don't be nervous to make mistakes.
Before this changed version, the line:
19 O 1 o O -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER O, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O, <none>, <none>, <none>
was:
19 P 1 o O -1 -1 -1 // LATIN SMALL LETTER O, LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O, <none>, <none>, <none>
So in the position of O in my layout, it is interpreted as VK_P, that's why I got print prompt.
A full list of VK_ values is here:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd375731%28v=vs.85%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396