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From: jr@inset.UUCP (Jim R Oldroyd)
Newsgroups: net.internat
Subject: Re: In search of a sane keyboard standard
Message-ID: <980@inset.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-May-86 12:02:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: inset.980
Posted: Fri May  9 12:02:03 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 13-May-86 01:09:24 EDT
Organization: The Instruction Set Ltd., London, UK.
Lines: 65
Keywords: Application Mode

Another point worth adding into this discussion is something
about Function and Arrow Keys and Application Keypads.

Arrow Keys are widely used, but their positioning is random
and there is another problem (below).

If you have a terminal with Application Mode or Function Key
facilities, you may have something like 20 Function Keys and 20
keys which can work in ``Application Mode''.  Now, it is quite
likely that you don't use them.  This is not surprising - there is
precious little software available which makes use of them.  Why?
Well, all terminals which do have them have different numbers of
them and they work in different ways.

Now, I actually make use of them.  All was well, when I was only
using my VT100 compatible terminal.  CHAOS ensued when I had to
make use of several other terminals.  Why?  Because some
terminals haven't been designed with thought to the application.
Here are some problems encountered:

	- There aren't enough Application Keys to be worth it.
	- When in Application Mode, DEL (the erase character)
	  sends some bizarre escape sequence!  There is NO
	  key which sends DEL!
	- The Arrow Keys send simple control characters
	  as opposed to a special sequence.  It is not
	  possible to determine if an Arrow Key was
	  pressed, or the actual control character.
	- One terminal (which I used recently) has a
	  faulty emulation of a more useable terminal!
	- Pressing some keys puts the terminal out of
	  Application Mode.
	- The Application Keys are located in strange places.

I like the way my terminal does things.  It's VT100 compatible,
with 16 programmable function keys.

The entire numeric keypad (on the right) transforms to Applications
Mode on receipt of some character sequence.  It is very useful
on the right (I'm right handed) - I can do a lot without moving
my left hand.

The Function Keys are not so convieniently positioned;
they are above the $%^&*()_ keys, with F1-F8 unshifted and
F9-F16 shifted.  It's really easy to hit the wrong one, and
two hands are required a lot of the time.

The Arrow keys are in a row: UDLR.  Actually, I find that
I can cope with this; arrangement in a diamond is not
essential.  However, horizontal arrangement in an order other
that UDLR is confusing.

I won't propose any standard here, yet.  I'd like to hear other
comments first.  But I would like to see see something about
this in a Keyboard Standard.

BTW:  I know there's an popular existing standard for this sort of
      thing, and I like it.

-- 
"A black sheep in the family is better than no sheep at all".
--
++ Jim R Oldroyd
++ jr@inset.co.uk
++ ..!mcvax!ukc!inset!jr