Special characters

I guess this is a question for Mike! how does a user

enter special characters such as ü in .NET controls?

BTW same question for your OpenEdge applications

today?

Dead characters on the keyboard? On a US-INTL keyboard layout (and I assume other layouts as well) you have to type " + to get " and " + u to get ü .

Ah I guess that is a setting that I don't have set. Where do you define that?

In windows, it's a keyboard layout option. I don't know the option in an Englis version of XP, but in a dutch version's:

Configuratiescherm -> Landinstellingen -> Talen -> Details...

I assume it would be something like

Control panel -> country settings -> Languages (the second tab page) -> Details (the first button on the top of the window) in an English XP.

Peter, I guess it's more a question for the non-german members of the forum.

German users simply press the ü key. Or do I misunderstand the question?

Another way would by the character table from the accessorties programs.

I never managed to get used to the US-International keyboard and memorized the alt key codes...

BTW

I like the Insert Symbol dialog in Word... See attachment...

I like the Insert Symbol dialog in Word

Yes actually I had expected something like that to be supported by .NET or Infragistics.

If you know the character code you can type type the character keycode while holding down the ALT key.

For example:

Alt+0252 will insert the ü character

This link might be useful.

The wikipedia article has a few of the keycodes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umlaut_(diacritic)

That might work for an IT professional, but not for our users.

What exactly do you want to do? Are you trying to create your own onscreen keyboard?

Simulating the keystrokes can be done using the

System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys:Send ("ü") .

method.

Think of entering a special character that is not on your keyboard, such as maybe Ÿ.

In Microsoft Office I can type this using the sequence CTRL-SHIFT-: followed by SHIFT-Y.

In Progress that does not work, but I would imagine it to work the same in .NET?!?

I guess you are referring to the MS Windows keyboard switching (CTRL-SHIFT switches between different keyboard layouts).

If that's the case, it works for most (if not all) programs on Windows - including Progress. I have been using it for years to enter Czech, Polish, Russian, German, ... characters without a problem.

Vladimir,

I doubt this is the case since it works in Office only. Not in plain Progress and not in Infragistics controls. What am I missing?

In Microsoft Office I can type this using the

sequence CTRL-SHIFT-: followed by SHIFT-Y.

I am afraid this is an "Office only" feature. You can also redefine the shortcut keys (or define your own) using the Insert Symbol dialog. Or save the macro's in .docm format.

But hey, if you rewrite the Insert Symbol functionality in 10.2A I am willing to beta test your code! For free! Just send me the code...

As written in an earlier post - creating a dialog and using the

System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys:Send ("ü") .

to "simulate" the keystrokes can't be that hard. Using embedded buttons in UltraTextBoxes you could easily create your own - custom - textbox class that has the ability to open the "special character dialog" or react to custom shortcuts.

Like Vladi, the alternate keyboard (using the ALT-SHIFT key sequence in my case) has been working for me for years and in most (all?) programs, including OEA (code editor, GUI design and run time w/ Visual Designer and Ultra Controls), Procedure Editor, Notepad, MS Office, web browsers, etc.

Win XP SP3:

Control Panel >> Regional and Language Options >> Languages TAB > Details...

Salvador

Message was edited by:

Salvador Vinals

In Microsoft Office I can type this using the

sequence CTRL-SHIFT-: followed by SHIFT-Y.

I am afraid this is an "Office only" feature.

Well that's going to be hard to explain to our users:

"Dear users, your new application has exactly the same look and feel

as Office 2007, including ribbons, except for entering special characters"

Even I myself am having a hard time believing that.

You can

also redefine the shortcut keys (or define your own)

using the Insert Symbol dialog. Or save the macro's

in .docm format.

But hey, if you rewrite the Insert Symbol

functionality in 10.2A I am willing to beta test your

code! For free! Just send me the code...

Actually I will give that very serious consideration.

Are you saying there is no such control available???

surely that you can just say that it is a bug in Office ?