This contains:
- Information on how to upgrade version 4.0 macro files to version 5.0
macro files
- Hints on using Newkey functions
- The latest information on software and hardware compatibility
New Features since manual was last printed:
{clearbuf} - new macro function to clear the keyboard buffer
NEWKEYVS
We have been receiving many requests for a very small version. We
have started development of NEWKEYVS for Newkey Very Small. This
version does not have the pop-up features and lacks many other
macro functions. Currently it requires only about 22k, 38k less
than the largest version. Newkeysm is still available, lacks the
pop-up features, and weighs in at about 35k, 25k less than the
largest version.
HINTS
HINTS ON EXECUTING MACROS FROM BATCH FILES
Macros may be executed from batch files using the "newkeysp /ek="
function as described in the Users Guide. The way this operates can be
confusing. Assume that you have a macro defined for <alta>. To execute
this macro in a batch file you would place the following statement:
"newkeysp /ek=[alta]"
in the batch file. This will cause the key code associated with the
alta key to be inserted in the keyboard buffer. Now, the next time the
keyboard buffer is read, alta will be found and the macro associated
with it executed, just as if you had pressed the alta key yourself.
The confusing part of this is that the macro will only execute when the
keyboard is read, but the keyboard is not read while DOS is processing a
batch file. What this means is that the macro will not execute until
either:
A. control is returned to the DOS command line or
B. a program is run in the batch file and the program reads the
keyboard.
If you wish to execute a macro to drive a program during a batch file
then you should insert the macro into the buffer and then start the
program. For example, to start WordPerfect and execute a macro when
Wordperfect starts up that will format your letter heading, record a
macro (lets call it WPSTART) within WordPerfect to create the letter
heading and place the following two statements in your batch file:
newkeysp /ek=[wpstart]
wp
Now when the batch file is run, the <wpstart> macro will be inserted
into the keyboard buffer and when WordPerfect starts it will read the
keyboard and the <wpstart> macro will execute.
HINTS ON USING MENU MACROS
If you wish to do more in a menu macro than allowed by the menu macro
editor, then define another macro to contain the menu macro and put
the extra macro functions before and after the invocation of the menu
macro as desired. For example:
{begdef alta}Extra stuff before<menumac>extra stuff after{enddef}
This will allow you to edit the menu macro, <menumac>, without losing
any of the extra stuff.
HINTS ON SENDING CONTROL CHARACTERS TO A PRINTER
To send control codes (x'01'-x'26') use <ctrla> - <ctrlz> in the
<begprint><endprint> function.
IMPORTANT CONVERSION INFORMATION
All users will have to convert their macro files. Users of
versions earlier than 4.0 will have to convert them more than once.
Pick the appropriate version you are at and follow all of the
instructions that follow:
Version 3.0 or earlier:
Users with version 3.0 or earlier will have to send us a disk and
self-addressed stamped disk mailer and we will put a copy of
conv1to2 conversion progam on. There was not space on the disk to
accommodate everything we wished to put on it.
Version 4.0:
1. Run the conv4to5 program and follow instructions.
COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE
DOS 5.0
It is possible under DOS 5.0 to unload Newkey from within a batch file and
have DOS reclaim the memory. In earlier versions of DOS, Newkey would
unload, but DOS would not release Newkey's memory.
The DOSSHELL and EDITOR programs supplied with DOS 5.0 do not work well with
Newkey. Newkey's hot-keys and macro playback will often be ignored, but it
does not hurt to run these programs when Newkey is loaded. I understand what
is causing the problems. These programs are written using an unusual
technique to read keystrokes that is difficult for a keyboard macro processor
to support.
QEMM & PCKWIK
This combination with Newkey frequently causes problems. Try loading Newkey
with the /noems option. Other problems with QEMM installed may also be solved
with the /noems option.
CRUISE CONTROL
This advice has been passed on by a user of Cruise Control
(you should look at Newkey's own cursor speedup feature, which I
believe works as well as Cruise Cwontrol, although a bit
differently of course).
1. Redefine Cruise Control's hot key by running "CRUISE/R" first.
2. Turn off Newkey's extended buffer.
3. Turn off either Newkey's or Cruise control's screen saver
feature.
DELL 310 COMPUTER
The 101/102 key keyboard and Phoenix 1.10 09 BIOS do not generate
the correct code for <ctrl\>. You will have to redefine the "edit
macro being defined" key to something else using the "control
<K>eys" selection from the Newkey pop-up or Newkeysp main menus.
The Phoenix 1.10 09 BIOS will hangup if Newkey is installed and the
extended ascii character generated by pressing alt+2+4+0 on the
numeric keypad is entered.
DESKMATE 3.0 (Tandy)
Deskmate will hang up on non-enhanced keyboards whenever Newkey
tries to create a key and insert it in the buffer. To solve this
do the following:
1. Use the "control Keys" option on the Newkeysp menu or Newkey
pop-up menu to change the following control keys:
dynamic display request <alt/>
playback multi character <alt,>
cancel macro <ctrldel>
cut & paste playback <ctrlins>
to other values. Make sure that the new values are not also keys
created by Newkey by checking to see if they have an "@" or "*"
next to them in "Appendix C - Extended Codes" in the Newkey users
manual.
2. Use the "ignore keys" option on the Newkeysp menu to ignore all
keys. Make these changes permanent when prompted.
DESKMATE/DESKTEAM 1.04 (Alternative Decision Systems)
There are several problems using Newkey together with Deskmate.
Some of these problems can be resolved by changing some of Newkey's
parameters. Some of them are inherent to the way Deskmate works
and will require changes in the Deskmate program in order to work.
To use with Deskmate do the following:
1. Turn off the extended keyboard buffer.
2. Load Newkey after loading Deskmate.
You may notice that Newkey's pop-ups will not work immediately
after using the Deskmate pop-ups. This happens because Deskmate
apparently does not wait until a completely appropriate time to
pop-up. If this happens, just do a "DIR" or some other command
first. This will cause DOS to re-stabilize itself.
The following problems would require Deskmate changes. If you
encounter these problems we suggest you contact Alternative
Decision Systems. We have written them a letter trying to resolve
these problems but have received no response.
1. Deskteam will not pop-up if using an enhanced keyboard.
Deskteam apparently waits until an interrupt 16h, ah=0, before
checking to see if its hot key has been struck. The BIOS on PCs
with the enhanced keyboard, however, supports a new set of calls,
where ah=10h and ah=11h which correspond to the old ah=0 and and
ah=1 calls with the exception that they expose the scan codes on
the separate keypads so that the duplicate keys can be
distinquished from their counterparts on the home keypad. If an
program only uses these new calls, Deskteam never recognizes its
hot key. Newkey, as part of its processing always uses the new
calls and as a result Deskteam will not pop up when Newkey is
installed. Even if Newkey was not installed, Deskteam would not
pop up the program currently running used the new calls.
FOXPRO
Foxpro uses the CTRL-2 keycode for special purposes. Redefine the
"skip translating next key" hot key to something else (use the
control Keys menu.)
HOMEBASE
This advice has been passed on by a user of Homebase.
1. Turn off Newkey's extended buffer or instruct Homebase to not
use its own buffer (set option k0 0).
2. Turn off Homebase's Clock Display (set option -c0 0) or
Newkey's CAP/NUM display.
MS-WORD
1. Turn on the "shift status reset" option. For a further
explanation consult the Newkey manual.
2. It may be necessary to turn off the extended buffer, depending
on which version of MS-WORD is being used.
3. Use the "ignore keys" option on the Newkeysp menu to ignore
keys which MS-Word tries to create it self.
See section on PC-Write for related information.
PC-WRITE
1. Turn on the "shift status reset" option. For a further
explanation consult the Newkey manual.
2. You may want to use the "ignore keys" option on the Newkeysp
menu to ignore keys which MS-Word tries to create it self.
See PC-Write in the index of the User's guide for related
information.
TANDY 1000SX
There are minor incompatibilities with interpretation of the
numeric and separated keypads. Evidently these keys do not all
produce the same key codes as the IBM PC. The net effect is that
many of these keys will be mistaken by Newkey for other keys. An
example might be that if had a macro assigned to <alt]>, it would
be played back if you pressed <altnum.>.
WORDSTAR 4.0
Wordstar 4.0 works a little differently than Wordstar 3.3.
If you feed keystrokes back too quickly to Wordstar 4.0 it will
discard them, Wordstar 3.3 did not. To get around this just make
sure that slow typing mode is on when Newkey macros execute.
Wordstar 4.0 also require the alternate fast key mode described
earlier in this readme.
XYWRITE 3.53
This latest version of Xywrite works with Newkey without any
apparent problems.
FILES SUPPLIED WITH NEWKEY 5.4
Sample Macro Files
Several sample macro files are supplied with Newkey to illustrate
its use and provide you with a starting point. These files are
described below.
DEMO.KEY
This macro file is used to take you on a guided tour designed to
illustrate Newkey's major features and requires 192k of memory. To
take the tour, issue the command "demo". This macro file is an
example of display macros.
DVORAK.KEY - Dvorak keyboard customization
This file contains the macros necessary to redefine your keyboard
to the Dvorak layout. There is one minor problem in using the
Dvorak layout with the Caps Lock feature. Caps Lock will only lock
the standard alphabet into shift mode. Since the Dvorak layout
uses some non-alphabetic keys, the Caps Lock feature will not
automatically capitalize these keys, although normal shifting will.
EXAMPLE.KEY - Example macros
MENU.KEY - Example menu macros
This macro file illustrates many Newkey functions.
Other files on the Newkey Disk
CONV4TO5.EXE - Program to convert version 4.0 files to version 5.0
internal format files.
DEMO.BAT - This batch file will give you a demonstration of Newkey.
It requires 192k of memory.
EXAMPLE.BAT - examples of how to use Newkeysp in batch mode.
LOADNEW.BAT - illustrates how to load Newkey and a macro file from
a batch file.
NEWKEY.EXE - This program actually replaces the keyboard
interrupts (x'9' and x'16'). It is always present while other
programs execute and unless called upon to translate, will be
transparent.
NEWKEYSM.EXE - This is the small version of Newkey.exe. It lacks
the pop-up features and is about 25k smaller.
NEWKEYSP.EXE - This program provides several functions necessary to
effectively use Newkey and is described further in the users manual.
NEWKEYVS.EXE - This is the very small version of Newkey.exe. It
lacks the pop-up features plus several other features and is about
38k smaller.
ORDER.FRM - Current Newkey prices and order form.
README - This file will contain any Newkey updates that may have
come up since this manual was printed and information on using
Newkey with other software.