Converting caps-lock to a do-nothing key

[athel]

I am a poor typist who almost never uses the caps-lock key
intentionally, but sometimes activates it by accident. In my old
ResEdit-derived KCHR layouts I dealt with this by mapping the same
characters to the keys regardless of whether the caps-lock key was up
or down.

I thought from reading the manual that I could do this in Ukelele by
selecting either-up-or-down for caps-lock in all settings of the
modifier keys, but this doesn't seem to work, so probably I have
understood it wrongly. Also the old ResEdit method doesn't give the
desired result: if I assign a new character to a key when caps-lock is
down it also affects what I get with the shift key.

As the manual suggests using the caps-lock key for switching (for
example) between Roman and Devanagari it must be possible to unlink
the caps-lock and shift kets, but I haven't figured out how to do it.

athel

[Geke]

(I just switched to the new-style Google groups and somehow saw your post for the first time. I don't know how I missed that...)

It is possible to unlink the layouts for Shift and CapsLock (study the manual...) but another, much quicker way to achieve this is to use the System Preferences setting for Keyboard & Mouse/Keyboard/Special Keys. (That's how it is called in 10.4 at least.)

I have used that setting to reassign the CapsLock key to work like a third Option key, because that way I can type    Option+;    and other combinations by using the CapsLock key, without taking my hand off the keyboard.
But the setting also allows you to make it "Do Nothing". You could even keep CapsLock available, only further away from accidental keystrokes, by changing Control into CapsLock in that same panel. If you don't need the Control key for other things, of course.

[Sorin Paliga]

Hello

I have the feeling our colleague wants something else, otherwise, yes, those settings are sometimes useful. Most useful is DoubleCommand (http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/), which allows a large palette of additional settings. I use it for my 2007 MacBook in order to turn the right Enter key into right Option key. 

Sorin Paliga

http://www.unibuc.ro/prof/paliga_v_s/ [română]

http://www.unibuc.ro/e/prof/paliga_v_s/ [English]

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[athel]

On Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:32:42 AM UTC+1, Geke wrote:

(I just switched to the new-style Google groups and somehow saw your post for the first time. I don't know how I missed that...)

It is possible to unlink the layouts for Shift and CapsLock (study the manual...) but another, much quicker way to achieve this is to use the System Preferences setting for Keyboard & Mouse/Keyboard/Special Keys. (That's how it is called in 10.4 at least.)

It's taken me even longer to see your answer than it took you to see my question! (For a while Google was insisting that I wasn't registered for this group). Anyway, thanks, your solution does exactly what I wanted.

[Felix the Cat]

That's relevant for me as well. I rarely use caps lock. And instead of disabling it in System Preferences, Ukelele might enable me to use it as a third Option key. I'd be keen to use it as modifier for inserting special characters. 

I understand I will first need to unlink it, and then make it a dead key. The Tutorial is of great assistance for part 2. But I am lost in figuring how to remove the caps lock function from the caps lock key in the first place. The example discussed on p50-53 is well ahead of my capacity to apply that in my context. Looks like I can't accomplish it on my own. Could you share a clue? 

[Sorin Paliga]

You may indeed use capslock as a specific, combined key, e.g. option-capslock-S in oder to get ś, for example or any other char you consider useful in your activity. 

Sorin Paliga

Sent from my iPad

On 13 Nov 2018, at 11:30, Felix the Cat <felix...@gmail.com> wrote:

That's relevant for me as well. I rarely use caps lock. And instead of disabling it in System Preferences, Ukelele might enable me to use it as a third Option key. I'd be keen to use it as modifier for inserting special characters. 

I understand I will first need to unlink it, and then make it a dead key. The Tutorial is of great assistance for part 2. But I am lost in figuring how to remove the caps lock function from the caps lock key in the first place. The example discussed on p50-53 is well ahead of my capacity to apply that in my context. Looks like I can't accomplish it on my own. Could you share a clue? 

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[Felix the Cat]

Caps lock as a combined key is a bit cumbersome for me. I want to use it as an independent third option key. 

How do I remove the caps lock function from the caps lock key to start with? Deactivating it in System Preferences wouldn't help me, as it appears to deactivates the key entirely.

[Geke]

That's relevant for me as well. I rarely use caps lock. And instead of disabling it in System Preferences, Ukelele might enable me to use it as a third Option key. I'd be keen to use it as modifier for inserting special characters. 

I understand I will first need to unlink it, and then make it a dead key. The Tutorial is of great assistance for part 2. But I am lost in figuring how to remove the caps lock function from the caps lock key in the first place. The example discussed on p50-53 is well ahead of my capacity to apply that in my context. Looks like I can't accomplish it on my own. Could you share a clue? 

Sorry to say, but you haven’t understood the concept of dead keys and/or modifier keys very well if you think CapsLock works like a dead key…

CapsLock is a modifier key that works almost like the Control, Command, Option, and Shift keys – the only difference is that it’s "sticky": the others are registered by the System as "Down" only when you are actually holding them down, but the CapsLock key remains "Down" (after a first press) until you press it a second time

Have a look at 6.8.4 in the Manual (not the Tutorial).

If you start a new keyboard layout from scratch (New Keyboard Layout…) you get a dialog where you can define whether you want a separate set of characters assigned to keys with CapsLock down.
Most built-in keyboard layouts don’t have a separate modifier set for CapsLock, so you’d either need to do this New Keyboard Layout thing or add a modifier set for CapsLock by hand. You’ve gained some experience with those modifier sets already :)

[Felix the Cat]

You are quite right, I'm still grappling with the underlying concepts, even the definitions. The term 'dead key' for instance baffled me considerably initially, because until this point, a dead key for me was merely a key that didn't work.

Starting a layout from scratch would be far beyond my league, so I would not consider that option. Using US Extended as basis, is there a way I can hope to remove the caps lock function form the so name key and assign a modifier function to it? If not, I guess I will accept defeat and rest my case.

[Geke]

Using US Extended as basis, is there a way I can hope to remove the caps lock function form the so name key and assign a modifier function to it? If not, I guess I will accept defeat and rest my case.

All right, here's a copy of ABC Extended (as U.S. Extended is called nowadays) with two new modifier combination maps: 8 is for CL down and Shift down, 9 is for CL down and Shift up. They are the last two maps in the Modifier view (see image).

Good luck!

[Sorin Paliga]

Rule of thumb: UKELELE does NOT modify system keys. So, using the Modifer Keys in sys prefs you may change the function of each such key, there are 5 all in all. You may, for example, to use caps lock as an option key. There are apps specially designed to modify such system keys at a larger scale, e.g. Karabiner. Have a look at it.

On 13 Nov 2018, at 12:38, Felix the Cat <felix...@gmail.com> wrote:

Caps lock as a combined key is a bit cumbersome for me. I want to use it as an independent third option key. 

How do I remove the caps lock function from the caps lock key to start with? Deactivating it in System Preferences wouldn't help me, as it appears to deactivates the key entirely.

[Geke]

Rule of thumb: UKELELE does NOT modify system keys. So, using the Modifer Keys in sys prefs you may change the function of each such key, there are 5 all in all. You may, for example, to use caps lock as an option key. There are apps specially designed to modify such system keys at a larger scale, e.g. Karabiner. Have a look at it.

O Sorin, you're right of course, but you're also confusing Cheshire Cat, as this is in no way connected with what he's trying to do – at least as I understand it.

[Sorin Paliga]

Well, I am trying to be constructive, maybe he does not know there are such apps like Karabiner. 

On 13 Nov 2018, at 13:51, Geke <gevang...@gmail.com> wrote:

Rule of thumb: UKELELE does NOT modify system keys. So, using the Modifer Keys in sys prefs you may change the function of each such key, there are 5 all in all. You may, for example, to use caps lock as an option key. There are apps specially designed to modify such system keys at a larger scale, e.g. Karabiner. Have a look at it.

O Sorin, you're right of course, but you're also confusing Cheshire Cat, as this is in no way connected with what he's trying to do – at least as I understand it.

[Gé van Gasteren]

I know your intention is good :)
I’m just trying to explain that in his envisioned custom layout, CapsLock is still functioning as a modifier key, and that this can be handled perfectly within the scope of keyboard layouts.

He would only need Karabiner if he would need to change CL into a character key or function key.

[Sorin Paliga]

Caps lock is OK with UKELELE, I also used it in order to get additional chars in one of my keylayouts. Nevertheless, it should be noted that it is, by default, a sticky key, so it should be pressed twice in order to get to the previous state. As it was used for rare chars, this is not an impediment, after all. 

On the other hand, in order to get the whole set of Unicode chars in the CDM, this additional key is not mandatory, the ‘normal’ keys are sufficient. But perhaps the intention has details I am not aware of. 

[Felix the Cat]

Thanks Sorin, I have been following the discussion with gratitude for the insights it affords. Your thumb rule – of Ukelele not modifying system keys – corresponds to my observation. If I leave caps lock enabled, it continues to override whatever else I am trying. And deactivating it in SysPref seems to do just that, leaving me unable to assign any new modifier function or anything at all to it. I am glad you also pointed at the stickiness impediment. I understand that, irrespective what I may be able to accomplish with it, it would need two presses to return to its previous state. If that's unchangeable, then the CL key is probably not the right choice for me. My intention is to map äÄ, öÖ and üÜ on to the aA, oO and uU keys using CL (instead of Option which I had managed eventually). 

Thanks, Geke, for the screenshot and bundle and pointing me to the manual. I wasn't aware a manual existed side by side the excellent tutorial and I've read 6.8.4 now. But the subject of the modifier hierarchy (also visualised by the screenshot) still scares me away as I don't grasp its logic. I shouldn't try modify anything that I can't understand. But perhaps this is where the key to the solution lies. As I hope to use the CL key independently (freed from its function to perform CL), it makes me uneasy to see CL figures in rows 0,2,3,5 as suggesting a link with the other modifiers that is the very ties that would need to be severed for gaining freedom. But, yes, the last two lines you added make sense as I would want CL to function standalone, but also in combination with Shift. 

I guess I my grasp is just to feeble to move further on this. And if I understand correctly that CL's stickiness will stay irrespective, it may not even be useful in my case, as the character I try to map are used frequently when typing in German.

I did come across Karabiner in my search, but interface and nomenclature seemed to place even higher demand on me, which is why I defaulted on Ukelele as being more accessible.

[Sorin Paliga]

You may have a look at my keylayout, free download here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xb8mijhkd6mp6qe/US%20Academic%20U6_mar%202012.zip?dl=0

It it very much like what you intend to build. 

[Geke]

Oho, you’re right, the stickiness would be a problem for this kind of use.

Maybe you’d want to use the Control key instead then (not the Command key) ?

Or a combination, like Shift-Option or Control-Option?

Sorry for sending you a sloppy layout file; I should at least have deleted map 2. It still works OK like it is, because the *last* match in the list of maps determines the outcome, but of course multiple entries are confusing. In fact, I have trouble reading all those blue and red (and crossed-out or not, etc.) symbols myself; I’m just relying on the dialog coming up with the + button and the actual behavior :)

In other words: don’t let yourself be put off by a lack of knowledge – after all, we live our lives not knowing what the next minute will bring…

[Felix the Cat]

Thank you, Geke, this settles it, the stickiness being an exclusion criteria. I'll stay with the Option key thus, something I got working already. 

It's heartening to see I'm not the only one struggling with the layout map, but knowing that I know precious little here, I respect it, perhaps a bit too much. But I'm not allowing myself to be put off not knowing, but since there is so much in this world worth knowing, I will let this one rest until it knocks on my door again with promise or a greater sense of urgency. Many thanks!