Text and Ink Input and Display

Using Text

If you want to open one of these keyboards programmatically, use code like the
following to send it the

Open

message:

Getroot().alphaKeyboard:Open()

The keystrokes entered by the user are sent to the current key receiver view.
There can be only one key receiver at a time, and only views of the classes

clParagraphView

and

clEditView

can be key receiver views. When a

keyboard is open, a caret is shown in the key receiver view at the location where
characters will be inserted.

The keyboard views are based on

clKeyboardView

, which is described in

"Keyboard View (clKeyboardView)" (page 7-35) in Newton Programmer's
Reference.

Using Keyboard Protos

8

The keyboard protos to provide users of your applications with on-screen
keyboards with which to enter text. The following keyboard protos are available:

protoKeyboard

provides a standard keyboard view that floats above all

other views.

protoKeypad

allows you to define a customized floating keyboard.

protoKeyboardButton

includes a keyboard button in a view.

protoSmallKeyboardButton

includes a small keyboard button

in a view.

protoAlphaKeyboard

provides an alphanumeric keyboard that you can

include in a view.

protoNumericKeyboard

provides a numeric keyboard that you can include

in a view.

protoPhoneKeyboard

provides a phone keyboard that you can include in

a view.

protoDateKeyboardButton

provides a time and date keyboard that you can

include in a view.

This proto creates a keyboard view that floats above all other views. It is centered
within its parent view and appears in a location that won't obscure the
key-receiving view (normally, the view to which the keystrokes from the keyboard
are to be sent). The user can drag the keyboard view by its drag-dot to a different
location, if desired. Figure 8-10 shows an example of what a

protoKeyboard

looks like on the screen.