migration "classic" ===> "unicode" !

Installing APL, Sorting out Fonts, Keyboards, etc.

migration "classic" ===> "unicode" !

Postby Jean-Pierre on Thu Mar 07, 2019 12:55 pm

I just installed Dyalog 17.0 Unicode

In fact, I use the "Classic" version with Windows for many years (for fun)
Previously I worked with VS / APL and APL2.

but as we have been asked, for several years, to no longer use the "classic" version,
this time I decided to try a migration "classic" ===> "unicode"

I studied the following document:
http://www.dyalog.com/uploads/conferenc ... conversion

I launched my 16.0 Classic treatments with the 17.0 Unicode version

I have not encountered a big problem while running my programs.
only an incorrect display: "big square" instead of a "small circle" (APL character)
with this: ..... ⎕WC 'Text' '°' ..........
which can be corrected easily (if there are not too many lines of code involved)

But the problem is the underlined capital letters that I used a lot.
about 25 function names
and 50 variable names

⎕AVU[97 + ⍳26] ← 9397 + ⍳26 makes it possible to display the ⎕AV correctly,
.... in the session.
but when editing functions it does not work,
underlined capital letters are replaced by accented capital letters!

moreover I did not find any possibility to seize these famous underscored capital letters?
the C:\Program Files\Dyalog\UnicodeIME\aplkeys\fr-FR.din file does not seem to predict it?
I understand that it is not possible?

I deduce that you must first (with the "classic" version) remove all underlined capital letters
(replace them with lowercase?) before switching to "unicode" ?

but then appears another problem: the configuration of the keyboard (French AZERTY) is really terrible
and unsuited to the language APL
uppercase and numbers require "shift" whereas these are the characters that are used most often
to notice, as you indicate here: http://dfns.dyalog.com/n_keyboards.htm
that only the keyboard fr-FR requires "shift" to enter the numbers !!!

in addition the standard keyboard characters that are used by APL are very poorly located
() [] / \ are distant from each other !
+ - are not on the same key !

is it possible to improve this keyboard ?
... by editing the file C:\Program Files\Dyalog\UnicodeIME\aplkeys\fr-FR.din ?
Jean-Pierre
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:55 am
Location: Yvelines - France

Re: migration "classic" ===> "unicode" !

Postby Veli-Matti on Thu Mar 07, 2019 3:00 pm

Hi,
you should considering defining your own keyboard. The AltGr key is pretty suitable for APL characters (scrolling down the Dyalog keyboards page you will find the Finnish Unicode keyboard marked with VMJ which shows my design).

Just a couple of hints:
- the keyboard files are in the C:\Program Files\Dyalog\UnicodeIME\aplkeys\ directory, and you need admin rights to edit them
- leaving the Ctrl key combinations untouched is a good idea (at least the 'standard' ones)
- perhaps the simplest way is to use any existing Unicode oriented file as a template (but save it with a new name), but be careful, the keyboard designs vary from nation to nation
- have a backup!!!

To put it simply, a glyph is defined with a line
<space>{space|comma}<code_point><colon><tab><shift_state><space><key_number><tab><plus><comment_text>

For example, the following line puts the 'and' symbol in AltGr-b key:

8743: 6 66 + b [and/gcd]

If there are two keys used for the same symbol, you need to use the comma, e.g.
using the Shift+x and a NumPad key for the 'division' symbol:

247: 7 88 + x [division/reciprocal] ÷
,247: 6 111 + num-÷

Code points can be obtained with []UCS system function (which works in the Classic version as well) and the shift states are the sum of 1 (Shift), 2 (ctrl) and 4 (Alt) - AltGr = Alt+Ctrl.

The key numbers may be got using the KeyPress event, e.g. with
      'f'⎕wc'Form'
'f.e'⎕wc'Edit'('Event' 22 '#.f.e.press')
'f.l'⎕wc'Label'('Posn' 100 ⍬)
f.e.press←{#.f.l.Caption←⍕4↓⍵}


Of course this is a simplified help - and there may be some pitfalls I don't even know about - but it is pretty fun to play with.

WBR
-Veli-Matti
Veli-Matti
 
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2009 3:12 pm


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