Support consuming a configured delete key about k9t9

[mbg71]

For reference, this fork of Traditional T9 does the right thing on the F21 Pro with the back/delete key somehow (pity it's otherwise terrible).

[mbg71]

I just set up the Henri Dellal fork of TraditionalT9, as suggested here.

The delete key mapping works in the messaging app and with Jon's keymap it's more-or-less the T9 I want.

[danielshorten]

This may not be necessary after all—I have some reports from Qin F21 users that the key mapping solves this problem.

[SlingShot713]

Is this something that could be added in an update? I've tried a few different keymappers and couldn't find one that deletes text. Love your work!

[danielshorten]

@SlingShot713 What phone are you using? Do you know which key you want to use for delete and which keycode it's sending in Android?

[SlingShot713]

@danielshorten I'm using a f22 Pro (android 12). I'd like to use the back button for backspace while using the keyboard. I believe it's keycode 4 & 67.

[danielshorten]

@SlingShot713 Have you tried the procedure I outlined in the README for updating the key mapping for K9T9? It seems that F21 users have been able to get the back key working this way.

[mbg71]

Hi Daniel, I have an F21 and have remapped code 4 to delete.

But it seems I get a "back" action straight after a character is deleted, so it's not really working for me.

[SlingShot713]

Just to follow up. I was able to get working backspace functionality by using the "Key Mapper" app. I set the back button (trigger) to input code 67 (action) when the K9T9 keyboard is chosen (constraint) & long press the back button to "go back". Retains full functionality of the back button and gives me access to backspace.

Love your keyboard man. Look forward to multi-tap in a future update. Any way to donate to you?

[mbg71]

@SlingShot713 thanks for the details, I will try that.

Hmmm, seems I need root perms to make that work? Or else also Shizuku (which needs to be configured on each boot)?

[SlingShot713]

It does require a config on each boot, I just tested that too. I saved a text file in the same folder as adb and can just copy paste the text for now until I can figure out a more elegant solution.

[danielshorten]

@mbg71, @SlingShot713 Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like there's room for improvement on the delete key handling. I'll look into that.

@SlingShot713 Thanks for the kind words! Right now life is only set up for me to work on this in my very limited free time, as a labour of love. In the future if things open up a bit donations may be helpful 🙏

[danielshorten]

@mbg71 @SlingShot713 I'm having a tough time reproducing this on my devices—different key setup! However, I did a bit of digging, and I published an updated version with a patch to the handling of the "key up" event for the back key. Looks like the default implementation in InputMethodService (which I was using) requests some hiding/cancelling for KEYCODE_BACK. I made a change to avoid calling that code if the IME says it managed to delete something.

Would one of you be able to give that version a try and let me know if there is any improvement on the F21/22?

[behns13]

Sure! But I’ll be out of town for a few days . Wouldn’t be able to test until I get back on Monday. Happy to help.

[mbg71]

Thanks for updating so quickly!

I just tried 0.11.1 and alas the behaviour of the 'back' button is unchanged.

[mbg71]

Was just digging through the QinBoard-T9 code and found the back key handling bit, in case you hadn't already:

https://github.com/AshiVered/QinBoard-T9/blob/master/src/org/nyanya/android/traditionalt9/TraditionalT9.java

[danielshorten]

@mbg71 Thanks for giving it a shot.

Yeah, I've looked through that code a few times and it's still unclear to me what's being done to handle the back key differently. That IME is pretty aggressive in its key interception. I'm trying to only be as aggressive as I need to be. I'll keep this on my radar and try to think of a way I might be able to reproduce it on a device on my end.

[mbg71]

Happy to collect logs/diagnostics if that helps. I'd need handholding though, I'm an Android newbie.

[danielshorten]

@mbg71 I tried again to reproduce this—even installed it on my Samsung A5 and mapped delete to the back button... and it seems to work as I would expect.

I remembered a comment I got from another F21 user on Reddit, suggesting that the back button going back in the UI instead of deleting a character was only happening in the default messaging app and not elsewhere in apps or the OS. Is that the case for you?

[mbg71]

Sorry, no. I just tried entering something the in search fields in Bromite and Play Store and the back button generated a "back" action with K9T9 0.11.1.

I do recall a week ago when I first started trying out different IMEs I saw some kind of similar behaviour, but I can't remember under what setup.

[Meir96]

Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for creating this app. I am a total ignoramus in code... I managed to get ADB working so that is good. I don't quite understand how I am meant to push the file over, it comes up with an error.
PS C:\Users\meirr\OneDrive\Desktop\Acts 5\platform-tools_r33.0.2-windows\platform-tools> .\adb push k9t9.properties /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.shortendesign.k9keyboard/files/k9t9.properties
k9t9.properties: 1 file pushed, 0 skipped. 0.0 MB/s (433 bytes in 0.009s)
adb: error: failed to copy 'k9t9.properties' to '/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.shortendesign.k9keyboard/files/k9t9.properties': remote No such file or directory

I have been trying to chop and change the file directory to head towards the device.
I have tried copying the file manually to the device as a properties file in the folder suggested, I even made a folder called "k9t9.properties" but it didn't do anything.
I changed the code in the file to have both:

key.DELETE=67

key.DELETE=4

didn't work.
I am assuming that I have to push the file but I am clearly making some mistake,
please help me out!
I have got a Xiaomi zmi Z1
thanks

[danielshorten]

@Meir96 Firstly, the program expects that you'll only have one key code configured for DELETE, so I believe you'll want the key.DELETE=4 line for your ZMI Z1.

The method of copying the settings file is admittedly a bit awkward, and I know that I've had to adjust the path for certain devices that I tested with. However, I'm fairly certain that the path I listed in the the README worked when I tested on my own ZMI Z1. Have you installed the K9T9 APK before attempting to copy the settings file?

[danielshorten]

@Meir96 You might also try

adb push k9t9.properties /mnt/sdcard/Android/data/com.shortendesign.k9keyboard/files/k9t9.properties

[Meir96]

Hi,
Thank you for responding so quickly!
Yes the app is installed, and I tried to copy the file across afterwards. I saved the file as a TXT doc and then renamed it to k9t9.properties.
I then tried using that pathway but it didn't work.
I don't have an SD card to work with currently.
Can't I just copy and paste the file to the destination?

[danielshorten]

@Meir96 If you have a way to copy/paste the file to the app data directory on your phone, you certainly can. A lot of phones don't expose access directly to that part of the filesystem.

[Meir96]

Does your ZMI Z1 allow access to that part?

[danielshorten]

@Meir96 No, that's why I had to push it using adb.

[Meir96]

Ok so why in the world do I see it on my zmi

[Meir96]

I have been trying to force stop the app, reset the app via adb. still no go, I will try that pathway again and see if it works

[Meir96]

Something I don't understand in the pathway is the "emulated" part

[Meir96]

Is there a way to re-map the keycode directly via ADB?