IDEA: Keyboard locale auto-switcher?

[f0dder]

[REQ] Keyboard locale auto-switcher?

I don't know if Windows has built-in functionality for this, or if there's perhaps some freeware utility available that does it; if not, I expect it to be a relatively quick hackjob in autohotkey/whatever, if somebody has the time - I'm unfortunately pretty tied up myself :/

Now, for the problem description: I run an English XP with Danish local - no problems there, I can use my quirky æøåÆØÅ letters without having the OS language butchered translated. However, when coding, I prefer an English keyboard layout, because the various chars used in C++ have a better mapping that way.

I have both Danish and English locale installed, and it's as easy as ALT+SHIFT to toggle... but it's annoying that I _have_ to do this every time I start notepad++ or cmd.exe, and ALT+SHIFT can be a bit hard to hit properly sometimes.

So, my idea: automatically setting keyboard locale on application startup. Doable?

[lanux128]

another suggestion: why not use a program like AllChars or Skrommels Accents?

[f0dder]

lanux, those apps seem to be intended for inserting special accents... what I really need is the entire key layout to change... a small example: with DK layout, I need to press AltGr+{7,8,9,0} to get the "{[]}" characters - with a US layout I get [] simply by pressing the two keys right of P, and if I hold shift while pressing them, I get {}.

Compare Danish layout to US layout.

[lanux128]

i see the difference now.. looks simple enough, monitor apps & send some keystrokes.. i will post in a day or two..

[lanux128]

f0dder, do you want to switch keyboard layout whenever a certain program is active or only upon start? i can basically convert this script to what you want, what do you think?

[f0dder]

Upon startup is fine, since local settings are stored per process - I can have notepad++ running with english layout and the rest of the system with danish, and when I alt+tab windows itself handles setting the locale.

And there should definitely be API calls to change locale. I just wondered if there was some smart built-in way to do it all automagically

[lanux128]

found a web-site with a list of keyboard language IDs. now to find an API Call that could plugged into AHK to take care of things programmatically..

• http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian/windows/info_windows_locale_table.htm

[lanux128]

f0dder, try this ahk script: Auto-switch Locale.. the script will switch to English keyboard layout whenever certain programs are active.. Start the program once then you can edit the ini file to add more programs - partial windows title will do and also class names in this format: ahk_class <class name>.

btw, i'm not sure how your system is set-up.. so i've configured mine like this (see pic below) and with the assumption that Danish is the default language..

[attach=#]

to use with different languages, edit the INI file and add the layout codes in this format: 00000xxx where xxx is the locale code. here are some examples:

00000409 00000401 00000403 00000406 00000407 00000408 0000040B 0000040C 00000410 00000416 00000814 0000040A

English - United States Arabic - Saudi Arabia Catalan - Spain Danish - Denmark German - Germany Greek Finnish - Finland French - France Italian - Italy Portuguese - Brazil Norwegian – Norway (Nynorsk) Spanish - Spain (International Sort)

Source: http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian/windows/info_windows_locale_table.htm

Edit: added the AHK source and Windows locale table.
Edit2: added the recompiled exe (without upx) to avoid false alarms [related thread].

[TucknDar]

mind sharing the source, lanux128?

[lanux128]

sure, no problems.. i'm planning to post the source after i've finalised things with f0dder as now it's just a quick hack.. but Tuck, if you're in a hurry, you can always PM me..

[TucknDar]

heh, no hurry, just for "educational" reasons, and scancode reminded me that AHK executables can be decompiled

[f0dder]

Does seem to work, thank you!

Wonder how 'clean' the solution is... it would be nice if people would generally post AHK scripts in script rather than compiled format, makes it easier to tinker with

[lanux128]

Does seem to work, thank you!

great! that's all i want to hear.. now, i can attach the source as well here..

btw, i've added hotkeys Win+Alt+p & Win+Alt+q to pause and exit the script respectively..

[lanux128]

found a similar program with the added advantage of changing the typed words to the language intended.. currently supports only 3 languages but you can drop an email to the author to add other languages.

Screenshots

Text Converter
Text Converter will correct typing errors usually happened due to forgetting switch the keyboard language before typing.
Also Text Converter allows you to change letters case from uppercase to lowercase and vice versa or just capitalize the first letter of a word.

• http://www.utceditors.totalcmd.net/textconv/text_converter.htm

[Armando]

I've always had problems with my keyboard changing from French to English -- a real drag when you're using an app like farr and you're trying to get things done quickly.
Anyway : thanks Lanux. 
That little app does exactly what it's supposed to do, and does it well.

[lanux128]

thanks Armando, i'm glad that you find it useful plus it is very nice to start the day with such a compliment..

[PPLandry]

I've always had problems with my keyboard changing from French to English

Many years ago, I got used to the US International keyboard layout. More double-keystoke characters, but it is so complete and matches perfectly with the keycaps. I use it for whatever language I write in (of course, I don't write in Chinease, only in French, English and German)

[uuderzo]

Lanux, thank you for your hint...

I copied from the source of your app and changed this way:

#InstallKeybdHook
ifWinActive, ahk_class Photoshop
{

è::
SetLayout( 00000409 )
Send, [
SetLayout( 00000410 )
Return

+::
SetLayout( 00000409 )
Send, ]
SetLayout( 00000410 )
Return

}

SetLayout(Locale) {
  DllCall("LoadKeyboardLayout", Str, %Locale%, UInt, 257)
}

Now Photoshop looks like it understands the command, but it does not revert to italian layout after Send command (i love being able to write text with correct keys, you know)... what should I check?

Thank you!

[lanux128]

Lanux, thank you for your hint...
...
Now Photoshop looks like it understands the command, but it does not revert to italian layout after Send command (i love being able to write text with correct keys, you know)... what should I check?

try adding a '$' before the hotkey like the code below. i also changed the IfWinActive directive to be controlled by the keystroke instead of the other way around. let me know if this works..

Code

#InstallKeybdHook

$è::
IfWinActive, ahk_class Photoshop
  {
  SetLayout( 00000409 )
  Send, [
  }
Else
  {
  SetLayout( 00000410 )
  Send, è
  }
Return

$+::
IfWinActive, ahk_class Photoshop
  {
  SetLayout( 00000409 )
  Send, ]
  }
Else
  {
  SetLayout( 00000410 )
  Send, +
  }
Return

SetLayout(Locale) {
  DllCall("LoadKeyboardLayout", Str, %Locale%, UInt, 257)
}