Keyboard Support

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Version 17.0 (current version)

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Keyboards - Keyman Core API


A keyboard is a set of rules and transforms in a Processor specific format for transforming key events into action items. The keyboard is parsed and loaded by the processsor and made available in an immutable fashion for use with any number of state objects.


km_core_keyboard_attrs struct

Description

Provides read-only information about a keyboard.

Specification

typedef struct {
  km_core_cp const * version_string;
  km_core_cp const * id;
  km_core_path_name  folder_path;
  km_core_option_item const * default_options;
} km_core_keyboard_attrs;

Members

version_string
Processor specific version string.
id
Keyman keyboard ID string.
folder_path
Path to the unpacked folder containing the keyboard and associated resources.
default_options
Set of default values for any options included in the keyboard.

km_core_keyboard_key struct

Description

Describes a single key and modifier combination that a keyboard handles, for use by the Platform layer. This is used when the Platform layer must know in advance which keys are used by a given keyboard.

Specification

typedef struct {
  km_core_virtual_key key;
  uint32_t modifier_flag;
} km_core_keyboard_key;

#define KM_CORE_KEYBOARD_KEY_LIST_END { 0, 0 }

Members

key
A virtual key.
modifier_flag
A km_core_modifier_state bitmask.

km_core_keyboard_imx struct

Description

Describes a single Input Method eXtension library and entry point.

Specification

typedef struct {
  km_core_cp const * library_name;
  km_core_cp const * function_name;
  uint32_t imx_id;
} km_core_keyboard_imx;

#define KM_CORE_KEYBOARD_IMX_END { 0, 0, 0 }

Members

library_name
The fully-qualified path and filename of the dynamically loaded library file.
function_name
The entry point for the IMX.
imx_id
unique identifier used to call this function

km_core_keyboard_load()

Description

Parse and load keyboard from the supplied path and a pointer to the loaded keyboard into the out paramter.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status
km_core_keyboard_load(km_core_path_name kb_path,
                     km_core_keyboard **keyboard);

Parameters

kb_path
On Windows, a UTF-16 string; on other platforms, a C string: contains a valid path to the keyboard file.
keyboard
A pointer to result variable: A pointer to the opaque keyboard object returned by the Processor. This memory must be freed with a call to km_core_keyboard_dispose.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_NO_MEM
In the event an internal memory allocation fails.
KM_CORE_STATUS_IO_ERROR
In the event the keyboard file is unparseable for any reason
KM_CORE_STATUS_INVALID_ARGUMENT
In the event the file doesn't exist or is inaccesible or keyboard is null.
KM_CORE_STATUS_OS_ERROR
Bit 31 (high bit) set, bits 0-30 are an OS-specific error code.

km_core_keyboard_dispose()

Description

Free the allocated memory belonging to an opaque keyboard object previously returned by km_core_keyboard_load.

Specification

KMN_API
void
km_core_keyboard_dispose(km_core_keyboard *keyboard);

Parameters

keyboard
A pointer to the opaque keyboard object to be disposed of.

km_core_keyboard_get_attrs()

Description

Returns the const internal attributes of the keyboard. This structure is valid for the lifetime of the opaque keyboard object. Do not modify the returned data.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status
km_core_keyboard_get_attrs(km_core_keyboard const *keyboard,
                          km_core_keyboard_attrs const **out);

Parameters

keyboard
A pointer to the opaque keyboard object to be queried.
out
A pointer to the result: A pointer to a km_core_keyboard_attrs structure.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_INVALID_ARGUMENT
If non-optional parameters are null.

km_core_keyboard_get_key_list()

Description

Returns the unordered full set of modifier+virtual keys that are handled by the keyboard. The matching dispose call needs to be called to free the memory.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status
km_core_keyboard_get_key_list(km_core_keyboard const *keyboard,
                            km_core_keyboard_key **out);

Parameters

keyboard
A pointer to the opaque keyboard object to be queried.
out
A pointer to an array of km_core_keyboard_key structures, terminated by KM_CORE_KEYBOARD_KEY_LIST_END.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_INVALID_ARGUMENT
If non-optional parameters are null.

km_core_keyboard_key_list_dispose()

Description

Free the allocated memory belonging to a keyboard key list previously returned by km_core_keyboard_get_key_list.

Specification

KMN_API
void km_core_keyboard_key_list_dispose(km_core_keyboard_key *key_list);

Parameters

key_list
A pointer to the keyboard key list to be disposed of.

km_core_keyboard_get_imx_list

Description

Returns the list of IMX libraries and function names that are referenced by the keyboard. The matching dispose call needs to be called to free the memory.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status km_core_keyboard_get_imx_list(km_core_keyboard const *keyboard, km_core_keyboard_imx **imx_list);

Parameters

keyboard
A pointer to the keyboard
imx_list
A pointer to a variable that will contain a pointer to the IMX list.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_INVALID_ARGUMENT
If non-optional parameters are null.

km_core_keyboard_imx_list_dispose()

Description

Disposes of the IMX list.

Specification

KMN_API
void km_core_keyboard_imx_list_dispose(km_core_keyboard_imx *imx_list);

Parameters

imx_list
A pointer to the IMX list.

km_core_state_imx_register_callback()

Description

Register the IMX callback endpoint for the client.

Specification

KMN_API
void km_core_state_imx_register_callback(km_core_state *state, km_core_keyboard_imx_platform imx_callback, void *callback_object);

Parameters

state
A pointer to the opaque state object
imx_callback
pointer to a function that implements the IMX callback
callback_object
TODO

km_core_state_imx_deregister_callback()

Description

De-register IMX callback endpoint for the client.

Specification

KMN_API
void km_core_state_imx_deregister_callback(km_core_state *state);

Parameters

state
A pointer to the opaque state object

km_core_state_create()

Description

Create a keyboard processor state object, maintaining state for the keyboard in the environment passed.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status
km_core_state_create(km_core_keyboard *keyboard,
                    km_core_option_item const *env,
                    km_core_state **out);

Parameters

keyboard
A pointer to the opaque keyboard object this object will hold state for.
env
The array of km_core_option_item key/value pairs used to initialise the environment, terminated by KM_CORE_OPTIONS_END.
out
A pointer to result variable: A pointer to the opaque state object returned by the Processor, initalised to maintain state for keyboard. This must be disposed of by a call to km_core_state_dispose.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_NO_MEM
In the event memory is unavailable to allocate a state object.
KM_CORE_STATUS_INVALID_ARGUMENT
In the event the keyboard or out pointer are null.

km_core_state_clone()

Description

Clone an existing opaque state object.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status
km_core_state_clone(km_core_state const *state,
                   km_core_state **out);

Parameters

state
A pointer to the opaque statea object to be cloned.
out
A pointer to result variable: A pointer to the opaque state object returned by the Processor, cloned from the existing object state. This must be disposed of by a call to km_core_state_dispose.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_NO_MEM
In the event memory is unavailable to allocate a state object.
KM_CORE_STATUS_INVALID_ARGUMENT
In the event the state or out pointer are null.

km_core_state_dispose()

Description

Free the allocated resources belonging to a km_core_state object previously returned by km_core_state_create or km_core_state_clone. After this all pointers previously returned by any km_core_state family of calls will become invalid.

Specification

KMN_API
void
km_core_state_dispose(km_core_state *state);

Parameters

state
A pointer to the opaque state object to be disposed.

km_core_debug_context_type enum

As of version 17, the cached context is an internal property of the state, not exposed to the consumer of the API -- apart from the Keyman Developer Keyboard Debugger. However, for other debug purposes, it is helpful to be able to examine the cached context, so a debug-formatted version of the context is made available with km_core_state_context_debug. This is not intended to be parsed for reading the context for other purposes, and the format may change.

The three context types are: cached, intermediate, and app.

Specification

typedef enum {
  KM_CORE_DEBUG_CONTEXT_CACHED        = 0,
  KM_CORE_DEBUG_CONTEXT_INTERMEDIATE  = 1,
  KM_CORE_DEBUG_CONTEXT_APP           = 2
} km_core_debug_context_type;

Values

KM_CORE_DEBUG_CONTEXT_CACHED
the internal context used by Core, which may be normalized and may contain markers. This is set via km_core_state_context_set_if_needed, and will be modified during keystroke event processing.
KM_CORE_DEBUG_CONTEXT_INTERMEDIATE
internal context used by IMX, only valid during keystroke event processing.
KM_CORE_DEBUG_CONTEXT_APP
an exact copy of the current context passed in to km_core_state_context_set_if_needed, which is used to verify the precise text manipulations required when emitted changes. This input context is in "NFU" -- normalization form unknown, and may be mixed normalization so may require fixups when it is manipulated by keyboard processors that support normalization, such as the LDML keyboard processor.

km_core_state_context_debug()

Description

Returns a debug formatted string of the context from the state.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_cp *
km_core_state_context_debug(km_core_state *state, km_core_debug_context_type context_type);

Parameters

state
A pointer to the opaque state object to be queried.
context_type
The type of context to retrieve from the state.

Returns

A pointer to a km_core_cp UTF-16 string. Must be disposed of by a call to km_core_cp_dispose.


km_core_cp_dispose()

Description

Free the allocated memory belonging to a km_core_cp array previously returned by km_core_state_context_debug. May be nullptr.

Specification

KMN_API
void
km_core_cp_dispose(km_core_cp *cp);

Parameters

cp
A pointer to the start of the km_core_cp array to be disposed of.

km_core_state_to_json()

Description

Export the internal state of a km_core_state object to a JSON format document and place it in the supplied buffer, reporting how much space was used. If null is passed as the buffer the number of bytes required is returned. If there is insufficent space to hold the document, the contents of the buffer is undefined. The encoding of the returned data is UTF-8.

WARNING: The structure and format of the JSON document while independently versioned is not part of this API and is intended solely for use in diagnostics or by development and debugging tools which are aware of processor implementation details.

Specification

KMN_API
km_core_status
km_core_state_to_json(km_core_state const *state,
                     char *buf,
                     size_t *space);

Parameters

state
An pointer to an opaque state object.
buf
A pointer to the buffer to place the C string containing the JSON document into. May be null.
space
A pointer to a size_t variable. This variable must contain the number of bytes available in the buffer pointed to by buf, unless buf is null. On return it will hold how many bytes were used.

Returns

KM_CORE_STATUS_OK
On success.
KM_CORE_STATUS_NO_MEM
In the event an internal memory allocation fails.