&newLayer store

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Summary

The &newLayer store reports on whether the user changed the active layer in the previous keystroke. It is a read-only store used in begin PostKeystroke processing.

Syntax

if(&newLayer = '') ... > ...
if(&newLayer = 'shift') ... > ...

Description

The &newLayer system store is a read only store set immediately before begin PostKeystroke is called, to the name of the new layer, if the previous keystroke changed the layer (e.g. by the user touching a modifier key), or to an empty string ("") otherwise.

Keyman determines that a layer has changed in the following circumstances:

• If the user selects a key with a "next layer" property set to anything other than (none), even if set to the current layer. (This allows the keyboard to easily override switching on a single key).
• If a rule is fired that calls the layer() statement, even if the layer passed in is the same as the current layer.

At other times, the value of the &newLayer store may not be current.

The &newLayer store is used only in touch keyboards, and will always have the value of "" in other contexts.

Example

See Casing Support for a more comprehensive example.

begin PostKeystroke > use(post)

store(digit) '0'..'9'

group(post) readonly
    c stay on the numeric layer if we are there already
    if(&newLayer = "") if(&layer = 'numeric') any(digit) > context

    c don't cancel caps lock layer
    if(&layer = 'caps') > context

    c no other changes, so detect sentence or layer change, as long
    c as the user hasn't attempted to change layer themselves
    if(&newLayer = "") > use(nextLayer)

group(nextLayer) readonly
    num > layer('shift')
    '. ' > layer('shift')

Platforms

While the &newLayer store is accessible on all platforms, it only has meaning on touch platforms (mobile web, iOS, Android).

Windows	macOS	Linux	Desktop web	Mobile web	iOS	Android
✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔

See Also

• &oldLayer store

Version history

• Version 15.0: &newLayer support introduced