Custom keyboard source samples

[Marcel Schneider]

> On 18 Aug 2015 at 10:09, Philippe Verdy  wrote:

> i don't know why these c source files need to be deleted so fast when they could just remain in the same folder as the saved.klc file.

On 20 Aug 2015 at 17:42, I still didnʼt understand (my lenifying answer of 18 Aug 2015 at 11:42 consisted of mere suppositions), and angry at the idea of being outlawed when trying to fix some issues on keyboard customization practice, I even threw a bunch of subsidiary questions in the air:

> Why is there no option “◎ Keep the C sources ◎ Delete the C sources”? 
> Why are there no menu items “Generate C source” and “Build from C source”, or an option “◎ Build from KLC source ◎ Build from C source”? 
> Thatʼs what Iʼve wished to find in the MSKLC when I learned about. 
> Figure that, before, I not even imagined that such sources could ever exist.

Let's face it: Kbdutool stores the intermediate files—among which the much-coveted C sources—right in the working directory. You see them appearing and being deleted. And—as I wrote a short wile ago—if we wish to take a glance, weʼre welcome: thereʼs an extra switch for that. Itʼs not sooner than when Kbdutool is driven by MSKLC, that all those files are kept out of sight.

To decrypt why this is so, the secret key is IMHO found in these two blog posts:
http://www.siao2.com/2013/04/19/10409187.aspx
http://www.siao2.com/2013/04/23/10413216.aspx
Itʼs as if everybody at Microsoft was traumatized of seeing one nation preferring another kind of keyboard than the usual one. Here we must instantly deliver the hidden part of the story, I mean, the part that is not taken into consideration: The Canadian Multilingual Standard keyboard is a genuine implementation of all parts of the ISO 9995 keyboard standard of the era. And say it loud: Nobody can be blamed of following an ISO standard.

Today, the willingness of Canada to implement ISO 9995 proves having been a very good idea. Itʼs not only a hard-wired logic. Apple Inc. is proposing their products with a physical Canadian Multilingual Standard keyboard. And theyʼre gaining market parts! All people using the Canadian Standard keyboard are full of praise—even if Canadians themselves find some details to improve. As about the cited utterings, this is utter shame (not for the targeted Standards body!). Never look for the Right Ctrl key elsewhere than where itʼs expected... (Thatʼs nothing about the layout, and all about ISO keyboard symbols.)

Now back to topic. 

«People ask me al the time how can they add shift states like this in MSKLC, but I always refuse to answer. I don’t want to encourage anyone else to author such layouts!»

It's this “strange keyboard” trauma, following the kbd.h authorsʼ terminology, which explains for me the great fear of leaving to everybody the keys of keyboard programming. They donʼt miss the point: Once you get the C sources and have means to compile them to drivers, you can do what you want, or nearly what you want. You have no other limits than Windowsʼ. And these allow for pretty much.

Consequently, the reason why much is done to keep C sources out of reach, is the care for the user. Users must be guided, they must be prevented from following their folly (please donʼt misunderstand: Iʼm talking of their *supposed* folly).

Well, thatʼs—to date—my *very long* answer. I donʼt know well what is best to hope this time: to be right, or to be wrong :-|

Marcel
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