ZX-News #26 03 апреля 1997

Железо

Exchange of experience - IBM-PC Keyboard on the ZX Spectrum ...

               EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE



  In my opinion, is unique in the history of journalism, when a 
single article written by people with completely opposite views 
on the issues addressed in it. It is an experiment, nothing 
more. Good or bad happened - you decide, dear readers.




                        (C) Yuri Buravtsov,

                          Alexei Mikhailov


          AND AGAIN ON THE KEYBOARD.


  Here, long wanted to sit down for this same IBM PC KEYBOARD 
by Scorpion 'DK, and make some good and not very

words about it, the problem of "QWERTY" 's and "yaverty, the 
problem of the Spectrum keyboard as a whole ... 


  IMB PC Keyboard and mouse controller (in
Further, for brevity, simply "pisishnaya clave") appeared at me 
not so long ago - About three months ago. In my opinion, the 
keyboard - a very important attribute of any computer, without 
a normal and comfortable keyboard, without a mouse, it is 
impossible comfortable work in any text editor or with computer 
as a whole. 


  In our country there is not so
many standards on the keyboard:
in fact, only "yaverty" and "QWERTY".


  Well, probably, even some "tsukeng.
I think this is quite normal and does not intend to 
passionately argued the merits of one looking at his hand and 
apart on the shelves of other disadvantages - everyone is free 
to choose how he more comfortable in the end it's his job. But!

Question of the layout of sounds with a new force,
when it comes to pisishnyh Claudia, because
they almost all plotted Russian letters, and it is "QWERTY". 
I'm in the top of naive thought that I could work on "yaverty 
and on pisishnoy clave - theoretically it is possible ...



  However, in practice it turns out that
Every day the bright red Russian letters are becoming more and 
more irritating, and willy-nilly, the question arises about the 
transition the new alignment.



  And now, I have the "QWERTY" 'e is not passed
two weeks ... At first, sometimes
just infuriated - typing speed dropped again
ten and the first few days had poskrezhetat teeth ... And then, 
as a matter of happened: one day I realized that there is no 
turning back - the rate at "Yaverty" and the "QWERTY" 'e caught 
up ... 


  So, the Claudia pisishnaya are wearing Russian letters SAMA 
retrain the "QWERTY", as if people did not try to resist! Just 
the longer resist, the later retrained, which will much more 
difficult than if it happened early. That's the whole 
difference. :) 


  But to return, so to speak, to the sources. Why do I 
personally wanted a pisishnaya Claudia? Well, firstly, I needed 
a Myshak, and I would not "poiskovskoe ugliness," and this, 
nicely pisishnogo Myshak, always with a rug:), shorter as all 
normal people with other platforms. Already a lot of software 
supports Kempston mouse, and therefore do not enjoy this handy 
device and we will just not had neither the strength nor the 
desire. Secondly, I work a lot with texts, and I'm beginning to 
bore "film" spekovskaya keyboard - too small, uncomfortable, 
the cursor Keys - on both sides of the spacebar, Break

not at all where you want, its only
dignity - True / Inv video are
at the right place ...


  One of its main drawbacks is
also that the keys do not "spring" when
pressed, the small size of the keys themselves and
distances between them, in Russian mode
some of the letters must be introduced by pressing two keys 
(where else will find this idiocy?), but in order to change the 
register for one such letter, we have to use Caps Lock'om 
first, then a combination of S. Shift + letter, then again the 
Caps Lock - in sum is simply to accurately and

FAST to work with texts. Third, too
tempting to look painfully functional
keys, tab keys a la calculator separately Insert,
Home, End, Page Up / Page Down, two Shift'a,
Escape, etc. In truth, pisishnaya keyboard - the experience of 
many generations people often work with text, knowing what they 
want from an editor and keyboard for maximum comfort and speed. 


  Co-author of the article, Yuri Buravtsov is Claudia from 
"Robik. 


  Those who are familiar with this computer will realize that 
connecting it to Scorp'u user will lose the opportunity to 
enjoy some Enhanced keyboard set: the "Robic" Claudia Reed 
"QWERTY", but all the keys have one reed. The board is PZUha, 
manufacturing "custom" key. Therefore, the Jury had to add a 
bunch of wires and reed making Claudia his part and totally 
adapted to the Is-Dos'u that he did not give up even on the 
clave from Aspire. However, back to "skorpionovskomu" 
controller. 


  As everything that is done in the recent
on the Spectrum, the controller pisishnoy keyboard is made is 
not quite as it should, and I I hope that its author, reading 
suggestions pages Newskah, make certain

conclusions ...


  Let's start from the beginning. Namely, the function keys, 
which ... for some reason not involved and is not polled. For 
each of the existing ROM layout is connected in parallel 
funtsionalnye keys to control the keys of the editor or boot'a. 
For example, in Is-Dos'e: 


       F1 = 1 F2 = F3 = 2 3 ...


  By the way, Is-Dos'e. This is a typical case in which the 
authors of the software must adapt by producers of iron. BE 
made equally keys PgUp / PgDwn in editor, and in the "viewer"! 
There are already hardware problem can not be circumvented. 
Iskrasoftovtsy, respond! There are several options, such as 
PgUp leave as ss + Q, and PgDwn do ss + I. Ie is released

A special version for IsDos'a pisishnoy
Claudia!


  Let us return to the layout. And to begin with,
Why do I need layout for TLW, but no
layout for Honey Commander?? Who
now enjoys TLW? Who needs it?
By the way, will not prevent a layout editor
Kovalevsky, then the people to him irresistibly. In the 
meantime, there is quite inconvenient and poorly implemented 
with some combination - Why go against the already accepted

standards?


  Perhaps not meaningless to introduce a separate hot and cold 
relief for Scorpio for example, "Ctrl + Alt + End = Reset + 
Left". Quite often necessary to completely "otresetit" car, and 
it can be done only clicking the "Reset" on your computer and 
keep left arrow - Ctrl + Alt + Del + Left does not pass.



  It's time to solve the problem with switching
Russian and Latin letters at the entrance / exit
of the editors. Ie if you get out of IsEdit'a
enabled Russian letters, and then
start editing a new file, start glitches ... Incidentally, for 
those who have not figured it out yet, as these bugs are 
treated: exit back from the editor, press both shifta, jumps 
out the window "Change Disk", press Esc, go to the editor and 
continue to work normally ... This problem, Again, must decide 
either the creators IsDos'a or hackers ...



  There are several glyuchkov in layouts,
For example, in ZxWord'ovskoy mixed up / down keys on the page.


  Suggestions for the digital keys on the right: a would 
neither was enabled, LAT, or RUS, when the Num Lock'e pressing 
the numbers on the right should give it the appearance of 
digits, not characters. 


  All of the above depends on the software and from
PZUhi controller firmware. Let us talk about the hardware 
shortcomings. 


  Most important one - is "podvisanie" companies
many prog by pressing the keys.
This "podvisanie" can be both time-
(Ie, after a few seconds the complex will continue to work) and 
a "fatality", when the PC stops responding even on PHYSICAL 
RESET (RESET and arrow to the left)! In the latter case, only 
to switch off and turn the power ... And if you suddenly anyone 
that happens right in a text editor, where the RAM-disk editing 
mnogosotblokovy text (such as long as was not - pah-pah! :)? 
What if you have me do, eh? Ship via text every five to ten 
blocks, which increases probability of "Iron" depend on? This 
is truly - "ah-bi-em pi-si-si form !!!". 


  But what about connecting the normal
Soviet Kempston joystick? The fact is
that pisishnoy clave, more precisely, on its skorpovskom 
controller, there exists a veSTCh, which is called "emulation 
of any kind joystick: press " +  +  "- and please, at your feet (in the sense - 
of hands) psevdodzhoystik, performing a function of Sinclair, 
Kempston, or Cursor. Thing is, no doubt, comfortable. But here

I no longer have to drive to his guests,
accustomed to "normal" Kempston joystick lever nature. Case that
connected controller Claudia's most ruthless manner cuts off "a 
stick of pleasure" that is connected to the peripheral 
connector. In other words, the most beloved gaming device loses 
its real name, and not for the better.



  And yet, even if your keyboard nepisishnaya completely 
satisfies you, such as Yuri Buravtsova, but you are suddenly 
incredibly desired to fuck pisishnogo Myshak, then you still 
have to buy and Claudia, too, because Myshak without Claudia's 
in this situation is nothing like misplaced ornament 
krysodroma. It's a WHAT, I'm sorry? Really both address issues 
of standardization? I think so: the computer must be for a man, 
not vice versa. Of course, one could argue about this, 
referring to the West, they say, they have there Quartet 
stopped clone, threatening to soon stop production and pento. 
But in fact there appeared a very useful concept,

as apgreyd. If you apply a broader
concepts HardWare Segreya Yurevich, discrimination user is 
obvious: let's You just bought a Scorpion +, and the other

people to buy more non-turbo. Buy-sell from different companies 
on different courses each just not very profitable. But progress

does not stand still.


  But is it doing so civilized manufacturers? While not 
disputing that ZS - it appears to be the best thing that could 
appear in the world Speccy ... 


  But all in this mortal world is imperfect.
Perfection befalls man is only in heaven. Is it because we so 
often use the term Must Die? .. 


  To sum up a little - now
while the people formed two opinions about
pisishnoy clave. Those who are from companies in the first
all you need a text editor, without pisishnoy Claudia can not 
afford to provide, because despite several shortcomings, in 
general, from this devaysa remains a good impression, because 
just comfortable. If the author Claudia take into account the 
wishes of many people vysskazannye us in this article, then it 
becomes more convenient, more people it

buy it. A second opinion prevailing among
those with Claudia buggy in some toys and prog, that pisishnaya 
klava simple sinkleristu not need ... Well,

how many people - so many opinions.


  Now a more detailed talk about pisishnom "QWERTY" 'e. If the 
Specc'e possible three basic layout, then one pisyuke

only the "QWERTY" 's four pieces ...


  Axiom: "If the keyboard is drawn some squiggle, then there is 
no guarantee that after clicking on this key on the computer 
screen does not appear quite another hook. "This quote is taken

from the magazine "Hard'n'Soft # 1'96". Russian
market is simply awash with keyboard, keyboards
which bear the Cyrillic letters, and
as symbols and punctuation marks for
"Russian" regime. Usually Russian letters
nadpechatany red, sometimes black or green. If the main part of 
the Russian alphabet QWERTY keyboards almost all keyboards the 
same, then in punctuation marks and other symbols

put on a "digital" keys of the upper
series, there are significant differences.


  What user is waiting for Claudia? It seems a simple thing: to 
draw on the key character - Press the button and you will see 
this symbol. But there it was.



  The letters on the keys are written in paint
the manufacturing process. Painted letters, dried paint, sealed
Claudia in a box - and was poisoned to sell.
Purchased, hooked up, clicked on the screen -
letter. What? For the appearance of characters by pressing some 
key answers already computer program, called the keyboard 
driver. What letter of the programmer programmed, and this will 
appear. For to the on-screen characters

coincided with painted on the keys,
to compliance with the standard. However, this
question is likely to zhelezyachnikam so
how are easier to standardize the layout of claves, than the 
driver, because some drivers everyone more ...



  Among manufacturers of keyboards, no expression of a 
monopolist, so the manufacturers are willing to support any 
standard if he was the standard. For example, Cherry,

Following the release of the Russian version of MS-DOS
4.01, the first to announce support options
Cyrillic keyboard layout, proposed by
Microsoft.


  But contrary to a common standard still exist. Here, for 
example, Firm Microinform "with his russificator

for "vocabulary". Some domestic
Pickup generally similar in spirit
Russian typewriter with the only difference is that the 
punctuation in the "digital" the top row of keys, usually 
rendered in upper case. Will not, however, through all the 
layouts, we consider only on a typewriter keyboard layout

GOST 6431-52 (Fig. 1). Pretty standard
ancient



           Fragments of the picture from the tutorial software 
typing 


           Left Hand Right Hand

                          > Pinky <

                         > Untitled <

                          > Average <

                        > Index <



        + 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 =

            N - / ":,. _?%!


     <> J U Y K E N T W u W X Z



            Since F A P P O R E F E (

                                                        )


              I h M I T L U B E



                    big big



                             Fig. 1

however, that this standard meets one of the proposed layout of
Windows starting with version 3.11 for workers
groups. It was done at the request or under the influence of 
IBM. This is a very important fact, indicating that the large 
foreign firms themselves have already made steps in the right 
direction. 


  Standard should be developed by experts, thoroughly familiar 
with the problem of typing in Russian, who know the specifics 
of typing with the use of computer technology. It is obvious 
that standard should be formally adopted and

approved as a state
standard, otherwise it will have very little
chances of widespread and
from large and small producers
Hard-and SoftWare.


  You should not lose sight of the illuminated
problem. Suffice it to say that at all
Claudia, but the typewriter is missing
symbol "E" (you know, as I entered: (


  And so, therefore, in PZUhe controller
Claudia's one thing, but in isdose - another. Hence,
will wait somewhere will be third?


        __________________________