HTML5 -- iPad & bluetooth keyboards

[Brian]

Is anyone else out there trying to use an iPad with bluetooth keyboards for any type of data entry? We find it impossible to use. The TSPLUS keyboard does not recognize the bluetooth keyboard import. So we can press the 'ckeyb' key at the bottom right to bring up the iOS keyboard, but this shifts the screen entirely out of view, shows the iOS keyboard and tsplus keyboard at the same time, and if you accidentally click off of your text field (likely b/c you have to move the screen back to where it was before it jumped), the iOS keyboard closes and the tsplus keyboard stays, and your bluetooth keyboard doesn't work. It's impossible to use.

Please tell me someone else out there has this issue so this doesn't just get tossed to the side as an iOS issue.... It's a mess and I have hundreds of very angry customers b/c of this issue. I am testing on the latest 8.30 BETA release and have no better results.

[admin]

Hello,

I have already transferred your request to our HTML expert. I am waiting for his answer to get back to you.

[Brian]

Hi - thanks. The response unfortunately is not good

"the software keyboard is screen touch area and does not allow hardware input. We do not support hardware keyboards on mobile devices actually, and highly there will be never proper support of blue tooth keyboards due very unpredictable behaviour. To get directly into native sofrware keyboard you can edit www\software\html5\settings.js and change W.softMobileKeyboard = "no";"


This workaround will not correct the issue for us as not all of the customers are using blue tooth, therefore, other users will still need access to the TSPLUS keyboard..

Also very problematic if we use the iOS keyboard as it "jumps" around the screen. So if my text field is at the bottom of the screen, I have to click inside the text field, then click the gray dropdown, press a keyboard button, the screen jumps, then I have to find my text field again at the bottom, which means I have to touch the screen, which then moves focus away from the text field, which means I lost my keyboard/typing ability. It's not possible to use the iOS keyboard. Is there not a way to integrate the TSPLUS keyboard with bluetooth capability? This workaround is of no use to anyone using an iPad for data entry where there are multiple text entry fields on different screens of an application. I can send you screen shots, video, whatever you need to show you the problem and the extremely high degree of difficulty trying to use an iPad with HTML5 with blue tooth keyboard.
I asked if "One possible solution, is there anyway to PIN the iOS keyboard on the screen? I know the TSPLUS keyboard has this ability,." -- hopefully there is a way to do this as it doesn't sound like there is going to be any other solutions anytime soon

[jkuijt]

Hi Brian,

Are you a Clarion developer? We are, and we love the new software keyboard instead of the iOS on-screen keyboard.
We don't use a hardware keyboard on our iPads, because we like the new software keyboard better, with nice function keys etcetera...
No problems at all while working with our Clarion Apps on iPads.

Best regards
Jeffrey

[juwagn]

Well in last version the software keyboard touch engine was remade to achive almost closest click behaviour to native successor, got no more zoom-in issues on Chrome Mobile.
Usually the software keyboard repositions itself according to scroll and zoom level, but it is stickable to static position!!! So you can make it not moving around if you wish.
Usually peoples expect, that browser behaves like native client, but on browser that runs the program under JavaScript, you have to rely on what browser allows you and not system, so to avoid many these limitations was made this software keyboard to make it independent to allow that where browser set you limits. And that works on all browsers similar way.
However that is evidently, browser does not forward events from hardware keyboard when not being in focus of editable area (when wishing to use native keyboard I have to call it by setting focus on editable area, but on Android it works, I checked, but again, not as wished)
If I could say to browser, so my belowed browser forget everything you knew about default behaviours and just forward events, I would be happy, but no, they jump around, stop to fire events, to follow css rules when in native keyboard mode and break anything they can break, and I can not run out of hell and contact browser developers to fix their issues. In the past I had many times to update the code with new iOS/Android versions and with the time you get horrible much unnecessary code that includes workarounds for new browser issuess, so to stop it was made software keyboard.

[jkuijt]

Hi Brian,

Use the following two settings in settings.js, see:
C:\Program Files (x86)\TSplus\Clients\www\software\html5
They are very handy to activate the keyboard, so that you don't need to use the gray pulldown menu + keyboard icon above anymore.

Code: Select all

W.showinputbutton = true;

//for fast input access of mobile keyboard show red input field when user enters an
//editable area. Very useful, if user wants to reposition the cursor fast
Just tap with your finger in the red square and the keyboard comes up.

Code: Select all

W.touch3_keyboard_show = true;

//Mobile only, when true, and editable cursor displayed, as example in editable field, any 3 fingers touching will call keyboard if 3 touch supported by device.
Just tap with 3 fingers and the keyboard comes up.

Best regards
Jeffrey

[Brian]

Thanks for the replies!! JW - I understand your response, I wish it wasn't so difficult. I am not a developer of any sort so to me I don't understand a lot of the limitation with the hardware keyboard. We have over 1,000 users from many different companies, so we have all kinds of hardware, regular iPad, iPad + bluetooth, android, MAC, Windows etc. So for us, everyone seems to be really happy with the HTML5, with the exception of some iPad users, and all iPad+bluetooth users. Some iPad users biggest complaints are 'no speech to text' on the mobile keyboard and 'copy and paste' - they don't like to use the clip board. I personally like the clipboard and understand it has to be the way it is, and it works. iPad+bluetooth, I cannot find a good solution for them at all. It simply is a 'no-go' for right now.

I also like the new software keyboard much better than iOS keyboard. I think it looks great!

I have used the 3 finger tap, I like it, but I have a very hard time getting some users to understand. I myself sometimes am tapping 3 or 4 times with 3-finger until it finally comes up.

I have not tried this:
W.showinputbutton = true;
//for fast input access of mobile keyboard show red input field when user enters an
//editable area. Very useful, if user wants to reposition the cursor fast
Just tap with your finger in the red square and the keyboard comes up.

I will test this out right away as I believe this will make users very happy! I dont know how this feature was able to sneak past me!

Again thank you all for the replies
Brian

[jkuijt]

I will test this out right away as I believe this will make users very happy! I dont know how this feature was able to sneak past me!

This setting should be default true, but that is just my opinion.

Best regards
Jeffrey

[jkuijt]

... got no more zoom-in issues on Chrome Mobile.

That's very good news Juergen, thanks!

Best regards
Jeffrey

[Brian]

I will test this out right away as I believe this will make users very happy! I dont know how this feature was able to sneak past me!

This setting should be default true, but that is just my opinion.

Best regards
Jeffrey

I agree!! I set this option on all our tsplus servers and will be sending a notice to many customers. I'm sure they will find it very useful - thanks for this!!