unwanted: APL keyboard overlay enabled?

Question

I've been trying out APL. I'm running Windows 10 and I've installed Dyalog 18.0, and the APL Language and APL Backtick Symbols extentions for VS Code.

But even though I'm not running any of these programs, sometimes suddenly my keyboard is hyjacked! All my ctrl commands are replaced by APL symbols. E.g. ctrl-Z (undo) becomes ⊂ and ctrl-A (select all) becomes ⍺. I have no idea why and how to disable this again. This makes it very hard to do my work!!!

I've been googling for this, but haven't found an answer so far. I've looked at the Windows keyboard settings, but it looks normal. The locale settings are also correct. I'm now just de-installing everything, but that way I need to reinstall every time I want to try out APL.

Can somebody tell me what is happening and how to fix it? (And tell me who to complain to that this is a very hostile feature)

Harbison

Answer 1

I am sorry that our Unicode IME is causing you confusion.

I do like using it, but there are some Windows settings which I set to make things easier.

1. Start button->Settings

In the "Find a setting" edit field, type Advanced keyboard settings

Click on the icon with that text on it

Under Switching input methods: Tick the “Let me set a different input method for each app window”

Tick the "Use the desktop language bar when it's available". This option will show the orange D icon when our Dyalog Unicode IME is active.

2. On this same dialog, there is a Input language hot keys. I find it convenient to select a hot key combination to activate our Unicode IME, and another one to go back to the default Windows keyboard layout.

Close this dialog with the X button in the top right.

If you have further problems or questions, you can always ask us at [email protected]

By the way, we put links to advice pages about keyboards on our website under Resources->Fonts and Keyboards.

Regards,

Vince

Radborne

thanks for the quick reply! When I read IME, I did some research and found the setting. Great that you support via SO and also offer email support. I didn't expect that, as I'm just trying out the tool for now so I'm not a paying customer. – Harbison

Answer 2

When installing the standard Dyalog IME, there is a new keyboard input method on Windows. Have you checked WinKey+Space? This should cycle through available keyboard layouts and you should find your previous/default layout available there.

I personally agree that this is not a good way to handle keyboarding and causes many issues for newcomers to APL. Dyalog is aware and are looking into alternatives that can be comfortable for both new and existing users.

You can uninstall the standard IME without uninstalling the entire interpreter by running the Dyalog uninstaller (search "uninstall Dyalog" in your start menu) and selecting just the IME.

For now, I recommend the APL Wiki article on Typing Glyphs for some ideas for alternatives to the standard IME: https://aplwiki.com/wiki/Typing_glyphs#Windows

I personally use the abrudz keyboard with Alt Gr as the switching key.

Indicatory

Great answer. But disabling or changing the settings from within the Dyalog GUI has my preference. Thanks for answering though! – Harbison

I just found out that Alt-Shift also switches input methods. :( – Harbison

Answer 3

I just wanted to add that your complaint has reached the people who need to be complained to. This is a difficult problem space, between changing technologies, multiple platforms, new or casual users of APL and the folks who use APL all the time and want to type APL symbols into e-mail messages, etc. It is most definitely time for an overhaul of the keyboard technologies that we use and this will be on the to do list for the next development cycle. Until then, I hope you manage to get by with the advice that has been offered so far!

Thanks for the shout,

Morten Kromberg, CTO, Dyalog

Pronounced

Thanks for the heads up. Yeah, maybe I shouldn't try out new stuff on my work computer. Conor Hoekstra inspired me to try some development in APL and Dyalog seems the way to go. I still was confused about how Ride works with it though, because that also looks very nice. Maybe the APL community is yet too small. Thanks for the tool! – Harbison

RIDE is an Electron App, which has it's own implementation of the "introducer" keyboarding (on a US/UK keyboard, backquote followed by another keystroke). However, if you have the IME installed and enter APL symbols with it, RIDE will recognise them. So will almost all other Windows applications, which is why those of us who write APL all day and enter it into VS Code and other editor as well as Dyalog products enjoy appreciate it. I can see that it can be a bit of a shock to others. – Pronounced