Problems with Keyboard's number block and ALT+Arrow Left (Windows 10)

[AnaMarkH]

First, thank you for this great piece of software!

When active under Windows 10, I found two issues on a german ISO layout keyboard with separate number block:

1. When EPKL is active, the decimal separator on the number block no longer works (in the german layout, it should give a coma ',').

2. When using the extend layer, the combination ALT + Left Arrow (to go back in certain file explorers like Q-Dir) does not work. In some software, it works. So I assume the software checks for the LALT key in different ways. Any idea?

I have set EPKL to use the System keyboard layout using "System\Sys-SC_ISO:System-SC (ISO)".

[DreymaR]

Ah. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mapped the NumPad period at all in the System layout. I've pushed a commit unmapping it, but if you prefer to do it yourself you can uncomment the last line of your active System BaseLayout.

The Alt+Arrow thing is more iffy, but I see that I've mapped the Arrow keys and you can just unmap them if you don't need them for anything EPKL. According to my own comments, that can be a bit strange together with Sticky Shift so find out what works for you.

Either do it the "proper" way by setting those keys to "Unmapped" in a Layouts_Override file (you can use the Key Mapper UI for it) or the dirty way by commenting out these lines:

BigBagKbdTrixPKL/EPKL_Layouts_Default.ini

Lines 230 to 233 in 1576da6

	QW_LE = System ; LEFT VKey ; SC14b: Left [Note: - VK-mapped arrow keys used to have trouble with the Shift key(s). ]
	QW_UP = System ; UP VKey ; SC148: Up [ - After a while it'd take both Shift keys to arrow-select text. ]
	QW_DN = System ; DOWN VKey ; SC150: Down [ - The problem was the same as above. Hopefully, it's all fixed now! ]
	QW_RI = System ; RIGHT VKey ; SC14d: Right [ - Not having the arrows mapped caused Sticky Shift to not release. ]

I'm assuming you meant the physical arrow keys, and not the Extend-arrows?

[AnaMarkH]

Removing the mapping of the NumPad period solves my issue #1 above. Then the decimal on the NumPad works fine.

Ref. #2:
I mean the combination CapsLock + A + J (using the QWERTY layout; in ColeMak it's CapsLock + A + N) which should be mapped to Alt + ArrowLeft (according to the definition in Files_eD_Extend.ini, lines 149 & 156).

That combination correctly triggers "back" e.g. in FireFox. But it does not work in Q-Dir. Using the "normal" left Alt + ArrowLeft works in Q-Dir. The extend layer's ArrowLeft works fine in Q-Dir.

As it works in FireFox, it means that my keyboard is able to send the three keys pressed.

It seems that there are different ways in windows to detect whether the Alt key is pressed, and that the method used in EPKL does not address all of them.

[DreymaR]

Does the physical Alt key with the Extend+N arrow work in Q-Dir?

There are a few such weird cases. The Alt key is particularly tricky. But I don't think your analysis necessarily is the right answer, nevertheless. Not that I have a better answer, myself.

A possible workaround could be to map Alt+Left to a tap layer, such as MoDK Ext-tap.

Also, does the Media Back key (Ext+F on Colemak) work in Q-Dir?

[AnaMarkH]

The physical Alt key with the Extend+N arrow

• does NOT work in Q-Dir
• but works in Firefox

The Media Back key (Ext+F on Colemak) does not work in Q-Dir as well.