Clipboard

[stenlik]

Hi,

Does anybody know if it is possible in Symbian to replace data in the clipboard from background running non-GUI daemon? Next time user paste the data in UI application into CEikEdwin the content added by the daemon will be inserted there.

I can surely check the documentation, but if anyone has en experience with cut&pasting data in/from keyboard i will really appreciate that.

So the case is simple: The event triggers the background running daemon to fill the CClipboard with conent. Next time user paste the data into CEikEddwin the content will be there...

Thanks
Regards,
STeN

[wizard_hu_]

http://www.developer.nokia.com/Commu...Copy/Cut/Paste ? (? because I have not tried)

[stenlik]

Hi wizard_hu_,

Thanks for the answer - I found the link as well - but I was a bit worried if I do not need the COE environment for it...

Our use-case is following:

• There are existing applications on Symbian we cannot modify
• There is a bar code reader hardware we need to connect with those applications
• The requirement is to display the string (which is now entered manually by users) into editboxes within the application. The string is readed and loaded by bar-code reader

Our solution is:

• Making background running daemon, which communicates with the bar code reader
• When we read the data we put them into clipboard and we indicate to user (by vibration, sound, top level window, etc) that data were read
• The user then uses the soft level keyboard do paste the content to the edit box

Sure it would be MUCH better, to e.g. paste the value directly into focused edit control without user interaction, but I have doubts this is possible.

The other option is to modify the soft keyboard by adding the extra button - normally it can be red and becomes green when data are available - pressing the button we will paste the value into focused control - do you have any idea if we can use FEP for that? Can use of FEP help there?

The whole development is Symbian C++, not Qt.

Thanks for your comments - I always appreciate them.
BR
STeN

[wizard_hu_]

Thanks for the answer - I found the link as well - but I was a bit worried if I do not need the COE environment for it...

Correct me if I am overlooking something, but it seems to use CCoeEnv::Static()->FsSession() only, which is actually an RFs what you can easily create without GUI.

Sure it would be MUCH better, to e.g. paste the value directly into focused edit control without user interaction, but I have doubts this is possible.

You can experiment with simulating keypresses, like http://www.developer.nokia.com/Commu...ymbian_C%2B%2B - the FEP may buy if you send a long Shift (or # ?) and a softkey. Or, there might be some explicit "Insert" command.

The other option is to modify the soft keyboard by adding the extra button - normally it can be red and becomes green when data are available - pressing the button we will paste the value into focused control - do you have any idea if we can use FEP for that? Can use of FEP help there?

Extending the FEP is not possible, replacing it with a new one is probably not feasible.

An other direction would be finding application-specific methods. Keypresses, real/simulated, are good for the generic case, but if you want to put data into a Web page, the browser control may have something for that. If you want to import new contacts (ok, not really life-like for barcodes), there is certainly an API for that, etc.

[stenlik]

Hi wizard_hu_,

Many thanks for tips:

You can experiment with simulating keypresses, like http://www.developer.nokia.com/Commu...ymbian_C%2B%2B - the FEP may buy if you send a long Shift (or # ?) and a softkey. Or, there might be some explicit "Insert" command.

This surely works, i.e. worked some years ago - I was using that quite often. Good idea to try to use it with combination the soft keyboard...

Do you think simulation of the pointer (touch) event is also a possible way? I know I was trying to do some experiments in the past and it never wordked - but now it seems might work (http://www.developer.nokia.com/Commu...pointer_events)... Anyway that this is a worse way, since there are rotations, different soft keyboards, resolutions. Anyway would be interesting to know your option.

Do you know if it is possible to detect that the soft keyboard is on-screen? I do not know if I need to know that... - might not be necessary.

Extending the FEP is not possible, replacing it with a new one is probably not feasible.

Please correct me if I am wrong - I have never develop a FEP control - but if only one FEP can be running at time (http://www.developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/Fep) and since this cannot be extended, the only solution would be e.g. to come with complete own FEP keyboard with extended functionality (e.g. new button, that becomes green when data are available...). This is still an option, since we are talking about the application for limited number of users (100) inside a company. Or you think the FEP is blind way?

Do you know if - in the case - own FEP will be developed, if I can enable it only for some apps from the code, keeping the default FEP for all others, to not interfere e.g. with Contacts application?


Thanks for opinions.
Regards,
STeN

[wizard_hu_]

This surely works, i.e. worked some years ago - I was using that quite often. Good idea to try to use it with combination the soft keyboard...

Do you think simulation of the pointer (touch) event is also a possible way? I know I was trying to do some experiments in the past and it never wordked - but now it seems might work (http://www.developer.nokia.com/Commu...pointer_events)... Anyway that this is a worse way, since there are rotations, different soft keyboards, resolutions. Anyway would be interesting to know your option.

I can say 'yes, it may be worth a try' if it makes you feel better , but I have not tried it in action. Honestly said clicking around on the screen in an automated way sounds more scary to me than typing automatically.

Do you know if it is possible to detect that the soft keyboard is on-screen? I do not know if I need to know that... - might not be necessary.

http://www.developer.nokia.com/Commu...in_Symbian%5E3 (do not get misled by Qt seasoning, it is a Publish and Subscribe key actually)

[...FEP...] This is still an option, since we are talking about the application for limited number of users (100) inside a company. Or you think the FEP is blind way?

Developing a FEP is certainly a nice and challenging task, in fact the FEP is loaded into the given application, so it has better chances to check/track what is happening (UID of the application, perhaps the pointer to the focused control). The difficulty is really related to the numbers, although not the number of users, but to the number of different device models they are using. So yes, with a suitably low number of devices to support it is possible to do. For the do-not-interfere-with-other-applications part you will still have plenty of work however.

[stenlik]

Hi,

Thanks for nice discussion!! Currently the problem is the customer dislikes the clipboard solution, so I have to try to make with FEP

Regards,
STeN