virtual keyboard is not as good as it used to

[Tasosgemah]

I updated from an older version (i think it was 0.9.9 or something like that) to the newest and i noticed that the virtual keyboard doesn't work the same way.

In the older version, when i pressed the virtual keyboard button, it would make the keyboard appear at once. It would also appear at the bottom of the screen most of the times, which makes more sense since when games ask you what key to press for selecting something in DOS (like what sound card you want to launch the game with), the text is usually at the top of the screen. This way the virtual keyboard doesn't get in the way.

In the latest version when i press the virtual button hotkey it brings the launch menu instead. I don't know why this is useful, i already launched the game, why would i need to bring the same menu while the game is running? I could just reset the game if i wanted to launch something else. So in order to bring the keyboard now you have to press the shoulder button while in that menu. So now you have to press two buttons. And this time the keyboard also appears at the top, which gets in the way.

Is there a way to make the virtual keyboard work the same way it used to work in the older version? Without bringing the launch menu first and being at the bottom of the screen?

[Ultrahead]

I agree that the keyboard should appear first, like it used to.

[redmist77]

Yes, just like to add my feedback to this. I agree that it was much better when the virtual keyboard was only one-click away by default.

[redmist77]

~~It bugged me quite a bit so I looked in the code and you can get the old behavior by changing line 1747 in dosbox_pure_osd.h.~~

~~The .sln builds in a default install of VS 2022 Community so no messing around required.~~

~~1747:- else if (in_mode == _DBPOSD_OPEN && (!default_shown || last_map != dbp_map_osd)) { mode = ((last_map = dbp_map_osd) == 'k' ? DBPOSD_OSK : DBPOSD_MAIN); default_shown = true; }~~ ~~1747:+ else if (in_mode == _DBPOSD_OPEN && (!default_shown || last_map != dbp_map_osd)) { mode = ((last_map = dbp_map_osd) == 'k' ? DBPOSD_MAIN : DBPOSD_OSK); default_shown = true; }~~

See below

[Tasosgemah]

@redmist77

Could you compile a dll for us to use until this is fixed?

[schellingb]

@redmist77 You're aware that you changed it so the setting "On (Default to Menu)" will now open the keyboard and the setting "On (Default to On-Screen Keyboard)" will now open the menu? Why not just use the core option?

As part of #644 commit a1c81ef introduced a third option to the "Use L3 Button to Show Menu" core option. The options now are:

• On (Default to Menu)
• On (Default to On-Screen Keyboard)
• Off

Unless there is more feedback, no further fixes are planned. @Tasosgemah Is there anything missing? If you need a nightly build to try out latest commits yourself, you can find it by clicking on the "Actions" button at the top of the GitHub project.

[Tasosgemah]

Sorry, i don't know how to use the Actions page. Couldn't find anything to download there.

[redmist77]

• On (Default to Menu)
• On (Default to On-Screen Keyboard)
• Off

Sorry! I wasn't aware that option had been added. The way you've done it makes perfect sense - just a bit of a trap for people used to certain behaviour 😊