Of Hot Keys

[lordofwings]

I am trying to get the hot key and menu working but have run into a stumble block.

According to the Programmer's Guide (FSUIPC) I can read the number of slots, that is clear.

Then afterwards one must write the assigned hotkey to the slot. But then it goes about talking about the virtual keycodes but refers to a document that I cannot find in the SDK, something about an Advanced Users guide or so.

I found the Controls document but has nothing about virtual keycodes. For example I want to use Ctrl+Shift+F for my hot key entry, what would that keycode be?

[Pete Dowson]

According to the Programmer's Guide (FSUIPC) I can read the number of slots, that is clear.

Yes.

Then afterwards one must write the assigned hotkey to the slot.

Not "the slot". You need to search the array of slots to find a free one first. Read the whole block in, search for a free one (zero), and use that. This avoids trampling over other program's settings.

But then it goes about talking about the virtual keycodes but refers to a document that I cannot find in the SDK, something about an Advanced Users guide or so.

Oh dear. The FSUIPC Advanced Users guide is part of the standard documentation Users get when they download FSUIPC. It always has been. Do you have FSUIPC?

That's why it mentions "users" -- all users get it. There's an "easy" User Guide and an "Advanced Users" guide. The latter documents keypresses, INI parameters etc etc.

Regards

Pete

[lordofwings]

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the info. The document in question was indeed not in the FSUIPC SDK I downloaded but in the FSUIPC that got installed on my system when I installed IvAp.

However, I do have another question. When I read the document it tells that to configure the hotkey I have to write those 4 bytes in the free slot. That is ok. It also says the first byte is the "virtual key code" , the 2nd the "shift modifiers" and so on.

But then on the document describing the Modules Menu (Programmer's Guide) it starts saying I have to write 0xFF to the first byte of the hotkey slot I am using. That would mean that the "virtual keycode" settings are then overwritten. Or am I missing something?

[Pete Dowson]

But then on the document describing the Modules Menu (Programmer's Guide) it starts saying I have to write 0xFF to the first byte of the hotkey slot I am using. That would mean that the "virtual keycode" settings are then overwritten. Or am I missing something?

Why are you mixing hot keys and menu entries in one slot?

You can't operate the Menu and a hot key from the same slot! There are many slots. You have to find an empty one for each hot key and each menu entry! They are separate things! The FF tells FSUIPC it's a menu reference, otherwise it's a Hot Key reference!

The two facilities are even described in separate sections. I cannot understand how you are misreading it all so strangely.

Pete

[lordofwings]

Well I read it and that is how I understood it. I read both separate sections but to me that simply looked like contradicting information because I did not read anything that you mention in the previous post that "it makes it a menu reference" and that "they are separate slots".

Remember, one thing is what the documentation says as interpreted by the one that wrote it, and another one might be what others interpret.

Sorry for me being so much into precise, unambiguous information. I guess it would help to state those things in the document as it would not hurt anybody ;-)

Thanks for the info.

[Pete Dowson]

Well I read it and that is how I understood it. I read both separate sections but to me that simply looked like contradicting information because I did not read anything that you mention in the previous post that "it makes it a menu reference" and that "they are separate slots".

Sorry, you are really confusing me now. I don't understand any of that.

I replied this to you in an earlier message when you referred to "the slot":

Not "the slot". You need to search the array of slots to find a free one first.

For any use of any slot it needs to be free first, otherwise it is not free! Isn't that plain? A slot which is used is not free for other use.

Remember, one thing is what the documentation says as interpreted by the one that wrote it, and another one might be what others interpret.

But why ignore the statement "find a free slot", which is step 1 in the instructions for implementing the Menu part? And it also clearly says "The application must search through to find an empty slot" early in the section on hot keys.

I really don't see how much clearer it could be.

I guess it would help to state those things in the document as it would not hurt anybody ;-)

State what things? That "the menu facility is not the same facility as the hot key facility, this is why they have different names and different sections and different methods, and in fact do different things"?

Sorry, I really think that since they are different in every way EXCEPT using a slot (a FREE slot), there should be no reason to point out that they are different. Surely you can see that?

Pete