[PATCH:xkbcomp] Remove out-of-date copies of README.config & README.enhancing
Alan Coopersmith
alan.coopersmith at oracle.com
Tue Jan 4 00:07:05 PST 2011
The up-to-date master copies of those documents are found in the xorg-docs
module, and posted on the X.Org website.
Also, x-docs.org is now a spam domain, so point to X.Org's website instead.
Signed-off-by: Alan Coopersmith <alan.coopersmith at oracle.com>
---
Makefile.am | 6 +-
README | 8 +-
README.config | 195 ---------------------
README.enhancing | 508 ------------------------------------------------------
4 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 714 deletions(-)
delete mode 100644 README.config
delete mode 100644 README.enhancing
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index cf33e69..f612848 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -65,15 +65,11 @@ BUILT_SOURCES = xkbparse.c
MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = ChangeLog INSTALL
MAINTAINERCLEANFILES += $(BUILT_SOURCES)
-EXTRA_DIST = \
- README.config \
- README.enhancing
-
appmandir = $(APP_MAN_DIR)
appman_DATA = $(appman_PRE:man=@APP_MAN_SUFFIX@)
-EXTRA_DIST += $(appman_PRE)
+EXTRA_DIST = $(appman_PRE)
CLEANFILES = $(appman_DATA)
SUFFIXES = .$(APP_MAN_SUFFIX) .man
diff --git a/README b/README
index 89dc3e6..b8eef63 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -13,12 +13,8 @@ xkb symbolic names: symbols, geometry, keycodes, compat and types which
determine the keyboard behaviour. These five components can combined together
into a resulting keyboard mapping using the 'rules' component.
-The complete specification can be found on
-http://www.x-docs.org/XKB/XKBproto.pdf
+More information, including the complete specification can be found on
+http://www.x.org/wiki/XKB
-For XKB configuration information see 'README.config' file.
-
-For information how to further enhance XKB configuration see 'README.enhancing'
-file.
diff --git a/README.config b/README.config
deleted file mode 100644
index 2cce521..0000000
--- a/README.config
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,195 +0,0 @@
- The XKB Configuration Guide
-
- Kamil Toman, Ivan U. Pascal
-
- 25 November 2002
-
- Abstract
-
- This document describes how to configure X11R6.8 XKB from a user's
- point a few. It converts basic configuration syntax and gives also
- a few examples.
-
-1. Overview
-
-The XKB configuration is decomposed into a number of components. Selecting
-proper parts and combining them back you can achieve most of configurations
-you might need. Unless you have a completely atypical keyboard you really
-don't need to touch any of xkb configuration files.
-
-2. Selecting XKB Configuration
-
-The easiest and the most natural way how to specify a keyboard mapping is to
-use rules component. As its name suggests it describes a number of general
-rules how to combine all bits and pieces into a valid and useful keyboard
-mapping. All you need to do is to select a suitable rules file and then to
-feed it with a few parameters that will adjust the keyboard behaviour to ful-
-fill your needs.
-
-The parameters are:
-
- o XkbRules - files of rules to be used for keyboard mapping composition
-
- o XkbModel - name of model of your keyboard type
-
- o XkbLayout - layout(s) you intend to use
-
- o XkbVariant - variant(s) of layout you intend to use
-
- o XkbOptions - extra xkb configuration options
-
-The proper rules file depends on your vendor. In reality, the commonest file
-of rules is xorg. For each rules file there is a description file named <ven-
-dor-rules>.lst, for instance xorg.lst which is located in xkb configuration
-subdirectory rules (for example /etc/X11/xkb/rules).
-
-2.1 Basic Configuration
-
-Let's say you want to configure a PC style America keyboard with 104 keys as
-described in xorg.lst. It can be done by simply writing several lines from
-below to you xorg.conf configuration file (previously known as
-/etc/X11/XF86Config-4 or /etc/X11/XF86Config):
-
- Section "InputDevice"
- Identifier "Keyboard1"
- Driver "kbd"
-
- Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
- Option "XkbLayout" "us"
- Option "XKbOptions" ""
- EndSection
-
-The values of parameters XkbModel and XkbLayout are really not surprising.
-The parameters XkbOptions has been explicitly set to empty set of parameters.
-The parameter XkbVariant has been left out. That means the default variant
-named basic is loaded.
-
-Of course, this can be also done at runtime using utility setxkbmap. Shell
-command loading the same keyboard mapping would look like:
-
- setxkbmap -rules xorg -model pc104 -layout us -option ""
-
-The configuration and the shell command would be very analogical for most
-other layouts (internationalized mappings).
-
-2.2 Advanced Configuration
-
-You can use multi-layouts xkb configuration. What does it mean? Basically it
-allows to load up to four different keyboard layouts at a time. Each such
-layout would reside in its own group. The groups (unlike complete keyboard
-remapping) can be switched very fast from one to another by a combination of
-keys.
-
-Let's say you want to configure your new Logitech cordless desktop keyboard,
-you intend to use three different layouts at the same time - us, czech and
-german (in this order), and that you are used to Alt-Shift combination for
-switching among them.
-
-Then the configuration snippet could look like this:
-
- Section "InputDevice"
- Identifier "Keyboard1"
- Driver "kbd"
-
- Option "XkbModel" "logicordless"
- Option "XkbLayout" "us,cz,de"
- Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
- EndSection
-
-Of course, this can be also done at runtime using utility setxkbmap. Shell
-command loading the same keyboard mapping would look like:
-
- setxkbmap -rules xorg -model logicordless -layout "us,cz,de" \
- -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
-
-2.3 Even More Advanced Configuration
-
-Okay, let's say you are more demanding. You do like the example above but you
-want it to change a bit. Let's imagine you want the czech keyboard mapping to
-use another variant but basic. The configuration snippet then changes into:
-
- Section "InputDevice"
- Identifier "Keyboard1"
- Driver "kbd"
-
- Option "XkbModel" "logicordless"
- Option "XkbLayout" "us,cz,de"
- Option "XkbVariant" ",bksl,"
- Option "XKbOptions" "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
- EndSection
-
-That's seems tricky but it is not. The logic for settings of variants is the
-same as for layouts, that means the first and the third variant settings are
-left out (set to basic), the second is set to bksl (a special variant with an
-enhanced definition of the backslash key).
-
-Analogically, the loading runtime will change to:
-
- setxkmap -rules xorg -model logicordless -layout "us,cz,de" \
- -variant ",bksl," -option "grp:alt_shift_toggle"
-
-2.4 Basic Global Options
-
-See rules/*.lst files.
-
-3. Direct XKB Configuration
-
-Generally, you can directly prescribe what configuration of each of basic xkb
-components should be used to form the resulting keyboard mapping. This
-method is rather "brute force". You precisely need to know the structure and
-the meaning of all of used configuration components.
-
-This method also exposes all xkb configuration details directly into
-xorg.conf configuration file which is a not very fortunate fact. In rare
-occasions it may be needed, though. So how does it work?
-
-3.1 Basic Components
-
-There are five basic components used to form a keyboard mapping:
-
- o key codes - a translation of the scan codes produced by the keyboard
- into a suitable symbolic form
-
- o types - a specification of what various combinations of modifiers pro-
- duce
-
- o key symbols - a translation of symbolic key codes into actual symbols
-
- o geometry - a description of physical keyboard geometry
-
- o compatibility maps - a specification of what action should each key pro-
- duce in order to preserve compatibility with XKB-unware clients
-
-3.2 Example Configuration
-
-Look at the following example:
-
- Section "InputDevice"
- Identifier "Keyboard0"
- Driver "kbd"
-
- Option "XkbKeycodes" "xorg"
- Option "XkbTypes" "default"
- Option "XkbSymbols" "en_US(pc104)+de+swapcaps"
- Option "XkbGeometry" "pc(pc104)"
- Option "XkbCompat" "basic+pc+iso9995"
- EndSection
-
-This configuration sets the standard X server default interpretation of key-
-board keycodes, sets the default modificator types. The symbol table is com-
-posed of extended US keyboard layout in its variant for pc keyboards with 104
-keys plus all keys for german layout are redefined respectively. Also the
-logical meaning of Caps-lock and Control keys is swapped. The standard key-
-board geometry (physical look) is set to pc style keyboard with 104 keys. The
-compatibility map is set to allow basic shifting, to allow Alt keys to be
-interpreted and also to allow iso9995 group shifting.
-
-4. Keymap XKB Configuration
-
-It is the formerly used way to configure xkb. The user included a special
-keymap file which specified the direct xkb configuration. This method has
-been obsoleted by previously described rules files which are far more flexi-
-ble and allow simpler and more intuitive syntax. It is preserved merely for
-compatibility reasons. Avoid using it if it is possible.
-
-
diff --git a/README.enhancing b/README.enhancing
deleted file mode 100644
index 746902c..0000000
--- a/README.enhancing
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,508 +0,0 @@
- How to further enhance XKB configuration
-
- Kamil Toman, Ivan U. Pascal
-
- 25 November 2002
-
- Abstract
-
- This guide is aimed to relieve one's labour to create a new (inter-
- nationalized) keyboard layout. Unlike other documents this guide
- accents the keymap developer's point of view.
-
-1. Overview
-
-The developer of a new layout should read the xkb protocol specification (The
-X Keyboard Extension: Protocol Specification <URL:http://www.x-
-docs.org/XKB/XKBproto.pdf>) at least to clarify for himself some xkb-specific
-terms used in this document and elsewhere in xkb configuration. Also it shows
-wise to understand how the X server and a client digest their keyboard inputs
-(with and without xkb).
-
-A useful source is also Ivan Pascal's text about xkb configuration
-<URL:http://www.tsu.ru/~pascal/en/xkb> often referenced throughout this docu-
-ment.
-
-Note that this document covers only enhancements which are to be made to
-XFree86 version 4.3 and X11R6.7.0 and above.
-
-2. The Basics
-
-At the startup (or at later at user's command) X server starts its xkb key-
-board module extension and reads data from a compiled configuration file.
-
-This compiled configuration file is prepared by the program xkbcomp which
-behaves altogether as an ordinary compiler (see man xkbcomp). Its input are
-human readable xkb configuration files which are verified and then composed
-into a useful xkb configuration. Users don't need to mess with xkbcomp them-
-selves, for them it is invisible. Usually, it is started upon X server
-startup.
-
-As you probably already know, the xkb configuration consists of five main
-modules:
-
- Keycodes
- Tables that defines translation from keyboard scan codes into
- reasonable symbolic names, maximum, minimum legal keycodes, sym-
- bolic aliases and description of physically present LED-indica-
- tors. The primary sence of this component is to allow definitions
- of maps of symbols (see below) to be independent of physical key-
- board scancodes. There are two main naming conventions for sym-
- bolic names (always four bytes long):
-
- o names which express some traditional meaning like <SPCE>
- (stands for space bar) or
-
- o names which express some relative positioning on a key-
- board, for example <AE01> (an exclamation mark on US key-
- boards), on the right there are keys <AE02>, <AE03> etc.
-
- Types
- Types describe how the produced key is changed by active modi-
- fiers (like Shift, Control, Alt, ...). There are several prede-
- fined types which cover most of used combinations.
-
- Compat
- Compatibility component defines internal behaviour of modifiers.
- Using compat component you can assign various actions (elabo-
- rately described in xkb specification) to key events. This is
- also the place where LED-indicators behaviour is defined.
-
- Symbols
- For i18n purposes, this is the most important table. It defines
- what values (=symbols) are assigned to what keycodes (represented
- by their symbolic name, see above). There may be defined more
- than one value for each key and then it depends on a key type and
- on modifiers state (respective compat component) which value will
- be the resulting one.
-
- Geometry
- Geometry files aren't used by xkb itself but they may be used by
- some external programs to depict a keyboard image.
-
-All these components have the files located in xkb configuration tree in sub-
-directories with the same names (usually in /usr/lib/X11/xkb).
-
-3. Enhancing XKB Configuration
-
-Most of xkb enhancements concerns a need to define new output symbols for the
-some input key events. In other words, a need to define a new symbol map (for
-a new language, standard or just to feel more comfortable when typing text).
-
-What do you need to do? Generally, you have to define following things:
-
- o the map of symbols itself
-
- o the rules to allow users to select the new mapping
-
- o the description of the new layout
-
-First of all, it is good to go through existing layouts and to examine them
-if there is something you could easily adjust to fit your needs. Even if
-there is nothing similar you may get some ideas about basic concepts and used
-tricks.
-
-3.1 Levels And Groups
-
-Since XFree86 4.3.0 and X11R6.7.0 you can use multi-layout concept of xkb
-configuration. Though it is still in boundaries of xkb protocol and general
-ideas, the keymap designer must obey new rules when creating new maps. In
-exchange we get a more powerful and cleaner configuration system.
-
-Remember that it is the application which must decide which symbol matches
-which keycode according to effective modifier state. The X server itself
-sends only an input event message to. Of course, usually the general inter-
-pretation is processed by Xlib, Xaw, Motif, Qt, Gtk and similar libraries.
-The X server only supplies its mapping table (usually upon an application
-startup).
-
-You can think of the X server's symbol table as of a irregular table where
-each keycode has its row and where each combination of modifiers determines
-exactly one column. The resulting cell then gives the proper symbolic value.
-Not all keycodes need to bind different values for different combination of
-modifiers. <ENTER> key, for instance, usually doesn't depend on any modi-
-fiers so it its row has only one column defined.
-
-Note that in XKB there is no prior assumption that certain modifiers are
-bound to certain columns. By editing proper files (see refnam (section 4.2,
-page 1)) this mapping can be changed as well.
-
-Unlike the original X protocol the XKB approach is far more flexible. It is
-comfortable to add one additional XKB term - group. You can think of a group
-as of a vector of columns per each keycode (naturally the dimension of this
-vector may differ for different keycodes). What is it good for? The group is
-not very useful unless you intend to use more than one logically different
-set of symbols (like more than one alphabet) defined in a single mapping
-table. But then, the group has a natural meaning - each symbol set has its
-own group and changing it means selecting a different one. XKB approach
-allows up to four different groups. The columns inside each group are called
-(shift) levels. The X server knows the current group and reports it together
-with modifier set and with a keycode in key events.
-
-To sum it up:
-
- o for each keycode XKB keyboard map contains up to four one-dimensional
- tables - groups (logically different symbol sets)
-
- o for each group of a keycode XKB keyboard map contains some columns -
- shift levels (values reached by combinations of Shift, Ctrl, Alt, ...
- modifiers)
-
- o different keycodes can have different number of groups
-
- o different groups of one keycode can have different number of shift lev-
- els
-
- o the current group number is tracked by X server
-
-It is clear that if you sanely define levels, groups and sanely bind modi-
-fiers and associated actions you can have simultaneously loaded up to four
-different symbol sets where each of them would reside in its own group.
-
-The multi-layout concept provides a facility to manipulate xkb groups and
-symbol definitions in a way that allows almost arbitrary composition of pre-
-defined symbol tables. To keep it fully functional you have to:
-
- o define all symbols only in the first group
-
- o (re)define any modifiers with extra care to avoid strange (anisometric)
- behaviour
-
-4. Defining New Layouts
-
-See Some Words About XKB internals <URL:http://www.tsu.ru/~pas-
-cal/en/xkb/internals.html> for explanation of used xkb terms and problems
-addressed by XKB extension.
-
-See Common notes about XKB configuration files language
-<URL:http://www.tsu.ru/~pascal/en/xkb/gram-common.html> for more precise
-explanation of syntax of xkb configuration files.
-
-4.1 Predefined XKB Symbol Sets
-
-If you are about to define some European symbol map extension, you might want
-to use on of four predefined latin alphabet layouts.
-
-Okay, let's assume you want extend an existing keymap and you want to over-
-ride a few keys. Let's take a simple U.K. keyboard as an example (defined in
-pc/gb):
-
- partial default alphanumeric_keys
- xkb_symbols "basic" {
- include "pc/latin"
-
- name[Group1]="Great Britain";
-
- key <AE02> { [ 2, quotedbl, twosuperior, oneeighth ] };
- key <AE03> { [ 3, sterling, threesuperior, sterling ] };
- key <AC11> { [apostrophe, at, dead_circumflex, dead_caron] };
- key <TLDE> { [ grave, notsign, bar, bar ] };
- key <BKSL> { [numbersign, asciitilde, dead_grave, dead_breve ] };
- key <RALT> { type[Group1]="TWO_LEVEL",
- [ ISO_Level3_Shift, Multi_key ] };
-
- modifier_map Mod5 { <RALT> };
- };
-
-It defines a new layout in basic variant as an extension of common latin
-alphabet layout. The layout (symbol set) name is set to "Great Britain".
-Then there are redefinitions of a few keycodes and a modifiers binding. As
-you can see the number of shift levels is the same for <AE02>, <AE03>,
-<AC11>, <TLDE> and <BKSL> keys but it differs from number of shift levels of
-<RALT>.
-
-Note that the <RALT> key itself is a binding key for Mod5 and that it serves
-like a shift modifier for LevelThree, together with Shift as a multi-key. It
-is a good habit to respect this rule in a new similar layout.
-
-Okay, you could now define more variants of your new layout besides basic
-simply by including (augmenting/overriding/...) the basic definition and
-altering what may be needed.
-
-4.2 Key Types
-
-The differences in the number of columns (shift levels) are caused by a dif-
-ferent types of keys (see the types definition in section basics). Most key-
-codes have implicitly set the keytype in the included 'pc/latin' file to
-'FOUR_LEVEL_ALPHABETIC'. The only exception is <RALT> keycode which is
-explicitly set 'TWO_LEVEL' keytype.
-
-All those names refer to pre-defined shift level schemes. Usually you can
-choose a suitable shift level scheme from default types scheme list in proper
-xkb component's subdirectory.
-
-The most used schemes are:
-
- ONE_LEVEL
- The key does not depend on any modifiers. The symbol from first
- level is always chosen.
-
- TWO_LEVEL
- The key uses a modifier Shift and may have two possible values.
- The second level may be chosen by Shift modifier. If Lock modi-
- fier (usually Caps-lock) applies the symbol is further processed
- using system-specific capitalization rules. If both Shift+Lock
- modifier apply the symbol from the second level is taken and cap-
- italization rules are applied (and usually have no effect).
-
- ALPHABETIC
- The key uses modifiers Shift and Lock. It may have two possible
- values. The second level may be chosen by Shift modifier. When
- Lock modifier applies, the symbol from the first level is taken
- and further processed using system-specific capitalization rules.
- If both Shift+Lock modifier apply the symbol from the first level
- is taken and no capitalization rules applied. This is often
- called shift-cancels-caps behaviour.
-
- THREE_LEVEL
- Is the same as TWO_LEVEL but it considers an extra modifier -
- LevelThree which can be used to gain the symbol value from the
- third level. If both Shift+LevelThree modifiers apply the value
- from the third level is also taken. As in TWO_LEVEL, the Lock
- modifier doesn't influence the resulting level. Only Shift and
- LevelThree are taken into that consideration. If the Lock modi-
- fier is active capitalization rules are applied on the resulting
- symbol.
-
- FOUR_LEVEL
- Is the same as THREE_LEVEL but unlike LEVEL_THREE if both
- Shift+LevelThree modifiers apply the symbol is taken from the
- fourth level.
-
- FOUR_LEVEL_ALPHABETIC
- Is similar to FOUR_LEVEL but also defines shift-cancels-caps
- behaviour as in ALPHABETIC. If Lock+LevelThree apply the symbol
- from the third level is taken and the capitalization rules are
- applied. If Lock+Shift+LevelThree apply the symbol from the
- third level is taken and no capitalization rules are applied.
-
- KEYPAD
- As the name suggest this scheme is primarily used for numeric
- keypads. The scheme considers two modifiers - Shift and NumLock.
- If none of modifiers applies the symbol from the first level is
- taken. If either Shift or NumLock modifiers apply the symbol from
- the second level is taken. If both Shift+NumLock modifiers apply
- the symbol from the first level is taken. Again, shift-cancels-
- caps variant.
-
- FOUR_LEVEL_KEYPAD
- Is similar to KEYPAD scheme but considers also LevelThree modi-
- fier. If LevelThree modifier applies the symbol from the third
- level is taken. If Shift+LevelThree or NumLock+LevelThree apply
- the symbol from the fourth level is taken. If all Shift+Num-
- Lock+LevelThree modifiers apply the symbol from the third level
- is taken. This also, shift-cancels-caps variant.
-
-Besides that, there are several schemes for special purposes:
-
- PC_BREAK
- It is similar to TWO_LEVEL scheme but it considers the Control
- modifier rather than Shift. That means, the symbol from the sec-
- ond level is chosen by Control rather than by Shift.
-
- PC_SYSRQ
- It is similar to TWO_LEVEL scheme but it considers the Alt modi-
- fier rather than Shift. That means, the symbol from the second
- level is chosen by Alt rather than by Shift.
-
- CTRL+ALT
- The key uses modifiers Alt and Control. It may have two possible
- values. If only one modifier (Alt or Control) applies the symbol
- from the first level is chosen. Only if both Alt+Control modi-
- fiers apply the symbol from the second level is chosen.
-
- SHIFT+ALT
- The key uses modifiers Shift and Alt. It may have two possible
- values. If only one modifier (Alt or Shift) applies the symbol
- from the first level is chosen. Only if both Alt+Shift modifiers
- apply the symbol from the second level is chosen.
-
-If needed, special caps schemes may be used. They redefine the standard
-behaviour of all *ALPHABETIC types. The layouts (maps of symbols) with keys
-defined in respective types then automatically change their behaviour accord-
-ingly. Possible redefinitions are:
-
- o internal
-
- o internal_nocancel
-
- o shift
-
- o shift_nocancel
-
-None of these schemes should be used directly. They are defined merely for
-'caps:' xkb options (used to globally change the layouts behaviour).
-
-Don't alter any of existing key types. If you need a different behaviour cre-
-ate a new one.
-
-4.2.1 More On Definitions Of Types
-
-When the XKB software deals with a separate type description it gets a com-
-plete list of modifiers that should be taken into account from the 'modi-
-fiers=<list of modifiers>' list and expects that a set of 'map[<combination
-of modifiers>]=<list of modifiers>' instructions that contain the mapping for
-each combination of modifiers mentioned in that list. Modifiers that are not
-explicitly listed are NOT taken into account when the resulting shift level
-is computed. If some combination is omitted the program (subroutine) should
-choose the first level for this combination (a quite reasonable behavior).
-
-Lets consider an example with two modifiers ModOne and ModTwo:
-
- type "..." {
- modifiers = ModOne+ModTwo;
- map[None] = Level1;
- map[ModOne] = Level2;
- };
-
-In this case the map statements for ModTwo only and ModOne+ModTwo are omit-
-ted. It means that if the ModTwo is active the subroutine can't found
-explicit mapping for such combination an will use the default level i.e.
-Level1.
-
-But in the case the type described as:
-
- type "..." {
- modifiers = ModOne;
- map[None] = Level1;
- map[ModOne] = Level2;
- };
-
-the ModTwo will not be taken into account and the resulting level depends on
-the ModOne state only. That means, ModTwo alone produces the Level1 but the
-combination ModOne+ModTwo produces the Level2 as well as ModOne alone.
-
-What does it mean if the second modifier is the Lock? It means that in the
-first case (the Lock itself is included in the list of modifiers but combina-
-tions with this modifier aren't mentioned in the map statements) the internal
-capitalization rules will be applied to the symbol from the first level. But
-in the second case the capitalization will be applied to the symbol chosen
-accordingly to he first modifier - and this can be the symbol from the first
-as well as from the second level.
-
-Usually, all modifiers introduced in 'modifiers=<list of modifiers>' list are
-used for shift level calculation and then discarded. Sometimes this is not
-desirable. If you want to use a modifier for shift level calculation but you
-don't want to discard it, you may list in 'preserve[<combination of modi-
-fiers>]=<list of modifiers>'. That means, for a given combination all listed
-modifiers will be preserved. If the Lock modifier is preserved then the
-resulting symbol is passed to internal capitalization routine regardless
-whether it has been used for a shift level calculation or not.
-
-Any key type description can use both real and virtual modifiers. Since real
-modifiers always have standard names it is not necessary to explicitly
-declare them. Virtual modifiers can have arbitrary names and can be declared
-(prior using them) directly in key type definition:
-
- virtual_modifiers <comma-separated list of modifiers> ;
-
-as seen in for example basic, pc or mousekeys key type definitions.
-
-4.3 Rules
-
-Once you are finished with your symbol map you need to add it to rules file.
-The rules file describes how all the five basic keycodes, types, compat, sym-
-bols and geometry components should be composed to give a sensible resulting
-xkb configuration.
-
-The main advantage of rules over formerly used keymaps is a possibility to
-simply parameterize (once) fixed patterns of configurations and thus to ele-
-gantly allow substitutions of various local configurations into predefined
-templates.
-
-A pattern in a rules file (often located in /usr/lib/X11/xkb/rules) can be
-parameterized with four other arguments: Model, Layout, Variant and Options.
-For most cases parameters model and layout should be sufficient for choosing
-a functional keyboard mapping.
-
-The rules file itself is composed of pattern lines and lines with rules. The
-pattern line starts with an exclamation mark ('!') and describes how will the
-xkb interpret the following lines (rules). A sample rules file looks like
-this:
-
- ! model = keycodes
- macintosh_old = macintosh
- ...
- * = xorg
-
- ! model = symbols
- hp = +inet(%m)
- microsoftpro = +inet(%m)
- geniuscomfy = +inet(%m)
-
- ! model layout[1] = symbols
- macintosh us = macintosh/us%(v[1])
- * * = pc/pc(%m)+pc/%l[1]%(v[1])
-
- ! model layout[2] = symbols
- macintosh us = +macintosh/us[2]%(v[2]):2
- * * = +pc/%l[2]%(v[2]):2
-
- ! option = types
- caps:internal = +caps(internal)
- caps:internal_nocancel = +caps(internal_nocancel)
-
-Each rule defines what certain combination of values on the left side of
-equal sign ('=') results in. For example a (keyboard) model macintosh_old
-instructs xkb to take definitions of keycodes from file keycodes/macintosh
-while the rest of models (represented by a wild card '*') instructs it to
-take them from file keycodes/xorg. The wild card represents all possible val-
-ues on the left side which were not found in any of the previous rules. The
-more specialized (more complete) rules have higher precedence than general
-ones, i.e. the more general rules supply reasonable default values.
-
-As you can see some lines contain substitution parameters - the parameters
-preceded by the percent sign ('%'). The first alphabetical character after
-the percent sign expands to the value which has been found on the left side.
-For example +%l%(v) expands into +cz(bksl) if the respective values on the
-left side were cz layout in its bksl variant. More, if the layout resp. vari-
-ant parameter is followed by a pair of brackets ('[', ']') it means that xkb
-should place the layout resp. variant into specified xkb group. If the brack-
-ets are omitted the first group is the default value.
-
-So the second block of rules enhances symbol definitions for some particular
-keyboard models with extra keys (for internet, multimedia, ...) . Other mod-
-els are left intact. Similarly, the last block overrides some key type defi-
-nitions, so the common global behaviour ''shift cancels caps'' or ''shift
-doesn't cancel caps'' can be selected. The rest of rules produces special
-symbols for each variant us layout of macintosh keyboard and standard pc sym-
-bols in appropriate variants as a default.
-
-4.4 Descriptive Files of Rules
-
-Now you just need to add a detailed description to <rules>.xml description
-file so the other users (and external programs which often parse this file)
-know what is your work about.
-
-4.4.1 Old Descriptive Files
-
-The formerly used descriptive files were named <rules>.lst Its structure is
-very simple and quite self descriptive but such simplicity had also some cav-
-ities, for example there was no way how to describe local variants of layouts
-and there were problems with the localization of descriptions. To preserve
-compatibility with some older programs, new XML descriptive files can be con-
-verted to old format '.lst'.
-
-For each parameter of rules file should be described its meaning. For the
-rules file described above the .lst file could look like:
-
- ! model
- pc104 Generic 104-key PC
- microsoft Microsoft Natural
- pc98 PC-98xx Series
- macintosh Original Macintosh
- ...
-
- ! layout
- us U.S. English
- cz Czech
- de German
- ...
-
- ! option
- caps:internal uses internal capitalization. Shift cancels Caps
- caps:internal_nocancel uses internal capitalization. Shift doesn't cancel Caps
-
-And that should be it. Enjoy creating your own xkb mapping.
-
-
--
1.7.3.2
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