WebTerm Frequently Asked Questions
Does WebTerm support keyboard re-mapping?
Overview:
Many host applications have specific function keys that are required for users to accomplish their goals. Various users have different kinds of keyboards that don't all have the same keys. Hence, keyboard re-mapping is configurable via the WebTerm Administrator.
Why is Keyboard Re-mapping Necessary?
Suppose you have a host application that supports TN3270 and that a user pressing PF24 invokes an often-used function of that application. With WebTerm's default keyboard mapping, you would press the PC or Macintosh F15 key to send a PF24 keystroke to the host application. But what happens if one or more of your users doesn't have a keyboard with an F15 key? Or what if the user is on a laptop that has an inconvenient three-keystroke method to press F15? It would be convenient if you could automatically define one or more common keys that you are sure your entire audience will have, regardless of the keyboard they use.
How Keyboard Re-mapping Works in WebTerm Toolbox:
With WebTerm's keyboard re-mapping function, you use a graphical tool accessed from the WebTerm Administrator program Keyboard tab to map a key from an "original" host keyboard to one or more keys that exist on your user's PC and Macintosh keyboards. In the last example, you could map the host PF24 key to three keys, otherwise unused; PF24 could be mapped to CTRL+A, F12, and CTRL+NUM KEYPAD 1. In this way, the user could send a PF24 keystroke to the host even whether or not they have a numeric keypad or a full row of function keys.
Re-mapping the Keyboard:
The keyboard re-mapping information you configure is stored in the WTS file. Each WTS file can have different keyboard re-maps. In other words, you have the capability of distributing web pages with different terminal window configurations, and each one can have a different keyboard map.
Using WebTerm Administrator to Re-map the Keyboard:
- Start the WebTerm Administrator.
- Open an existing WTS file, or create a new one.
- Choose Emulation from the Session menu.
- Click the Keyboard tab.
- Now, you can perform re-mapping tasks on the currently open WTS file.
- To reset the keyboard mapping in the current WTS file
- From the Keyboard tab, click Reset to Default Keyboard.
- On TN3270 and VT420 emulation, a dialog is presented that lets you choose a keyboard "subtype." Choose a keyboard subtype from the drop-down list, and click OK. The keyboard map for this WTS file returns to the system default you selected.
To modify the keyboard mapping for the current WTS file:
- From the Keyboard tab, click Edit Keyboard Mapping. The WTS Keyboard Mapping tool appears.
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Figure 2-1. The Keyboard Re-mapping Tool
- The top of the Keyboard Re-mapping tool is an image of an "original equipment" keyboard. The bottom is an image of a PC or Macintosh keyboard with every key possible on any keyboard (not all users will have all of the keys displayed here).
- Click Clear All after re-mapping some keys to delete any of the keyboard re-mapping work you've done so far.
- Click Default and you'll see the default keyboard mappings for the keyboard type you selected. The tool darkens all keys that are not available on every PC and Macintosh keyboards. Keys that are common to all keyboards are lighter.
- Drag a key from the original equipment keyboard (on the top) and drop it on the key (on the bottom) you want the user to press to send that host keystroke to the host application. You can, and probably should, map essential host keys to more than one PC or Macintosh key. For example, you could map the 3270 PF24 key to three keys; PF24 could be mapped to CTRL+A, F12, and CTRL+NUM KEYPAD 1. In this way, you could ensure any user could send a PF24 keystroke to the host whether or not they had a numeric keypad or extended function keys.
- To remove a mapped key if you made a mistake or changed your mind, drag the mapped key from the bottom keyboard on top of the trash can icon.
- When finished mapping keys, click OK.
- When you save your WTS file, it contains the keyboard mappings you defined. Distribute the WTS file on your Web servers and reference them in Web pages the same way you did in WebTerm 1.0.
Tips, Tricks, and Recommendations:
Think about keyboard re-mapping from the point of view of application functions, not from the point of view of keyboards. In other words, if your host application uses a key for Print, re-map the application's Print key to as many PC or Macintosh keys that ensure any user of the Web page can invoke the print function, regardless of what kind of keyboard they are using.
If you have a complex series of keyboard re-mappings stored in a WTS file and need to create another WTS file with those mappings, save time by doing the following:
- Copy the first WTS file with the complex series of re-mappings defined. Then, open the copy in the WebTerm Administrator. Change settings in the copy, such as IP address, emulation colors, or other settings necessary to run the other application that needs the keyboard re-mappings. Make sure you change the Session ID on the copy of the WTS file to be unique.
- If you'll need to consistently use a set of keyboard re-mappings, try this to save a lot of time:
- Make a copy of the default WTS settings file you find in the Sessions folder. Open the copy and re-map the keyboard, changing no other emulation, session, or web page settings. Save and close the copy.
- Now, when you choose New from the File menu of the WebTerm Administrator, you have a new default emulation configuration template in the list that has all the keyboard re-mapping work complete.
Related FAQ:
Does WebTerm support Keyboard Macros?
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