Anysoftkeyboard: [Feature request] Customizable top and bottom rows, stored in external xml's

[a-p-fromm]

Is it possible to make one customizable top and one bottom row and linking them to apk-external, editable xml's? This would provide a lot more flexibility and satisfy a lot of requests allready posted here. The row xml's here from the git would be easily used as starting point as well.

[lapineige]

:+1: for this, that would at least allow advanced users to tweak their keyboard as expected, instead of asking all the time for new embedded keyboards.
(and maybe an advanced customization UI could be added later ?)
And on personal side, I can't find any good layout in the current list, but most of them are almost perfect, I would just like a simple change in a 1 or 2 characters :/

[KAndrsn]

I would need this to implement the keyboard(s) that I want/need. My current keyboard is no longer supported, and ASK is my only hope. IMO, some way to override the top/bottom rows for a layout, rather than somehow pushing it up to the main settings.

[nicoursi]

This would be a top feature. No need to compile a new apk, everybody could just modify an xml file to tweak his keyboard and share his/her configuration online.

[mareksamec]

I would really love that, there are quite many bottom row layouts but no layout which would be like SwiftKey, Samsung keyboar or GBoard that is simply [symbols key][smiley key][dash][ spacebar][dot][enter]

or alternatively the emoticon key could be activated by holding [enter] or the [symbols key] making even more space. With customizable row I could set it how I want.

[moshpirit]

Is this possible or we're just daydreaming here? I am not a developer but this sounds like changing tons of code here 😅 but I'm 100% in

[KAndrsn]

I have been pondering the possibilities a bit, and I see 3 ways to this goal. Although I may be thinking in a different direction than the original request. I would stick with the LanguagePack apk as the "external xmls", rather than files on the filesystem (even though that would be awesome).

From "easiest" to "most work":

1. No code change required. Is there actually anything preventing a keyboard layout from defining top and bottom rows? I tried to do this experiment on my own, but I am not familiar enough with Android Studio to get it all running. Anyone want to give this a try???????

1. Remove code. I would assume the xml handling code is the same for ASK proper and LanguagePacks. If there is a restriction on where top and bottom rows can be defined (hopefully a nice if statement), then remove/comment out that bit.

2. Add/move code. If the code _is_ separate, then add/move code to the LanguagePack xml api.

[a-p-fromm]

sofar both rows are inside the main program part. speaking about language-pack-apk-style: i'm afraid there is simply no "socket to put the plug in". even i'm wrong and apk way might work somehow, the xml would be still trapped inside apk. which requires the usage of android studio to edit it. and that is where we are right now. than you can grab the whole main code here, alter the xml, make your own build and chill out. actually that's what i have done.

[papb]

Similar to #1390, #1987 and #2020

[nicoursi]

sofar both rows are inside the main program part. speaking about language-pack-apk-style: i'm afraid there is simply no "socket to put the plug in". even i'm wrong and apk way might work somehow, the xml would be still trapped inside apk. which requires the usage of android studio to edit it. and that is where we are right now. than you can grab the whole main code here, alter the xml, make your own build and chill out. actually that's what i have done.

Or make a new branch, add the bottom row you like, and push a Pull Request so that others can benefit too 😜