Blink: Configure doesn’t support § key for Esc on UK iPad pro

[onlymee]

UK Keyboard layout doesn’t have the ` key in the top left, it has § (±) instead, and the feature to simulate the Esc key would be very useful if it supported using the top left key on the UK keyboard layout too.

[andrius]

I agree, also backtick key (`) is important in some cases, i.e. editing markdown, i.e. in my case I can't use it as an ESC. Caps Lock work better, except cases when I have to switch to the browser or enter email

[botanicus]

@onlymee just a quick tip that's not addressing the issue, but perhaps will help: I've been using iPad Pro with the Smart Keyboard as my main working tool for the past year and half, and as much as I was shocked in the beginning (as in _"bloody hell, how do I get from the insert mode in Vim"_), I found out I have no need for Esc at all:

• Vim: use Ctrl-c instead of Escape. It's actually more practical, no need to reach that far to find Esc.
• Shell: use Ctrl-[, for instance Ctrl-[ . to copy the last argument of the last command.

Maybe you're aware of it already, but just in case you're not. Hope it helps.

[yury]

@botanicus, cmd+. System wise esc on iOS

[celso]

Portuguese keyboard has the same layout for this key. I'd love to be able to map the top left § key to Esc.

[yury]

@celso @onlymee

Can you log first 3 letters at the top of your kbs with https://jsfiddle.net/yuryk/1vdmk8ws/embedded/result/

simple first 3, then with holding shift and then with holding alt.

For example, on my kb https://gist.github.com/yury/19c4f5b02afb86a8307130daa8529f26

[kylef]

With the UK Apple Smart Key, § is key on top left (± with shift):

typed text:

    §

| n |    type |         code | key       | kc | mods | repeat | loc | comp | data |
|--:|--------:|-------------:|:----------|---:|-----:|-------:|----:|-----:|-----:|
| 1 | keydown | Unidentified | §         |  0 |      |        |   0 |      |      |
| 2 |   keyup | Unidentified | §         |  0 |      |        |   0 |      |      |

First three:

typed text:

    §12

| n |    type |         code | key | kc | mods | repeat | loc | comp | data |
|--:|--------:|-------------:|:----|---:|-----:|-------:|----:|-----:|-----:|
| 1 | keydown | Unidentified | §   |  0 |      |        |   0 |      |      |
| 2 |   keyup | Unidentified | §   |  0 |      |        |   0 |      |      |
| 3 | keydown |       Digit1 | 1   | 49 |      |        |   0 |      |      |
| 4 |   keyup |       Digit1 | 1   | 49 |      |        |   0 |      |      |
| 5 | keydown |       Digit2 | 2   | 50 |      |        |   0 |      |      |
| 6 |   keyup |       Digit2 | 2   | 50 |      |        |   0 |      |      |

With shift:

typed text:

    ±!@

|  n |    type |         code | key       | kc | mods | repeat | loc | comp | data |
|---:|--------:|-------------:|:----------|---:|-----:|-------:|----:|-----:|-----:|
|  1 | keydown |    ShiftLeft | Shift     | 16 |    S |        |   1 |      |      |
|  2 | keydown | Unidentified | ±         |  0 |    S |        |   0 |      |      |
|  3 |   keyup | Unidentified | ±         |  0 |    S |        |   0 |      |      |
|  4 | keydown |       Digit1 | !         | 49 |    S |        |   0 |      |      |
|  5 |   keyup |       Digit1 | !         | 49 |    S |        |   0 |      |      |
|  6 | keydown |       Digit2 | @         | 50 |    S |        |   0 |      |      |
|  7 |   keyup |       Digit2 | @         | 50 |    S |        |   0 |      |      |
|  8 |   keyup |    ShiftLeft | Shift     | 16 |      |        |   1 |      |      |

With Alt:

typed text:

    ¡€#

|  n |    type |         code | key       | kc | mods | repeat | loc | comp | data |
|---:|--------:|-------------:|:----------|---:|-----:|-------:|----:|-----:|-----:|
|  1 | keydown |      AltLeft | Alt       | 18 |    A |        |   1 |      |      |
|  2 | keydown |       Digit1 | ¡         | 49 |    A |        |   0 |      |      |
|  3 |   keyup |       Digit1 | ¡         | 49 |    A |        |   0 |      |      |
|  4 | keydown |       Digit2 | €         | 50 |    A |        |   0 |      |      |
|  5 |   keyup |       Digit2 | €         | 50 |    A |        |   0 |      |      |
|  6 | keydown |       Digit3 | #         | 51 |    A |        |   0 |      |      |
|  7 |   keyup |       Digit3 | #         | 51 |    A |        |   0 |      |      |
|  8 |   keyup |      AltLeft | Alt       | 18 |      |        |   1 |      |      |

[andrius]

typed text: §12, then with Shift, then with Option.
Keyboard type: Smart keyboard for ipad pro 11, English International

§12±!@§¡™

| n | type | code | key | kc | mods | repeat | l | comp | iType | data |
|---:|------------:|-------------:|:------|---:|-----:|-------:|--:|-----:|-----------:|-----:|
| 1 | keydown | Unidentified | § | 0 | | | 0 | | | |
| 2 | textInput | | | | | | | | | § |
| 3 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 4 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 5 | keyup | Unidentified | § | 0 | | | 0 | | | |
| 6 | keydown | Digit1 | 1 | 49 | | | 0 | | | |
| 7 | textInput | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 8 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | 1 |
| 9 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | 1 |
| 10 | keyup | Digit1 | 1 | 49 | | | 0 | | | |
| 11 | keydown | Digit2 | 2 | 50 | | | 0 | | | |
| 12 | textInput | | | | | | | | | 2 |
| 13 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | 2 |
| 14 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | 2 |
| 15 | keyup | Digit2 | 2 | 50 | | | 0 | | | |
| 16 | keydown | ShiftRight | Shift | 16 | S | | 2 | | | |
| 17 | keydown | Unidentified | ± | 0 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 18 | textInput | | | | | | | | | ± |
| 19 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | ± |
| 20 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | ± |
| 21 | keyup | Unidentified | ± | 0 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 22 | keydown | Digit1 | ! | 49 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 23 | textInput | | | | | | | | | ! |
| 24 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | ! |
| 25 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | ! |
| 26 | keyup | Digit1 | ! | 49 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 27 | keydown | Digit2 | @ | 50 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 28 | textInput | | | | | | | | | @ |
| 29 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | @ |
| 30 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | @ |
| 31 | keyup | Digit2 | @ | 50 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 32 | keyup | ShiftRight | Shift | 16 | | | 2 | | | |
| 33 | keydown | AltLeft | Alt | 18 | A | | 1 | | | |
| 34 | keydown | Unidentified | § | 0 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 35 | textInput | | | | | | | | | § |
| 36 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 37 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 38 | keyup | Unidentified | § | 0 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 39 | keydown | Digit1 | ¡ | 49 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 40 | textInput | | | | | | | | | ¡ |
| 41 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | ¡ |
| 42 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | ¡ |
| 43 | keyup | Digit1 | ¡ | 49 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 44 | keydown | Digit2 | ™ | 50 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 45 | textInput | | | | | | | | | ™ |
| 46 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | ™ |
| 47 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | ™ |
| 48 | keyup | Digit2 | ™ | 50 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 49 | keyup | AltLeft | Alt | 18 | | | 1 | | | |

[celso]

Hi @yury, here goes:

Normal:

typed text:

§12

| n | type | code | key | kc | mods | repeat | l | comp | iType | data |
|---:|------------:|-------------:|:-----|---:|-----:|-------:|--:|-----:|-----------:|-----:|
| 1 | keydown | Unidentified | § | 0 | | | 0 | | | |
| 2 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 3 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 4 | keyup | Unidentified | § | 0 | | | 0 | | | |
| 5 | keydown | Digit1 | 1 | 49 | | | 0 | | | |
| 6 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | 1 |
| 7 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | 1 |
| 8 | keyup | Digit1 | 1 | 49 | | | 0 | | | |
| 9 | keydown | Digit2 | 2 | 50 | | | 0 | | | |
| 10 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | 2 |
| 11 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | 2 |
| 12 | keyup | Digit2 | 2 | 50 | | | 0 | | | |
| 13 | keyup | MetaLeft | Meta | 91 | | | 1 | | | |
| 14 | change | | | | | | | | | |

With shift:

typed text:

±!"

| n | type | code | key | kc | mods | repeat | l | comp | iType | data |
|---:|------------:|-------------:|:------|----:|-----:|-------:|--:|-----:|-----------:|-----:|
| 1 | keydown | ShiftRight | Shift | 16 | S | | 2 | | | |
| 2 | keydown | Unidentified | ± | 0 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 3 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | ± |
| 4 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | ± |
| 5 | keyup | Unidentified | ± | 0 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 6 | keydown | Digit1 | ! | 49 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 7 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | ! |
| 8 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | ! |
| 9 | keyup | Digit1 | ! | 49 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 10 | keydown | Digit2 | " | 222 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 11 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | " |
| 12 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | " |
| 13 | keyup | Digit2 | " | 222 | S | | 0 | | | |
| 14 | keyup | ShiftRight | Shift | 16 | | | 2 | | | |
| 15 | change | | | | | | | | | |

With alt (option):

typed text:

§@

| n | type | code | key | kc | mods | repeat | l | comp | iType | data |
|---:|------------:|-------------:|:------|----:|-----:|-------:|--:|-----:|-----------:|-----:|
| 1 | keydown | AltLeft | Alt | 18 | A | | 1 | | | |
| 2 | keydown | Unidentified | § | 0 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 3 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 4 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | § |
| 5 | keyup | Unidentified | § | 0 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 6 | keydown | Digit1 |  | 49 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 7 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText |  |
| 8 | input | | | | | | | | insertText |  |
| 9 | keyup | Digit1 |  | 49 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 10 | keydown | Digit2 | @ | 50 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 11 | beforeinput | | | | | | | | insertText | @ |
| 12 | input | | | | | | | | insertText | @ |
| 13 | keyup | Digit2 | @ | 50 | A | | 0 | | | |
| 14 | keyup | AltLeft | Alt | 18 | | | 1 | | | |
| 15 | change | | | | | | | | | |

[yury]

You can remap § with config->keyboard->custom presses in latest blink version.
Closing this issue. Feel free to reopen if needed.

[onlymee]

Amazing job. Sorry for missing the ask above. Works fantastically.