Hi Esther, Ah, I have progress. It seems the substitution was being made but Voiceover wasn't necessarily reporting it accurately. I discovered that if I did the substitution and then went down onto a new line and then cursored back up again VO would read it accurately. THis also happens with the other (default) substitutions such as the copyright sign - if I type left paren c right paren and then cursor left to check it VO still reports as left parent c right paren. But if I cursor up or down to a different line and then back again VO reports the copyright sign. So I guess it takes VO a while to pick up on it or I need to refresh/refocus VO somehow to make it realise it has changed. Well I can be confident it's working now. I guess I just need to make sure that checkbox for allowing substitutes is checked in any apps I want to use it in. Thank you very much for your help. And yes, by the way, my Windows key is functioning as the Command key.
Catherine On 4/15/13, Esther <mori...@mac-access.net> wrote: > Hi Catherine and Colin, > > I thought that Catherine was probably using TextEdit, but the instructions I > gave her should have worked for Mail (and notes in Mail), too. Catherine, > when you type in your first string, just type the semi-colon and the a, and > then press tab. Then, in the next field, paste in the apostrophe with > Command+v and press return. You want your string to end with a character, > and you want your substituted text to also end with a character. If you're > typing a space after the semi-colon and the a in the table, that might be > the problem. > > If your Mac is accepting letters and key combinations from your Maltron > keyboard, then you should be able to do the character substitution. Can you > check whether you can use the Windows key of your Maltron keyboard as a > Command key so that you can copy with Command+c and paste with Command+v? > That's usually what works with PC keyboards that have a Windows key. > > If I type a note with ";a" (where I omit the quotation marks, and where I've > changed the substitution characters to match the ones you've used), as soon > as I press the spacebar after typing the "a", the string turns into an > apostrophe for me. This should work for you, too. > > By the way, is it easier for you to repeat using the arrow keys to move to > the "Add" button, or would you prefer to use item chooser menu > (Control+Option+i) and type "a d" to move to the "Add" button? > > HTH. Cheers, > > Esther > > > > On Apr 14, 2013, at 10:13 PM, Red.Falcon wrote: > >> Hi sorry I've got nothing about the coding but you said you did not have >> textedit! >> But if your using a MBA MBP textedit is already on there to use! >> >> On 15 Apr 2013, at 08:31, Catherine Turner >> <catherineturner2...@googlemail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi Esther, >>> >>> Thanks for these instructions. I haven't been able to get the text >>> substitution to work though. This is most likely something I've done >>> wrong but I can't figure out what. >>> >>> I haven't got Textedit at the moment but I was trying it out with >>> Notes. In notes if I go to edit, Substitutions, Show Substitutions, >>> the checkbox "Text replacement" s checked, and I press the Text >>> Preferences button. In the ensuing preferences the "use symbol and >>> text substitution" checkbox is selected. I pressed the add button and >>> used the string ;a that's semicolon a space. I've tried other strings >>> too ad can't get any of them to work. When I interact with the table >>> of substitutions now at the bottom is the one I've added and the >>> checkbox on the left of it is checked. I've gone in and out of the >>> preferences a few times and it's still there so I guess it's saved. >>> But it doesn't appear in notes when I type it. I tried out some of >>> the other substitutions from that table like left paren c right paren >>> for copyright symbol and it works. I can only think that there's some >>> small thing I haven't noticed but not sure what. Let me know if you >>> get any ideas. I'll see if I can go to a Mac store though it's a bit >>> awkward because they're quite noisy and don't know if there'd be a >>> space I could set my stuff up with a desk I could get under (I'm in a >>> wheelchair). Anyway at least I have the unicode entry working now... >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Catherine >>> >>> On 4/14/13, Esther <mori...@mac-access.net> wrote: >>>> Hi Catherine, >>>> >>>> If you simply need to type an apostrophe, then the quickest way to >>>> enable >>>> you to do that is to use your Mac's facility for keyboard substitution. >>>> This will let you continue to use your Maltron keyboard, but give you >>>> access >>>> to the apostrophe character when you type some other string. Here's how >>>> to >>>> do this. I'm going to set up a shortcut so that the 2-letter >>>> combination >>>> ";l" when typed together, with no space between the semi-colon and the >>>> "l", >>>> will be substituted with an apostrophe character. So the substitution >>>> will >>>> use the two character groups: >>>> ;l ' >>>> (that's semi-colon+l, a space separator, and the apostrophe character, >>>> so >>>> you can copy and paste). You should choose a convenient key or key >>>> combination that is easy for you to type on your Maltron keyboard in >>>> place >>>> of the semi-colon+l that I use in my example. Those two keys are next >>>> to >>>> each other on the Mac keyboard, and it's unlikely that you'll type a >>>> semi-colon+another letter without an intervening space in regular >>>> usage. >>>> >>>> I think the following instructions will minimize the number of >>>> keystrokes, >>>> but you'll have to use sticky keys. I'll assume that you have the >>>> TextEdit >>>> application open. Before you start the steps below, use Command+C to >>>> copy >>>> the apostrophe character to your clipboard so you are ready to paste it >>>> in. >>>> Here is the apostrophe character again on a line by itself: >>>> ' >>>> 1. Control+F2 to move to the menu bar >>>> 2. Press "e" to move to the "Edit" menu >>>> 3. Down arrow into the "Edit" menu >>>> 4. Press "s u" to move to "Substitutions" >>>> 5. Right arrow to the "Show Substitutions" submenu option, then press >>>> "return" >>>> 6. In the "Substitutions" window, right arrow through, and make sure >>>> that >>>> the "Text Replacement" box is checked. Continue to right arrow to the >>>> "Text >>>> Preferences" button and press it (with your up+down arrow keys if >>>> QuickNav >>>> is on, or with VO-Space). If your keyboard is set up so that you can >>>> use >>>> NumPad commander and this is turned on, I think you can also press the >>>> "5" >>>> key. >>>> 7. You'll be on the "Text" pane of the "Language & Text" preferences. >>>> Right >>>> arrow in the pane. The first entry in the pane should be a check box >>>> for >>>> "Use symbol and text substitution" that should be checked by default. If >>>> it >>>> isn't already checked, check this box. Then continue to right arrow to >>>> the >>>> "Add button" >>>> 8. Press the "Add" button to append an entry to the "Substitutions" >>>> table >>>> 9. Type the letters you want to use for substituting (e.g.,semi-colon+l, >>>> in >>>> the above example) >>>> 10. Press tab, then type or paste the character you want substituted. >>>> Here >>>> is where you can press Command+v to paste in the apostrophe symbol. >>>> Then >>>> press "return" >>>> 11. Press Command+w to close the "Text Preferences" window >>>> 12. Press Command+w to close the "Substitutions" window >>>> >>>> You should now be able to type the letter combination you selected, and >>>> have >>>> it replaced with an apostrophe. You'll have to type your letter >>>> combination >>>> and then press space for the substitution to be made. This means that >>>> you'll have to press the left arrow key or the delete key to move back. >>>> >>>> HTH. Cheers, >>>> >>>> Esther >>>> >>>> On Apr 13, 2013, at 9:29 PM, Catherine Turner wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hello Esther, >>>>> >>>>> Wow, thank you muchly for your comprehensive reply here. I'm sure >>>>> there'll be something in here to help me. I'll have a play with these >>>>> things but in the meantime If I explain further my problem maybe >>>>> you'll have an idea... >>>>> >>>>> Basically my keyboard, a Maltron right handed keyboard, is really >>>>> designed for Windows but seems to work largely in a usable way under >>>>> Mac except I just cannot find a way of typing an apostrophe. I'm sure >>>>> there are going to be other things I can't type but so far I've just >>>>> discovered I can't ttype an apostrophe. Of course I could press the >>>>> apostrophe on the Macbook keyboard itself but a) it's a little >>>>> difficult for me to do this and b) it'd be more productive for me not >>>>> to take my hand off my Maltron keyboard. So I figured I could enter >>>>> it by doing the unicode thing. I have now got this to work. It >>>>> turned out that I misunderstood the layout of the languages and >>>>> checkboxes in the list of languages in the system preferences, somehow >>>>> I was ticking the checkbox associated with the language after the one >>>>> I wanted. (A fairly basic mistake, I am still learning <smile> ) So >>>>> now in the extras menu I have an item for unicode entry, and if I >>>>> select that I can then hold down the Option key, type 0027, let go of >>>>> Option and I have an apostrophe. >>>>> >>>>> But now that I've read your post there must be a quicker way I reckon. >>>>> I suppose the easiest to set up would be have an apostrophe in a file >>>>> and paste it in. But I'm very interested in setting up a string I >>>>> could type and have it replaced with an apostrophe. So maybe I should >>>>> look at the text substitution feature. This would be better than the >>>>> current situation, but I did also read somewhere about a program >>>>> called Ukelele which allows you to remap your keyboard. I'm not sure >>>>> how accessible this would be and it doesn't sound particularly easy >>>>> but I may give it a go... >>>>> >>>>> Thanks, I will read your post several times more and figure out a way >>>>> forwards :-) >>>>> >>>>> Catherine >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On 13 Apr 2013, at 09:19, Catherine Turner wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Has anyone ever entered characters by entering the unicode numbers? >>>>>>> To cut a long story short I have a need to do this and cannot get it >>>>>>> to work. I found some instructions about it and think I followed >>>>>>> them >>>>>>> properly,and now I am suppose to be able to hold down the option key >>>>>>> and enter the required unicode numbers which should result in the >>>>>>> corresponding character being entered. What seems to be happening >>>>>>> is >>>>>>> I hold down the option key and start typing numbers but it seems to >>>>>>> accept the very first digit which I enter without waiting for the >>>>>>> others, no matter how fast I type, and I am typing pretty quickly. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> What complicates matters, and is the reason I have the need for this >>>>>>> in the first place, is I am using a special keyboard adapted for one >>>>>>> handed typing and I am also using sticky keys. However I have tried >>>>>>> on the Macbook keyboard itself and with sticky keys switched off and >>>>>>> it does not seem to make a difference. I wonder if anyone has any >>>>>>> ideas? And if I cannot get this to work, is there a way I can put >>>>>>> certain characters somewhere in the menu so I can select them from >>>>>>> there when I need them? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>> Catherine > > <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> > > To reply to this post, please address your message to > mac-access@mac-access.net > > You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Mac-Access forum at > either the list's own dedicated web archive: > <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/index.html> > or at the public Mail Archive: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. > Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: > <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> > > As the Mac Access Dot Net administrators, we do our very best to ensure that > the Mac-Access E-Mal list remains malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and > worm-free. However, this should in no way replace your own security > strategy. 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