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c#compact-frameworkwindows-ceglobalizationwindows-mobile-6.5

How to Type Multilingual Characters in Windows Mobile Device by Device Keypad

I have a smart device with windows Mobile 6.5 operating system, and i want to write an application for this device by .Net CF 3.5 and C# Language. The keybpad of this device is something look like this picture:

enter image description here

As you see in the top picture, texts and numbers are placed on the same key. For example 2 has “ABC” if we wanted to write anything starting with ‘A’ we need to type key 2 once. If we wanted to type ‘B’, press key 2 twice and thrice for typing ‘C’.

Q1. I can not type English letters using this keyboard, I just can type digits. I want to type English letters in text boxes (And to Persian letters). Can I do this job by keybd_event() that is an extern function ?

Q2. I have 3 method for input characters and at the same time one of these methods must be enabled :

  1. Type digits
  2. Type English letters (with some characters like . , ? / )
  3. Type Persian Letters (with some characters like . , ? / )

In other hands in How to switch between the three methods

Q3. how to show keyboard by appropriate characters according to one of 3 input methods that described? (One time with English, another time with Persian, and another time with digits)

Regards

Solution

  • If the special key interpretation is only needed inside one application (Compact Framework) then possibly using SDF (SmartDeviceFramework) is the coice. See KeyTest3AKsdf on http://www.hjgode.de/wp/2012/09/20/windows-mobile-cf-how-to-catch-f1-and-f2-in-weh/

    In the Message Handler you need to manage the keyboard plane (numbers, english letters, persian letters) and probably a key-pressed timeout to be able to decide if a key is pressed multiple times within a time (to produce these ABC optional outputs).

    Define a key or combination to switch between the planes.

    Watch the messages coming in and decide what to do. You can alter a copy of the message, post it to the message queue and return true to let windows system know that you handled the message.

    You may use keybd_event for simple keys as defined in winuser.h and winuserm.h. But for extended chars this will get complicated (finding the right sequence of values). I would go with PostMessage and WM_CHAR for extended symbols and letters.

    Further on you may need to install a trueype font with persian glyphs. The default english OS fimrware normally only support a subset of unicode glyphs. See also http://www.hjgode.de/wp/2011/04/06/mobile-development-a-simple-unicode-character-map/