Morse Input
elyas-bhy has been working on the implementation of a 3-key Morse input method for the Tecla Access app as part of the Google Summer of Code. This page compiles his work and will eventually document the use of the feature.
The initial design of the Morse input UI is mainly focused on helping unexperimented users discover and learn all about the Morse code. Users are provided with a HUD to help them look-up the Morse sequence for their desired character, as well as an indicator on the space/end-of-character key which displays the current character.
To switch between standard input and Morse input, users must go to the settings screen and simply toggle on/off the Morse preference. Users are provided with several options in order to configure Morse to their taste:
- Show/hide Morse HUD.
- Morse input method: triple-key, double-key or single-key mode.
- Configure Morse time unit.
- Configure on-hold repeat frequency.
Currently, the user may choose to operate the Morse keyboard using one of the following methods:
- Touchscreen.
- Fullscreen switch mode.
- Triple-key mode: dit, dah and space/end-of-character keys are operated by 3 different keys. This mode also supports an "on-hold repeat" feature (switch only), and the repeat frequency is configurable.
- Double-key mode: dit and dah are operated by 2 different keys, and the end-of-character event is automatically sent after a short amount of idle time (defined by the Morse time unit, and is configurable).
- Single-key mode: coming soon!
Upon activating the HUD preference, users will be provided with a Morse chart above their keyboard. The HUD has 3 different states, based on the current Morse sequence:
- If the current sequence is empty, the HUD will show hints of command actions (enter, delete, space, minimize keyboard, new line).
- If the current sequence starts with a dit, the HUD will show hints of all the characters that start with a dit.
- Likewise, if the current sequence starts with a dah, the HUD will show hints of all the characters that start with a dah.
Experienced users may toggle off the HUD from the settings screen. Here is a preview with the HUD disabled:
By checking the "Sound on keypress" preference, users will be provided with an audio feedback that matches the duration of a dit/dah press, whether using the soft keyboard, or switch input.
In order to enhance the experience, users can configure their switch commands. They can choose these commands from a predefined list of actions. Note that when using the triple-key mode, you can assign specific Morse commands to your switches. These commands are enabled only when the Morse keyboard is shown.
To facilitate the browsing of the Morse chart, users are also provided with a cheat sheet, that can be displayed anytime simply by a long-press on the space/end-of-character key (currently limited to touchscreen users only).