Using custom virtual keyboard to type text

[Simflare]

I am wondering how I might use a custom virtual keyboard to type text in to an edit box in Fusion?

Essentially I am using it as a means for entering players highscores after a game, but I have no experience using edit boxes or strings.

Let's say for example the player pressed "a" on the virtual keyboard (one that I designed with active objects), how would that then translate to typing 'a' as the start of a string?
And then say I pressed "b" on the virtual keyboard, how would I then add that to 'a' as the second letter in the string?
And what if I wanted to then backspace and erase a letter?

It's the typing letters and converting them to a string that I'm having trouble getting my head around.

Thanks
Simflare

[Fernando]

you can use a sub app application for that make a layout for chars, symbol and numbers, and you should be OK if you start subapp when keyboard is need it and to jump from chars to numbers the change of frame in sub app should do it. so keep in mind to start subapp using frame x for chars and frame x+1 for symbols/numbers, you can use easing object for movement.

translate the key code each key have a fixed value this value represent the char value, so when you want to translate take this fixed value and compare to a table of string search for it (could be a list, array, ini) and take this value and append to the editbox.

do the same for backspace just backward take the editbox content and delete the last char

[Popcorn]

Add "A" to the current text of the editbox:
Set current text of the editbox to: Edittext$( "Edit Box" )+"A"
You might want to use an alterable string of the active object that's being pressed instead of hardcoding the actual letter.

Remove the last letter from the editbox:
Set current text of the editbox to: Left$(Edittext$( "Edit Box" ), Len(Edittext$( "Edit Box" ) ) - 1 )

That said, you most probably want to use a string object or Active System Object instead of an editbox, as Edibboxes are intended to be directly edited by the user.

You will find all stringrelated expressions such as Len and Left$ in the Strings dropdown menu of the Special icon in the expression editor.

[Simflare]

Thank you guys.

Popcorn, your solution sounds very simple and effective. In terms of using a string object, would I achieve it the same way?

Add "A" to String object
So, Change Alterable String of <String Object> to : string$(<String Object>) + "A" ?

Is that how you'd achieve it?

Edit

I achieved it using the string object by setting an alterable string called 'Letter' to "a" (used for storing the current value of the letter I want to type), then having a separate an alterable string called 'Text' to store the actual string text, which became:

Set 'Text' to Text("object B") + Letter("object A")

What I can't figure out now is how to backspace it and remove a letter from the Text string. Can you help with that please?
I tried 'Len(Text("object B") - 1' but I kept getting syntax errors. It didn't like the Len(Text("object B"). I guess the issue is what's the correct way to get the length of an alterable string?

[Popcorn]

It seems like you forgot a parantheses. The correct syntax would be:
Len(Text("object B")) - 1

[Simflare]

Ah true but that was just a typo when I pasted it, I typed it right in the software. I'll attach the file and maybe you could have a look? At the bottom of the group "set text" I've got an event for pressing backspace but with nothing in it. If you could help figure it out, that'd be amazing!

Thanks
Simflare

[Simflare]

Btw I should add, the Alterable String "Text" that we want to change is located in the green square called "Active 2".

[Popcorn]

Got it. In Event 32, set Alterable Value Text of Active 2 to:
Left$(Text( "Active 2" ), Len(Text( "Active 2" ) ) - 1 )

[Simflare]

Thank you! That works brilliantly!

Could you please explain to me what that line is doing? I don't understand the need for the Left$() paramater.

[Popcorn]

The Left$ expression is found in the expression editor under Special -> Strings -> Substrings and retrieves the left part of the string

Format: Left$(String, Length of substring)

This is useful since we want to retrieve all the letters in the string beside the last one. The length of the substring will therefore be the full length of the string minus 1.