Keyman 10 and SIL legacy apps

The latest version of Keyman 10 for Desktop does not work properly with SIL legacy programs, including Lexique Pro and Shoebox, two programs I use most often. This version does work with regular Windows 10 programs including Word, Notepad, etc. It also works with Paratext 8.

Here is what happens with the legacy apps: I click on the taskbar Keyman icon, as usual, and the correct keyboard icon displays. But as soon as I click on my cursor to begin typing in the legacy programs the Keyman icon changes back to the default keyboard, English.

Please help me find a fix so I can use Keyman Desktop with my dictionary programs.

Thanks, Wayne

Hi Wayne,

I have had a similar problem with almost all previous versions of Keyman, and so I always advise people to create a keyboard shortcut to activate the keyboard, rather than clicking an icon. Right-click the Keyman icon, then select Configuration. Click the keyboard shortcut next to your keyboard and set the shortcut you want.

Thanks, Doug. This is the first version of Keyman I have had this issue with, after many years of using this wonderful keyboard app.

A few suggestions and questions:

  1. Some SIL apps control keyboard switching themselves, and would not be aware of Keyman 10, so there may be some confusion there.
  2. In Language Preferences/ Advanced Keyboard Settings, do you have “Let me set a different input method for each app window” switched on?
  3. If the Keyman icon is hidden from the notification area – that is, you need to click the up arrow and then click the icon from the little subwindow that appears, this can make it impossible for Keyman to track the active window correctly – as it then thinks the active window is that little subwindow. You can work around this by dragging the Keyman icon down to the notification area so it is also visible.
  4. You may also find using the Windows language selector rather than the Keyman icon avoids some of this – the language selector does not change the active window when it is clicked, which is the cause of a lot of these kinds of problems.
  5. Another option: hold the Windows key and press spacebar to open the Windows language selector. Press spacebar until the keyboard you want is selected, then release the Windows key.

Thank you for your detailed responses, Marc. I respond to your suggestions below.

Is there something I can do about this, or it’s just information? I have been unable to locate such a setting in either Keyman or Windows 10. In Win 10 I do have Language Preferences but I cannot find Advanced Keyboard Settings. As with previous versions of Keyman, I have a Keyman icon in both places, the notification area and the hidden area. The issue of Keyman not working with Shoebox or Lexique Pro occurs when I use either icon. I don’t understand this. Are you referring to going to the Windows 10 Language preferences and moving my Cheyenne keyboard up so it is the default keyboard?

Before making changes to settings, I just want to understand exactly how you are switching keyboards/languages, so I can make sure that the solutions I give are actually addressing the problem.

  • This is the Keyman icon in the hidden area, which can be tricky for switching languages, so we recommend dragging it to the notification area:
    image

  • And then here is the Keyman icon in the notification area:
    image

  • This is the Windows language switcher:
    image

To clarify, do you have the same trouble switching keyboards no matter which icon you click on? How about when you use Windows+Space as I described?

To access Advanced Keyboard Settings:

  1. Click the Windows language selector (in the image above, it’s the ENG icon, but the name will change depending on the selected language of course), and click Language preferences.

  2. In the Language settings window that appears, click Advanced keyboard settings in the Related settings area (which may be at the bottom or the right of the window):

  3. The Let me set a different input method for each app window option should be visible in the Advanced keyboard settings dialog as shown below.

yes No

Sorry if this is a duplicate message, Marc.

Marc_Keyman:

Before making changes to settings, I just want to understand exactly how you are switching keyboards/languages, so I can make sure that the solutions I give are actually addressing the problem.

  • This is the Keyman icon in the hidden area, which can be tricky for switching languages, so we recommend dragging it to the notification area:
  • And then here is the Keyman icon in the notification area:
  • This is the Windows language switcher:

OK, thanks for clarifying those three items, Marc. I see them all on my Win 10 computer.

  • To clarify, do you have the same trouble switching keyboards no matter which icon you click on?

yes

How about when you use Windows+Space as I described?

No

To access Advanced Keyboard Settings:

  1. Click the Windows language selector (in the image above, it’s the ENG
    icon, but the name will change depending on the selected language of course), and click Language preferences.
  2. In the Language settings window that appears, click Advanced keyboard settings in the Related settings area (which may be at the bottom or the right of the window):

I still cannot see Advanced keyboard settings. I am attaching a screenshot so you can see what I see.

Wayne, the Windows 10 setting that Marc is referring to now seems to be in Settings -> Devices -> Typing, then scroll all the way to the bottom and click ‘Advanced keyboard settings’. Or to find the setting you can type something like ‘different input’ in the Find a setting box at the top, left in the settings window.

Ha ha. Microsoft ‘refreshed’ the Settings app once again. I’m still on Windows 10 1803 here. But on Windows 10 1809 or later, select Spelling, typing & keyboard settings under Related settings, then scroll down to More keyboard settings, and select Advanced keyboard settings there.

Thanks, Marc, and also John Ross

OK, Marc. That allows me to use Keyman again with Shoebox and Lexique Pro. Actually, I had later discovered that I could use LP and Shoebox by enabling my Cheyenne keyboard two times. Then it remains on for all apps instead of switching off for the legacy apps.

So, we can work again.

  Now maybe the issue the "M" and "O" will also be resolved. It's too early to tell. It takes a while before that issue show up.

Thanks,

Wayne

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