RFR: 8150709: Mac OSX and German Keyboard Layout (Y/Z) [v4]

[Martin Fox]

On Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:41:40 GMT, Martin Fox <github.com+12087024+beldenfox at openjdk.org> wrote:

>> This PR adds code to ensure that KeyCodeCombinations match KeyEvents as expected by more accurately mapping from a Mac key code to a Java key code based on the user’s active keyboard layout (the existing code assumes a US QWERTY layout). The new code first identifies a set of Mac keys which can produce different characters based on the user’s keyboard layout. A Mac key code outside that area is processed exactly as before. For a key inside the layout-sensitive area the code calls UCKeyTranslate to translate the key to an unshifted ASCII character based on the active keyboard and uses that to determine the Java key code.
>> 
>> When performing the reverse mapping for the Robot the code first uses the old QWERTY mapping to find a candidate key. If it lies in the layout-sensitive area the code then scans the entire area calling UCKeyTranslate until it finds a match. If the key lies outside the layout-sensitive area it’s processed exactly as before.
>> 
>> There are multiple duplicates of these bugs logged against Mac applications built with JavaFX.
>> 
>> https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8090257 Mac: Inconsistent KeyEvents with alternative keyboard layouts
>> https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8088120 [Accelerator, Mac] CMD + Z accelerator is not working with French keyboard
>> https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8087915 Mac: accelerator doesn't take into account azerty keyboard layout
>> https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8150709 Mac OSX and German Keyboard Layout (Y/Z)
>
> Martin Fox has updated the pull request incrementally with one additional commit since the last revision:
> 
>   Fixed whitespace error.

The question was raised earlier why we can’t just generate the key code based on the typed character. That’s basically the Swing approach and I could evaluate what it would mean to adopt that algorithm in JavaFX. I know it produces some strange results under the hood but have reached the conclusion, based on the bugs I’ve seen, that for keys that generate printable characters we have a lot of leeway as long as Cmd+A through Cmd+Z work.

I haven’t seen any documentation on how a developer should set up an accelerator associated with a digit e.g. Cmd+2. Should they use a KeyCharacterCombination, a KeyCodeCombination, or are just not do it? Are there written guidelines on any of this?

-------------

PR: https://git.openjdk.java.net/jfx/pull/425