Database Develop

Barcorama - barcode reader software [Updated 11/Oct/09]

Hey everybody!
I'm creating this thread to keep the Barcorama related discussion in a dedicated thread. The discussion spawned here.
Barcorama is a Zxing-based (http://code.google.com/p/zxing/) barcode reader software developed by me in C#. The program's main purpose is to provide a free (and hopefully powerful) tool in the consumer's toolchain!
Feel free to try out and comment on it.
The tool is being developed on my Kaiser, so any feedback on how it performs on other devices is welcomed!
Basic Usage (not yet updated for v0.9x:
a. Press the "Shoot" button to launch the phones camera wizard and take a photo of the barcode by pressing the front "OK" button, or the normal side-shoot button. Barcorama will return automatically upon capture and try to recognize the code.
b. Press the "Open" button to launch the file dialog and navigate/select a previously taken photo. Again, after loading the photo, recognition starts.
After a successful recognition, a popup message may ask whether to run the specified external program with the recognized code. The program along with its arguments is specified in the settings. The code will be inserted wherever the !###! string is be found (may be multiple times).
In general, my tests show that the autofocus camera feature seems to achieve a good result when holding the phone more then 5cm away from the target.
Source code is available here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/barcorama/
or download the trunk snapshot here: http://barcorama.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/barcorama/trunk.tar.gz?view=tar
Features:
-- Recognizes 1D and 2D barcodes. See the google page for details. Version 0.3 is currently incorporated.
-- Runs an external program to pass the recognized code
Requirements:
- NETCF v2.0
ChangeLog:
v0.9h
-- ability for "continuous operation". After successful recognition, continues scanning/shooting/etc...
-- option to beep after successful recognition. Useful in "continuous operation"
v0.9g (for Testing!):
-- Costpad fixes regarding same name shops
-- QR recognition working (thanx to mao xuchu!). Mind though that proper result handling is not present.
-- BUGFIX: many settings were not holding on their value
v0.9f (for Testing!):
-- Memory optimization. Thanx user jeutaw for reporting the bug!
v0.9e (for Testing!):
-- BUGFIX: fixed exception at the end of the purchase submit procedure
v0.9d (for Testing!):
-- Warning: a bug has already been identified regarding the ability to submit purchases to costpad.com. Perhaps you want to wait a few hours until I get home and fix it <-- FIXED in v0.9e
-- Manual entry of the barcode (useful when scan/shoot/open methods fail)
-- More finger-oriented purchase date entry method
-- Able to register a new shop through Barcorama
-- Smoother button fading
-- Various fixes
v0.9c (for Testing!):
-- GUI fixes (should now cope better with high-res devices)
v0.9b (for Testing!):
-- not connecting to the Internet at startup
v0.9a (for Testing!):
-- Preliminary Costpad.com integration
v0.8a:
-- Reintroduced the "Live" mode (thanks to WiMo project), where continuous capturing is performed (low resolution only, thanks to HTC... )
-- Experimental Autofocus tweak! Manually triggering the autofocus capability so to make the "Live" mode usable. Warning: not all devices/roms will be compatible!
v0.7a:
-- Better File open method
-- Minor interface changes
v0.6:
-- Elastic GUI layout. Supporting landscape mode and greater resolutions.
v0.5c:
- Bugfix: Normal handling of spaces in external program's path and arguments
- Added a program icon (thanx nibblah)
v0.5b:
- Bugfix: proper saving/loading of external program settings.
v0.5
- Can now run an external program passing the recognized barcode.
v0.4d
- Small fix for QR decoding
v0.4c
- Upgraded ZXing to 0.4.5 for 1D barcodes (only)
v0.4b
- Fixed a nasty bug that disabled EAN and UPC codes!
v0.4
- Able to individually select what barcode types to try
- Option for selecting whether automatic return from the Camera application is desired. When not selected, the user has to manually exit the Camera application, beign able this way to recapture before decode
- Added a clickable link in the About page to easily reach this forum
- Black appearance
v0.3b
- Incorporated a ZXing bugfix regarding code-39 decoding
- Added a popup question to copy a recognized code into the clipboard
v0.3
- Tweaked usage of the .net camera API. Using a file based method to detect when the capture was performed.
- Automatically returning back to the application after the user shoots the photo. No second "OK" is needed.
- Better UI behavior by using background thread for camera capture and image decoding
- Various bugfixes
Known Issues:
-- False recognitions (encountered some EAN13 faults)
-- 3megapixel photos cannot be loaded
-- After shooting, image appears 90-degrees counter-clockwise rotated. Recognition works though.
Have fun!
hypest
P.S Please, if you encounter a bug/problem, report it and add your hardware/software configuration, or fill your signature with such info. Reporting of successful trials is also welcomed
Removed: The "speedy" version was removed as it was not functioning on par with the "normal" version...
Added a cab file that includes the .exe and creates a Start Menu shortcut. The shortcut seems to be missing the proper icon and perhaps it won't work in Non-English installations. Removed the ..v07a.zip as the cab seems stable.
Removed: The "Barcorama.zip" as it was too old...

I'm not experiencing crashes anymore, but the app doesn't appear to be receiving the photo taken after pressing shoot etc. I tried leaving the app for a minute, in case it was too busy processing to show anything on screen, but to no avail. If I take a photo manually, it is able to process via the OPEN button.
You might want to change the url in the about section into something people are more likely to type into their browser, in case they get the file indirectly... (the tinyurl would be http://tinyurl.com/2kxkuj for example, a little shorter at least)
The other files that came with the previous versions of Barcorama (WiMoNative.dll, and the OpenNETCF.etc.etc), can they be removed from the program's directory?
PS Thanks for all your work so far

SilentlyScreaming said:
I'm not experiencing crashes anymore, but the app doesn't appear to be receiving the photo taken after pressing shoot etc. I tried leaving the app for a minute, in case it was too busy processing to show anything on screen, but to no avail. If I take a photo manually, it is able to process via the OPEN button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After taking the photo, do you manually press OK (or the "return" icon), or do you just leave it to return on its own? I think, the Nadavi's camera version, after some seconds returns automatically but it's actually a "cancel", not an "OK".
SilentlyScreaming said:
You might want to change the url in the about section into something people are more likely to type into their browser, in case they get the file indirectly... (the tinyurl would be http://tinyurl.com/2kxkuj for example, a little shorter at least)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The long url really sucks, I know. This was just a quick and dirty solution to the "add an About window". I will certainly change it to actually be a clickable link.
SilentlyScreaming said:
The other files that came with the previous versions of Barcorama (WiMoNative.dll, and the OpenNETCF.etc.etc), can they be removed from the program's directory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, with the present application functionality, do supplement dlls are needed. So, it is safe to remove them.
SilentlyScreaming said:
PS Thanks for all your work so far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank YOU...
hypest

Looks good.
Looking forward to updates. I can't get it to "shoot" and decode.
I have to shoot the picture, then run the program to get it to decode the
1D barcode.

Very nice.
Hi, Sean here from the zxing project. Glad to see you got this into C# and I hope it was not too painful. Let me know if you notice bugs. I put a link to your project on the code.google.com page.
Once the code stops changing and looks about done, we'd like to do the same thing, but port to Object C for the iPhone.

Got me blushing
srowen said:
Hi, Sean here from the zxing project. Glad to see you got this into C# and I hope it was not too painful. Let me know if you notice bugs. I put a link to your project on the code.google.com page.
Once the code stops changing and looks about done, we'd like to do the same thing, but port to Object C for the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Sean! Flattered to see a comment from one of the project's developer!
Translating to C# was surprisingly easy and effective by using the MS JLCA. Ofcource I had to make some adjustments, but nothing really "difficult". Poking into the zxing code is certainly on my agenta but for the time being I'm trying to figure out why the prog does not work on some fellow posters' devices . I'll be happy to drive your attention to any bugs I notice.
...will keep my eye on your project's progress...
hypest

Quick Shot not working for me. The application do not get the image. Manual shot dont recognizes EAN13 code. Folder selection not working(HTC Camera takes the shots in Storagecard\DCIM\100Media folder that cant be selected because its a subfolder.)

Trouble replicating the problem
I just reverted my Kaiser to its original rom (had to cook it from the dump I performed the day I got it), but the prog works (shouldn't I be happy about that?). I can use the "Shoot" and recognize...
Some details:
device: HTC TyTN II (unbranded)
Greek ROM (ACE Hellas)
OS: 5.2.1620 (build 18125.0.4.2)
ROM version: 1.56.405.5
Date: 08/28/07
Radio: 1.27.12.32
Protocol: 22.45.88.07H
Camera ver: 4.08 build 28288
The prog also worked with my "previous" ROM (panosha's joannita light + Nadavi's camera)
Perhaps some of you guys that the app does not fully work, can post additional info on the hardware/software you're using.
Thanx,
hypest

i wonder if it had something to do with localization. It is a german Phone here. I've tested it with my own programm(also written in C#) and it has no problem getting the shot. strange....

nsa666 said:
Quick Shot not working for me. The application do not get the image. Manual shot dont recognizes EAN13 code. Folder selection not working(HTC Camera takes the shots in Storagecard\DCIM\100Media folder that cant be selected because its a subfolder.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EAN13 generally seems to work. Please, could you try this image?
I have tested the prog on about 10 actual products. Try to keep the phone about 6-10cm away from the target (not closer than 5, anyway).
Thank you for the info on the behavior of the load dialog. I will try and use a different facility to browse every folder.
hypest

nsa666 said:
i wonder if it had something to do with localization. It is a german Phone here. I've tested it with my own programm(also written in C#) and it has no problem getting the shot. strange....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cannot completely rule out the possibility to be a localization issue, even though, the second Kaiser device I used today was not a Greek one (I thing was English-default) and it worked on it too.

With your shot it actually works. With my it reads wrong code.

nsa666 said:
With your shot it actually works. With my it reads wrong code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, your image produces a false recognition. It is quite probable that this is a zxing related bug, but I'll have to investigate it further. Actually I have encountered this faulty recognition once.
hypest

Do you plan to release your source so that others might be able to develop customized applications? I personally would like to have it query a MySQL DB via the web over HSDPA connection to query inventory levels and pricing of product in my warehouse. Other uses might be to have it auto-query the UPC against an online DB to find the best price for a given product or to upload the UPC to an on-line DB to review later from your desktop.

After you take the picture with the Shoot option what do you hit to have it decode it? If i hit the return (back arrow) nothing happens, and if i hit the OK key on the front of my Tilt, nothing happens...

PengLord said:
Do you plan to release your source so that others might be able to develop customized applications? I personally would like to have it query a MySQL DB via the web over HSDPA connection to query inventory levels and pricing of product in my warehouse. Other uses might be to have it auto-query the UPC against an online DB to find the best price for a given product or to upload the UPC to an on-line DB to review later from your desktop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, these uses are exactly what I have in mind! The app will act just as the barcode-recognition medium. The backend will be the really interesting stuff .
I just have to figure out some serious problems and in the meantime I'll decide whether to release the code in an organized manner, or just enable the tool to be used as external executable from other apps (or a linkable lib).
pizzaguy said:
After you take the picture with the Shoot option what do you hit to have it decode it? If i hit the return (back arrow) nothing happens, and if i hit the OK key on the front of my Tilt, nothing happens...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my kaiser, either way works . Most of the time though, I use the front (D-PAD) OK button just because is easier to press.
I have updated the #1 post and attached a build with some debugging messages. Please try that too and report which messages you see.
hypest

hypest said:
I have updated the #1 post and attached a build with some debugging messages. Please try that too and report which messages you see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Dialog didn't return OK!"
apears when pressing OK on the D-Pad or the icon.
i have a German TyTn II.
ROM Version: 1.56.407.3
Nadavi_HTC_Camera_5_0_4_2915_00.cab is installed, could this be the issue? the preinstalled version was .... sh.... not very good.
hope this helps you a bit..

Im not a great coder but i found a nice PDF that might be good to help with decoding the image. http://www.atilim.edu.tr/~misafran/proje web/BIS04.pdf

bypass build
Fellow posters,
I have revised the #1 post to include a newer build, hopefully with better results. This one tries a different approach to reach the captured image..
to pizzaguy:
The paper might be helpful, event though it is not presented as simply software-based (it benefits from the DSP processor present).
hypest

it still doesnt work.
Barcorama_bypass.exe
IOException
bei System.IO.__Error.WinIOError()
bei System.IO.Directory.InternalCreateDirectory()
bei System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory()
bei TestNS.TestCL.button1_Click()
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick()
bei System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick()
bei System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WnProc()
bei System.Windows.Forms.Control._InternalWnProc()
bei Microsoft.AGL.Forms.EVL.EnterModalDialog()
bei System.Windows.Forms.Form.ShowDialog()
bei TestNS.TestCL.Main()
P.S.: This comes if i klick on "shot" buton. The camera app dont even starts.
P.S.2: just tested the verbose version. It seems to be something wrong with directory name. it says \Storagecard\Barcorama\Barcorama_verbose.exe. I think it should say only \Storagecard\Barcorama .

[CABS] Just bought a Fuze? You gonna need these cabs, son!

Nice phone, huh. Step up from the Kaiser, that's for sure. Radio's a tad weaker and the phone's a little short on buttons but more importantly you need to get rid of the AT&T stock rom right quick and pimp your phone XDA style. Sure there are plenty of "cab corners" but they usually have a bunch of crap with no explanation of what the crap's supposed to do with 4shared fancy-boy GUIs or impossible CAPTCHA limited use Rapidshare links that just piss me off and make me sad. So I made my own collection on my own server with my own bandwidth with no sissy interface. Opera friendly too. So fire it up:
blownfuze.org
Enjoy!
Doug
Note that I am putting >99% of my time into the site and not this thread so this post is not a very good reference for updates.
Here are the current chapters:
1) Flash a new ROM.
HardSPL, FuzeKeymap, radio links, rom recs, basic instructions etc
2) Misc should and must-have apps and tweaks.
CABviaActiveSync,MyMobile, Adobe Flash Lite, My_Flash, Adobe Reader, CyberonVoiceSpeedDial, MS Voice Command, pNotepad, HTC ZIP, long end key (vibrate), no sleep raphael, keypad vibrator, timesync apps, AEBPlus, CapScrUtil, SQLite, MSNETCFv3.5.
3) Web browsers
Opera builds 15529, 2808 and 2745 with or without MyFlash, Skyfire, Netfront, v3.5, nullkb.
4) RSS readers. pRSSreader v1.3.1 VGA and v1.4.3, RSS_HUB_2.1.1, beyondpod, my channels.opml
5) Today screen/TouchFlo3D.
DiamondTF3DConfigSetupv0.6.7, SecondToday, TodayAgenda, WkTaskL.
6) Config tools/egistry editors.
AdvandedConfig 3.3, DiamondTweak v0.5.3, PHM Regedit, Mobile Registry Editor, TotalCommander, keyboard lag and wifi fix.
7) Email.
ImapPusherService, FlexMail.
8) GPS.
Raph Radios 1.02.25.28, 1.02.25.32 and 1.08.25.20M1, GPS Test, HTCGPSTool, BeeLineGPS, Google Maps 3.0.0.2 Street View / Latitude, JCEspi2005_GPS_Lag_Fix_Raphael, GPS2Blue, SeaSGEE (quickgps alternative).
9) Multimedia.
MortPlayer, SiriusWM5, StarPlayr (Sirius/XM), TCPMP-0.72RC1-recomp-03, windows codecs, youtubeplay
10) Notifications.
G-Alarm, VAlert1.20 plus my own custom wavs for email, text and the phone as well as MS and HTC wav bundles. And Blackberry tones.
11) Chat, fun and games.
PocketIRC, Agile Messenger, Slick IM, IM+, DopeWars, Labryrinth, Bubblebreaker, PocketNester (NES emulator).
12) Impressive XDA developed applications.
LocateCaller (quasi-caller ID), TrackMe, GController, Lumeos, WMWifiRouter, TouchResponse.
13) Flashing back to AT&T for warranty compliance.
Stock AT&T rom, AT&T stock radio 1.02.25.32, StockSPL_ForWarrantyOnly_SPL190_1
14) Radios!
Detailed explanation, HardSPL, radios 1.11.25.01, 1.02.25.28, 1.02.25.32 and 1.08.25.20M1 (all Raph radios, no security unlock needed).
15) Experts/hacker wannabees!
WiFiFoFum (wardriving), btCrawler, Handy Snifer (promiscuous mode packet sniffer for multiple adapters), NBStat (netbios scanner), vxUtil (portscanning, traceroutting, ns client, finger client etc), PocketPutty (ssh, rlogin, telnet), Cain (brute force hash cracking), OpenVPN.
16) Untested!
ZM_Dialer (annoying redialer), FakeMail (forging-friendly smtp client), Manila ripped from the HD, wFaceBookVGABeta3.
blownfuze.org
I appreciate the feedback plus it keeps this thread alive.
[Rough draft update Feb 8th]
I haven't been on this thread in a while and have been improving the site almost every day so just to give you a general messy idea of why you should go on the thing here are some of the files I've added in the past month. But you may need to go to my site to know what they do and how to use them:
DTMF_1.wav, DTMF_2.wav, kill_deer.mp3, XP_email.wav, 24_short.mp3, 24_vibe_delay.mp3, galarm_1.4.6.cab, StartTomTom.cab, Raphael_Radio_52.58.25.30_1.11.25.01_Ship.rar, GoogleMaps_3.0.0.2_with_StreetView_and_Latitude.cab, RaphHighResPanorama-RegistryChanger.cab, ROMeOS_NOSLIDE_n_NOCURTAIN.cab, LocateCaller-0.9.1.cab, TouchResponse_v0_3_2.cab, fakemail.cab, ZM_Dialer.exe, wFaceBookVGABeta3.zip, Opera_9.5.15529_VGA.cab, HTCHome.cab, HHCv10Final.cab, BatteryStatus.cab, HDManilaProjb.01.zip, HTCWeatherMasterInstaller.cab, sonar_BB_normal.mp3, sonar_BB_louder.mp3, sonar_BB_louder_delay.mp3, GPS_Speedo.exe, S2U2_V1.42_Touch_Pro_Edition_Black_Clock_VGA.cab, Fabliv_HTC_Diamond_Action_Screen_VGA_v2_EN.cab, Skype_beta2.5.cab, abcTaskMan-1.4.cab, PocketNester.exe, InCallRecording.cab, activesync.msi, DiamondAlerts.zip, DiamondRingtones1.zip, DiamondRingtones2.zip, Preloaded_BB_Ringtones.zip, Notem1.21.zip, Nitrogen-0.2.1-vga.cab, OperaMini4.2.11137plusJBED.cab, VGA_Esmertec_Jbed.cab, S2U2-1.40-VGA.cab, BeyondPod3_1_0.cab, iris-browser-1.0.16.cab, FreqTune15.exe, LumosSetupV09b.cab, RRE_BlackCommMgr.cab, vxUtil.hpcPro_arm.cab, nbtstatce.exe, ovpnppc.en.cab, Cain_setup.exe, WiFiFoFum.cab, zsIRC.cab, hsniffer2.04.cab, btCrawler-v1.1.0-beta.cab, VAlert_1.21.cab, DaveShaw_TimeSyncTZ_0-04.cab, DaveShaw_TimeSyncTZ_0-02.cab, LumosSetupV09.cab, Remove-Htc-Volume-by-Hallengreen.cab, AppToDate.cab, DiamondHologram_v2.02.cab, Add_3G_to_Comm_Manager.cab
That's just a recent clump of like over 150 hand-picked files. You get the idea? Then get on the site! blownfuze.org
Doug

using IE 7, getting an xml error after entering credentials...
just installed firefox 3, and it works there..

<remove comment>

A+ work
Looks like an awesome resource you set up there, just got my fuze and will hook it up Mon. when I got time.
Thanks for your hard work bro!

whats with no ie 7?
sounds great! just wanna look at it...
lol
why does ie always f**k everything up?
boomin

Very humorous, Thanks.

Another Thank You!
Thanks for your time, and humor in creating this repository!

Solid work nephew, I can digg it! Nice collection of some dope cabs to use to trick out this beyotch. One thing tho....the left/right D-pad is sweatin me, any fix fo that? Peace

Awesome thread. I just picked up my Fuze on friday, and I was hunting ALL OVER THE WEB (including XDA-devs) for some worthy links.
Got 5 new cabs right off the bat, thanks
And I agree with the post above, the D-Pad is killin me...I just avoid left/right all together now.

Thanks! ... regarding the D-pad.
I appreciate your appreciation fellas.
The one thing pissing me off the most about the Raphael is the damn D-pad left/right issue. I mean, they take away the buttons and the thing they leave they screw up. Here's an entire thread on the issue in the general section - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=446246&page=2 - which for the first page is a bunch of "me toos" but on the second some guy comes up with this idea which might be viable. It may never happen but it's good we got people thinking and maybe that thread will keep going toward a solution so subscribe to it.
Here's thedocrn proposes...
I propose someone should create software to do 1 of 2 things:
1) Use the G-sensor to control scrolling. This function would be activated by touching, not pressing/clicking, the center of D-pad. Similar to how you focus the camera. This action would activate the software thus allowing scrolling in all 4 directions by tilting the device.
2) Change the input so we only have to Touch the D-pad (like how we zoom in on pictures/Opera) to move in the desired direction.​
He's offering money...
What would make me happy is to be able to remap the volume buttons. Anybody?
Thanks again for checking out my site!
HEY I just found this thread for GController which I think lets you dance around as you would with the D-Pad but by tilting the phone. Good luck configuring it. It's on my site or you can grab it off the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=429569

Hey d0ugie...
Check back on that thread you posted a link to regarding navigating with the Death-pad. A guy posted a suggestion several posts below mine, and so far (crossing fingers) this technique has been FAR more accurate!
I've tried G-controller, and although it's a nice program it's not one that I'd want running all the time. You have to 'align a center point' to start off, but if you lay your phone down or click it into a holster on your belt that will activate scrolling. Would be nice if this program can be activated/deactivated by touching/releasing the center cirlce (like focusing the camera lens).
I like your website! Will you take suggestions from users to add more cab files there?

good stuff, thanks for the cabs

I am getting this error when I try to log in, using IE7
The XML page cannot be displayed
Cannot view XML input using style sheet. Please correct the error and then click the Refresh button, or try again later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
System does not support the specified encoding. Error processing resource 'http://fuze.cassiebaby.com/'. Line 1, Position ...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding=""?><style type="text/css">
---------------------------------^

Hi georgiejr ,
IE reports the error but it was ok with firefox. I have downloaded all the apps.
Thanks a lot d0ugie

Fixed IE bug.
Not sure why any of you are using IE but hey, each to his own, not going to judge you.
I deleted the XML line that was causing the problem and it works now.

AEBPlus.cab when installing says unsuccessful.. any ideas?

Ctrl key
I see that putty.exe is in the list of Fuze software.
I may be dense, but I can't figure out how to get a CTRL or ESC keypress out of the thing.
It's nigh impossible for me to do anything intelligent without vi or nano.
Are there any cabs in that list that will remap (temporarily or permananatly) the OK and windows keys to get me a CTRL and ESC?

re: putty
I know it sucks, all I use it for is tailing my apache access.logs. I tried googling for some alternative (like backspace is ^H) but I realized those keys involved CTRL themselves. So I think we may be SOL.

Awesome page! Thanks!

awesome work
you just made my day. I figured out most of the information then I came across your thread. You could have saved me more time! But thanks buddy. Great job.

[APP][May 5 2009][WWE] TouchFlo Detacher 1.0.1.1 FINAL - Another TF3D/Today switcher!

I have ceased development of this project because I don't use TouchFlo 3D anymore. All source code is available. If anybody wants to take over the CodePlex project, just PM me and it's yours for the taking!
Overview
TouchFlo Detacher is yet another way to simultaneously have TouchFlo 3D / 2D and the regular Today screen. Previous excellent solutions include SecondToday and ManilaControl.
CodePlex
TFD development is hosted at Microsoft CodePlex! http://www.codeplex.com/TFDetacher
Tip Jar
Like this app? Want more like it or quicker updates? Tip a buck (or Euro or Pound or whatever) or two to help the author out! Click here to make a safe donation via PayPal.
Description
So what makes mine different? Well, my app is actually very similar to MastSogo's ManilaControl. The main difference is that I plan to actively develop it now for a while, whereas ManilaControl has been a bit frozen in development for a few months. Mine is also open source, licensed under the Ms-RL. Mine is on CodePlex, so download speeds should be much better than the average rapidshare link. Finally, mine is in English and not Spanish. Other than that, it's just another solution for the same problem!
I must give a hearty thank you and bow to MastSogo for inspiring me to work on this.
I believe I am using a similar technical solution to his, but mine is written from the ground up, so it shares no source code with his!
See it in action on the YouTubes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk0xWm8PMGQ
Current features
- Free up your Today screen by hosting Manila outside of the Today screen! TouchFlo Detacher can launch/show/hide/close Manila independent of any other Today screen settings. Now you can have your TouchFlo cake and eat it too! The most obvious use is to assign a soft key to toggle between seeing TouchFlo and seeing the regular Today screen.
- Supports TouchFlo 3D and TouchFlo 2D.
- NO ANNOYING SPLASH SCREEN when application launches.
- Configuration application allows advanced customizations so that this utility can be used with non-standard or untested Manila versions.
- Configuration application can clean out the ManilaActivateToday.exe from the notification queue. (That app can interefere with TouchFlo Detacher's operation.)
- Shortcuts to start/show Manila, hide Manila, toggle (show/hide) Manila, and close Manila. These can be assigned to hardware buttons (if your device has them), to virtual hardware buttons through the use of 3rd party applications such as AE Button Plus, or to gestures using 3rd party applications such as FTouchSL.
- Configuration application can customize the softkeys in both Today and TouchFlo's Home tab. You can use it to not only assign TouchFlo Detacher operations (show/hide/close), but any other application on your device.
- Launch an application after TouchFlo launches... Such as SSMaHo. It's easy. Create an attach link in SSMaHo. Put the attach link in the config: \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\SSMaHo Attach.lnk
Known Issues
- On the Touch HD, the home hardware button does not return to the Manila "home" tab. This does not happen on the Pro or Diamond. Workaround: none. Scheduled fix: unknown.
- Sometimes the clock on the TouchFlo home page will stop and go out of sync with the real time. Workaround: hide and then show manila. I may need to create a scheduled task that can do that as an automatic workaround once per day for those experiencing the problem. Scheduled fix: unknown.
History
1.0.1.1 STABLE FINAL - Fixed bugs in 1.0.1.0; Added ability to launch an app after TouhcFlo launches.
1.0.1.0 BETA - The first version of TFD that no longer requires a pseudo-service. All functionality should be identical to 1.0.0.5, otherwise.
1.0.0.5 STABLE - The "hide then show" workaround wasn't working in some instances, so I put extra detection code in to determine the current state of Manila before issuing the hide/show commands. If this doesn't work, I can add customizable delays. Also added AppToDate support!
1.0.0.4 STABLE - First release I am considering stable! It is identical to the very tested 1.0.0.3 except for one new feature. When you start the TFDService you can now optionally have it hide and then show Manila immediately. It does this VERY quickly, so you may not even notice it happening on screen. This is done so as a workaround some users are having where they cannot access the phone until Manila is hidden at least one time. Very odd behavior. It is working perfectly in my tests, but please let me know if this workaround doesn't work for you.
1.0.0.3 Beta - TF2D support I think is finally complete! Please test! New layout for TFDConfig. Standard and advanced options are now in separate tabs. More advanced options for alternate Manila configurations. Fixed bug in config where a crash could happen when you tried removing ActivateManilaToday. Toggle TouchFlo command is now available (note: this toggles show/hide, NOT show/close).
1.0.0.2 Beta - New language-neutral detection of Manila process and window handles (no longer need to know titles!). Fixed (hopefully) bug where the softkeys sometimes didn't hide correctly. Window class "search" is no longer case sensitive. Optional delay when starting Manila at system start-up (attempting to work around issue where Manila won't launch on startup).
1.0.0.1 Beta - Confg app can now start the service. The service has better error reporting. Config app can remove TouchFlo today item. No need to soft reset! TouchFlo 2D support (maybe - I'm trying!). Some crappy icons ;-) ... Service detects if TouchFlo Today item is enabled. Link to start and stop the service. Fixed installer bugs. Bug fixes!
1.0.0.0 Beta (aka BETA1) - Initial release
Download
CAB Installer: http://www.codeplex.com/TFDetacher/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx
Source Code: http://www.codeplex.com/TFDetacher/SourceControl/ListDownloadableCommits.aspx
Installation
As explained on CodePlex...
1. Install the CAB
2. Run TFDConfig (important!!!)
3. Enable all the standard Today Items you want to use
4. Do not re-enable TouchFlo in the Today items (if you do, it will undo all your other Today plugins and your device might freeze up, requiring a soft reset)
Requirements
Windows Mobile 6.1
.Net Compact Framework 2.0
A device that runs TouchFlo3D (Manila) or TouchFlo2D (Manila2D).

FAQ
FAQ
Q: I uninstalled TouchFlo Detacher but TouchFlo did not come back!
A: Changes made with TFDConfig will not automatically be undone when you uninstall TouchFlo Detacher. To get TouchFlo back, go into your phone's settings. Go into Today. Go to the "items" tab. Check in "TouchFlo 3D" (or 2D or whatever). Exit. TouchFlo will be back.
Q: I uninstalled TouchFlo Detacher but my softkeys did not go back to the way they were before!
A: Changes made with TFDConfig will not automatically be undone when you uninstall TouchFlo Detacher. Do not worry! Fixing this is very simple. Before uninstalling TFD, it's recommended you run TFDConfig one more time and reassign the softkeys to whatever you want them to be. For TouchFlo's softkeys, all you have to do is set them both to empty (as in, nothing) to get the default softkeys (phone/programs). For Today's softkeys, you can assign them to whatever you want -- calendar, phone, contacts, your choice!
If you have already uninstalled TFD, you will need to use a registry editor to reset the values. Here are the relevant keys:
Today left softkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Today\Keys\112
[Default] = Text on softkey
Open = Path to program to run
Today right softkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Today\Keys\113
[Default] = Text on softkey
Open = Path to program to run
TouchFlo 3D left softkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Manila
HomeLSKText = Text on softkey
HomeLSKPath = Path to program to run (or blank for default)
TouchFlo 3D right softkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Manila
HomeRSKText = Text on softkey
HomeRSKPath = Path to program to run (or blank for default)
TouchFlo 2D left softkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Manila2D\Home
SK1 = Text on softkey
SK1Cmd = Path to program to run (or blank for default)
TouchFlo 2D right softkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\HTC\Manila2D\Home
SK2 = Text on softkey
SK2Cmd = Path to program to run (or blank for default)

Hi,
Is this a Manila3D only switcher or will it also work with Manila2D? I have been using Mastsogo's until now, but the lack of support is a bit worrying.

motisu said:
Hi,
Is this a Manila3D only switcher or will it also work with Manila2D? I have been using Mastsogo's until now, but the lack of support is a bit worrying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may work with TF2D, I just have no way to test it since my device is TF3D. In the config, you can specify the location of the Manila EXE and the window class/titles. I'm assuming since MastSogo's did both, it's just a matter of tweaking those settings. As soon as somebody gets me that info, I can add it into the config app.

Installed on a Wizard (WM6.1 5.2.20273) running Manilla2D, set Today screen to use TodayAgenda 1.5 only. After soft reset, I get a Win32Exception with the following debugging information (see attached).
I'm checking the launch parameters in the config now (I started with the defaults).

Sheesh, I should have checked the parameters before going to the work of assembling that debugging jpeg. For Manila2D, the two references to Manila.exe need to be changed to Manila2D.exe. I still don't have it working, but at least it only throws one error message now.
I don't have any more testing time today. Good luck with your app.

thx1200 said:
It may work with TF2D, I just have no way to test it since my device is TF3D. In the config, you can specify the location of the Manila EXE and the window class/titles. I'm assuming since MastSogo's did both, it's just a matter of tweaking those settings. As soon as somebody gets me that info, I can add it into the config app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As Uracil said, the name of the executable for TF2D is Manila2D. That's why Manila control needs a config program. It asked which one you are using and sets the parameter accordingly.

Fantastic. Loaded this onto my AT&T Stock, fully bloated Fuze. Works like a champ! Great app, thanks!

I will try this for sure!
TWO THINGS!
1) anybody knows a safe way to uninstall Manila Control?
2) I am a bit affraid of this "resident" thing... this program (TFD let's call it) uses one of the very scarce 32 processes? if YES sorry it's not for me (I am already dangerously close to the limit - up to the point that some sync processes don't have where to run)

nice app! well done

Ran through the steps to set it up, on soft reset the device hangs at the startup HTC animation, Hard reset time , the manila im using has the following mods:
CFC Compression
Background 4 all tabs (mun rus)
Stocks tab
HD contacts
Will investigate further..
EDIT: Havent been able to replicate this issue after a hard reset, probably something else i installed.
Minor issue ive spotted though, set left softkey in TF3D to "Today" which hides TF3D....in the blank today screen i dont see the setting for the left softkey (Which is set to "TouchFlo 3D" and should show TF3D) i still see the softkey setting from when TF3D is visible. So the effect is i cant get back to TF3D after hiding it unless i literally run it from the start menu.

NLS said:
I will try this for sure!
TWO THINGS!
1) anybody knows a safe way to uninstall Manila Control?
2) I am a bit affraid of this "resident" thing... this program (TFD let's call it) uses one of the very scarce 32 processes? if YES sorry it's not for me (I am already dangerously close to the limit - up to the point that some sync processes don't have where to run)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WM 6.x and newer raised the process limit to 32768, so you should be fine.
EDIT: I was wrong! Don't believe me! Keep reading below. (The short of it: WM6 is based on CE 5.0, NOT CE 6.0, which is the version of CE that doesn't have the 32 process limit.)

Uracil said:
Sheesh, I should have checked the parameters before going to the work of assembling that debugging jpeg. For Manila2D, the two references to Manila.exe need to be changed to Manila2D.exe. I still don't have it working, but at least it only throws one error message now.
I don't have any more testing time today. Good luck with your app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The exception you showed is the service not finding the EXE. There are two places you need to change it. The "EXE Only" config is just the name of the EXE (for finding it in the running process list). The "full path" is where the file is located in the file system (including the EXE name!). Did you change both?
Thanks for the info. I'm going to make that "file not found" error more friendly for beta2. Also, now that I know what I'm looking for, I can add a built-in way to switch from Manila3D to Manila2D.

mrvanx said:
Ran through the steps to set it up, on soft reset the device hangs at the startup HTC animation, Hard reset time , the manila im using has the following mods:
CFC Compression
Background 4 all tabs (mun rus)
Stocks tab
HD contacts
Will investigate further..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it get to the Today screen at all? The service is in the Startup folder. All it does is try to Launch manila.exe at startup (you can actually even disable that if you want to in the config), so it would be really weird if that froze the device. Not saying it's not possible, just really really weird!

thx1200 said:
Does it get to the Today screen at all? The service is in the Startup folder. All it does is try to Launch manila.exe at startup (you can actually even disable that if you want to in the config), so it would be really weird if that froze the device. Not saying it's not possible, just really really weird!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my edit above

thx1200 said:
WM 6.x and newer raised the process limit to 32768, so you should be fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No man you are wrong (100%).
In *my* WM6.1 at least, the limit is 32. Well in fact all WM6.1.
Only new WinCE (not the builds used in WM6.X) have lifted this limit.
WM7 is supposed to not have this limit (because uses different WinCE) and a very small possibility (like 5%) that WM6.5 will have this limit lifted.
With the help of Daniel Herrero (the guy that makes CommManagerPro) we even built a simple app that we run as much as we could, to test this.
Sure enough my device after 4-5 runs started killing other apps. After 1-2 more runs, I got a pop-up that said that I cannot run more apps because I reached the process limit. My device is a loaded Touch Pro.
His much lighter X1, sure enough came to the same result, but only after more runs, about 10 or something (since he had more process "slots" free).
So you probably have to (and please do) rethink your strategy (for example use a REAL service or handle things based on triggers) as processes ARE a scarce commodity in WM.
At least add a mode or something that doesn't use a process all the time (even with some extra delay). I will certainly NOT eat more of my processes.

I installed this on my Touch HD... ran config but chaned nothing, disabled TF3d and soft reset... now don't know what to do... seem to be missing a step... for example how to toggle between Today and TF3d... running hide and close tf3d in the utilities folderdoes nothing

NLS said:
No man you are wrong (100%).
In *my* WM6.1 at least, the limit is 32. Well in fact all WM6.1.
Only new WinCE (not the builds used in WM6.X) have lifted this limit.
WM7 is supposed to not have this limit (because uses different WinCE) and a very small possibility (like 5%) that WM6.5 will have this limit lifted.
With the help of Daniel Herrero (the guy that makes CommManagerPro) we even built a simple app that we run as much as we could, to test this.
Sure enough my device after 4-5 runs started killing other apps. After 1-2 more runs, I got a pop-up that said that I cannot run more apps because I reached the process limit. My device is a loaded Touch Pro.
His much lighter X1, sure enough came to the same result, but only after more runs, about 10 or something (since he had more process "slots" free).
So you probably have to (and please do) rethink your strategy (for example use a REAL service or handle things based on triggers) as processes ARE a scarce commodity in WM.
At least add a mode or something that doesn't use a process all the time (even with some extra delay). I will certainly NOT eat more of my processes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. I was going on what I read on another website from a while back. I just did some research and, sure enough, WM6 is based on CE 5, which has the 32 process, 32MB limit still in place.
The strategy I am using will not change as there is no way (that I know of) to write a service DLL in the Compact Framework, but if somebody knows of a way, I will certainly look into it.
EDIT: I did a check and I'm only running 24 processes with my media app, Total Commander, TFD, 3 other "service" apps (dont forget, PocketShield, VistaHide Battery Bar). That leaves me with 6 more apps until WM6 gets nervous (it seems to close after going above 30). How are you so close? I'm not judging your mobile computing habits, I'm just curious! Also, I'm thinking of rolling the "service" code into stand alone EXEs for cases like yours, but it will be very slow switching back and forth. I tested that at first before deciding on the memory resident app and it took about 5 seconds to switch each time. But maybe you'll have better luck!

abeery said:
I installed this on my Touch HD... ran config but chaned nothing, disabled TF3d and soft reset... now don't know what to do... seem to be missing a step... for example how to toggle between Today and TF3d... running hide and close tf3d in the utilities folderdoes nothing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possble the HD may have a slightly different Manila configuration than the Diamond/Pro. If you find the manila.exe and can scan the window classes and titles (such as with FDCsoft's Task manager) that will give you the info you need to configure it for the HD. If you figure it out, post it here so I can add it to the config app.

mrvanx said:
EDIT: Havent been able to replicate this issue after a hard reset, probably something else i installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GOOD! Whew!
mrvanx said:
Minor issue ive spotted though, set left softkey in TF3D to "Today" which hides TF3D....in the blank today screen i dont see the setting for the left softkey (Which is set to "TouchFlo 3D" and should show TF3D) i still see the softkey setting from when TF3D is visible. So the effect is i cant get back to TF3D after hiding it unless i literally run it from the start menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me see if I am understanding you. The left soft key on the "real" Today screen says "TouchFlo" but it isn't launching TouchFlo? If you go into the configuration and set the Today left soft key using my quick drop down (Show TouchFlo 3D) this doesn't fix the issue? If so, can you post what the app path is that it is showing?

[APP][3-13-2009] Kwik-E-Map v0.2 -- Simple FUZE keyboard mapper (map CTRL, etc)

KwikEMap
Version 0.2 (Beta)
To Use
======
* Install the KwikEMap.CAB on your device. (Do NOT install it on a Storage Card)
* Execute KwikEMap.exe, it will run in the background and your key mappings will be in effect. It uses about 35KB of memory and less than .5% of your CPU (while keys are being pressed only).
* Add a shortcut to KwikEMap.exe to \Windows\StartUp if you'd like the app to run each time your phone boots.
* If you execute KwikEMap.exe while it is already running, the KwikEMap Window will appear. From there, you can HIDE the application again, or QUIT and restore all key mappings to normal.
* There is also a "Show Window" keyboard shortcut you can use to open the KwikEMap window. By default, it is FN+PERIOD.
Default Key Mappings
=====================
These all can be changed in the KwikEMap.cfg file. See "Important Note", below, regarding the first 4 mappings.
Code:
FUZE Key Maps To Notes
------------- ---------- ---------------------
CALENDAR CTRL see "Important Note", below
CONTACTS TAB see "Important Note", below
EMAIL HOME see "Important Note", below
INTERNET END see "Important Note", below
SHIFT+BACK ESC
QUESTION MARK CTRL Makes a nice right CTRL key, for pressing CTRL-X, etc.
SHIFT+PERIOD ? Since we no longer have a question mark due to prev. map
FN+PERIOD KwikEMap Shows KwikEMap Window
You can use modifiers with this mappings and use multiple combinations. For example, you can press CTRL+HOME, or SHIFT-TAB.
Important Note Regarding CALENDAR, CONTACTS, EMAIL, INTERNET
=============================================================
To use these keys, you must configure the FUZE so that the normal functions of those keys are disabled. Some ROMS (Da_G's, NATF, RSW, etc) let you do this via the Buttons setting. If your ROM doesn't, this must be done by placing "null" shortcuts in specific locations. (thanks to Da_G for this information)
There is a shortcut in Program Files\KwikEMap\ called "NoButton.lnk". The shortcut basically does nothing. Simply copy this shortcut to the locations indicated to effectively disable the normal function of any of the 4 keys you'd like to use:
Code:
To Disable Copy "NoButton.lnk" as:
------------ ----------------------
CALENDAR \Windows\Start Menu\Calendar.lnk
CONTACTS \Windows\AppButtons\Contacts.lnk
EMAIL \Windows\Short_Messaging.lnk
INTERNET \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Media Net Home.lnk
Notes:
1) To hide the start menu location links so they don't appear in the Start Menu, simply edit the files' properties and mark it as "Hidden".
2) Future versions of this app will copy these shortcuts automatically.
3) Even if those shortcuts do not currently exist on your phone, you still can (and must) disable the normal function of those keys by creating the "NoButton.lnk" shortcuts as specified if you wish to map them.
Setting up your own Mappings
============================
* See the KwikEMap.cfg file for full information and examples.
* While the KwikEMap window is open, you can press various keys and KwikEMap will show you the corresponding Key Codes and any modifiers used. You can use this to assist in setting up your own key mappings.
* The order you list the mappings matters; the first one found is what gets used. So, if you want to map WIN as CTRL, but keep WIN+PERIOD as the normal Windows Key, list WIN->CTRL first, then list CTRL+PERIOD->WIN next, and it will work. (This is because WIN has already been re-mapped to CTRL)
* The app should be smart enough to avoid cycles, so you can swap two keys. For example, you should be able to map A to B, and then also B to A, without any problems.
* Note that the FUZE's keyboard is odd; you will see that when you press the Question Mark key, for example, it actually is registering as "SHIFT+/" even though you are not pressing the SHIFT key! Keep this in mind as you set up your custom mappings.
* For now, you must QUIT and re-start the app to re-read the mappings from the .cfg file.
* A full list of Windows Mobile key codes can be found here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb431750.aspx
Notes Regarding Specific Keys
=============================
* The WINDOWS key now should be fully mapable; i.e., it makes a good CTRL key.
* The CAPS LOCK key is partially mapable (i.e., you can map it to TAB), but there are two issues:
1) It still toggles the caps state, even when mapped
2) It never stays registered as pressed, so you cannot use it as a modifier-type key (i.e., CTRL)
* You can use the FN key as a modifier (i.e., map FN+C to CTRL+C to "cut"), but only if that key doesn't already have a FN modifier built-in. So, feel free to map a whole bunch keys like FN+A, FN+C,FN+B, etc, to whatever you want! (some examples are below)
Other Mapping Examples
======================
Use the WINDOWS key as a CTRL key, but still map WINDOWS-PERIOD to the old windows key:
5B=+00 (WIN -> CTRL)
+BE=5B (CTRL+PERIOD -> WIN)
Use CAPS LOCK as a TAB:
14=09
Use FN+A, FN+X, FN+C, FN+V for Select All, Cut, Copy, Paste, respectively:
#41=+41 (FN+A -> CTRL+A, Select All)
#58=+58 (FN+X -> CTRL+X, Cut)
#43=+43 (FN+C -> CTRL+C, Copy)
#56=+56 (FN+V -> CTRL+V, Paste)
Use WIN-UP as HOME, WIN-DOWN as END
&26=24 (WIN+UP -> HOME)
&27=23 (WIN+DOWN -> END)
=======================================
Have Fun! If all goes wrong, just soft-reset.

How does it work?
Can you tell me how this works? I'm an experienced software dev, but new to Windows Mobile programming.

Hi -- I am in the same boat as you; experienced developer, but very new to windows mobile and very rusty with C++. So, I may not be the best to learn from! but, at the core of things, we use a windows "hook" to grab keyboard messages before they are processed.
More info here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms644990(VS.85).aspx
Hope that helps. I will also post my source code eventually.

Just try it but not working
MSG = warning Couldn't install hook... terminating
have any sugestion?

jsmith8858 said:
Here's a very simple key re-mapping app, Kwik-E-Map. Please try to forget my terrible, hacky first attempt, FuzeKeys, and don't hold that against me!
You can pretty much re-map anything except the HOME key at this point. This isn't a "hotkey" app launcher or anything fancy, just something simple to put CTRL and TAB keys on your FUZE, things like that.
Here's the scoop:
1) unzip the two files to a folder somewhere on your phone
2) run KwikEMap.exe.
That's it! It runs in the background, and currently maps the following:
CALENDAR --> CTRL
CONTACTS --> TAB
MESSAGING --> HOME
INTERNET --> END
? -- > CTRL (i.e., a nice Right-CTRL, to press CTRL-A, CTRL-Z, etc)
SHIFT-PERIOD --> ? (since we lost the ? key)
SHIFT-BACKSPACE --> ESC
4) In addition, pressing FN-PERIOD will bring up the "Kwik-E-Map" window, where you can close the application or test out some key presses to view key codes. (this key is re-mappable, see below)
It runs in the background, put a shortcut to it in your start-up if you like. It uses about 35K and I have not seen the CPU usage go above .5% (and that's when pressing all kinds of keys really quickly to see how high we can get it go!)
Don't like those key mappings? want to add more? See the key mappings in the KwikEMap.txt file. All of the info you need is there.
Final notes:
1) You can map the CAPS LOCK key to, say, TAB, but I cannot figure out how to not get it to affect the CAPS LOCK state. In other words, go ahead and map CAPS LOCK as TAB, it will work, but it will toggle capitals each time you press it. Also, CAPS LOCK always registers an "UP" event as soon as you press it, so it won't work well if you need to hold it down; e.g., to use it as a CTRL mapping.
2) You can map the windows key, but it still makes the start menu appear. You CAN map the windows key to "00" (see the .txt file) which will effectively disable the windows key normal operation (such as the start menu appearing) for any un-mapped keystrokes.
3) the order of mappings in the config file matters. If you map the "A" key to one thing, and then SHIFT-A to another, you'll never get the SHIFT-A mapping unless you list that one first.
4) to use the CALENDAR, INTERNET, etc, mappings, you need a ROM that let's you use the Buttons settings to map those keys, and map them to "Do Nothing". (most of the roms here have this feature added, I believe)
5) If you change the .txt mappings, you must stop and re-start the app.
6) If you re-execute the KwikEmap.exe file, the app's window will appear, allowing you to shut it down if you like.
7) A list of windows mobile key codes can be found here.
Everything is still in alpha test mode. The Fuze keyboard is funky, so there's no telling what will work and what won't, or what side effects you might encounter. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. (However, the worst-case scenario is that you need to do a soft-reset to get back to normal).
Please let me know how it goes. It can and will be made more efficient, eventually, perhaps a better UI at some point, a CAB installer, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really think this app as potential but all i really want to to remap the the internet key to CTRL and it seems to work but it will also open the file.... example if i want to copy over pictures from a folder but the files are not next to each other i press the internet button and it will let me select three different pictures but will open them also so how do i get around that. hope i explained it correctly. thanks

irus said:
I really think this app as potential but all i really want to to remap the the internet key to CTRL and it seems to work but it will also open the file.... example if i want to copy over pictures from a folder but the files are not next to each other i press the internet button and it will let me select three different pictures but will open them also so how do i get around that. hope i explained it correctly. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see "note #4" in my post. (which you quoted)
If you can't map those keys using the Buttons settings, then the easiest way is to map the "?" key as CTRL, and then simply map SHIFT-PERIOD (or something like that) to the Question mark. I don't think an extra keystroke for a question mark is a big deal if it gets you a nice CTRL key.
EDIT: I just re-read your post more carefully. I actually have no idea what you are asking.

jsmith8858 said:
Hi -- I am in the same boat as you; experienced developer, but very new to windows mobile and very rusty with C++. So, I may not be the best to learn from! but, at the core of things, we use a windows "hook" to grab keyboard messages before they are processed.
More info here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms644990(VS.85).aspx
Hope that helps. I will also post my source code eventually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, yes that helps. You may want to Google "Windows Mobile services.exe" - you can make this app run as a service so there isn't a window hanging around.

jsmith8858 said:
see "note #4" in my post. (which you quoted)
If you can't map those keys using the Buttons settings, then the easiest way is to map the "?" key as CTRL, and then simply map SHIFT-PERIOD (or something like that) to the Question mark. I don't think an extra keystroke for a question mark is a big deal if it gets you a nice CTRL key.
EDIT: I just re-read your post more carefully. I actually have no idea what you are asking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry i will try to give a better example below
file1
file2
file3
file4
file5
so lets say im in total commander and i want to copy file 1, file 3, file 5 to a different directory. so i press and hold the internet button(which i have remapped as CTRL) and tap on file 1 which opens the document so i close out of the document and tap on file 3, so now file 1 and file 3 are highlighted(selected) so file 3 opens and i close out of file 3 and tap on file 5 which opens file 5 which i close out of and now i am in total commander with 3 files selected i can now tap & hold and select copy and it will copy. but i want to select the files with out them opening. i know i can change the options to double tap in total commander and that would fix the problem but i was just wondering if there might be another way. thanks hope this is better

irus said:
i know i can change the options to double tap in total commander and that would fix the problem but i was just wondering if there might be another way. thanks hope this is better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you gave yourself your own answer. I can't really give you Total Command support here in this thread, I have no idea. I just map the keys, I don't control how applications respond to them!

vizmaster said:
Just try it but not working
MSG = warning Couldn't install hook... terminating
have any sugestion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm, interesting. Are you using a Fuze or some other device? What ROM? Any info you can provide would be useful.

mhumphrey said:
Thanks, yes that helps. You may want to Google "Windows Mobile services.exe" - you can make this app run as a service so there isn't a window hanging around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. An item on the "to-do" list.

jsmith8858 said:
hmmm, interesting. Are you using a Fuze or some other device? What ROM? Any info you can provide would be useful.
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Click to collapse
I'M using a touch pro for Telus ROM 1.03.661 date 10/14/08
I tried a hard reset before still no luck

Doesn't seem to work for me. When I start the program, no window appears, and the key maps don't work, except for FN-period, which opens the window...
I'm using Rogers_Fuze_Rom_v2_2009_02_19 by digitalextremes, which is essentially RUU_Raphael_HTC_WWE_5.05.405.1_R_Radio_Signed_Raphael_52.58.25.30_1.11.25.01_Ship
I have a Fuze.

efrant said:
Doesn't seem to work for me. When I start the program, no window appears, and the key maps don't work, except for FN-period, which opens the window...
I'm using Rogers_Fuze_Rom_v2_2009_02_19 by digitalextremes, which is essentially RUU_Raphael_HTC_WWE_5.05.405.1_R_Radio_Signed_Raphael_52.58.25.30_1.11.25.01_Ship
I have a Fuze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No window appears when the app starts.
Are you sure your key mappings are not working? Nothing really seems to happen for most of them, since they are keys like HOME, END, CTRL, etc -- you'd need an app open that uses those keys to see the effect.
For example, open up Word, and tell me what happens when you press the "?" key on your keyboard. Or, give me specific examples of what you tried, what you expected to happen, and what did happen instead. That info makes things much easier to troubleshoot rather than just saying things "don't work".

jsmith8858 said:
No window appears when the app starts.
Are you sure your key mappings are not working? Nothing really seems to happen for most of them, since they are keys like HOME, END, CTRL, etc -- you'd need an app open that uses those keys to see the effect.
For example, open up Word, and tell me what happens when you press the "?" key on your keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give you an example: I open Outlook and create a new message. I then open your app via File Explorer. I click on it again and see the window (just to make sure it is open). I then type something in the body of the message, and highlight it. I push "Calendar"+B to bold it, but my calendar opens up...

efrant said:
I'll give you an example: I open Outlook and create a new message. I then open your app via File Explorer. I click on it again and see the window (just to make sure it is open). I then type something in the body of the message, and highlight it. I push "Calendar"+B to bold it, but my calendar opens up...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It runs in the background! It is designed to be used while the window is hidden. The app's keymappings are suspended when the window is open so it can show off the key codes and in case you have errors/problems with the mappings. Simply don't show the app's window (click HIDE if it is open already) and the key mappings should take effect.
EDIT: Also, as mentioned in the initial post, you cannot use the Calendar, Internet, etc, keys unless your ROM let's you map those keys to "None", otherwise the normal button action still occurs. So, you'd need to use ? for CTRL in that case, or define your own mappings using other keys.

jsmith8858 said:
It runs in the background! It is designed to be used while the window is hidden. The app's keymappings are suspended when the window is open so it can show off the key codes and in case you have errors/problems with the mappings. Simply don't show the app's window (click HIDE if it is open already) and the key mappings should take effect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, my previous post should read as follows:
"I'll give you an example: I open Outlook and create a new message. I then open your app via File Explorer. I click on it again and see the window (just to make sure it is open). I then click on HIDE. I then type something in the body of the message, and highlight it. I push "Calendar"+B to bold it, but my calendar opens up...

efrant said:
Sorry, my previous post should read as follows:
"I'll give you an example: I open Outlook and create a new message. I then open your app via File Explorer. I click on it again and see the window (just to make sure it is open). I then click on HIDE. I then type something in the body of the message, and highlight it. I push "Calendar"+B to bold it, but my calendar opens up...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See the EDIT in my previous post. And, tell me what happens when you press ? (question mark) plus "B". That should do what you want. (Assuming Outlook supports CTRL+B = bold)
A good one to test that's pretty universal is CTRL-A to select All. (i.e., works in File Explorer, Word, any text control, etc)

jsmith8858 said:
See the EDIT in my previous post. And, tell me what happens when you press ? (question mark) plus "B". That should do what you want. (Assuming Outlook supports CTRL+B = bold)
A good one to test that's pretty universal is CTRL-A to select All. (i.e., works in File Explorer, Word, any text control, etc)
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Click to collapse
Yes, CTRL is maped correctly to the ?-key. So it actually does work. My mistake. Except for the calendar, contacts, internet, etc. keys.
It's too bad that my ROM doesn't support mapping those keys to NONE. Is this something a chef can cook in?

efrant said:
It's too bad that my ROM doesn't support mapping those keys to NONE. Is this something a chef can cook in?
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Click to collapse
Yeah, it must be cooked in as far as I know, drivers and system files need to be replaced or updated as far as I know. NotATreoFan's ROM and I think Da_G's have this feature. I am trying to see if I can figure out a way around this, but no luck so far. I am going to see if I can "hook into" messages sent to the Keypad.dll and figure out if that works.

Accessing dictionary on unregisterd, unrooted Nook HD?

Hi all
I recently acquired a Nook HD (8GB), and I don't want to register or root it (tempted to root it, but a bit terrified of bricking it and so far I can do everything I want to without rooting).
This is a brilliant site, I've been able to find answers to all of my questions except this one.
I've worked out how to sideload apps using ADB install (from a laptop running Ubuntu 14.04), and so far I'm really happy with what it can do EXCEPT....
I can't access the built-in dictionary. When I use Terminal Emulator to look for /system/media/reference/basewords.db, it's right there (along with bgwords.db, fwp.db and inflectedwords.db).
But when I try to look up a word in the Reader, it suggests I download a dictionary, and when I touch 'Download', it brings me to the Reader settings page, which has a Dictionary Options entry, but with nothing available.
I'm a bit of a newbie - I've been reading through the Alternative Dictionaries thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1477918) to see if there's anything relevant, but I don't quite understand all of it and I'm not sure I'd recognise anything that might help.
Could anyone help me access the dictionary which is clearly there?
Thank you!

Oh! It's been a while since I looked at this.
It shouldn't have crashed in any case.
The (new style) dictionary files are kept in /sdcard/Dictionaries/
Try copying some (new style) dictionaries there.
Make sure you can select them in the drop-down on the right in the app.
I think that the app should be able to handle (to some extent) the old style, stock dictionaries.
They would have to be copied over to /sdcard/Dictionaires/ to be found though.

Renate NST said:
Oh! It's been a while since I looked at this.
It shouldn't have crashed in any case.
The (new style) dictionary files are kept in /sdcard/Dictionaries/
Try copying some (new style) dictionaries there.
Make sure you can select them in the drop-down on the right in the app.
I think that the app should be able to handle (to some extent) the old style, stock dictionaries.
They would have to be copied over to /sdcard/Dictionaires/ to be found though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your help!!
I've moved the eng-fra.db and fra-eng.db files now into sdcard/Dictionaries/ and they seem to be working fine.
I also copied the stock dictionaries into the same directory, but they aren't quite working, though:
* All four are visible in the Lookup dropdown menu
* For three of them - basewords, fwp and bgwords - I can type in a word and see the headwords, but the moment I select any one, Lookup stops
* For the fourth, inflectedwords, the moment I type a letter in, Lookup stops
Is your nookdict.exe on the temblast site the right tool to convert the stock dictionaries?
Updated: yes, I guess it is - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=37059619&highlight=convert#post37059619 I will need to try this at home later.
Thank you again!
Tal

Dictionary update!
Sorry for the long delay in updating - not only was I busy with boring Real Life stuff, but I also started worrying that nookdict.exe wasn't running when I double-clicked on it in Windows 8, and it took a couple of days before it occurrred to me to run it from the command line.
Anyway, I converted basewords.db using the nookdict.exe utility, and it appears to be working fine. I didn't create it with an index, which means it's slooooooow, but at least i can access the content!!! Next step is to re-do it with the index.
Interestingly, however, I've realised that the temblast eng-fra.db and fra-eng.db dictionaries are NOT working fine using Lookup on the unrooted Nook HD. They work fine for some words but sometimes is just weird.
For example, if I type s when using the eng-fra.db, the list shows s in the list, between Scotswoman and scoundrel. Tapping on scoundrel or any of the entries below the s results in the appropriate translation-entry, but tapping on Scotswoman or any entry above the s does not show the translation-entry, but instead shows 'Scotswoman' (or whatever) within a list, with a lot of hyphenated entries (ending with -y) before it, then Scotswoman (or whatever), then the beginning of the a entries.
This only happens with some letters. The ones that don't work are: d, e, g, i, j, l, m, s, u, w, z.
Any ideas? Is this an index problem? Nothing like this is happening with the unindexed converted version of basewords.db.