[Mac] Compatibility issues with Open Office on Mac

[darcywong00]

Issue by mcdurdin
Sunday May 28, 2017 at 02:12 GMT
Originally opened as https://github.com/sillsdev/keyman/issues/29 (separated from InDesign compatibility issue, #782 by Tom Bogle)

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Dear Marc,

I have been in communication with [some colleagues] as I have been testing the SurmaL Keyman keyboard within a variety of programmes on Mac and PC. It seems to be working well in Windows programs on a PC, and also in Mac designed software on Mac OS (it works fine in Mac Pages and Mac Mail). However, I have noticed that in Open Office on Mac, when typing conjuncts (characters with multiple keystrokes), while the final correct character conjunct IS being formed, the character information from the initial keystrokes is not being deleted.

We understand that Keyman for Mac is a Beta version release, so would like to pass this information on to those working on Keyman for Mac.

I have attached the following to document the error:
§ PDF ‘Surma-L Keyboard Chart’ – shows the Syloti Nagri Keyboard and full range of keystrokes and complex character conjuncts which should be displayed

§ ODT ‘Surma L test’ – shows the first column of complex characters showing how they should look compared to the output in OpenOffice on MacOS.

§ PDF ‘SurmaL Test PCInDesignCS6’ – shows that all conjunct characters ARE forming properly with no extra characters in InDesignCS6 on Windows PC (first and last columns of the Keyboard Chart typed here).

Overall, we are pleased with how well the Keyman SurmaL keyboard is working across a wide variety of programs and platforms. However, as the Mac version is a Beta release, we thought it important to report this error to those working on Mac compatibility, especially as the characters seem to be forming properly on a WindowsPC, but not forming properly when running Open Office on MacOS.

Please let me know if you have any further questions, or would like clarification concerning anything I’ve written here.

[darcywong00]

Comment by mcdurdin
Sunday May 28, 2017 at 02:12 GMT

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SurmaL InDesignCC MacOS test.pdf
Surma-L Keyboard Chart.pdf
SurmaL Test PCInDesignCS6.pdf
Surma-L-v2.006.zip

[darcywong00]

Comment by mcdurdin
May 28, 2017 at 00:43 GMT

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Also noted by @andjc: not working correctly with LibreOffice on Mac. (via Facebook Messenger)

[tombogle]

Confirmed using Amharic keyboard in both ID and OO.

[tombogle]

I think I have a fix for OO. InDesign is in worse shape, so I'm going to create a separate issue for that.

[tombogle]

The proposed fix for OO is incomplete. It now works as well as Libre Office.

[tombogle]

Since OO cannot report its context, every time the user moves (via arrow keys or mouse) to a new place in a document, we have to clear our knowledge of the existing context, which means that subsequent typing will ignore the new context. This is a definite incompatibility, but the user can probably live with this limitation. There's nothing more we can do to fix it. Any improvement would be dependent on a change in the OO code to bring it into better compliance with the way Apple expects app to interact with input methods.