Switching keyboard viewers

[Jack]

Hi guys,

I m trying to type some sentences in German using Word 2004 using OS
10.4.10 on a dual core G5 iMac. I have gone to the International panel
of System Preferences and enabled the German keyboard along with the
US Extended keyboard. But now I would like to use the keyboard viewer
to help me find where German-specific letters are—like umlaut “oâ€, “uâ€
or “a†(You know, those two little dots over the letter).

I can select the German keyboard layout using the “input menu†in the
upper right corner of the menu bar.

But when I try to bring up Keyboard Viewer, it stubbornly sticks to
the US layout even though the keyboard layout shifts unseen to the
German key configuration. That means I cannot see the location of
those German letters—or get reminded that my German friends swap the
position of the “y†and “z†keys.

Here is the strangest part. I have discovered that if I hit Option/
Command/Space Bar, it opens Spotlight. I know that is the default key
combination on the Keyboard Shortcuts panel of the Keyboard & Mouse
panel. Then, when Spotlight is open, the Option/Command/Space Bar
combination does indeed switch between German and US keyboard viewers.

Bu everything I type is entered in the Spotlight search field instead
of into my Word document.

I’m pretty sure there is a conflict between keyboard combinations. I
have even changed the shortcut for “Show Spotlight window†to Control/
Tilde to try to avoid any possible conflict with Spotlight. No luck.

BTW, I have learned from MS Office Help under “Insert an international
character by using a shortcut key†that I can produce ä, ë, ï, ö, ü,
ÿ Ä, Ë, Ã, Ö, Ãœ, Ÿ by pressing OPTION+u, the letter

But that still doesn’t give me access to things like the German double
“s†letter that looks like ß

Can you help me figure out a way to easily switch between Keyboard
Viewers?

 

[Elliott Roper]

Hi guys,

I m trying to type some sentences in German using Word 2004 using OS
10.4.10 on a dual core G5 iMac. I have gone to the International panel
of System Preferences and enabled the German keyboard along with the
US Extended keyboard. But now I would like to use the keyboard viewer
to help me find where German-specific letters are‹like umlaut ³o², ³u²
or ³a² (You know, those two little dots over the letter).

I can select the German keyboard layout using the ³input menu² in the
upper right corner of the menu bar.

But when I try to bring up Keyboard Viewer, it stubbornly sticks to
the US layout even though the keyboard layout shifts unseen to the
German key configuration. That means I cannot see the location of
those German letters‹or get reminded that my German friends swap the
position of the ³y² and ³z² keys.

I set up a german keyboard and it worked as intended. I did have to log
out and back in again for the keyboard viewer to change to German the
first time.
With the keyboard viewer on screen, changing the keyboard language from
the flag menu changes the heading and the keyboard layout in the
viewer.
UNTIL I START WORD!!!!
The keyboard viewer display swaps to Keyboard Viewer (US Imperialist
Agressor [1]) and stays like that, even though swapping the flag to
German really does change the keyboard layout.
It looks like a Word bug to me.

Quit Word and the viewer immediately starts working properly again.

Ho Hum! So it goes!

Here is the strangest part. I have discovered that if I hit Option/
Command/Space Bar, it opens Spotlight. I know that is the default key
combination on the Keyboard Shortcuts panel of the Keyboard & Mouse
panel. Then, when Spotlight is open, the Option/Command/Space Bar
combination does indeed switch between German and US keyboard viewers.

Bu everything I type is entered in the Spotlight search field instead
of into my Word document.

I¹m pretty sure there is a conflict between keyboard combinations. I
have even changed the shortcut for ³Show Spotlight window² to Control/
Tilde to try to avoid any possible conflict with Spotlight. No luck.

Best you leave Spotlight's shortcuts alone and change the swap keyboard
shortcuts. It worked for me.

BTW, I have learned from MS Office Help under ³Insert an international
character by using a shortcut key² that I can produce ä, ë, ï, ö, ü,
ÿ Ä, Ë, Ï, Ö, Ü, by pressing OPTION+u, the letter

But that still doesn¹t give me access to things like the German double
³s² letter that looks like ß

OK, you must have found it. German keyboard, to the right of the 0 on
the top row. Quit Word to make the viewer work properly, take a screen
grab, then leave the picture on your screen somewhere. Restart Word.
Look heavenward and ask yourself how much you paid for.....

Can you help me figure out a way to easily switch between Keyboard
Viewers?

See above.
An alternative technique is to enable full keyboard access and reach
the right hand side of the menu bar with ^F8 (That is so useful for
other things, like fast user switching and adjusting Airport and volume
without taking your keys off the handboard. [2])

1. Sad reference to Mao's China, only comprehensible to those in their
dotage.
2. It *is* getting late here.