CONTENTS

Introduction to Keyboard Manager
Using the Keyboard Manager
Changing Keyboard Manager Options

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Introduction to Keyboard Manager

The Keyboard Manager controls the assignment of keystrokes to JAWS activities.
All JAWS activities assigned to keystrokes are called scripts. A script is a
small computer program that controls how JAWS reacts, and what you hear. For
example, when you press INSERT+NUM PAD 5, the Say Word script runs. In
addition to just saying the current word, it also checks to see if you pressed
INSERT+NUM PAD 5 twice, in which case it spells the word. Groups of scripts
are stored in script files. There are two basic types of script files: default
and application. The default script file contains those scripts that are
always available. Application script files contain scripts that are only
available when a particular application is running. Each script may have one
or more keystrokes assigned to it, but a keystroke assignment is not required.

The Keyboard Manager stores keystroke assignments in key map files with the
extension .jkm. Like the two types of script files, there are two types of key
map files: default and application. The default key map file contains the
keystroke assignments for the default scripts. Application key map files
usually contain keystroke assignments for scripts in an application script
file.

As with the files created by other JAWS managers, all application key map
files have the same name as the applications executable file name.

To open the Keyboard Manager, press INSERT+F2, K, and then press ENTER.

Follow these links for more information about Keyboard Manager:

Using the Keyboard Manager

Changing Keyboard Manager Options


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Using the Keyboard Manager

Add, Change, or Delete a Keystroke

Find a Keystroke

Review Documentation for a Keystroke

Shared Key Map Files

Keystrokes are usually assigned to scripts at the time the script is created
using the Script Manager, however, you can use the Keyboard Manager to browse
and change current keystroke assignments, as well as add and delete keystroke
assignments.

Add, Change, or Delete a Keystroke

The Keyboard Manager has a similar screen layout to Windows Explorer. It
consists of two panes. The left pane contains a list of all current key map
files in alphabetic order. The right pane contains a list of scripts in the
script file associated with the current key map file. The list is organized in
columns, and each script is listed with its assigned keystroke (if one is
assigned), the key map file name, and the key map section for the script. Use
the arrow keys to select one of the key map files in the left pane and then
tab to the right pane and use the arrow keys to focus on a specific script.
After you locate the proper script, use the Action menu to Add, Change, or
Remove the keystroke assigned to this script.

Note: If more than one keystroke is assigned to a script, the script will be
listed once for each keystroke.

Find a Keystroke

To search for a specific keystroke in the current key map file, focus on the
Scripts List in the right pane, choose Find Keystroke from the Action menu,
press the keystroke you wish to find, and press ENTER. If the keystroke
exists, the Keyboard Manager selects the script name assigned to this
keystroke.

Review Documentation for a Keystroke

When assigning a keystroke to a script, it is often useful to browse the
script documentation first. The script documentation consists of the Synopsis
(brief description of the scripts purpose) and the Description (additional
information about the script). You can view the documentation for the current
script by choosing Documentation from the Actions menu.

Shared Key Map Files

JAWS allows you to have both user and shared versions of key map files. JAWS
applies the settings in user key map files only when a particular user is
logged on to the computer. The settings in shared key map files apply to all
users on the computer or network. This allows system adminstrators to create
shared key map files so that all users on the network or computer have access
to a certain set of keystrokes. If a user creates a modified version of a
shared key map file, those keystrokes override the shared keystrokes while
that user is logged on the computer.

To change whether Keyboard Manager displays user specific or shared key map
files, open the Options menu and choose File Filter. Refer to Changing
Keyboard Manager Options for more information.

Tip: When you change or add keystrokes in a shared key map file, JAWS
automatically creates a user version of that file.


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Changing Keyboard Manager Options

There are four groups of optional settings that change how the Keyboard
Manager displays its information. All of these options are contained in one
multi-page dialog. Choose any of the four commands on the Options menu to go
to that tab in the Options dialog box. Once you open the dialog box, you can
move to each tab by pressing CTRL+TAB.

Use the Key Filter tab of the Options dialog box to decide which key
assignments and scripts to display in the scripts list.

Use the Sort tab of the Options dialog box to decide which column of the
script list is used to sort the list.

Use the Hot Key tab of the Options dialog box to choose keys you can use in a
hot key edit.

Use the Messages tab of the Options dialog box to choose messages used by
Keyboard Manager Filter Options.

Use the File Filter tab of the Options multi-page dialog to chose whether you
want to display only shared files, only user files, or all active key map
files.

Key Filter Options

The Keyboard Manager has two filter settings: Key Assignments and Scripts.

The Key Assignments group has three radio buttons: All, Active, and
Application.
	* All displays all keystroke assignments in both the current key map file and
the default key map file.
	* Active displays only active keystroke assignments in both the current key
map file and the default key map file. If a keystroke is assigned in both the
application and default key map files, only the application keystroke is
active as JAWS always acts on the first keystroke it finds and it looks in the
application key map file first. This setting filters out duplicate keystrokes
in the default key map file.
	* Application displays only key assignments in the current key map file.

The Scripts group has three radio buttons: All, Assigned to Keys, and
Unassigned.
	* All displays all scripts.
	* Assigned to Keys displays only scripts assigned to keystrokes.
	* Unassigned displays only scripts not assigned to keystrokes.

Sort Options

The Sort page has four radio buttons: Script Name, Keystroke, Key Map File,
and Key Map Section. Choose the radio button that corresponds to the column
you would like to use as the sort column for the Scripts List in the right
pane.

Hot Key Options

The Keyboard Manager has four checkboxes on the Hot Keys page of the Options
multi-page dialog that correspond to: TAB, SHIFT+TAB, ENTER, and ESC. Check
each one you want to use as a hot key. These keys are usually used to navigate
in dialog boxes. For example, pressing TAB usually moves focus to the next
control. That prevents it from being assigned to a script.

Note: Assigning scripts to these keys is not recommended!

If you would like to assign TAB to a script, follow these steps:
	1. Choose Hot Key from the Options menu, check the Tab checkbox, and press
ENTER.
	2. Focus on a specific script and choose either Add Keystroke or Change
Keystroke from the Action menu.
	3. Focus on the Assign To: field in either the Add Keystroke or Change
Keystroke dialog, press TAB, and ENTER.
	4. Choose Hot Key from the Options menu, uncheck the Tab checkbox, and press
ENTER.

Messages Options

There are two checkboxes on the Messages page of the Options multi-page
dialog.
	* Check "Show notification messages when about to modify a file" to have
Keyboard Manager notify you before modifying a key map file.
	* Check "Display the full MS-DOS path in the title bar" and the full path is
displayed along with the key map file name in the Keyboard Manager title bar.
Key map files are usually stored in the JAWS settings directory.

File Filter Options

Select one of the following radio buttons to indicate which set of key map
files JAWS should display in Keyboard Manager:
	* Active Files - Displays all key map files currently in use. If both a
shared and user version of the same key map file exist, only the user-specific
file is displayed.
	* User Files - Displays only user key map files. These keystrokes override
those in the shared key map files.
	* Shared Files -Displays only shared key map files.


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