# Keyboard Indicator Manual

The Keyboard Indicator shows the active keyboard group and enables switching between different groups.

2004
Angela Boyle
2004
Sergey Udaltsov
GNOME Documentation Project
2.8
2004-08

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Angela
Boyle

    aboyle@aboyle.com

Sergey
Udaltsov

    svu@gnome.org

This manual describes version 2.8 of the Keyboard Indicator applet.

## Feedback

To report a bug or make a suggestion regarding the Keyboard Indicator applet or this manual, follow the directions in the GNOME Feedback Page.

## Introduction

Keyboard Indicator indicates the active keyboard group. The applet shows you which group you are currently using. Aside from the standard applet pop-up menu functions, the Keyboard Indicator applet pop-up menu allows you to launch the applet Preferences tool and to switch between language groups.

To add Keyboard Indicator to a panel, right-click on the panel, then choose Add to Panel. Select Keyboard Indicator in the Add to the panel dialogue, then click OK. For more on this, see Adding an Object to a Panel.

To open the Keyboard preference tool, choose Open Keyboard Preferences in the applet pop-up menu. You may need to go to this dialogue to be able to configure the keyboard (choose model, layouts, options, etc.). For help with setting Keyboard preferences, see Configuring Keyboard Preferences.

## Switching Language

First, you must know that a group is a set of characters, whether it be for a language or non-language-related set of characters, like a dvorak. Each language may have more than one subset, and each subset is called a group. There are many ways you can switch the group that you are using on your keyboard.

Mouse Click

  You can switch between groups with a single click on the applet's panel icon. The groups switch in a cycle determined by the current configuration.

Popup Menu

  To pick a specific group, select Groups from the pop-up menu. From there, choose the group you want to switch to.

Keyboard

  In the Keyboard preference tool, you can set which key that you would like to use to switch groups on your keyboard. Choose Open Keyboard Preferences in the applet pop-up menu, and choose the key you want to use in the Layout Options tab, under Group Shift/Lock behavior.

To add other layouts to the list, open the Keyboard preference tool. Choose other layouts in the Layouts tab.

## Layout View

Choose Layout View from the applet pop-up menu to see a diagram of your current keyboard layout.

In the Layout View window, press a key on your keyboard to highlight its representation in the diagram.

Each key in the diagram has up to four characters. These can be produced with different keyboard modifiers, as follows:

- For the character shown in the bottom left, press the key alone.

- For the character shown in the top left, press the key with Shift.

- For the character shown in the bottom right, press the key with the third level modifier.

- For the character shown in the top right, press the key with Shift and the third level modifier.

By default, no key is assigned to act as a third-level modifier. You can assign a key to act as a third level modifier in the Keyboard Layout Options Preferences.

## Plug-ins

To open the Keyboard Indicator Plug-ins dialogue, select Plug-ins from the pop-up menu. Your current plug-ins are shown in the Active plug-ins area.

Adding a New Plugin

  Click Add. In the Add Plug-in window, select one of the plug-ins in the Available plug-ins area and click the OK button.

Removing a Plug-in

  Select the plug-in in the Active plug-ins area that you do not want anymore and click Remove.

Moving Items in the Plug-in List

  To move items up and down the plug-in list in the Active plug-ins area, select the plug-in you want to move, and click Up or Down. You can use the arrows on the keyboard to move the selection point up and down.

Changing the Properties of a Plug-in

  To change the properties of the plug-ins, select the plug-in you want and click Properties. The properties vary for each plug-in.