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    I want to switch Caps Lock and Backspace.

    • Started by Bioshock
    • 18 Replies:
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    • Registered: 22-Jun-2007
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    Can someone give me a registry entry like the one that changed Caps to backspace? I'm not sure how to modify it and I don't want two delete keys and no caps lock, even though I hardly use it. I have Windows XP.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    http://folk.uio.no/obech/Files/Keyboard … Gadmar.zip

    Either just run the Keymapper and do what you want (really easy), or load and run the file in there named Backspace-CapsLock-RWin. I much prefer to have the CapsLock on the right Win key which I never used before, since I find it useful to keep the old Backspace position and quite confusing not to. YMMV of course.

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    • From: Hungary, Budapest
    • Registered: 21-Oct-2007
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    Use Caps lock as Backspace is a very good idea, but I need the FUNCTIONALITY of caps lock: right win is a good idea, but I usually use Linux...

    Install a ,,patch''... It is not too elegant. Why isn't built-in? (Sorry my english!) It enough me, if I can use a shortcut (with AltGr) to Caps Lock.

    I'm a programmer, I must write some things with uppercase. I usually use caps lock.

    Portable Keyboard Layout with Colemak support
    http://pkl.sourceforge.net/

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    • From: Köln, Germany
    • Registered: 01-Apr-2007
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    Yeah, same here, I really miss a caps-lock. Definitely not where it used to be, but I still need it. It should be included out of the box!

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    It shouldn't matter much whether you use Linux or Mac or whatever - there's usually a key two places right of the space bar (Mac has the right-hand Option key there I believe) that most users don't press much. Some may be used to it though, which may be a part of the reason why Shai didn't want to make it a default remapping.

    Another reason may be the CapsOff competition, actually. That CapsOFF site is pretty much totally against the very idea of a CapsLock and probably wouldn't quite warm up to the idea of merely moving the key downtown. Silly, I know, but maybe true.

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    • Shai
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    • Registered: 11-Dec-2005
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    I'm considering remapping Alt-CapsLock and/or AltGr-CapsLock to to act as Caps Lock in future versions. The problem is making it work consistently across operating systems. I think that it can't be implemented on Windows and on Mac, which is a dealbreaker for making it into the standard Colemak.

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    • From: Köln, Germany
    • Registered: 01-Apr-2007
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    That's right. I think something wholly obsolete like scroll lock should be mapped to caps lock. Oh, but do please correct me if that's still in use.

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    • From: Hungary, Budapest
    • Registered: 21-Oct-2007
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    vilem said:

    I think something wholly obsolete like scroll lock should be mapped to caps lock.

    No, because I usually use caps lock (I'm a programmer). Scroll lock is too far.
    I suggest RShift + CapsLock! :) (But AltGr + CapsLock is good, too.)

    Portable Keyboard Layout with Colemak support
    http://pkl.sourceforge.net/

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    • From: Köln, Germany
    • Registered: 01-Apr-2007
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    Shift and caps lock is bad, because you often press these together without noticing, and then you'd activate caps lock. Also, it's important that it can be consistently implemented accross platforms.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    The ScrollLock and other rare keys are used by me and other scripters, but I don't suppose we qualify as important enough to keep the odd keys reserved for us.  :)

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    • From: Houston, Texas
    • Registered: 03-Jan-2007
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    There is no Scroll Lock on my keyboard.   I have tried using sticky keys on my Mac but as my typing as gotten better, the trade offs seem less and less worth it.

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    • Registered: 09-May-2007
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    As a person who never really uses caps lock, I think that the old backspace key should turn into a caps lock key.  It's out of the way, inconvenient, and you've already won the caps-off competition anyway.

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    • Shai
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    • Registered: 11-Dec-2005
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    Colemak was designed before the CapsOff campaign and competition, so it wasn't because of that.
    Why I decided to keep the old backspace in place as well is explained in this thread .

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    • Registered: 01-Apr-2008
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    I agree, the Caps Lock key is needed by computer people.  The sooner it is implimented the more viable Colemak will be.  How about the Num Lock key or a Shift Arrow?  =)

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    REGEDIT4 
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout] 
    ; The next line maps RWin <- CapsLock <- BackSpace
    "Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,0e,00,3a,00,3a,00,5c,e0,00,00,00,00
    ; The next line remaps only CapsLock <- BackSpace
    ;"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,0e,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00
    ; The next line removes all scancode remappings
    ;"Scancode Map"=-
    
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout]
    "Scancode Map"=-
    
    ; Numbers are LittleEndian (0x12345678 -> 78,56,34,12)
    ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    ; Bytes          Meaning
    ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    ; 00 00 00 00    Version info (usually zero)
    ; 00 00 00 00    Flags (usually zero)
    ; 03 00 00 00    # of entries (# of mappings +1 for the terminator)
    ; 0e 00 3a 00    The CapsLock(3a) key now sends a BackSpace(0e) scancode
    ; 3a 00 5c e0    The RWin(e05c)   key now sends a CapsLock(3a)  scancode
    ; 00 00 00 00    Null terminator (always zero)

    Uncomment the line you want to use, save this as a .reg file and double-click to merge it. That's all, folks!

    If you want the changes on a by-user basis, I think you use the CURRENT_USER part instead of LOCAL_MACHINE.

    I really like using the right-hand Win key (scancode #e05c) as a CapsLock, myself, since it's redundant and I never used it really. If you want to tweak your setup to using another key, replace "5c,e0" with a LittleEndian hex representation of the key you'd like. NumLock sounds odd, but if you want to use, say, ScrollLock then that has a scancode of #0046 so accordingly "5c,e0" becomes "46,00". Ask if you need help.

    Last edited by DreymaR (02-Apr-2008 07:45:21)

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    • Registered: 13-Apr-2008
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    I really like using the right-hand Win key (scancode #e05c) as a CapsLock, myself, since it's redundant and I never used it really.

    That'l be hard on laptops.

    Edit: Whoops, read it as "I really think you should map the right-hand Winkey as CAPS".

    Last edited by reddox (13-Apr-2008 17:00:47)
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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    Ummm, yes, that's what I meant. When I press the little flag key to the right of the AltGr, the CapsLock light goes on and my keyboard starts "shouting". That's what my script up there does, because that's what I prefer.

    I don't use a laptop (much) so I never thought of that. They usually have only the Alt(Gr) and Ctrl keys to the right of the space bar. Right. Myself, I'd probably use the right-hand Ctrl key since I don't remember using that much either. But I can imagine that won't sit well with everyone either. In case anyone wants to remap their right-hand Ctrl key, it has scan code #E01D.

    (See e.g., http://www.computer-engineering.org/ps2 … odes1.html for a list of scan codes. As I understand it, there are cases in which other scan code sets are used but these should work for the kind of remapping level we're using I believe.)

    Last edited by DreymaR (13-Apr-2008 19:38:31)

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    • Registered: 03-May-2008
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    I love the BS to caps lock remapping! But I think then the old BS (ironically named 'delete' on my mac) should then be the actual forward delete. It makes sense to me... left pinky deletes back one place, right pinky deletes forward one place.

    Ideally on the new mac keyboards, caps lock would be something like Fn+RShift x 2 = on, Fn+RShift x 1 = off. I like the modality because toggling is evil... On the extended keyboards, since you would already have BS and DEL on the main portion, you could remap the redundant DEL on the home/end keys to caps lock.

    Just my thoughts... thanks for making this map available; hopefully my switching from qwerty will go well...

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    • Registered: 08-Mar-2008
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    I think delete/backspace is a good spot for caps lock, but I can't remap caps lock using Ukelele. I have caps lock in its original position and return/enter is remapped to a delete key. Return is accessed with the tilde, or with shift-return. It was going to be just shift return, but that did some weird thing while programming, so I made tilde into return for use while programming. I never use tilde, ever. And if I do for some reason I can switch over to QWERTY.

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