Reading Keyboard Scan Codes

[Michael Bendzick]

Is there a simple way in python to read a keyboard scan code? I'm
working on a shell script that interfaces with a proprietary keyboard
device (extra buttons) and need to be able to distinguish between
those keys.

Thank you

[François Pinard]

[Michael Bendzick]

Is there a simple way in python to read a keyboard scan code? I'm working
on a shell script that interfaces with a proprietary keyboard device
(extra buttons) and need to be able to distinguish between those keys.

Within Linux in console mode, you merely do:

os.system('kbd_mode -k')

to read key codes, which might be what you want, or:

os.system('kbd_mode -s')

to really read raw scan codes. To get back on your feet, do:

os.system('kbd_mode -a')

Beware that you can easily burn yourself if your program fails to restore
normal mode, as per last example. Use try/finally! You should probably use
the `curses' module for preparing to read codes one byte at a time.[1]

However, I do not know if reading scan codes or key codes is easily done
within X, nor on MS-Windows. I would like finding or discovering recipes in
this area. So, please share your tricks in this area, if any! :-)

--------------------
[1] I was given two different C programs written originally for QNX and its
own special `term' library, to be quickly ported to Linux, without rewriting
them if possible. To achieve this, I wrote a compatibility module in C, and
a more bulky keyboard driver module in Python, meant for key code assembly
into curses key events, and for any special keyboard processing. The link
between all parts was made using Pyrex, and a bit of Makefile trickery...

--
François Pinard http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~pinard

[Alan Gauld]

On 23 Jul 2003 12:29:06 -0700, mi****************@yahoo.com
(Michael Bendzick) wrote:

Is there a simple way in python to read a keyboard scan code? I'm
working on a shell script that interfaces with a proprietary keyboard
device (extra buttons) and need to be able to distinguish between
those keys.

The code to do this is on my programming tutor under Event Driven
Programming in the Advanced topics section. It uses Tkinter to
read and print the codes.

The critical part is this bit:

self.txtBox.bind("<Key>", self.doKeyEvent)
def doKeyEvent(self,event):
str = "%d\n" % event.keycode
self.txtBox.insert(END, str)
return "break"

self.txtBox is a standard Text widget in Tkinter.

If you can find my book you'll see the code to do it using
msvcrt. :-)

Again the critical bit is:

key = mscvrt.getch()
if key == '\000' or key == '\xe0' #detect special keys
key = msvcrt.getch() # read the second byte.

HTH,

Alan G.
Author of the Learn to Program website
http://www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/alan.gauld