Keyboard settings

The settings on the Host > Keyboard tab depend on the project type and emulation type. Not all features are available for all project types.

Keyboard transparency

Enables the use of transparent keyboards for both native and modern screens. After enabling the setting, enter a transparency level between 1-100, with 100 being complete transparency. When a Velocity keyboard is displayed while connected to the host, it will appear at the set transparency level.

Transparent keyboards will overlay the current screen, rather than displace it. To interact with portions of the screen covered by the keyboard, the user needs to hide the keyboard.

This option is available on Android and Windows devices.

Keyboard size

Defines how much of the screen a keyboard occupies when displaying. This value is defined as a percentage of the screen's space. By default, keyboards are set to use 45 percent of the screen.

For example, when a keyboard is docked at the bottom of the screen, it takes 45 percent of the height and 100 percent of the width. You can only configure one dimension of the keyboard; the other will always be 100 percent.

Keyboard visibility

Sets the behavior of the keyboard globally. This setting is overridden when you edit the Display Keyboard option for individual screen elements. (For more information, see Editing screen elements.)

Show. The keyboard automatically appears for all screens and fields.

Hide. The default state of the keyboard is hidden and it will not appear automatically for screens and fields. The Keyboard button will still toggle the keyboard.

Disable. Custom and default keyboards cannot be used for any screens or fields.

This option is available for TE and SIM projects.

Keyboard dock position

Sets the side of the screen where the keyboard appears. For example, if the dock position is set to Right, the keyboard slides in from the right.

This option is available on Android and Windows devices.

Enable system keyboard

Allows the user to access the system keyboard on Android devices.

If you enable this option and the Use Velocity keyboard option, the user can switch between Velocity keyboards and an Android system keyboard using a Switch keyboard button in the toolbar of the Client. Tapping the button switches between the system keyboard and the Velocity keyboards.

If you enable this option and disable the Use Velocity keyboard option, only the system keyboard is available.

This option is available for Web projects.

Use Velocity keyboard

The Client defaults to using the Velocity keyboard. Disable this option if you want to use the system keyboard exclusively and not use a Velocity keyboard.

This option is only available for Android Clients.

Press and hold hardware number keys to send function keys

If the device has a hardware keyboard, the device user can long-press a number key to send the corresponding function key.

Example: Press and hold the 3 key to send F3.

Swap enter and field exit keys

When this option is selected, the Enter key sends an Enter keypress and CTRL+Enter sends a Field Exit keypress.

If you have an onscreen keyboard, those keys are also swapped.

This option is only available for IBM 5250 projects.

For information on creating a custom keyboard, see Creating custom keyboards.