On Saturday 17 April 2010 04:17:38 pm Bert Freudenberg wrote:
> > 
> >
> >> There is a problem for Etoys however, which shares the VM with Squeak
> >> (at least on unix). Etoys users need the traditional mapping, the right
> >> mouse button needs to bring up the halo. Right now I can't think of a
> >> good way to change the VM's default and still have Etoys work correctly
> >> out-of-the-box (we have no way to tell).
> >
> > 
> >
> > Can't we have the VM setting be dynamic (I mean changeable while the VM
> > is running) and made accessible via a primitive ? That way the image
> > could take care of itself.
> 
> That might be an option. It doesn't even need to be changeable, but if the
> image could know how the VM maps buttons to mouse events it could react
> accordingly. OTOH if the image "corrects" the VM then there is no way to
> specify on the command line what behavior you'ld like ... Hmm.
I am not sure if such command line hacks are a long term solution. Mapping 
hardware inputs to actions is a two step process - hardware buttons and keys 
to Input events (e.g. right mouse button to "MenuButton" or mapping ctrl-x to 
"CutButton") and events to actions (MenuButton to ContextMenu). The former 
should be in the VM and the latter should be in the image.

The image should not have to second guess VMs. Methods like 
"leftButtonPressed", "rightButtonPressed" or "macOptionKeyPressed" leaks VM 
mappings into the image. Handhelds like N900 don't come with ALT/CMD key. 
There is no "right" or "middle" button either.

Subbu