[Update]QWERTZ for Xoom external Keyboard

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Here is my version of a QWERTZ Keyboard Layout for german (flashable by recovery).

Use it for your BT or USB Keyboard.

I have a 3G Xoom with hc 3.2 modded for european running but it should work on every xoom afaik.

If you have root and you know what you do and you want a german keyboard layout for your german bluetooth or your usb keyboard you will have to take the following steps:

- download zip to your device
- move it to external sdcard (or internal in case you have the modded recovery for this)
- boot into recovery
- use "install zip from sdcard" to install

How it works:

- it replaces (/system/usr/... keychars/Generic.kcm and keylayout/Generic.kl) in your system directory to give android the right mapping for a QWERTZ Keyboard.

WARNING:

- if you toast your cat with this - I am not responsible for that!
- if you brick your device - look at the cat - I am not responsible for that!

For german speaking audience...

Q&A:

Originally Posted by Kozdoba

Please could you provide some manual how to add another language.

Have a look into the ZIP-File. There a two files. One tells the system which scancode of your keyboard maps to which keycode. The other tells the system which chars maps to which keycodes.

For the lookup of the keyboard scancodes use KeyTest.apk from Chris Boyle.

To edit you have to use a program that is able to handle Unix carrige returns and the file has to stay at UTF8 - I myself use PSPad for this task (there is a russian version available and its totally free!).

Your primary target is Generic.kcm (changes to Generic.kl are very difficult because you are not free to choose the keycode name - they depend on some internal android header on compile time!) - some of the mapping are obvious some other not. For russian I think you will have to put them like in a special notation like " '\u00e7' " (it just an example how to notate hex chars - my best guess is to have a look here).

Originally Posted by Kozdoba

I would like to use Russian and QWERTY layout for Bluetooth keyboard.

I do not think this can be done without a very special app for the keyboard. Maybe you can mix up things by setting the soft keyboard to the one language and the hard keyboard to the other.

Will it work with the original Motorola Xoom Keyboard?

I do not know - but if you tell me it does not I will my best to make it work. The original Xoom Keyboard has a vendor code that may or may not be known to the us version of 3.2 now - if you want me to fix it contact me please.

Will it work with my XYZ brand keyboard?

That depends. In most cases - for example you can connect that keyboard to your pc successfully - it will work. Contact me if it does not.

Is it possible to remap the windows key to home?

Yes it is. Find the 'special version' (QWERTZ_Xoom_DE_Windowskey_as_Home.zip) below.

Btw: it's spelled QWERTZ and not QUERTZ.
Just telling you this because I've seen that you made the same mistake in another forum as well...

ooops ... you are right.

Silly mistake, sorry.

Originally Posted by Riffer

Here is my version of a QWERTZ Keyboard Layout for german flashable by recovery.

I have a 3G Xoom with hc 3.2 modded for european running but it should work on every xoom afaik.

If you have root and you know what you do and you want a german keyboard layout for your german bluetooth or your usb keyboard you will have to take the following steps:

- download zip to your device
- move it to external sdcard (or internal in case you have the modded recovery for this)
- boot into recovery
- use "install zip from sdcard" to install

WARNING:

- if you toast your cat with this - I am not responsible for that!
- if you brick your device - look at the cat - I am not responsible for that!

For german speaking audience...

Does it give possibility to use both layout QWERTY and QWERTZ? Please could you provide some manual how to add another language. I would like to use Russian and QWERTY layout for Bluetooth keyboard.

Thanks.

it's also possible to install perfect keyboard free. after activating this keyboard you can also choose the german layout for the stock keyboard.

Originally Posted by burgi400

the german layout for the stock keyboard.

For an external hardware (usb or Bluetooth) keyboard?

Originally Posted by Kozdoba

Does it give possibility to use both layout QWERTY and QWERTZ?

No. Its just a change to QWERTZ by replacing the mapping files.

Originally Posted by Kozdoba

Please could you provide some manual how to add another language. I would like to use Russian and QWERTY layout for Bluetooth keyboard.

I will add some sentences to the start post for this.

also worth noting that some hardware keyboards will have their own .kl files, like the BT moto keyboard will load its own .kl file by default e.g Vendor_22b8_Product_093d.kl so modding generic .kl may not work for all external keyboards

Originally Posted by Riffer

No. Its just a change to QWERTZ by replacing the mapping files.



I will add some sentences to the start post for this.

Thanks any way, but it's not decision that I need. I would like to have both languages on keyboard, because I use them 50/50.

Originally Posted by Kozdoba

Thanks any way, but it's not decision that I need. I would like to have both languages on keyboard, because I use them 50/50.

Just to understand:
you want to use the same keyboard for qwerty and russian?