We have moved to a new Sailfish OS Forum. Please start new discussions there.
77

Keyboard bugs/changes/ideas

asked 2013-12-24 22:32:14 +0200

parasemic gravatar image

updated 2014-03-20 20:07:18 +0200

Alex gravatar image

I'll just list a couple of problems, bugs and ideas about the keyboard. I'll add to the main text if you have other ideas etc.

Bugs:

  • The haptic responses seem inaccurate, and the force of haptics jumps between hard and really soft.
  • The keyboard doesn't go back to the upper case mode after a dot and a space, except in messages app.
  • The "confirming letter", or the bigger letter appearing on top of your finger while tapping, seems to not show every time on the letters next to the edge of the screen. eg. Q A Å Ä etc. This seems to happen when tapping the edge of the screen.

  • (added on 20th March 2014) There is some annoying bug while coppying some text in e.g. messageing and notes app. (see my comment)

Other stuff to discuss:

[parasemic]

  • Correct me if I'm wrong, but there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off word prediction.
  • The space button is too thin and the dot is too wide, and I keep on pressing dot instead of the space. It.is.very.annoying.

[Ozymandias]

  • The predictions automatically create a space after a word. I would like this to be optional, as I have to use backspace if I want to place a period. (I know that way I would have to press space more, but that feels more natural than using backspace, it breaks my flow of writing.)
    Edit by jgr: After tapping the prediction word, just tap the sentence mark (comma, dot etc.) – the space will be removed automatically.
  • Allow for more than one language for the predictions. I usually write half in German and half in English (within one and the same message).

[ortylp]

  • Word prediction: use probability of next word based on previously entered text, it dramatically speeds up writing of chat messages

[andreibechet]

  • Double tap on the space key should create a dot.
edit retag flag offensive close delete

Comments

I second that fourth point of yours.

jaine ( 2013-12-24 22:34:55 +0200 )edit

Only fourth? :D

parasemic ( 2013-12-24 22:42:37 +0200 )edit

Fourth point if truth only in Web browser. In native apps I may edit everywhere on input line with nice magnify.

Kaacz ( 2013-12-24 23:18:33 +0200 )edit

I think it's present elsewhere too, but I'll investigate. Mind voting up so this won't get buried?

parasemic ( 2013-12-24 23:27:07 +0200 )edit
2

Two additions of mine:

  • the predictions automatically create a space after a word. I would like this to be optional, as I have to use backspace if I want to place a period. (I know that way I would have to press space more, but that feels more natural than using backspace, it breaks my flow of writing.)
  • Allow for more than one language for the predictions. I usually write half in German and half in English.
Ozymandias ( 2013-12-24 23:29:21 +0200 )edit

17 Answers

Sort by » oldest newest most voted
11

answered 2014-01-14 20:06:29 +0200

TimTTK gravatar image

I tend to make typing errors quite easily and the most irritating is there are no arrow keys, in N9 it was possible to change to swype kb and use arrow keys (wasn't so painless though). In portrait mode it is tight with free space already, but these arrow keys could be possibly included in second or third symbol layer like the special buttons.

edit flag offensive delete publish link more

Comments

2

I have the feeling that typing is somewhat more difficult than what I'm used to. I think the reasons might be: - no swype - inefficient/misguiding layout of the keys (I don't mean the overall qwerty structure but the ability to distinguish between single keys quickly). Maybe a design issue?

Cary Grant ( 2014-01-14 23:25:02 +0200 )edit
1

from my point of view ARROW keys are mandatory: it is totally difficult to correct some written text!

It should be possible to enter data everywhere in LANDSCAPE mode with a larger keyboard, allowing 2-thumb-typing.

thomas ( 2014-01-28 10:52:04 +0200 )edit

another typing speed-related issue: there ?123-alterations could be made visible in the corners of the keys, these would then be accessible faster (by seeing whete they will appear after pressing ?123. Even faster: long press on a key should insert this other character, dropping keyboard change.

Cary Grant ( 2014-01-28 20:14:52 +0200 )edit

With regard to the absence of arrow keys: do you know that it is possible to move the cursor quite precisely and painlessly? Just touch it and immediately move your finger on the screen, and it will zoom in. I agree that it would be nice if it could be more discoverable, though.

sami.boukortt ( 2014-03-06 16:11:35 +0200 )edit

Indeed the typing is difficult with Jolla phone. When compared my Wife's Lumia 620, I make multiple typing errors with Jolla keyboard when comparing to the phone mentioned above. There's something at the button cornering that acts strangely and it recognizes your finger position uncorrectly. This should really be addressed as an important improvement subject. Also, this affects to both, portrait and landscape keyboards at 1.0.3.8.

HighCast ( 2014-03-06 21:03:06 +0200 )edit
8

answered 2014-02-11 14:14:57 +0200

this post is marked as community wiki

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2014-02-11 14:14:57 +0200

TimTTK gravatar image

After the latest 1.0.3.8 Naamankajärvi update, the landscape mode is now introduced in Jolla. However I think the area which is reserved by the keyboard in the landscape position is a bit too big and causes problems for reading the page. So could the readable area be a bit more larger and for example squeeze some size off from word prediction field or even hide it alternatively to give more space to screen?

edit flag offensive delete publish link more

Comments

I'd like to see an option to hide the word prediction row completely. This way you could for example see better what's happening in a chat while you type your own message. However that row also has the Paste key (clipboard) which would need to be moved to some other row (spacebar?).

hana ( 2014-08-02 22:19:19 +0200 )edit
7

answered 2013-12-26 23:00:15 +0200

andreibechet gravatar image

Double tap on the space key should create a dot. I agree with all the upper points.

edit flag offensive delete publish link more
4

answered 2014-01-13 20:13:18 +0200

this post is marked as community wiki

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2014-01-13 20:13:18 +0200

jsiren gravatar image

I think this topic would do well to be split up for easier voting, since not everybody agrees, and duplicates may crop up, but since you asked...

Period and comma are inserted after a predicted word without space. Colon and semicolon should be too. Not like this : but like this; also, when three dots are typed together, the space after the first one should be eliminated. .. because the user has been trying to type an ellipsis, not say no in Finnish Morse code. (. .. = ei)

When a predicted word is partially erased, the prediction should just try again, but this is a matter of taste and could be optional. A wrong prediction may get picked by accident and the user only needs to select the next or previous one without retyping anything. This mistake is very easy in Finnish, you start tu... and the prediction offers a string like tuli tuuli tulli tuoli - these have completely different meanings.

Speaking of Finnish, a very smart predictive text entry system would also follow the endings of the words and when offering a group of words, put first the endings that often occur together with the ones that have already occurred in the sentence. (I don't know if the system already does this and just doesn't have enough text from me.)

edit flag offensive delete publish link more
4

answered 2014-04-18 12:07:26 +0200

danycassio gravatar image

updated 2014-04-22 11:59:55 +0200

jaine gravatar image

hi! after the last OS update, I found a bug problem on Whatsapp (android): if I wrote something from keyboard (without using suggested word) plus space, and the return back, very often it goes into the suggestion mode only from second letter, in this way: typing Sweden plus space -> Sweden typing 1 back -> SSwede (Where the first S is not underlined)

I have one picture that could explain this better, but seems not possible to upload since I have low karma -_-

Edit: added picture!

Picture of the problem

edit flag offensive delete publish link more

Comments

1

I have the same problem! Added picture to your post.

jaine ( 2014-04-22 11:56:30 +0200 )edit
1

This is also happening in firefox browser and I think also in every other Android app with text input.

Alex ( 2014-04-24 12:55:14 +0200 )edit

The same here.

skull77 ( 2014-05-12 11:12:04 +0200 )edit
3

answered 2014-01-04 23:41:47 +0200

leszek gravatar image

updated 2014-01-04 23:43:25 +0200

I would really like bigger keys when in portrait mode. For example when choosing german keyboard layout üäö are present on the keyboard. I am used to just long press u to get ü and so on. By hiding üäö keys the keyboard could have larger keys. When in landscape mode those keys could be unhide again as now there is enough space available for them.

Also one nice feature I would recommend is swiping to change cursor position. I know swiping is recognized when swiping from up to down to hide the keyboard. The same might be used for recognizing swiping from middle to left to perform a left arrow key press. Swipe from middle to the right to perform a right arrow key press. This would make cursor positioning easier in applications which tend to conflict with the current cursor positioning method and page changing. It would also work for currently not natively supported apps like android or the sailfish-browser. I would love to manually hack that into the keyboard but it seems like Sailfish is using a proprietary keyboard. Am I correct ?

edit flag offensive delete publish link more
2

answered 2014-01-13 18:58:47 +0200

Pekka Vuorela gravatar image

This has quite a few different details covered. For some it might make sense to create a new idea.

The keyboard doesn't go back to the upper case mode after a dot and a space, except in messages app.

Messages app doesn't get any special handling. Any more specific case for this?

The "confirming letter", or the bigger letter appearing on top of your finger while tapping, seems to not show every time on the letters next to the edge of the screen. eg. Q A Å Ä etc. This seems to happen when tapping the edge of the screen.

Some fixing for this was already done.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off word prediction.

Correct. https://together.jolla.com/question/13497/option-to-disable-input-suggestion/

the predictions automatically create a space after a word. I would like this to be optional, as I have to use backspace if I want to place a period.

Period after selecting candidate will insert it before the space.

edit flag offensive delete publish link more

Comments

The "confirming letter",

Still not 100% fixed.

slate ( 2014-01-21 18:34:56 +0200 )edit
2

answered 2014-01-18 10:12:42 +0200

simosagi gravatar image

Cursor slider: what if the top keyboard bar (where word suggestions appear) could be changed by a long tap into a slider, so that the text cursor could quickly scroll through the text left of right by dragging that slider?
As a (partial) replacement for arrows.
Or perhaps even make it into a 'joystick' to allow also up/down movement.

edit flag offensive delete publish link more
2

answered 2015-08-20 12:34:30 +0200

sledges gravatar image

Converting this to answer: Just [sideways] swipe to switch between 2 or 3, most useful/used layouts... You know, N9! @NikosAlexandris (Dec 26 '13)

Since installing Emoji, i need to constantly switch layouts, but have more than 2 languages, so spacebar longpress takes too long to switch :/

edit flag offensive delete publish link more
1

answered 2013-12-26 09:47:22 +0200

this post is marked as community wiki

This post is a wiki. Anyone with karma >75 is welcome to improve it.

updated 2013-12-26 09:47:22 +0200

JaviMerino gravatar image

Allow for more than one language for the predictions. I usually write half in German and half in English.

A long tap of the space bar allows you to change language. When you change the language of the keyboard, the layout and the predictions change.

edit flag offensive delete publish link more

Comments

1

I mean half of a single message. That would mean I'd have to switch languages every couple of words. That's not really a good solution.

Ozymandias ( 2013-12-26 14:38:57 +0200 )edit

It is somewhat clumsy. I usually don't even bother switching if I slip in a few words of a different language mid-sentence. If I write a longer passage, I do switch.

jsiren ( 2013-12-29 15:42:51 +0200 )edit
1

There should be a possibility to select multible input lang. so that a user can select the used one when typing messages. For me it seem that only one language is supported at the time. The keyboard has a language icon but I can't change language as Windows phones I can do.

tikkari ( 2014-01-12 13:01:03 +0200 )edit

Nokia E52 allowed to configure text prediction (the cousin of T9) in two languages, main and secondary. This way both languages were taken in consideration for prediction, whenever the prediction had words in both languages the first language selected had its words shown in the first positions (getting higher, better rank).

c.la ( 2014-03-06 16:15:27 +0200 )edit
Login/Signup to Answer

Question tools

Follow
5 followers

Stats

Asked: 2013-12-24 22:32:14 +0200

Seen: 2,207 times

Last updated: Aug 20 '15