There's no such thing as a stupid question, but they're the easiest to answer.
JoinTour
Login
Search
Apple MacOS
Tag Cloud
access acer asus batch bios bsod computer crash desktop dns driver drivers error ethernet excel freeze gaming hard drive hardware hdmi internet laptop lcd malware memory monitor motherboard mouse network printer problem ram registry router security slow software sound trojan usb video virus vista wifi windows windows 7 windows 7 32 bit windows 7 64 bit windows xp wireless
Search
Search for:
Tech Support Guy Forums > Operating Systems > Apple MacOS >
remappping the backspace key--and tildes in filenames

Reply  
Thread Tools
zzzth's Avatar
Computer Specs
Junior Member with 22 posts.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Experience: Beginner
06-Oct-2009, 01:51 AM #1
remappping the backspace key--and tildes in filenames
for a person without large hands the backspace/delete key is an uncomfortable stretch. some time ago on a unix system i was able to turn the [ key into a backspace key--it was heaven. i type fairly recklessly and when i make a mistake sometimes it's a number of letters that i have to backspace away to get back to fix it.

now i'd like to do this on my mac osx 10.5.8 and can't find a way to do it. hopefully the swap would apply throughout the system--ms word, text edit, browsers etc.

second question: what do the tildes mean in file names in textedit for the mac? for instance, what is the difference between fn.rtf, fn~.rtf, fn~~.rtf and so on?
thanks much, t
needafix's Avatar
needafix has a Photo Album
Senior Member with 985 posts.
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Experience: Advanced
06-Oct-2009, 03:08 AM #2
Quote:
Originally Posted by zzzth View Post
for a person without large hands the backspace/delete key is an uncomfortable stretch. some time ago on a unix system i was able to turn the [ key into a backspace key--it was heaven. i type fairly recklessly and when i make a mistake sometimes it's a number of letters that i have to backspace away to get back to fix it.

now i'd like to do this on my mac osx 10.5.8 and can't find a way to do it. hopefully the swap would apply throughout the system--ms word, text edit, browsers etc.

second question: what do the tildes mean in file names in textedit for the mac? for instance, what is the difference between fn.rtf, fn~.rtf, fn~~.rtf and so on?
thanks much, t
This may help:

Remapping the Keyboard Layout in Windows

http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articl...p-keyboard.htm

Very interesting. What I would like is to remap the numerical keypad but not just for one character per key but multiple characters and it would behave like a paste from the clipboard.
needafix's Avatar
needafix has a Photo Album
Senior Member with 985 posts.
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Experience: Advanced
06-Oct-2009, 03:17 AM #3
Here is one for Mac called DoubleCommand:

I have not downloaded it and scanned it but sourceforge has always been a reliable source of software

http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net/
zzzth's Avatar
Computer Specs
Junior Member with 22 posts.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Experience: Beginner
07-Oct-2009, 01:57 AM #4
thanks, i really appreciate your time, but doublecommand doesn't seem to map the backspace key to the "[" key.

any thoughts about the tilde question?
thanks again, it's really reassuring to a beginner to know about your service! t
needafix's Avatar
needafix has a Photo Album
Senior Member with 985 posts.
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Experience: Advanced
09-Oct-2009, 12:59 PM #5
Quote:
Originally Posted by zzzth View Post
thanks, i really appreciate your time, but doublecommand doesn't seem to map the backspace key to the "[" key.

any thoughts about the tilde question?
thanks again, it's really reassuring to a beginner to know about your service! t
I could be mistaken but I think the tilde added to the file name in the mac text editor is a back up copy of the file you were working on.

So, you most likely could find both fn.rtf and fn~.rtf on your hard drive.

It is also possible that if you have file names like this in succession such as:

fn.rtf
fn~.rtf
fn~~.rtf

...when you are returning to your work to do more writing you aren't opening the original document you were working on such as fn.rtf

you may have opened and edited the backup copy fn~.rtf which in turned resulted in another backup copy of your work that resulted in two tildes in the file name.

In order not to lose your writing open the fn~.rtf because that would be the only one that has all your updated work while fn~~.rtf is a backup.

Once you switched from working in fn.rtf to working in fn~.rtf only the fn~.rtf and the backup of fn~~.rtf would contain your most recent writing.

Still looking into the [ becoming a backspace.
needafix's Avatar
needafix has a Photo Album
Senior Member with 985 posts.
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Experience: Advanced
09-Oct-2009, 01:19 PM #6
Quote:
Originally Posted by zzzth View Post
thanks, i really appreciate your time, but doublecommand doesn't seem to map the backspace key to the "[" key.
Try this keyboard shortcut to see if you get a backspace/delete in the text you are writing:

Command [

or try

Function Delete (should result in forward delete)

or try

Opt Delete (deletes an entire word to the left)

Last edited by needafix; 09-Oct-2009 at 01:29 PM..
zzzth's Avatar
Computer Specs
Junior Member with 22 posts.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Experience: Beginner
09-Oct-2009, 04:19 PM #7
Thanks much, those are all useful suggestions. best regards, tom h
zzzth's Avatar
Computer Specs
Junior Member with 22 posts.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Experience: Beginner
09-Oct-2009, 05:25 PM #8
hmmmm, these don't seem to work on my mac osx 5.8
needafix's Avatar
needafix has a Photo Album
Senior Member with 985 posts.
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Experience: Advanced
09-Oct-2009, 08:15 PM #9
Quote:
Originally Posted by zzzth View Post
hmmmm, these don't seem to work on my mac osx 5.8
Huh?

You said "mac osx 10.5.8"
zzzth's Avatar
Computer Specs
Junior Member with 22 posts.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Experience: Beginner
10-Oct-2009, 02:17 AM #10
mac osX 10.5.8
yes, i'm working on a mac osX 10.5.8
thanks for your help, tom h
Yankee Rose's Avatar
Computer Specs
Senior Member with 1,972 posts.
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Here 11 years ...
Experience: BSBM, A+, MCP, OS X
10-Oct-2009, 09:33 AM #11
Hi again zzzth: Check out Ukelele. It's a Mac OS X Keyboard Layout Editor.

Hope that helps!
zzzth's Avatar
Computer Specs
Junior Member with 22 posts.
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Experience: Beginner
13-Oct-2009, 03:41 PM #12
hi, YR. i really appreciate your involvement. the remappers that i've checked out don't seem to remap control keys such as the backspace. one developer emailed that control keys are a "different animal." he said that he didn't know how to remap them either. still, i know it's possible because i did it long long ago on a unix system.
Reply

THIS THREAD HAS EXPIRED.
Are you having the same problem? We have volunteers ready to answer your question, but first you'll have to join for free. Need help getting started? Check out our Welcome Guide.

Search Tech Support Guy

Find the solution to your
computer problem!




Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
WELCOME TO TECH SUPPORT GUY! Are you looking for the solution to your computer problem? Join our site today to ask your question -- for free! Our site is run completely by volunteers who want to help you solve your computer problems. See our Welcome Guide to get started.
Thread Tools



Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter TechGuy.tv TechGuy.tv Mobile TSG Mobile
You Are Using:
Server ID
Advertisements do not imply our endorsement of that product or service.
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:08 PM.
Copyright © 1996 - 2011 TechGuy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Powered by Cermak Technologies, Inc.