Dead keys produce diacritic character output (diacritic+combined characters, instead of combined only) in PM version

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

Background: in most languages, accented/combined/composite characters are typed in by pressing a sequence of two keys: a "dead" key for the diacritic, followed by a "normal" key for the base character, f.e. I should press ´ + a to get á.

This works as expected in VIO eFTE2, but in PM eFTE2 two characters are produced: "´á", "¨ö", etc. (I kind of understand this, because getting keyboard input is totally different in PM and VIO.)

FTEPM/2006 has the same problem.

I suspect PM actually produces two characters for these combinations, somehow marking the first one for replacement, and it is up to the application to handle it: both system E and Aaron Lawrence's AE show the diacritic character *after* the cursor when a dead key is pressed, and when a normal key is pressed, the accent character is replaced and the cursor position is moved after the combined character as normal.

Example: I press "dead" "^" and I see "^", then I press "A", and "^" is replaced with "Â" and cursor is moved.

EPM does not ever show the accent character nor moves the cursor, it only shows the final combined character after the normal key is pressed.

[Gregg Young]

This must be code page, language and/or country specific or I don't understand what you mean. This doesn't work in anything here.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

I take it you have never had to type a composite character like "á", then? You have to press a sequence of two keys to get it.

I am attaching some captures of PM editors output after key 1 and key 2 are pressed, in case that clarifies the problem:
-E/AE: weird thing displaying ´ and not moving the cursor, but all is well that ends well.
-EPM: output only after key 2; everything is correct.
-eFTEPM: WRONG.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

E/AE output after first key, "dead" ´, is pressed.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

E/AE output after second key, normal "a", is pressed.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

EPM only diplays the combined character "á" after the key sequence is completed.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

EPM will tell you that in CP850, "á" has ASCII code 160

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

eFTEPM: first key ("dead" ' ), first output character ´. Cursor moves like we're done.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

eFTEPM: second key (normal "a" ), second output character "á", "first character" is kept. WRONG.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

eFTEPM: second key (normal "a" ), second output character "á", "first character" (unsolicited) is kept. WRONG.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

I sent the last capture twice because of connection hiccups. Please pay no heed.

[Alfredo Fernández Díaz]

Tried to make the description and summary clearer.