Bug in Blockly-PE6
- Thread starter coparu67
- Start date
I don't know which is my specific route to get the error when I am working,
however I know how to switch it on/off many times and maybe this can help you.
Special keys ("Control", "Shift", "Alt", "Alt Gr" ...) works like "Caps Lock", they turn on/off the error (not hold, just hit like a normal key).
- Open PE6
- New Bloqckly
- Drop Comment block
- Type 'n'
- Type "Control" (not hold)
- Type 'n' again
If you don't get the error try again with "Shift" or "Alt" more times:
[ n Control n Shift n Alt n AltGr n ... ]
Sometimes I get the error after first "Special key" and "n",
sometimes after a few ones.
however I know how to switch it on/off many times and maybe this can help you.
Special keys ("Control", "Shift", "Alt", "Alt Gr" ...) works like "Caps Lock", they turn on/off the error (not hold, just hit like a normal key).
- Open PE6
- New Bloqckly
- Drop Comment block
- Type 'n'
- Type "Control" (not hold)
- Type 'n' again
If you don't get the error try again with "Shift" or "Alt" more times:
[ n Control n Shift n Alt n AltGr n ... ]
Sometimes I get the error after first "Special key" and "n",
sometimes after a few ones.
grim_reaper
Senior Member
Check your 'Accessibility' settings in Windows. There is a feature called 'sticky keys' which I've seen get randomly enabled in the past.
On my current Windows 7 PC, it's under Control Panel --> Ease Of Access Center --> Make the keyboard easier to use
It was called something different in XP, and may well be in 8 or 10!
Make sure Sticky Keys is disabled.
Or, if that's not the problem, try cleaning your keyboard
On my current Windows 7 PC, it's under Control Panel --> Ease Of Access Center --> Make the keyboard easier to use
It was called something different in XP, and may well be in 8 or 10!
Make sure Sticky Keys is disabled.
Or, if that's not the problem, try cleaning your keyboard
All check-boxes are unchecked in "Make the keyboard easier to use".Check your 'Accessibility' settings in Windows. There is a feature called 'sticky keys' which I've seen get randomly enabled in the past.
On my current Windows 7 PC, it's under Control Panel --> Ease Of Access Center --> Make the keyboard easier to use
It was called something different in XP, and may well be in 8 or 10!
Make sure Sticky Keys is disabled.
Or, if that's not the problem, try cleaning your keyboard
Same problem occurs in 6 different computers (XP, Vista and 7; PC and laptop) only with PE6, no problem with others applications. So the cleaning is not the cause.
We have discovered this is an obscure Windows 'feature' you can also more easily see in Notepad.
Please start Notepad and briefly repeatedly press left Alt by itself. When the key is down the File menu shortcut is highlighted, and then the highlight disappears again when the Alt key is released.
Now hold Alt down for several seconds instead before releasing. The File menu now gets 'stuck' highlighted even when you let the Alt key up. Hence the behaviour of the menus on the Alt key press is changed and pressing f will not type f, it will activate the File menu instead.
Hold down the Alt key a long time again to change the behaviour back.
So what you see in Notepad is also happening in PE6 if you hold Alt down by itself too long - the Alt key is getting 'stuck' in menu highlight mode and causing the unexpected behaviour. The workaround is to simply do a long Alt press to get back to normal behaviour.
Now we know how this behaviour is caused - holding Alt too long - we may be able to workaround the issue!
Please start Notepad and briefly repeatedly press left Alt by itself. When the key is down the File menu shortcut is highlighted, and then the highlight disappears again when the Alt key is released.
Now hold Alt down for several seconds instead before releasing. The File menu now gets 'stuck' highlighted even when you let the Alt key up. Hence the behaviour of the menus on the Alt key press is changed and pressing f will not type f, it will activate the File menu instead.
Hold down the Alt key a long time again to change the behaviour back.
So what you see in Notepad is also happening in PE6 if you hold Alt down by itself too long - the Alt key is getting 'stuck' in menu highlight mode and causing the unexpected behaviour. The workaround is to simply do a long Alt press to get back to normal behaviour.
Now we know how this behaviour is caused - holding Alt too long - we may be able to workaround the issue!
Last edited:
grim_reaper
Senior Member
Hippy,
I can't reproduce that in Windows 7 - very close, but it doesn't 'stick'.
How long is a long press exactly?
I presume you have all your Sticky Keys settings disabled too?
I certainly can't reproduce the Shift and Control problems coparu67 is having either.
Coparu - I assume you have you language/localisation set to a Spanish variety?
Let us know what your settings are, and I'll change mine to match and see what happens.
Maybe you could try setting yours to UK English temporarily and seeing if that has any effect?
I can't reproduce that in Windows 7 - very close, but it doesn't 'stick'.
How long is a long press exactly?
I presume you have all your Sticky Keys settings disabled too?
I certainly can't reproduce the Shift and Control problems coparu67 is having either.
Coparu - I assume you have you language/localisation set to a Spanish variety?
Let us know what your settings are, and I'll change mine to match and see what happens.
Maybe you could try setting yours to UK English temporarily and seeing if that has any effect?
I'm sure the problem is not how long I press, because most of my students got the same error on different computers.
I can't reproduce the problem in Notepad in any way.
It's very easy to me (not always) reproduce the error with single presses: "Control", "n", "Control", "n", ... (maybe writing in different Comment blocks).
With "Shift", I need more tries but I can reproduce it.
But if you want, tell me settings to change, and I will test with them.
I can't reproduce the problem in Notepad in any way.
It's very easy to me (not always) reproduce the error with single presses: "Control", "n", "Control", "n", ... (maybe writing in different Comment blocks).
With "Shift", I need more tries but I can reproduce it.
But if you want, tell me settings to change, and I will test with them.
Its a very strange issue so we may just add an options setting to turn shortcuts off for Blockly as a short term workaround.
When we can make it happen on our machines, which is erratic, we can always stop it happening again by putting the cursor back into the comment and then holding down left side ALT for a few seconds. It is very strange.
When we can make it happen on our machines, which is erratic, we can always stop it happening again by putting the cursor back into the comment and then holding down left side ALT for a few seconds. It is very strange.
One last try (with video; sorry for the quality)
I think the error is relationated too with selecting with a click the text "Comment" at the beginning.
Take a look at this video with a virtual keyboard and you will know what it's happening to me.
(I click twice on Control to simulate a single stroke)
https://youtu.be/l8uH5e8GDAc
Control, Alt and Shift run like switches to turn on/off the error
There is a moment (near minute 4) in which these keys loose their error-switch capacities,
and then, I select the block Comment text with a click and it come back again.
In the video I force the error with the Control key.
In normal conditions, when I'm programming with Blockly, I don't use that key.
I think the error appears with the Shift key.
I think the error is relationated too with selecting with a click the text "Comment" at the beginning.
Take a look at this video with a virtual keyboard and you will know what it's happening to me.
(I click twice on Control to simulate a single stroke)
https://youtu.be/l8uH5e8GDAc
Control, Alt and Shift run like switches to turn on/off the error
There is a moment (near minute 4) in which these keys loose their error-switch capacities,
and then, I select the block Comment text with a click and it come back again.
In the video I force the error with the Control key.
In normal conditions, when I'm programming with Blockly, I don't use that key.
I think the error appears with the Shift key.
Were the previous problems when using a virtual keyboard, or were those when using a physical keyboard ?
Virtual keyboards do behave differently and can behave a little oddly because it's not possible to hold a key while pressing another with a mouse so they usually do have toggle functionality and so you may see different results to using a physical keyboards.
Do you have details of which virtual keyboard software you are using so we can test that.
Virtual keyboards do behave differently and can behave a little oddly because it's not possible to hold a key while pressing another with a mouse so they usually do have toggle functionality and so you may see different results to using a physical keyboards.
Do you have details of which virtual keyboard software you are using so we can test that.
Same problem with both, physical keyboard and virtual keyboard (laptop keyboard too).
I installed "Free Virtual Keyboard" just for show you the error.
http://freevirtualkeyboard.com/
I installed "Free Virtual Keyboard" just for show you the error.
http://freevirtualkeyboard.com/
Please could you test the new Blockly Windows Desktop App release at
www.picaxe.com/blockly
We believe this will have fixed the error with the keys and also with input/output table. If all works ok for you we can then build the same changes into PE6.
www.picaxe.com/blockly
We believe this will have fixed the error with the keys and also with input/output table. If all works ok for you we can then build the same changes into PE6.
