Invoking on screen keyboard in Window 8 from Access

[hockyjocky]

Is there anyway to bring up the on screen keypad or on screen keyboard from Access when running Windows 8 on the desktop? It would really be useful if someone was on a tablet wanting to input data in a text box if could automatically invoke the onscreen keyboard. By default when running applications on the desktop in Windows 8, one has to manually bring it up. I would like to include a touch option so every time wanted to enter data, they would not have to manually touch display keyboard option. A number pad like in excel for iPad would be even better. If text field would bring up keyboard, if number field, it would bring up number pad.

 

[hockyjocky]

Thanks. Wow been a long time since use shell function. I tried it all sorts of ways and still cannot get it to open. I tried all kinds of different scenarios with quotes and double quotes, etc. and never could get it to work. Always came back invalid function call. But thinking about it, might not need it since you can simply pin the onscreen keyboard to the task bar and if someone wants to use it to enter data, they can simply open it, use it, and then close it. I did not know you could do that as have never had a reason to use it. I do not have a touch screen running Windows 7 but cannot see why would not work on a touch screen as well as with a mouse. Or am I missing something. Now I wish they only had an onscreen keypad like in iPad version of excel. Probably coming soon to Windows.

 

[hockyjocky]

Thanks, but I guess I am just not used to fora, and although in your post it says osk.accdb it comes in as osk.php.

I changed the extension to .accdb and it opened fine. And it worked. Is this conventional way to post .accdb files? Thankee, thankee as Jack Aubrey would say. Not sure would have figured that out without your kind help. Need to try it out on my surface, but my daughter has appropriated it. So looks like I need to get a touch enabled laptop or another surface. I really do think that one can write a pretty nice Access app that is touch friendly. It would seem that one could have a Boolean option for touch or mouse and then if true, invoke launch_it on enter event and if false do nothing. Would be nice to be able to close it also, but they can always do that with the X. I am sure there are a lot of cool touch friendly Access apps out there, but since I am kind of an amateur, have not had opportunity to see any. I have found that one needs to approach the interface in a different way and avoid too much density in the various forms and larger but interactive buttons, etc. Thanks again.

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Here is a blog I did on Touch Screens.... May be of interest...

Touch Screen Forms

 

[Uncle Gizmo]

Tony, have you noticed the php association described in posts #5-6?

I saw it, but i don't know what it means.

The example I directed you to is for a 2008 Tablet PC, where I understand you can press MS Access Command buttons on the tablets touch screen... Not sure if that still applies with today's machines.

 

[hockyjocky]

As old as I am, not really sure why I am even doing this but just want to see if can create an application for relative computer neophytes that could be useful. My LEGO business probably has way more future to it. But touch is the future for much of computing. I mean 12 million people downloaded Office for iPad in a week. I do not think Access will every be ported to a Metro app or iPad app, but no reason why not to use its very customizable capabilities so could run on a Windows tablet. Even on a desktop, touch is very handy for things like process control or just simply running reports. Walk up to screen on the wall or kiosk for example and just use touch to navigate and bring up data. What is the orange curtain, btw?

 

[hockyjocky]

Ah, Yall were the county that declared bankruptcy a few years ago if I remember correctly? But I think now Detroit has yall beat in that department.