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Appendix C - Keyboard Resources

Key-Caps Resource (Type 'KCAP')

The key-caps resource (resource type 'KCAP') reflects the physical layout of a particular keyboard and is used by the Key Caps desk accessory. The resource indicates the shapes and positions of all keys, and defines the virtual key codes that correspond to each physical key. Key Caps uses this resource to draw a representation of the current keyboard layout--using the current keyboard-layout resource--for the current
physical keyboard. If you are creating a new keyboard, you can define its physical
layout in a key-caps resource.

For system software versions 7.0 and later, the key-caps resource is located in the System file. There is one 'KCAP' resource per physical keyboard on a Macintosh; it belongs to the Operating System, and not to any script system. The resource ID for each key-caps resource is equal to the keyboard type of the keyboard it is associated with. See Table C-1 on page C-4 for a list of keyboard types. For ADB keyboards, the ID of the key-caps resource is the same as the keyboard handler ID.

IMPORTANT

The key-caps resource should never require localization. The only time a key-caps resource needs to be added is for a keyboard that has a new physical arrangement (or a new keyboard handler ID).

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Subtopics

Resource Format

Key Caps Desk Accessory