DCLinabox

Extended Keypad VMS Mapping


Extended keypad mapping for VMS is fraught with endless minor variations on platform, browser and keyboard. The intention is to make any available editing and numeric keypad look and behave as much like a VT220 keyboard as possible. Beware: Compromise Ahead! By default, Mac-style keypad mapping is enabled on platforms guessed to be Macs, and PC-style keyboards enabled on others. Keypad mapping may be selected on-the-fly using the right-click user configuration menu items VMS Keys - PC and VMS Keys - Mac, or by configuration variables DCLinaboxVMSkeysPC and DCLinaboxVMSkeysMac.

The following combinations of keyboard and platform have been tested with the browser families supported by DCLinabox.

VT220 Keyboard

HelpDo F17F18 F19F20
FindInsertRe-
move
PF1PF2PF3PF4
Select Prev
Screen
Next
Screen
789-
456,
123Enter
0.
Emulation Note: DCLinabox is a VT100/102 emulation only. The VT220 keyboard layout is used as a convenience only.

Mac Keyboard

F13F14F15 F16F17 F18F19
fn
help
homepage
up
clear=/*
deleteendpage
down
789-
456+
123enter
0.
  • The F13 key is mapped to Help.
  • Each of the F14 and F15 keys may be used as a Do key.
  • The keys fn (or help) through to page down map to Find through to Next Screen respectively.
  • Where the fn (or help) key is inaccessible the Find key may be generated using the control+home or control+delete keys.
  • The keys clear = / and * are mapped PF1 PF2 PF3 and PF4 respectively.
  • Remaining keys correspond to VT220.
General Note: The extended Mac keyboard makes for a physically and functionally more compatible VT220 keyboard emulation.
Model Note: The older A1048 keyboard has the F13 above delete with the F14 F15 and F16 keys above the editing keypad.

PC Keyboard

Print
Scrn
Scroll
Lock
Pause
InsertHomePage
Up
Num
Lock
/*+
DelEndPage
Down
789+
456
123Enter
0.
With a Mac
  • The Print Scrn key is mapped to Help.
  • Each of the Scroll Lock and Pause keys may be used as a Do key.
  • The keys Insert through to Page Down map to Find through to Next Screen respectively.
  • The keys Num Lock / * and + are mapped to PF1 PF2 PF3 and PF4 respectively.
  • The + key is alternately , and as Ctrl++ mapped to the - key.
  • Remaining keys correspond to VT220.
With a PC
  • The Print Scrn Scroll Lock and Pause keys are not available.
  • Ctrl+Insert is mapped to Help.
  • Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+Page Up are each mapped to Do.
  • The keys Insert through to Page Down map to Find through to Next Screen respectively.
  • The Num Lock key toggles the Num Lock function and so Ctrl+/ or Ctrl+7 are alternatives to map PF1.
  • The subsequent keys / * and + are mapped to PF2 PF3 and PF4 respectively.
  • Remaining keys correspond to VT220.
Shortcut Note: Ctrl+Page Up is a common tabbed browsing keyboard shortcut to switch to next tab. Use only Ctrl+Home if this is an issue.