Name

On-Screen Keyboard — \windows\system32\osk.exe

Synopsis

A full, onscreen keyboard controlled by the pointing device.

To Open

Start Programs Accessories Accessibility On-Screen Keyboard

Command Prompt osk

Description

Among the tools provided with Windows XP to assist those with physical disabilities is the On-Screen Keyboard. Intended to be used by those who are unable to comfortably use a keyboard, the On-Screen Keyboard allows any key normally available on the keyboard to be pressed with click of the mouse, or whatever pointing device is currently being used (see Figure 4-62).

What makes the On-Screen Keyboard especially appropriate as a primary input device is that you can click keys when another application has the focus. For example, open the On-Screen Keyboard, and then open your word processor; the keyboard will float above the word processor, allowing you to click any key to “type” it into your document.

Configuring the On-Screen Keyboard is straightforward. Use the Keyboard menu to change the layout of the keys, or Settings Font to change the font of the key labels. Go to Settings Typing Mode to choose how keys are pressed; by default, each key must be clicked, but you can set it up so that you can hover over keys to select them, or even use a joystick to control the keyboard.

The On-Screen Keyboard lets you type by pointing and clicking

Figure 4-62. The On-Screen Keyboard lets you type by pointing and clicking

Notes ...

Get Windows XP in a Nutshell now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.