This script creates a mock keyboard at the bottom of your screen that shows the keys you are pressing in real time. I made it to help me to learn to touch-type (to get used to not looking at the keyboard). The size of the on-screen keyboard can be customized at the top of the script. Also, you can double-click the tray icon to show or hide the keyboard.
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;---- Configuration Section: Customize the size of the on-screen keyboard and
; other options here.
; Changing this font size will make the entire on-screen keyboard get
; larger or smaller:
k_FontSize = 10
k_FontName = Verdana ; This can be blank to use the system's default font.
k_FontStyle = Bold ; Example of an alternative: Italic Underline
; Names for the tray menu items:
k_MenuItemHide = Hide on-screen &keyboard
k_MenuItemShow = Show on-screen &keyboard
; To have the keyboard appear on a monitor other than the primary, specify
; a number such as 2 for the following variable. Leave it blank to use
; the primary:
k_Monitor =
;---- End of configuration section. Don't change anything below this point
; unless you want to alter the basic nature of the script.
;---- Alter the tray icon menu:
Menu, Tray, Add, %k_MenuItemHide%, k_ShowHide
Menu, Tray, Add, &Exit, k_MenuExit
Menu, Tray, Default, %k_MenuItemHide%
Menu, Tray, NoStandard
;---- Calculate object dimensions based on chosen font size:
k_KeyWidth = %k_FontSize%
k_KeyWidth *= 3
k_KeyHeight = %k_FontSize%
k_KeyHeight *= 3
k_KeyMargin = %k_FontSize%
k_KeyMargin /= 6
k_SpacebarWidth = %k_FontSize%
k_SpacebarWidth *= 25
k_KeyWidthHalf = %k_KeyWidth%
k_KeyWidthHalf /= 2
k_KeySize = w%k_KeyWidth% h%k_KeyHeight%
k_Position = x+%k_KeyMargin% %k_KeySize%
;---- Create a GUI window for the on-screen keyboard:
Gui, Font, s%k_FontSize% %k_FontStyle%, %k_FontName%
Gui, -Caption +E0x200 +ToolWindow
TransColor = F1ECED
Gui, Color, %TransColor% ; This color will be made transparent later below.
;---- Add a button for each key. Position the first button with absolute
; coordinates so that all other buttons can be positioned relative to it:
Gui, Add, Button, section %k_KeySize% xm+%k_KeyWidth%, 1
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 2
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 3
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 4
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 5
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 6
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 7
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 8
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 9
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, 0
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, -
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, =
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, Bk
Gui, Add, Button, xm y+%k_KeyMargin% h%k_KeyHeight%, Tab ; Auto-width.
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, Q
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, W
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, E
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, R
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, T
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, Y
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, U
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, I
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, O
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, P
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, [
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, ]
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, \
Gui, Add, Button, xs+%k_KeyWidthHalf% y+%k_KeyMargin% %k_KeySize%, A
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, S
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, D
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, F
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, G
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, H
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, J
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, K
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, L
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, `;
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, '
Gui, Add, Button, x+%k_KeyMargin% h%k_KeyHeight%, Enter ; Auto-width.
; The first button below adds %A_Space% at the end to widen it a little,
; making the layout of keys next to it more accurately reflect a real keyboard:
Gui, Add, Button, xm y+%k_KeyMargin% h%k_KeyHeight%, Shift%A_Space%%A_Space%
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, Z
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, X
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, C
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, V
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, B
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, N
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, M
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, `,
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, .
Gui, Add, Button, %k_Position%, /
Gui, Add, Button, xm y+%k_KeyMargin% h%k_KeyHeight%, Ctrl ; Auto-width.
Gui, Add, Button, h%k_KeyHeight% x+%k_KeyMargin%, Win ; Auto-width.
Gui, Add, Button, h%k_KeyHeight% x+%k_KeyMargin%, Alt ; Auto-width.
Gui, Add, Button, h%k_KeyHeight% x+%k_KeyMargin% w%k_SpacebarWidth%, Space
;---- Show the window:
Gui, Show
k_IsVisible = y
WinGet, k_ID, ID, A ; Get its window ID.
WinGetPos,,, k_WindowWidth, k_WindowHeight, A
;---- Position the keyboard at the bottom of the screen (taking into account
; the position of the taskbar):
SysGet, k_WorkArea, MonitorWorkArea, %k_Monitor%
; Calculate window's X-position:
k_WindowX = %k_WorkAreaRight%
k_WindowX -= %k_WorkAreaLeft% ; Now k_WindowX contains the width of this monitor.
k_WindowX -= %k_WindowWidth%
k_WindowX /= 2 ; Calculate position to center it horizontally.
; The following is done in case the window will be on a non-primary monitor
; or if the taskbar is anchored on the left side of the screen:
k_WindowX += %k_WorkAreaLeft%
; Calculate window's Y-position:
k_WindowY = %k_WorkAreaBottom%
k_WindowY -= %k_WindowHeight%
WinMove, A,, %k_WindowX%, %k_WindowY%
WinSet, AlwaysOnTop, On, ahk_id %k_ID%
WinSet, TransColor, %TransColor% 220, ahk_id %k_ID%
;---- Set all keys as hotkeys. See www.asciitable.com
k_n = 1
k_ASCII = 45
Loop
{
Transform, k_char, Chr, %k_ASCII%
StringUpper, k_char, k_char
if k_char not in <,>,^,~,,`,
Hotkey, ~*%k_char%, k_KeyPress
; In the above, the asterisk prefix allows the key to be detected regardless
; of whether the user is holding down modifier keys such as Control and Shift.
if k_ASCII = 93
break
k_ASCII++
}
return ; End of auto-execute section.
;---- When a key is pressed by the user, click the corresponding button on-screen:
~*Backspace::
ControlClick, Bk, ahk_id %k_ID%, , LEFT, 1, D
KeyWait, Backspace
ControlClick, Bk, ahk_id %k_ID%, , LEFT, 1, U
return
; LShift and RShift are used rather than "Shift" because when used as a hotkey,
; "Shift" would default to firing upon release of the key (in older AHK versions):
~*LShift::
~*RShift::
~*LCtrl:: ; Must use Ctrl not Control to match button names.
~*RCtrl::
~*LAlt::
~*RAlt::
~*LWin::
~*RWin::
StringTrimLeft, k_ThisHotkey, A_ThisHotkey, 3
ControlClick, %k_ThisHotkey%, ahk_id %k_ID%, , LEFT, 1, D
KeyWait, %k_ThisHotkey%
ControlClick, %k_ThisHotkey%, ahk_id %k_ID%, , LEFT, 1, U
return
~*,::
~*'::
~*Space::
~*Enter::
~*Tab::
k_KeyPress:
StringReplace, k_ThisHotkey, A_ThisHotkey, ~
StringReplace, k_ThisHotkey, k_ThisHotkey, *
SetTitleMatchMode, 3 ; Prevents the T and B keys from being confused with Tab and Backspace.
ControlClick, %k_ThisHotkey%, ahk_id %k_ID%, , LEFT, 1, D
KeyWait, %k_ThisHotkey%
ControlClick, %k_ThisHotkey%, ahk_id %k_ID%, , LEFT, 1, U
Return
k_ShowHide:
if k_IsVisible = y
{
Gui, Cancel
Menu, Tray, Rename, %k_MenuItemHide%, %k_MenuItemShow%
k_IsVisible = n
}
else
{
Gui, Show
Menu, Tray, Rename, %k_MenuItemShow%, %k_MenuItemHide%
k_IsVisible = y
}
return
GuiClose:
k_MenuExit:
ExitApp