Hi Alan,
Thanks, I encouraged Krister to make a Podcast, but I’ll definitely take a look at your tutorial. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alan Lemly Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2016 9:14 PM To: [email protected]; 'Support for iDevices.' <[email protected]> Subject: A Fleksy Keyboard Tutorial Hello Listers, Recently, several posts have been made to the viphone list requesting a tutorial on using the Fleksy Keyboard. This is the third party keyboard from the developers of the original Fleksy app later named Fleksy VO that many of us have used. I am providing such a tutorial with this post and am cross posting this message to both the viphone and iDevices lists. The tutorial is in a marked up html file with various headings and bullet points and can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ubtto7ggk95vmjc/Fleksy%20Keyboard%20tutorial.html?dl=0 I will also paste the text of the tutorial following my signature but since many of you read your email in plain text as opposed to html, the markup and formatting will be lost. Those downloading the file and wanting to read it with your iDevices should place it in a Dropbox folder so you can access it with Dropbox. I've opened the file using my Dropbox app on my iPhone and placing the rotor on headings allows easy navigation among the parts of the tutorial. I would welcome any corrections or suggestions to this tutorial because I consider it a work in progress. The original Fleksy and now the Fleksy Keyboard has greatly improved the speed and accuracy of input I create on my iPhone and I hope this tutorial will help others as they master it. Alan Lemly Introduction * This tutorial was written 1/16/16 for Fleksy Keyboard version 7.5.0 on an iPhone 6 running iOS 8.3. Version 7.5.0 was the latest version of Fleksy Keyboard as of this writing. * According to the September, 2013 podcast on AppleVis, the original Fleksy was introduced in July of 2012. Due to Apple restrictions on third party keyboards at this time, the app ran separately and the content produced with it had to be copied and pasted to where it could be used such as in the messaging or mail apps. This original Fleksy app was later named Fleksy VO as the developers began moving toward a separate Fleksy keyboard in anticipation of Apple allowing third party keyboards. Fleksy VO was later removed from the Apps Store and Fleksy Keyboard is the only Fleksy app now available. Apple allowed third party keyboards beginning with iOS 8 in September of 2014. Setting Up the First Time 1. Launch the Fleksy Keyboard app. 2. On first launch, you'll be presented with an install Fleksy screen with a note at the bottom reminding you to turn on full access so that Fleksy can fetch your settings and gifs. There is a learn more link after this note that will take you to a web page in Safari that will fully explain full access. Below this message is an Install button which you should execute. 3. You can get to the settings to allow Fleksy full access through Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards and selecting Fleksy. Executing the install button in the previous step will take you to this settings screen where you can add the Fleksy keyboard. 4. Double tap the add new keyboard button. 5. Under the heading Third Party Keyboards, find Fleksy and double tap on it. 6. You will be taken back to your list of keyboards which now includes Fleksy which you should double tap. 7. You will be taken to a screen which states Allow full access with an on/off button which you should make sure is on. 8. Go to Settings and locate Fleksy in the list of all installed apps which for the most part are sorted alphabetically. Double tap it and you can turn buttons on to allow Fleksy to access your contacts and to use cellular data. I have both of these turned on. Below these buttons is additional information about installing Fleksy and its settings. The topline menu buttons when you open the Fleksy keyboard app are Themes, Extensions, GIFs and stickers, and More. Themes * Most of the in-app charges are found here. * You can select from a variety of visual themes from choices like Festive winter pack, Community limited edition, SHARDS pack, Arcade pack, Pastel pack, Frozen pack, etc. * Most themes have a cost but a couple are free. Note that there appear to be graphic elements below each of these packs but swiping through them produces only a click sound with no further voiceover feedback. * A Classic pack for $.99 was the only one which sounded viable to me. * I've chosen to ignore themes since they are visual in nature. Extensions. The second from the left topline menu button. * A single finger swipe right repeatedly after executing the Extensions button, will broadcast many unidentified clicks but you'll get to buttons which are identified for GIFs stickers and Emoji, Number row, Cursor control, One handed, Hot keys, Rainbow pops, Heart pops, Color pops, and Fleksy tips. * Below the available extensions is a button to request more extensions which simply takes you to an online form to make a feature request. * I suspect all the pops extensions are visual in nature so will not use them. * Once you've added any extensions, an additional row will be presented above the Fleksy keyboard containing the applicable features provided by the loaded extension. For example, with the numbers extension installed, you get a list of number keys not unlike the top row of a standard QUERTY keyboard. At either end of this extension row are buttons to switch to the previous extension at the far left or switch to next extension at the far right. Manipulating the Extension selection screen * Note that I could not figure out how to uninstall an extension once it was added so take care that you only install ones that you want. * After VoiceOver announces the extension you want to install, double tap the screen to start the install process. * A popup dialog will open but focus may not be on anything that VoiceOver reads to you. If you touch manually in the middle of the screen, you should hit the description of the launched extension being installed. * Swiping right from this description should take you to the add button which you would execute to install it. In the case of the Hot keys extension, swiping right from the description will first take you to a setup button and then the add button. * Swiping left once from the description will place you on a title button which is not labeled so you simply hear a click sound as the title of the extension is only presented visually. * Swiping left one more time from the unidentified title will place you on an X button which you can use to close this extension should you choose not to add it. This x button is also not spoken by VoiceOver but is important should you choose not to install the extension. GIFs and stickers. The third from the left topline menu button. * Opens a screen of various moving pictures which from what I could tell seemed a bit like emojis on steroids. I opted not to mess with any of these since they appear to be totally visual. More. The fourth from the left and the last topline menu button. * Execute the More button to get a vertical menu of the following options: Tutorial, Settings, Languages, Keyboard size, Help and feedback, Personalize, Dictionary, Badges, About Fleksy, Tell a friend, and Restore purchases. Tutorial * I would recommend executing the Tutorial button and reviewing the screen several times to get an understanding of how Fleksy works. There are several tips sprinkled throughout the tutorial narrative that might prove very helpful. Settings * This is the second choice on the screen opening when executing the More button from the topline Fleksy keyboard app screen. Each of the various settings will be listed and described. Advanced Settings. Double tap to access these settings: * Fast delete. Deletes whole words with a swipe left when turned on. * Side buttons. Adds extra buttons when in landscape orientation on an iPhone or portrait orientation on an iPad when turned on. * Magic button. Change the function of the button displayed as a globe to the left of the spacebar when executed. Possible settings are: (1) Emoji keyboard displayed, (2) Comma entered, (3) Switch keyboard. This is the default and how mine is set., (4) Dismiss keyboard. Causes the keyboard to no longer display., (5) Autocorrect toggle. Tap and hold on a cell to change the ordering of the Magic button options. * Emoji skin tone color. Execute to select the default skin tone color for the emojis which offer color choices. * Show all accents. Show all possible accented characters when turned on. Note that I turned this one off because I got tired of Fleksy entering the accented versions of characters containing such options when I lingered a bit too long when typing characters. And since I pretty much type in American English, I don't need the accented characters. * Long press for numbers. Long presses in the letters keyboard temporarily switch to the numbers keyboard when turned on. Note that I have this turned off since I installed the numbers extension. * Show language in spacebar. Displays the current language in the spacebar after the keyboard appears when turned on. * Display HomeRow. Display the colorful background of the middle row of keys when turned on. In my case, the middle row is simply shown with a contrasting gray background to distinguish it from the other two rows of keys which have black backgrounds. Auto-Capitalization. Starts new sentences with a capital letter when turned on. Auto-Correction. Corrects and completes your words when turned on. AutoCorrect with punctuation. Corrects words when entering punctuation when turned on. Double space for punctuation. A period is inserted whenever you input two spaces in a row when turned on. Note that a single finger swipe right will enter the word just typed or Fleksy's best guess of that word. Another single finger swipe right will input a period. Keyboard clicks. A click is sounded whenever you tap a key when turned on. Swipe sounds. A swoosh is sounded whenever you swipe when turned on. Keyboard font. The font of the Fleksy keyboard. I've left this at the default setting of system font. Note that this doesn't affect any other apps. Voice feedback. Announces the words after you type them when turned on. I strongly recommend that you keep this turned on. Case sensitive layout. Shows all uppercase letters on the Fleksy keyboard when turned off. Shows these letters in lowercase when turned on. Show suggestions. Hides suggestions when turned off even if autocorrect is on. Languages * Mine is set to my default of English United States. I'm unclear whether multiple languages can be chosen here since I only use the one. Note that there is a button just below my selected language where you can pick the keyboard layout presented. I have this set to QWERTY. Other choices are QWERTZ, QZERTY, AZERTY, Colemak, Dvorak, and Dvorak (Fleksy). Keyboard size. Not only the size but the style of the Fleksy keyboard. Choices are presented in the following two rows: 1. Spacebar or Minimal Keyboard style. Pick spacebar if you want the spacebar displayed below the letter keys. A 2-finger swipe down on the spacebar keyboard will switch it to display the minimal keyboard. Pick Minimal if you only want the letters displayed with no spacebar as was done with the original Fleksy app. A 2-finger swipe up on the minimal keyboard will switch it to display the spacebar keyboard. 2. Keyboard size. Pick between Large, Original, and Small. Note that I use large to provide a bigger input area. Help and feedback. Includes the following options and help topics: * Send us a message * Feedback forum * Fleksy Keyboard for iOS help topics: * How to type using Fleksy * Using Fleksy as your default keyboard * Allowing full access * How to control Fleksy with gestures * Fleksy extensions * Settings * Languages * Submitting bug reports * How to set up typing shortcuts * Join the beta for iOS and become a tester Personalize * Personalize Fleksy to your writing style with choices to base this on your style from Facebook, Gmail, or Twitter. * Reset user data. I suspect this resets your personal dictionary and any other information you've provided to Fleksy while using it. I would be cautious about executing this. Dictionary * Provides a list of all the words you've added to your Fleksy dictionary while using the app. * An edit button appears in the upper right corner of this screen which opens a delete icon to the left of each word when executed. * Just below the topline menu containing the back and edit buttons is an edit box where you can enter a new word for the dictionary. Badges * Opens a table of badge icons with 6 rows of 3 badges per row. Each badge is identified by VoiceOver as you swipe through them but I'm unclear why or how you use these. About Fleksy. Provides options to: * Rate on the Apps Store * Subscribe to Fleksy news * Read the privacy policy * Follow Fleksy on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ Tell a friend. Provides the usual screen to tell someone about Fleksy using a message, email, Twitter, Facebook, or more options. Restore purchases. I assume this works as it does with other apps if a fresh install of Fleksy Keyboard is required and you want to restore any purchased options. Tips for using the Fleksy Keyboard 1. Fleksy is designed to interpret the word you intended to type based on the letters you typed whether done accurately or only near the correct letters. When you've finished typing the word, swipe right once and Fleksy will announce the word it thinks you wanted. If it is correct, simply start typing the next word. Fleksy will have input the word it announced followed by a space. If Fleksy announces an incorrect word, single finger swipe down in the keyboard area to hear other Fleksy suggestions. Whichever word it last announces will be what is entered. This is why diligently keeping a custom Fleksy dictionary can be beneficial so it will have access to the words you use which aren't in its built-in dictionary. 2. You can manually type a word you know isn't in Fleksy's dictionary by sliding your finger over each key until it is announced by VoiceOver in the usual touch typing method. When you swipe right once on completion and Fleksy announces the proper word, you can do a single finger swipe up in the keyboard area to add this word to your Fleksy dictionary. 3. Unlike the original Fleksy app, the Fleksy keyboard requires all gestures to be done on the keyboard itself which occupies about the lower third or more of the screen depending on the keyboard size selected in settings. 4. To switch from the standard iOS keyboard to the Fleksy keyboard, double tap and hold the button immediately to the left of the spacebar and slide up until Fleksy is announced then release. 5. To switch from the Fleksy keyboard to the standard iOS keyboard, press and hold the button to the left of the spacebar and slide your finger up and to the right to hear the available options and release when switch keyboard is announced. 6. If the Fleksy keyboard is being used and doesn't appear to be working or is acting flaky, try turning off VoiceOver using a triple press of the home button and then turning VO on again. This often fixes the problem. 7. Fleksy has a bit of a learning curve so review the Tutorial under the More button on the Fleksy Keyboard app topline menu and the help topics also under the More button. Review these until your comfortable with the topics and then practice by using the Fleksy keyboard. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. 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