C64 games that require detection of keyboard presses (more than can be handled by a joystick) do so by directly reading the keyboard matrix. However, the Junior has two sources of keyboard input, the C64 compatible connector and the PS/2
I therefore think we need a new OSCall to return either the status of a specified key or a pointer to a bit/byte array of flags for gaming purposes. This would limit such checks to keys that (i) are on both PC/C64 keyboards and (ii) are roughly in the same space. This could be done simply by diktat and not enforced of course.
So this would perhaps allow
- The alphanumeric keys 0-9 A-Z except A Q W Y and Z which are in different places on French/German keyboards.
- Both shifts
- Enter/Return
- Space Bar
- , . / keys (?)
In the same mould is it worth considering a standardised(ish) Joystick I/O Kernal call.
C64 games that require detection of keyboard presses (more than can be handled by a joystick) do so by directly reading the keyboard matrix. However, the Junior has two sources of keyboard input, the C64 compatible connector and the PS/2
I therefore think we need a new OSCall to return either the status of a specified key or a pointer to a bit/byte array of flags for gaming purposes. This would limit such checks to keys that (i) are on both PC/C64 keyboards and (ii) are roughly in the same space. This could be done simply by diktat and not enforced of course.
So this would perhaps allow
In the same mould is it worth considering a standardised(ish) Joystick I/O Kernal call.