Keyboard Locks When Typing in a Protected Field

Keyboard Locks When Typing in a Protected Field

When using Flex Terminal Emulator, the keyboard may become locked if you accidentally type into a protected (non-editable) area of the host screen.

Why This Happens

By default, typing in a protected field triggers an input inhibited condition, which locks the keyboard. This condition is indicated in the Operator Information Area (OIA) at the bottom of the host screen. You will see an “X” symbol displayed to show that input is restricted.

How to Unlock the Keyboard Manually

To recover from this condition manually, you must send the RESET host key.
  • By default, the RESET function is mapped to the left Ctrl key on your keyboard.
  • If your keyboard layout has been customized, the RESET key may be mapped differently.
For instructions on customizing key mappings, refer to the Flex Terminal Emulator User Guide:

https://userguide.myflexterm.com/Keyboard.html

Automatically Clearing the Keyboard Lock

You can configure Flex Terminal Emulator to automatically reset the keyboard when this condition occurs.

Steps to Enable Automatic Reset
  1. Open the Flex Terminal Emulator workspace.
  2. Select the appropriate session.
  3. Go to the View ribbon tab.
  4. Click the Emulation icon in the Options group.
  5. Set Automatic Reset Keyboard to Immediate.
  6. Click OK.
Once enabled, the emulator will automatically send the RESET command when input is inhibited. You can then simply move your cursor to an editable field and continue typing.

Optional Setting

You can set Automatic Reset Keyboard to Any Key Press.
This allows you to press any key on the keyboard to clear the lock instead of using a specific RESET key.
​
Notes
This feature helps reduce interruptions and improves usability when navigating between protected and unprotected fields.

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