Using Citect with Touchscreens (no keyboard)

The issue with OSK.exe is a Windows issue.
if you search in google, it would seem that at some point in time, Microsoft "fixed" the issue where osk.exe would launch without UAC elevation. This then broke backward compatibility of programs relying on on-screen-keyboard be launched by 3rd party applications. In our case, when Citect32.exe is running with normal privilege (no elevation), launching on-screen-keyboard will result with windows error code 740 0x2E4.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms681388(v=vs.85).aspx

In Windows Event viewer -> Applications and Services Log > Microsoft > UAC > Operational, note error message as follows:
The process failed to handle ERROR_ELEVATION_REQUIRED during the creation of a child process.

Considering the security context of Citect, its behaviour is correct as it cannot launching external processes that require elevation unless itself is elevated.
There are different approaches:
1) Third-party software:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/On-Screen%20Keyboard%20Portable/

2) Use the on-screen keyboard on Windows 10 when enabling the tablet mode compatibility. With this setting, Windows 10 will show the keyboard when an input field is selected, such as a tablet or smartphone.

3) Another good option can be to use a Cicode Keyboard you can download here:
https://softwareforums.aveva.com/citect_community/cit-toolbox/f/187/t/25147

Unknown said:

3) Another good option can be to use a Cicode Keyboard you can download here:
https://softwareforums.aveva.com/citect_community/cit-toolbox/f/187/t/25147

What about non English languages for this keypad?

For non English languages due the advantages of Cicode you can programm it as you like it :-).
Free welcome to add your version on the Toolbox.

I think the simplest way to get OnScreen keyboard in SCADA is built-in feature like in RSView32 (one checkbox and in runtime it works like Android pop-up keyboard)

A user don't care about keyboard on touchscreen in this case

On Win7 with touchscreen we use built-in in Windows TabletPC keyboard

Note that I designed that Cicode Keyboard so you can easily customize it for your own language or special characters. Just open the !Keypad page and double-click a key button. The genie form allows you to enter the character for that key, and optionally an alternative character for Shift mode (or Shift mode just capitalizes the normal character).

You can make more key buttons or delete them. I haven't tried it with non-English characters, but as far as I know it should work. You don't need to edit any Cicode.

It would be nicer if Citect had a built-in on-screen keyboard. You can always request that feature from Citect support.

Unknown said:

You can always request that feature from Citect support.

Some years ago many citect users wrote to  ide@as many useful requests . For example scaling pages in Graphic Editor . The request was marked as "will apply in In future release" but how we can see scaling is absent yet in Citect 2018

I know it can be frustrating. However, many other customer suggestions from the Ideas forum were implemented and released in some form. I know they have been working on scalable (vector) graphics for a long time. I remember being told v5.3 would be the last version with the old (raster) graphics. I have seen a few technology previews of different versions of the new graphics interface over the years as well. I don't know what the current plans are.

However, an on-screen keyboard would be an easier feature to implement (and lower risk) than vector graphics so if a number of customers request it, it is more likely to be implemented.

Eric, is there an ideas portal where customers can raise and vote on enhancement requests? Such as using Canny (https://ideas.inductiveautomation.com/ignition-features-and-ideas / https://canny.io/)?

Without an online repository that customers can easily access, enhancements rely on us to contact support to raise our requests which, let's be honest, likely won't happen. And if someone does end up sending through a useful request to support, there's a relatively low chance that multiple other people will 1. have the same idea, and 2. will also send through the request to support, so these requests are essentially left in an abyss.

Just to clarify my comment RE the osk I was talking about from the Toolbox: I don't think it was by you, Eric; it was just a simple dynamic form version that was very very minimalist in terms of provided keys. Not very useable as-is. Customisable, but more effort than it was worth, and no nice way to swap between caps/non-caps.