function keyboard.__init__(experiment, keylist=None, timeout=None)

Constructor. Intializes the keyboard object.

Keys can be identified either by character or name. This is case insensitive. Naming keys using ASCII (integer) key codes is deprecated.

For example:

• The key ‘a’ is represented by ‘a’ and ‘A’.
• The up arrow is represented by ‘up’ and ‘UP’.
• The ‘/’ key is represented by ‘/’, ‘slash’, and ‘SLASH’.
• The spacebar is represented by ‘space’ and ‘SPACE’.

For a complete list of available key names, click on the ‘list available keys’ button in the keyboard_response tab within OpenSesame.

Example:

from openexp.keyboard import keyboard
my_keyboard = keyboard(exp, keylist=['z', 'm'], timeout=2000)

Arguments:

• experiment – The experiment object.
  • Type: experiment

Keywords:

• keylist – A list of human-readable keys that are accepted or None to accept all keys.
  • Type: list, NoneType
  • Default: None
• timeout – A numeric value specifying a timeout in milliseconds or None for no (i.e. infinite) timeout.
  • Type: int, float, NoneType
  • Default: None

function keyboard.flush()

Clears all pending keyboard input, not limited to the keyboard.

Returns:

True if a key had been pressed (i.e., if there was something to flush) and False otherwise.

• Type: bool

function keyboard.get_key(keylist=None, timeout=None)

Collects a single key press.

Example:

from openexp.keyboard import keyboard
my_keyboard = keyboard(exp, timeout=2000)
response, timestamp = my_keyboard.get_key()
if response == None:
        print('A timeout occurred!')

Keywords:

• keylist – A list of human-readable keys that are accepted or None to accept all keys.
  • Type: list, NoneType
  • Default: None
• timeout – A numeric value specifying a timeout in milliseconds or None for no (i.e. infinite) timeout.
  • Type: int, float, NoneType
  • Default: None

Returns:

A (key, timestamp) tuple. key is None if a timeout occurs.

• Type: tuple

function keyboard.get_mods()

Returns a list of keyboard moderators (e.g., shift, alt, etc.) that are currently pressed.

Example:

from openexp.keyboard import keyboard
my_keyboard = keyboard(exp)
moderators = my_keyboard.get_mods()
if 'shift' in moderators:
        print('The shift-key is down!')

Returns:

A list of keyboard moderators. An empty list is returned if no moderators are pressed.

• Type: list

function keyboard.set_keylist(keylist=None)

Sets the list of accepted keys.

Example:

from openexp.keyboard import keyboard
my_keyboard = keyboard(exp)
my_keyboard.set_keylist( ['z', 'm'] )

Keywords:

• keylist – A list of human-readable keys that are accepted or None to accept all keys.
  • Type: list, NoneType
  • Default: None

function keyboard.set_timeout(timeout=None)

Sets a timeout.

Example:

from openexp.keyboard import keyboard
my_keyboard = keyboard(exp)
my_keyboard.set_timeout(2000)

Keywords:

• timeout – A numeric value specifying a timeout in milliseconds or None for no (i.e. infinite) timeout.
  • Type: int, float, NoneType
  • Default: None

function keyboard.show_virtual_keyboard(visible=True)

Shows or hides a virtual keyboard if this is supported by the back-end. This function is only necessary if you want the virtual keyboard to remain visible while collecting multicharacter responses. Otherwise, keyboard.get_key will implicitly shown and hide the keyboard for a single-character response.

This function does nothing for back-ends that do not support virtual keyboards.

Example:

from openexp.keyboard import keyboard
my_keyboard = keyboard(exp)
my_keyboard.show_virtual_keyboard(True)
response1, timestamp2 = my_keyboard.get_key()
response2, timestamp2 = my_keyboard.get_key()
my_keyboard.show_virtual_keyboard(False)

Keywords:

• visible – True if the keyboard should be shown, False otherwise.
  • Type: bool
  • Default: True