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Level 1

7 points

Colon and Semi Colon - OnScreen Keyboard

Is there a way to type a colon or semi colon using the iPad Onscreen Keyboard? If not this seems like a pretty serious oversight

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.1), Time Capsule, iPhone, Apple TV

Posted on Apr 6, 2010 3:59 AM

Best reply

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

116,012 points

Posted on Apr 6, 2010 6:26 AM

Is there a way to type a colon or semi colon using the iPad Onscreen Keyboard? If not this seems like a pretty serious oversight

Have you really never hit the 123 button?

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19 replies

Jun 17, 2016 10:23 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

I have a colon in my password. I'm trying to login to the Eurosport Player app and .... I can't. I'm a software developer of 16 years, building big apps for big brands, the lack of a colon (or any other common punctuation available on a PC keyboard) is a design mistake, there's no more to discuss. Don't ask why, how, or whatever, its a major mistake.

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

116,012 points

Jun 17, 2016 10:37 AM in response to MyScreenNameWasTaken

MyScreenNameWasTaken wrote:

I have a colon in my password. I'm trying to login to the Eurosport Player app and .... I can't.

What version of iOS are you using? I have no problem finding colon on my ipad keyboard in iOS 9 and using it in a banking website password field. Perhaps it is a problem with the app?

Jun 18, 2016 7:42 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi Tom,

9.3.2 latest as of 18th June 2016

The normal keyboard is fine, to be clear. So I agree its a combination of error between the app author and Apple.

I think its a certain "type" of keyboard, in the same way that HTML5 can specify the input type to get a more suitable keyboard. So, yes, the app must be specifying a type of input that invokes a keyboard that has a range of punctuation and marks, but not colon.

I've tested some of the common HTML5 input modes and none reproduce (or bring up) the keyboard that I saw when logging-in to the Eurosport app, so I presume iOS app authors have a wider range of keyboards they can choose, maybe, I'm guessing.

So there is a keyboard type or something that has some, but not all punctuation characters, and that's not right. As I see it, the app author would not expect that some keyboards would lack some characters. They'd test the app and assume the keyboard was complete.

What riled me in my original post was that Meg was asking why the original poster would *need* to enter a colon, as if the customer was being awkward, and because Meg had never needed a colon, then no one in the world should need a colon.

Luke

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

116,012 points

Jun 18, 2016 7:55 AM in response to MyScreenNameWasTaken

MyScreenNameWasTaken wrote:

So there is a keyboard type or something that has some, but not all punctuation characters, and that's not right.

Yes, it seems that Apple's keyboard for email address fields for some unknown reason still has no colon. You have to use a shortcut entry or a 3rd party keyboard, etc.

Colon and Semi Colon - OnScreen Keyboard