Keymapping what is it for exactly?

[idkpmiller]

I am progressing along quite nicely on my first plugin and I have decided that I should start to tidy up how much junk I am throwing out to the gbpvr.exe.log

OK I see many instances similar to the item below:
No key mapping found for: UP

I also notice that for many of the other plugins that they declare specific keymaps, example:

Loading key mapping: C:\Program Files\devnz\gbpvr\KeyMappings\mainmenu.xml
Adding: Return MENU_ENTER
Adding: Escape MENU_ESCAPE
Adding: Up MENU_UP
Adding: Down MENU_DOWN
Adding: Left MENU_VOLUME_DOWN
Adding: Right MENU_VOLUME_UP
Adding: Home MENU_HOME
Adding: ^I MENU_INSET_FULLSCREEN
Adding: ^O MENU_TOGGLE_MONITOR

This stops the aforementing complaining messages.

My problem is I dont understand the value of the keymapping as the plugin works fine without it! Can someone please explain the benefit I am missing out from and possible point me to an example of the best practise way to implement the key mapping in code.

Many Thanks

[sub]

For the most part, people dont need to ever change key mappings, but there in case someone needs this ability (for example - due to limitations of their remote, or personal preference, etc).

Sometimes there are more keys mappings than there are buttons on the remote. For example, the main menu has a key for ejecting/retracting the DVD tray. Keymappings exist for this, but not mapped to a remote keystroke by default - some users may really want this function available via their remote, so can easily change the keymapping xml to make the function available on a key their remote uses.

In code you just do the following

member variable:

Code:

private KeyCommandHelper keyHelper;

construction, or initialisation function:

Code:

keyHelper = new KeyCommandHelper("FMRadio.xml");

OnKeyDown() method:

Code:

switch (keyHelper.KeyMapping(e))
{    
    case "FM_LEFT":
        ...
        break;