Android - backspace key does not issue onKeyDown callback

Question

    public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) 
    {
        if(this.keyHandler != null) this.keyHandler.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
        return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    }

This is a method inside my OpenGL Surface view. When the keyboard is shown, ALL key presses cause this overriden callback function to be called. I have tested on my Asus TF101 (Android 4.0.4) and everything worked, however on my LG nexus 4 the backspace (KEYCODE_DEL) key press does not do anything!

Is there something I am missing?

EDIT: I have also tried to override dispatchKeyEvent(KeyEvent event) in my activity class but still the backspace key is not caught.

Answer 1

You can try to catch back key and use this method which is triggered when back is pressed. http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Activity.html#onBackPressed()

You can use

super.onBackPressed();

in your method or you can override it to do other things when clicked

@Override
public void onBackPressed() 
{
       // your instructions
}

Answer 2

There are two separate bugs (issues 42904 and 62306) affecting KEYCODE_DEL generation in the default Google Keyboard (LatinIME). Some versions of the keyboard have one bug, some have the other, and some don't have either. So, that is why some of your devices exhibit a problem while others do not; it depends upon the version of Google Keyboard that is installed on the device.

I have researched this and have devised a workaround, with code, that seems to get around both of these issues. The post presenting the workaround also explains where and how they occur. That post can be found here:

Android - cannot capture backspace/delete press in soft. keyboard