keyReleased keychars are inconsistent in JDK6 (on both Solaris and Linux). It seems to be a kind of an initialization problem of the JVM, because the keychars return different values depending on when you have pressed particular characters the first time.

The problem has been detected with JDK6 on both Solaris and Linux (but not Windows). This problem isn't reproducible with JDK5 (neither with Solaris nor Linux nor Windows).

If you perform the test, make sure you have a keyboard which allows you to press a dead acute sign. If you perform the test on Linux, make sure that have not configured nodeadkeys for the keyboard properties. Quick test: if you type the keys <dead acute> followed by an <e> in a terminal, you should see: é

A small testcase (c_framekeylook) ist attached to this CR. Compile and run it with
$ javac c_framekeylook.java
$ java -cp . c_framekeylook

An AWT frame opens and you can press keys on the keyboard now. Keys which has been used for this testcase are e, a and the dead acute. The keychars are printed to the standard output. Compare the 1.5 output with the output of 1.6 to understand the problem.

Output on Linux (1_5_acc_e.txt, 1_5_e_acc_e.txt, 1_6_acc_e.txt, 1_6_e_acc_e.txt) have been attached to the report as well.

The following output has been gathered on Solaris 10:

Solaris 10
==========
1.6
---
<dead acute> <e>
----------------
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Dead Acute,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

<e> <dead acute> <e>
--------------------
keyPressed: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_PRESSED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)

keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Dead Acute,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)

<a> <dead acute> <e>
--------------------
keyPressed: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_PRESSED,keyCode=65,keyText=A,keyChar='a',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x61(97)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='a',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0x61(97)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=65,keyText=A,keyChar='a',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x61(97)

keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Dead Acute,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)


1.5.0_11
--------
<dead acute> <e>
---------------
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Dead Acute,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)

<e> <dead acute> <e>
--------------------
keyPressed: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_PRESSED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)

keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Dead Acute,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)


<a> <dead acute> <e>
--------------------
keyPressed: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_PRESSED,keyCode=65,keyText=A,keyChar='a',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x61(97)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='a',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0x61(97)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=65,keyText=A,keyChar='a',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x61(97)

keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Dead Acute,keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCode: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)


The following output has been gathered on Suse Linux:

Linux
=====
1_5_acc_e.txt
-------------
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Akut (
Dead),keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCod
e: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyCh
ar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)


1_5_e_acc_e.txt
---------------
keyPressed: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_PRESSED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar
='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCod
e: 0x0,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyCh
ar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Akut (
Dead),keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCod
e: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyCh
ar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)


1_6_acc_e.txt
-------------
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Akut (
Dead),keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCod
e: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyCh
ar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)

1_6_e_acc_e.txt
---------------
keyPressed: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_PRESSED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyChar
='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCod
e: 0x0,keyChar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyCh
ar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=129,keyText=Akut (
Dead),keyChar=Undefined keyChar,keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0xffff(65535)
keyTyped: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_TYPED,keyCode=0,keyText=Unknown keyCod
e: 0x0,keyChar='é',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_UNKNOWN] on frame0
   char=0xe9(233)
keyReleased: kev=java.awt.event.KeyEvent[KEY_RELEASED,keyCode=69,keyText=E,keyCh
ar='e',keyLocation=KEY_LOCATION_STANDARD] on frame0
   char=0x65(101)