Re: Possible to add new precomposed characters for local language in Togo?

> Don’t use dead keys on the keyboard layout, then you can have the same
keyboard on Windows and Ubuntu.

As we try to keep the French keyboard 1:1 and only extend it with extra
functionalities, I guess we need to keep the dead keys already present
there?

> Shouldn’t you already have broken the French layout by reassigning keys
to Togo language letters Ɛ, Ǝ, Ɩ, Ɔ, Ʋ, Ʊ, Ŋ?
> If not, it sounds like it will slow down typing in those languages.

No, in XKB we managed to keep the French keyboard 1:1, only extend it with
extra symbols.
We can't reassigning keys as local languages in Togo also use all letters
in French alphabet.
Besides, they mostly use the French keyboard, it will make it a lot easier
& faster if they just can get extended buttons to a keyboard they already
know.

> You can also do dead keys in reverse where, instead of having the
diacritic key as a dead key that one pressed before a letter key, you have
the letter key as a dead key that you press before the diacritic key.

I managed to maske such a solution, but then the keyboard is not any longer
1;1 with French keyboard as users can use the keyboard exactly as they're
used to use the French keyboard.
What I try achieve is to keep the French keyboard unchanged, extend it with
symbols for Togolese local languages, and keep the assignment of diacritics
consistent with that of the French keyboard.

> Windows keymap compiler supports chained dead keys, it's only the visual
editor that does not allow it
> Serial dead keys are a Windows feature,and implementing them is feasible
around MSKLC although not in the GUI

Are there any other framework than MSKLC that is simple and easy to use?
Or do we need to build from scratch?

> http://charupdate.info#drivers
> Further I recommend to program the deadtrans list in C because this has
the advantage of working on a flat list, while in the .klc source it is
grouped.
> http://keyman.com/

Thanks for these great leads! I guess keyman will make it dependent for the
user to install extra softwares? And the charupdate is not available.
To me now it seems like the best approach to do it in C, I will try
investigate more on this.

Thanks for all the helpful feedbacks!

On 3 November 2016 at 08:56, Marcel Schneider <charupdate_at_orange.fr> wrote:

> On Thu, 3 Nov 2016 01:05:13 +0100, Mats Blakstad wrote:
>
> > After managing to add the keyboard to XKB I started on a new venture of
> > trying to make a windows version of the keyboard using this:
> > https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/keyboardlayouts.aspx
> >
> > It is nearly impossible to replicate as it seems like you can only add
> dead
> > keys if they have a precomposed character.
>
> This Windows limitation is indeed a significant drawback. You may wish to
> browse
> the archive back and forth starting from here:
> http://www.unicode.org/mail-arch/unicode-ml/y2010-m01/0040.html
>
> >
> > Also, in Togo it is used double tones like these:
> >
> > "Ɛ̃́" LATIN CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON WITH TILDE AND ACUTE
> > "Ɛ̃̀" LATIN CAPITAL LETTER EPSILON WITH TILDE AND GRAVE
> >
> > And windows do not even allow dead keys with double symbols...
>
> I top on Philippe Verdyʼs reply. Serial dead keys are a Windows feature,
> and implementing them is feasible around MSKLC although not in the GUI, as
> its developer Michael Kaplan explained in a blog post that Doug Ewell
> shared in:
> http://www.unicode.org/mail-arch/unicode-ml/y2016-m10/0214.html
>
> Actually Iʼm localizing in English an interactive, self-explaining script
> in batch
> to facilitate generating the sources and layout drivers. It will soon be
> for free download here:
> http://charupdate.info#drivers
>
> Even the EULA issue is settled, as you may read there.
>
> Further I recommend to program the deadtrans list in C because this has the
> advantage of working on a flat list, while in the .klc source it is
> grouped.
>
> >
> > So I wonder if it could be a solution for a precomposed double tone?
> > So one unicode for tilde+acute and another for tilde+grave?
> >
> > The only way we manage to make the keyboard now is to add all the tones
> > behind the letters instead of before the letters.
> > I think in fact it seems easier than on French keyboard, but it will also
> > break the French keyboard when it comes to what order you click buttons
> to
> > add tones.
> > I also think it would be a benefit to have the keyboard on windows and
> > Ubuntu work mostly the same.
> >
> > Not sure if there are any other good ideas for how to solve it?
>
> Additionally to Denis Jacqueryeʼs replies, I would mention again a software
> that I believe is best fit to get what you need on Windows:
> Keyman.
> Keyman is now a part of SIL and is being made available for free.
> http://keyman.com/
>
> Best regards,
>
> Marcel
>
> >
> > On 25 February 2016 at 09:35, Marcel Schneider wrote:
> >
> […]
>
>
Received on Thu Nov 03 2016 - 10:02:54 CDT